Saturday, March 27, 2010

View from the Top: Job Interview

This movie is great and this scene is especially funny. It is perfect for talking about job interviews.



A. Work in small groups:

Come up with 8 tips one should follow during a job interview in order to impress the interviewer and get the position you're applying for.



B. Share your list with the class.

C. Now read the tips below. Check the ones you consider important for the interviewee. Also explain why they are important and how the tips would impress the interviewer. The first one is done for you. This was found at ehow and wikihow, great sites with tips for the employee and for jobs!

( x ) Remember and use the names of the people that are interviewing you.



Forgetting someone's name is basically telling that person, "You are not important enough for me to remember." It's a psychological fact that people love to hear their own name. Use this to your advantage to create a positive anchor about you in the mind of your interviewer.


( ) Make sure to dress appropriately and conservatively. Dark blue and dark brown suits with white shirts are the best colors for job interviews. Men should remove their earrings. Women should not wear earrings that are larger than a dime and not wear too much make-up. Make sure shoes are polished. Hair style should be conservative.



( ) Don't arrive too early or late to a job interview. Make sure to leave early enough to be on time, but do not show up earlier than 10 minutes before an interview.



( ) Firmly shake the job interview manager's hand. Don't shake hands too roughly. Just make sure not to give a wimpy handshake suggesting you lack confidence.



( ) Watch your body language during a job interview. Sit up straight. Don't slouch. Sit comfortably, and make sure not to cross your arms. Don't stare into space. Women should sit with legs or ankles crossed. Smile.



( ) Be polite. A job interview is where you want to practice manners. Say, "thank you" and "please." Use "Mr." or "Ms." unless the job interview manager asks you to call him or her by first name.



( ) Make sure to do your research before the job interview. Check out the company's website. Do a Google search.



( ) Don't interrupt. Be a good listener.



( ) Speak audibly and clearly.



( ) Don't talk about religion, politics or make negative remarks about your previous employee.





C. Work in pairs. Each student will have a role. Don't read each other's role. After reading and understanding your role, role-play the job interview to the class.


Student 1:



You are the interviewer for a position as a flight attendant at American Airlines. You need the best flight attendants in the country. The most important features for the job is confidence, tranquility, ability to solve emergency problems, friendliness, politeness and commitment. Ask the necessary questions to decide whether the candidate suits for the position.


Student 2:



You are applying for a position as a flight attendant at American Airlines. It is your dream job. Your qualities are the following: you are very polite, committed, eager to start working as a flight attendant. However, you are a bit anxious and do not work very well under pressure. Don't lie to the interviewer, but try to convince him that you are simply perfect for the position.


D. Watch the movie segment and discuss the following questions:




Paige (left), Christine (center), Donna (left)







1) Which of three candidates performed best during the interview? Why? Who was hired?

2) What were some of the things that they did wrongly, according to the tips given in exercise C?

3) Did they all deserved to be hired? Why (not)?

4) How about the interviewer? Were his questions appropriate? Explain it.

5) How differently should the interview be conducted?

6) What's your opinion of having a job as a flight attendant?

7) Would you like to apply for that position? Would you be suitable for it? Why (not)?

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - VIEW FROM THE TOP

Saturday, March 20, 2010

17 Again: Promotions

This movie is just great. I love the idea of going back in time to our golden years and facing all the difficulties we used to face in our teenage years with the mind of an adult. This scene is one of the best of many interesting scenes in the movie. Wonderful for a class about jobs, promotions, workmates, office.




A. Work in small groups. Check the items that you consider important if one wants to climb up in his/her career. Explain why it is important (or unimportant) and give examples of how to do it.

( ) Concentrate on just doing the best you possibly can in your current position

( ) Make sure people know that you are doing a very good job

( ) Be popular

( ) Make sure the right people know you want a promotion

( ) Look for dominating new skills

( ) Be assertive to get what you want

( ) Put pride, passion and belief in everything you do

( ) See challenges as opportunities

( ) Do more than necessary

( ) Compete against other possible employees who look for the same promotion

( ) Establish a connection with your boss

( ) Be a team player



B. Watch the movie segment and answer the questions that follow:





1. Describe the scene.

2. Was the main character surprised by the boss's announcement? Why?

3. Why do you think he didn't get the promotion?

4. What's your opinion about the boss's announcing the promotion during a business
meeting?

5. Why do you think the young businesswoman was promoted instead of him?

6. What's your opinion about her reaction in the elevator?

7. What's your opinion about his reaction?

8. What would you do if you were in his shoes? What about in her shoes?



C. Work in pairs.


Imagine that one of you is the boss and the other one is an employee. Role play the following situation:


Employee: You have been working for this company for many years and you believe you are doing a great job. You deserve a promotion but you are afraid your boss hasn't noticed the good work you have been doing. Talk him into giving you a promotion.


