Wednesday, April 24th

A. Reading: Arianna Huffington on avoiding burnout at work

Read the following article and we'll discuss in class what does Arianna Huffington advices to avoid a burnout at work: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-14/arianna-huffington-on-burning-out-at-work.  Please pay special attention to the verb tenses used in the article.

Here is another article that contains a lot of colorful vocabulary when speaking about burning out at work....or avoiding it!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/07/17/5-ways-to-beat-burnout-at-work/


And now a little bit of humor... 

B. Read the following text, answer the questions below and then you'll do a quick 2 minute presentation on own recipe for a good work-life balance

Work-life balance refers to the balance between a person's career and his personal life. Many people work longer hours and use fewer vacation days, in part because of globalization, outsourcing, and a loss of job security. As a result, employees have less time for personal interests, personal development, and family. Reduced productivity, depression, high levels of stress, and burnout result from such an imbalance.

Although the employee makes the choice to work longer hours, the corporate culture is also responsible. Companies should educate their workers on the importance of a healthy work-life balance. It's also helpful to provide flex time, maternity and paternity leave, telecommuting, or even recreation or exercise facilities. If they don't, people will become money-rich, time-poor.

The reality of the society that we're in is that there are thousands and thousands of people out there leading lives of quiet, screaming desperation, where they work long, hard hours at jobs they hate to enable them to buy things they don't need to impress people they don't like. Thus, it is my belief that going to work on Friday in jeans and a T-shirt isn't really getting to the heart of the issue.

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Comprehension Questions: Answer the questions after reading the article.

1. People work longer hours because they are worried about their jobs.  T / F
2. Employees might ignore personal interests if there is a poor work-life balance. T / F
3. Only the company is responsible for overwork. T/F
4. All employees should have flex time and recreation facilities. T/F
5. Companies should disallow the use of phones and emails during the weekend.  T/F
6. According to the author, dress down days are a good way to achieve work life balance.  T/F

Discussion Points

1. Name 3 things that employers could do to better the work life balance of their employees

2. Name 3 things that employees could do to have a better work life balance without affecting their productivity.
3. Do you agree with the author that says that there are tons of people unhappy doing the things that they do for a living? Please give a few examples of how their unhappiness manifest at work. 

C. Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of definite frequency

Examples:

• hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly
• every second, once a minute, twice a year
• once, twice, once or twice, three times

Adverbs of definite frequency, like all adverbs of definite time, typically go in END position. Look at these examples:

• Most companies pay taxes yearly.
• The manager checks the toilets every hour.
• The directors meet weekly to review progress.

Sometimes, usually for reasons of emphasis or style, some adverbs of definite frequency may go at the FRONT, for example:

• Every day, more than five thousand people die on our roads.

Adverbs of indefinite frequency

100%	always, constantly
	usually, normally
	frequently, regularly
	often
50%	sometimes
	occasionally
	rarely, infrequently
	seldom
	hardly ever
0%	never

Adverbs of indefinite frequency mainly go in MID position in the sentence. They go before the main verb (except the main verb "to be"):

• We usually go shopping on Saturday.
• I have often done that.
• She is always late.

Occasionally, sometimes, often, frequently and usually can also go at the beginning or end of a sentence:

• Sometimes they come and stay with us.
• I play tennis occasionally.

Rarely and seldom can also go at the end of a sentence (often with "very"):

• We see them rarely.
• John eats meat very seldom.

EXERCISES - Build a sentence

1. 

go

I

to

pool.

swimming

often

the

2. 

horses

London.

rides

in

never

Sonia

3. 

father

always

dinner.

eats

before

My

peanuts

4. 

supermarket.

the

to

goes

sometimes

mother

Her

5. 

stories.

They

read

detective

never

6. 

always

sings.

Madonna

7. 

collect

I

often

stamps.

8. 

breakfast.

have

for

always

milk

I

9. 

late.

is

My

usually

sister

10. 

teeth

their

children

brush

meals.

always

after

My

Select the correct answer

1	Nancy and I [30%] -a) neverb) frequentlyc) occasionally go out for coffee together.	Click for answerc)
2	Andrea lives next door so we -a) neverb) oftenc) rarely see her.	Click for answerb)
3	We meet -a) neverb) every dayc) yearly at the Annual General Meeting.	Click for answerc)
4	My doctor -a) yearly checks my health -b) yearly.	Click for answerb)
5	It [0%] -a) neverb) sometimesc) does not rains here in the summer.	Click for answera)
6	-a) Sometimesb) Neverc) Rarely we take the dog off his leash at the beach.	Click for answera)
7	My sister -a) often has missedb) has missed oftenc) has often missed two days of school in a row.	Click for answerc)
8	My boyfriend and I take vacations together quite -a) neverb) hardly everc) frequently.	Click for answerc)
9	Andy [10%] -a) very frequentlyb) very rarelyc) very often gets to visit with his cousins.	Click for answerb)
10	I -a) never went to college -b) never.	Click for answera)

Complete the sentences with ever or never:

• 1. Have you ___ been to the opera?
  
  Ever
  Never
• 2. I've ___ eaten crocodile.
  
  Never
  Ever
• 3. Has she ___ lived abroad?
  
  Ever
  Never
• 4. They've ___ been to our house.
  
  Ever
  Never
• 5. Have we ___ seen that film? I can't remember.
  
  Never
  Ever
• 6. I've ___ spoken to him before.
  
  Ever
  Never
• 7. She's ___ worn that dress.
  
  Never
  Ever
• 8. Has he ___ broken his leg?
  
  Never
  Ever
• 9. Have I ___ told you about my cousin Ivy?
  
  Ever
  Never
• 10. I've ___ tried to play the piano.
  
  Ever
  Never