Learning English with CBC Edmonton

Transcription

1 Learning English with CBC Edmonton Monthly feature story: Body piercings are they a human right? November 2014 Lesson plans created by Justine Light english/

2 Feature Story Objectives CLB competency outcomes Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing: Language skills Vocabulary: Grammar: Speaking: Body piercings are they a human right? L: Identify main ideas, supporting details and implied meanings. L: Identify speakers opinions and recognizing who expresses which opinions. R: Identify main ideas, key details and some implied meanings. R: Develop skimming and scanning skills S: (Global Descriptor) Pronunciation errors rarely impede communication W: Write a summary without plagiarism Using new vocabulary in context Understanding the uses of the simple present tense Pronunciation recognizing patterns for ed endings Language Activities (In order of appearance in materials) Considering discussion questions about a short background text on body modifications. Completing pre- listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for the audio. Listen to the audio and infer meaning and identify facts and details. Listening to audio to recognise which speakers expressed different facts and opinions Speaking strategies Recognising different patterns of pronunciation related to ed endings Grammar activity present simple tense determining the rules for selecting this tense. Pre- reading vocabulary complete vocabulary activity to prepare for the reading. Reading strategy Skimming and scanning a reading text Reading for meaning/comprehension. Writing Writing a summary without plagiarizing 2

3 Background Reading: Edmonton woman s petition supports piercings, tattoos at work Excerpt adapted from: woman- s- petition- supports- piercings- tattoos- at- work An Edmonton woman is fighting for the right to proudly display her facial piercings without fear of professional punishment. Kendra Behringer has pierced her ears, eyebrows and lips in an act of "self- expression. However, she believes her appearance has cost her jobs, something she hopes to change by launching a petition slamming workplace discrimination against tattooed and pierced employees. You never know how good someone's going to be at the job, unless you look at their credentials instead of just looking at their face. Hundreds have already signed the online petition, which moves to make it illegal to not hire someone based on hair colour, haircut, tattoos or piercings. Food for thought Do you believe that body modifications, such as tattoos and body piercings are attractive or off- putting? Do you have any body modifications? Does anyone you know have body modifications? Do attitudes to body modifications in your home country differ to attitudes in Canada? If your children got tattoos or body piercings, how would you feel? 3

4 The Audio In this audio, you will hear CBC journalist John Archer interviewing Margot Ross- Graham, Edmonton AM s workplace columnist, about the role of your appearance in getting a job and who should decide what body piercings and tattoos are appropriate in the workplace. Kendra Behringer (CBC file photo Used with permission) Workplace columnist Margot Ross Graham (Used with permission: om/company/leadership/margotr oss- graham ) Before you listen: If you were a boss, would you care if someone who interviewed for a job had body piercings or tattoos? Whose choice should it be about whether these things are allowed in the workplace? Introduction to the audio John Archer Kendra Behringer If you re a great employee, should it matter what you look like? An Edmonton 0:00 woman says she s been discriminated against because of her various piercings. Kendra Behringer has about half a dozen piercings around her eyebrows, nose and lip, plus some on her ears. Now she has a job at the moment but she says she s been refused work because of her appearance. Here she is telling the CBC about a recent experience handing over a resume at West Edmonton Mall. The employee took the resume to the boss in the back room and he peeked 0:30 out and looked at me and threw out the resume, shook his head and threw out the resume. I was disgusted that someone could be like that. Because that s incredibly shallow; and it has nothing to do with my work ethic or with my capabilities with my job. I have proven that I m a very capable, very good employee who is very reliable. I have an amazing reputation at that place because I don t call in sick... 4

5 Pre- Listening Vocabulary The words below are from the audio. The definitions next to the words are mixed up. Match the correct definition to the word from the audio. Answers are in the appendix. Word from text Definitions (Mixed up) Correct definition 1. capabilities A. 100%, or completely 2. discriminate against B. a belief or idea that influences the way you think or behave 3. disgusted C. a feeling of not wanting to do something 4. entirely D. a situation you imagine could happen 5. ethic E. able to be trusted or believed 6. flexibility F. able to change easily 7. focus G. feeling extreme dislike or disapproval of something 8. inappropriate H. not interested in serious ideas 9. interacting I. not suitable 10. peek J. rules or laws that control what people can do 11. reliable K. special attention given to something 12. reluctant L. talking and doing things with other people 13. restrictions M. the abilities or skills needed to do something 14. scenario N. to look at people quickly, often in a way that people won t see you 15. shallow O. to treat a person in a worse way than the way you treat other people, often because of their skin colour, sex, sexual orientation, etc. * Definitions adapted from Cambridge online Learners Dictionary: english/ 5

