PRODUCTION
Speaking
1. Role-play a round table discussion about gender roles in business. The following questions may help you formulate your arguments.
1) Do you agree or disagree that women work just to earn extra pocket money? 2) What is “feminist fatigue”? 3) Do you agree that traditional roles are harmful to both men and women? 4) What are the results of the expansion of women’s opportunities to participate in different spheres of life? Is it a favorable or an adverse trend? 5) Do men and women enjoy the same chances at work? 6) Can a person combine success in business with happy family life? 7) How do you understand the phrase “equal rights for men and women”?
2. Work with your partner and do the communicative tasks in the following situations. Take turns in playing roles.
Situation 1
Student A: You are a young ambitious woman and you have firmly decided to make a career in business. You can’t imagine being a stay-at-home mother and a housewife. Talk to your mother who doesn’t share your point of view and speak in favour of your choice.
Student B: You are a woman of about fifty. You have been happily married for 30 years, being a housewife all this time and having brought up three children. Your elder daughter has chosen a different life pattern for herself. You want to talk her out of becoming a businesswoman.
Situation 2
Student A: You are a successful businessman of about forty-five working as a manager for a big international company with sites in the world’s major cities. You don’t have enough time to devote to your family and hobbies. You have recently started to feel that something is going wrong in your life. Climbing to the top doesn’t seem the most important thing in life any more. Moreover, you have been diagnosed to have an ulcer. Talk to your psychologist.
Student B: You are a psychologist. Your patient is a successful businessman suffering from depression, who is likely to have a nervous breakdown soon. Talk to him to find out the causes of his being stressed out and give some advice.
Situation 3
Student A: You are a young woman working as a manager for a big company. Five years ago you got married and had a baby. When you decided to get back to work, you found it extremely difficult to combine family responsibilities and a full-time job. Fortunately you coped with all the difficulties and didn’t fall pray to the “super woman syndrome”. Talk to your friend who has the same problem.
Student B: You had a baby five months ago and have recently made up your mind to re-enter the job world. Now you are torn between your family and work. You are stressed out as you seem unable to put in a full day’s work and take care of the family. Yesterday you had a terrible row with your husband who insists on your quitting the job and looking after the family. Ask you friend for advice.
Situation 4
Student A: You are a middle-aged woman working as a CEO of a large company. You started to climb the career ladder fifteen years ago when you were just a clerk. There was no outside support, you did everything by yourself. A new manager has been taken on recently. She is young, energetic and ambitious. She is doing her best to reach a successful position in the company. You feel that you are tempted to take some steps to prevent her from reaching her aim. Discuss the situation with your friend.
Student B: You are a businesswoman and work in the fashion business. You have your private company and your team consists mostly of women. You are very united and supportive in your mutual progression to the top. You encourage and assist all the newcomers when they start their careers as you are strongly convinced that your business will benefit from it. Your friend can’t understand how you can do this. Share your ideas with her.
3. According to official statistics, in 1996 most leaders in the United States of America were provided by business (41,7%). Other fields under consideration included government (34,5%), sports (12,5%) and entertainment (11,3%). Do you think any special qualities are necessary to run a business? What does a success in business depend on? Can women be successful business leaders? Is business appropriate for them at all? Discuss in groups.
Writing
1. Write a description of the soft skills required for your future job. Alternatively, write about a business leader whom you admire.
2. Write a short comment on one of the following Thurber’s aphorisms.
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.”
“Let us not look back to the past with anger, nor towards the future with fear, but look around with awareness.”
“You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”
“The dog has seldom been successful in pulling man up to its level of sagacity, but man has frequently dragged the dog down to his.”