Purpose:

To help learners practice job search skills; to increase knowledge of advertisement acronyms and job-specific vocabulary for resume development; to become more aware of job opportunities, requirements and benefits

Preparation time:

25 minutes to select ads, enlarge, photocopy and type up exercises

Materials:

Recent newspapers

Preparation:

Choose and cut out one to three employment ads for jobs in which you think your students will be interested. For lower-level learners, one advertisement is enough; for high-beginning and intermediate learners, two to three ads are more interesting. Place the ad on a photocopier and enlarge it to cover about half a page. Type three to five questions about key information given in the ad. You now have your worksheet.

Procedure:

1. Pass out the worksheet and read (or have your students read) the ad aloud.
2. Read it a second time and have students circle words they don’t know.
3. Write the new words on the board and elicit definitions from your students, or provide them with simple definitions for each new word.
4. Have students read the ads one last time and ask them if they want any word repeated for pronunciation practice.
5. Have students read and answer the comprehension questions. Comprehension questions should reflect the job hunter’s mentality. For example, ask questions that focus on knowledge they will need to determine whether they want to apply for and get the job.