Boss: You know your employee is a good worker, but he is not good enough for the position he is applying for. You have better candidates. Listen to what he has to ask you and be tactful justifying why he will not be the one to be promoted.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 17 AGAIN

Saturday, March 13, 2010

I Love You, Man & 21 Jump Street: Friends





A. Work in pairs and interview each other. Student 1 first asks his questions to

Student 2. Then they switch roles.

Student 1:

1. How important are friends to you? Why?

2. What makes a friend the best friend? Explain it?

3. Talk about your best friend.

4. Is it possible men and women be friends without any sexual connotation involved? Why (not)?

5. Is it true that male friends are more sincere and united than female friends? Explain it.

6. Are friends in orkut or facebook real friends? Do you keep contact with all of them? Why (not?)


Student 2:

1. Are friends sometimes more important than family? Explain it.

2. Does it matter to you if your friend is male or female? How different are these kinds of friendship?

3. How similar are you and your best friend? And how different?

4. At which stages of life is it easier to make friends? Why?

5. Do you still have childhood friends? If so, talk about them. If not, why did you lose contact with each other?

6. Would you trust a person who does not have friends? Why (not)?


B. Rank the qualities or characteristics you believe are important in a friend. 1 is the most important one, whereas 10 is the least important one.

( ) Honesty

( ) Intelligence

( ) Be fun

( ) Have the same tastes about music, movies and entertainment preferences

( ) Sincerity

( ) Be supportive of you and your goals

( ) Trustworthiness

( ) Loyalty

( ) Be a good listener

( ) Be a good advisor


C. Share your list with a few partners and compare your lists.


D. Watch the movie segment and talk about the questions that follow:





1. Describe what happened in the segment.

2. What are the girlfriends talking about?

3. What did they talk about Peter?

4. Why is his fiancee concerned?

5. Why didn't Peter want to serve the chocolate drinks anymore?

6. Is it okay for a man not to have any male friends? Why (not?)

7. Would you let your fiance (boyfriend/husband/girlfriend/wife) travel to another city without you if he is not going on a business trip? Why (not)?

8. Do you think it is okay for your boyfriend/girlfriend (husband/wife) to go out with other friends at night without your company? Why (not?)

9. What are the best ways to make friends where you live?

10. What advice would you give Peter?



Watch the movie segment from the movie 21 Jump Street and discuss the questions:







1. How did Schmidt and Jenko know each other? How would you describe their relationship?
2. What did they have in common and how different were they?

3. Under what circumstances did they meet each other again.

4. Why do you think they got closer to each other and became friends?

5. Is it possible for such different people to become real friends?

6. Is it true that adversities bring people together? If so, is this what happened in the scene? Explain it.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - I LOVE YOU, MAN

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 21 JUMP STREET

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Trade: Human Trafficking

This is a great movie, very thought-provoking and chilling. It depicts a new reality many countries and cities have been facing. My students had a lot to say in class.




Trafficking persons is the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person, having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation." Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons

A. Talk to a partner about the following questions.


1. What kinds of human trafficking are there?


2. Is poverty or lack of education somehow related to this kind of trafficking? How so?


3. Is this kind of trafficking a problem where you live? Explain it.


4. Have you ever heard of a true case of human trafficking? Talk about it.


5. What can be done for this crime to stop or reduce its rates?


6. Why do you think people traffic these kind of people?


Match the group of people to the reasons why they are trafficked. More than one option is possible.

a) Children


b) Adolescents


c) Babies


d) Young women


e) Uneducated males



( ) They are engaged in unwanted prostitution.


( ) They are auctioned on the Internet (or others) so that pedophiles can use them to deflower them for a large sum of money.


( ) They are sold for illegal adoption.


( ) They work as slaves - no pay of just for food.


( ) They are sold or rented for criminal sexual activity.



Possible answers:

b or d, b, a or b, b or e, ,a, b or d
C. Watch the segment from the movie Trade and answer the questions that follow:





1. What happened to the Polish girls?


2. What did they have in mind when they decided to go to Mexico City?


3. What was the real reason, though?


4. What did the girls do wrong to be caught in that situation?


5. Why were their passports collected?


6. What will probably happen after that?


7. Which of the categories in exercise B (#6) do these girls belong to?


D. Now watch the second segment of the same movie. This time it shows a 13 year-old being traded. Then discuss the questions that follow.


1. Describe what happened in the segment.

2. Who is bidding?

3. Who won the auction? What was the strategy used?

4. Do you think this actually happens around the world? Why (not)?

5. What will probably happen after that?

6. Which of the categories in Exercise B (#6) does this teen belong to? Explain it.