6 Listening for Meaning Read the questions below. Then listen to the audio and answer the questions. (Answers can be found in the Appendix) 1. For what reasons did Kendra feel she was unable to get a job interview at the business she approached in West Edmonton Mall? 2. What action did Kendra take after this experience? 3. Who does the Workplace columnist, Margot, believe should have 100% of the decision making power about the appearance of the employees? 4. What is the connection between the appearance of employees and the employers they work for? 5. Why does Margot believe that customer comfort with employees appearance is so important? 6. In what ways are body piercing attitudes a generational thing? 7. Explain why the ability for getting a job with body piercings might depend on the level of job you are applying for? 8. Explain what Margot means by describing a job interview as a two- way street. 6

7 Listening strategies Who said what? The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to improve your listening skills for all listening situations not just this audio. Can you keep track of who said what and who expressed which feelings? What was journalist John Archer s opinion and what did employee with piercings, Kendra Behringer say? Which opinions were expressed by workplace communist Margot Ross Graham and which by listeners to the show who texted and ed in their feedback? Listen to the audio again. Put a check mark in the column for what each person expressed. There may be more than one check mark in a row if more than one person expressed the same thing. (Answers are in the appendix) Comment It is a disgrace to reject someone based on his/her appearance. It is shallow to judge someone based on what he/she looks like. It is 100% up to the employer to decide how their employees will look. Employers have an image they want to have based on the look of their employees. Attitudes to body piercing are a generational thing. Piercings have become the norm in our culture. No one is entitled to any job. Employees should have guidelines about body modifications. Finding a workplace culture that suits you is a two- way street. CBC journalist John Archer Kendra Berhinger Margot Ross Graham Feedback from listeners 7

8 Speaking Strategies: Pronunciation: - ed endings. The ed ending of words is pronounced differently depending on the sound that comes before it. The chart below shows the three different pronunciations of ed. /t/ sound /d/ sound /Id/ sound helped (sounds like helpt) kissed kicked miffed washed watched planned (sounds like pland) followed saved pleased banged seated (sounds like seat- id) stranded The following words are all spoken in the audio. Try to place the words in the correct category on the chart. Use the examples to help you discriminated refused peeked looked disgusted punished started frustrated reacted wanted interviewed based served worked hired entitled Tip: Listen for ed endings when you are listening to the radio and watching T.V. When you are speaking, correct yourself if you make a mistake. Shadowing: Now listen to these clips from the audio again. Kendra Behringer The employee took the resume to the boss in the back room, and he peeked out and looked at me and threw out the resume, shook his head and threw out the resume. I was disgusted that someone could be like that. Because that s incredibly shallow, and it has nothing to do with my work ethic or with my capabilities with my job. I have proven that I m a very capable, very good employee who is very reliable. I have an amazing reputation at that place because I don t like call in sick. I do my work as hard as I can no matter how tired I am. I just want, like, employers to focus on people s qualifications rather than their appearance. I understand working with food you probably shouldn t have those in. I understand some places it can be dangerous to have piercings. I just don t it s it s not fair to for people to be punished for expressing themselves, just because it doesn t appeal to everyone. I don t see how my piercings have anything to do with the job. 0:30 8

9 Margot Ross Graham We re used to it and it s something that has become more norm in our culture. I mean I remember working in an organization where tattoos were not people who worked there wore tattoos, our customers did not always see tattoos, and I at the time was not a big fan of it. But I came to realize that if the customer doesn t mind it and it s an expression of this individual and it doesn t get in the way of their doing their job and the employer was good with it, really? Big deal. But that is part of the issue. If it gets in the way of your relationship with your customer, then it s entirely up to you to be able to make that choice. 5:02 Practice saying the passage at the same time as Kendra and Margot. Try to sound exactly like them. Pay attention to ed endings. You can practice as many times as you want! Extra Practice: Tell someone you know a story about a time when someone helped you with a problem you were having (e.g., your car broke down). While you are speaking pay attention to the ed endings of your past tense verbs! 9

10 Grammar Activity The simple present tense Answers are in the appendix The simple present tense tells us about the immediate fact of our statement. Julia lives in Red Deer. It is most common in conversation and academic writing 1. This tense is describing a fact that is happening now and is not about to change. It can be thought of as a complete thought. The form of the present simple is: 1 st and 2 nd person singular and 1 st, 2 nd, & 3 rd person plural = Subject + verb (base form) 3 rd person singular = Subject + verb (base form) + s Celce Murcia & Larsen Freeman (1999) 2 provide the following different uses for the simple present: Use for the simple present Example 1. Habitual actions in the present She takes the school bus every morning. 2. Timeless truths Water freezes at zero degrees centigrade. 3. To indicate states, using be and The house smells bad when we cook stative verbs fish. 4. In the subordinate clause when After he graduates, he will take a trip the main clause contains a around the world. future time verb 5. To describe the future when an He has a dental appointment on the event is scheduled 25 th. 6. A demonstration or procedure I add six eggs to the mixture. 7. Present speech act when I resign my position on the Board. speaking completes the action. 8. Narration of past stories Mr Bean tries to put the turkey in the oven but it ends up on his head! There are at least twenty examples of the simple present in the transcript. Can you figure out for each example of the present simple in the transcript, which use from the table above is correct? Don't forget negatives! Answers can be found in the answer key in the Appendix. 1 Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S. & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Essex, England: Pearson Education. 2 2 Celce- Murcia, M,. & Larsen Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book. Heinle & Heinle. Adapted. 10

11 Reading Activity Pre reading Vocabulary The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences. Answers can be found in the appendix. Word from text Definitions 1. Bound to be Very likely to be the situation 2. Absorb Learn new information by taking it in, like a sponge 3. Awareness The mental state of knowing about something 4. Appropriate Suitable or right for a particular situation 5. Cues A hint or sign about how to behave in a particular situation 6. Preferred Something that is liked more than other things 7. Diverse Many different types 8. Etiquette Rules about correct behaviour 9. Gender Being male or female 10. Constructive Helpful or useful 11. Orientation Training or preparation for a new job 12. Job shadow On- the- job- learning which is temporary where a new worker follows an experienced worker around for a short period of time 13. Assigned Given a particular job or responsibility 14. Graciously Behaving in a polite, pleasant way Definitions adapted from Cambridge online Learners Dictionary: english/ 11

12 Pre- Reading Vocabulary: Use the vocabulary words above to complete the following sentences. (Answers can be found in the appendix.) 1. Alberta is becoming a very province with people from all over the world moving here to work and live. 2. I am starting a new job on Monday, and for the first two days I will be attending the. 3. There is not a lot of diversity in my workplace; I am the only woman who works there. 4. There is a very clear at my workplace but the rules are mostly unwritten and you have to learn them by observing other workers. 5. My footwear for work is something very comfortable, rather than fashionable because I am on my feet all day. 6. When you go to the job interview, you should take your about sitting down, shaking hands etc., from the person who interviewing you. 7. It is not to gossip about your co- workers in the workplace. 8. I have increased my of how to interact with customers from my colleagues. 9. I found the first day in my new job a bit overwhelming because there was so much new information to. 10. You are make lots of new friends at your summer job. 11. Sometimes it is hard to get negative feedback, even when the person giving it is trying to be. 12. It is important to ask for help in the workplace so that your co- workers will be happy to help you. 13. I have been two new employees to give them training in their new jobs. They will be me for two days. 12

13 Reading Strategies Skimming and Scanning The goal of the reading strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to become a better reader of all reading texts not just this text. Give yourself a maximum of three minutes to read New job how to make a good first impression you will have to skim over the words quickly and move on even when you don't quite understand. Look for the main ideas, focus on topic sentences and concentrate on the content key words. Try to answer these true- false questions from your speed- reading of the text. (Answers can be found in the appendix.) True False Casual does not mean you can wear whatever you choose. Keep perfume to a minimum. Shaking hands is expected. Canadians are more likely give an order than make a request. In the first few days, I am more like a student than a co- worker. Changes happen at work and I am expected to try to make changes when I first start in a new job. Shared spaces in the workplace in Canada often require employees to share organizing and cleaning tasks. 13

14 New Job? Here s How To Make a Good First Impression Are you starting your first job? moving to a new position with the same company? starting work with a different organization? working in Canada for the first time? Whatever your situation, your first few days in a new job are bound to be exciting you ll be meeting new people, learning different routines and absorbing dozens of details. But you may also be feeling nervous and that makes it hard to create a good first impression. A bit of awareness and planning can help you relax and feel more confident, friendly and focused, right from your very first day. Use the checklists to get off to a good start. Knowing what to wear, what to say and how to act Most workplaces have standards of dress, speech and behaviour. Whether these standards are written or unwritten, your employer and co- workers will expect you to learn and follow them. Use this checklist to help you make appropriate choices: I ask my supervisor or take my cues from a respected co- worker if I m unsure about the unwritten rules for dress and behaviour. I wear clothes that fit in with what my supervisor or co- workers are wearing. If I m in doubt about the preferred style of dress, I ask I keep my shoes clean and in good repair and my clothes clean, neat and ironed. I follow my workplace s casual dress policy. I know that casual dress for work doesn t mean low- cut tops, T- shirts with inappropriate slogans, low- rise jeans or casual sandals like flip- flops. I shower, use deodorant and come to work clean and well- groomed each day. I keep my use of perfume, aftershave, jewellery and make- up to a minimum. If my workplace has a fragrance- free policy, I follow it. I realize that in some workplaces, I may need to cover my tattoos and remove jewellery from some piercings. I wear the special clothing or equipment (e.g. a hard hat) that my workplace requires. Even if my co- workers don t wear protective equipment or clothing, I do. I m on time the first day and every day five to 10 minutes early is even better! I know the route to work. I ve practised it and timed myself. I show my positive attitude in my facial expressions, and in how I sit, stand and move. I m careful about how I express myself at work. I avoid slang, swearing and inappropriate humour or remarks. I follow my workplace s cell phone, social networking, and Internet use guidelines. 14

15 Greeting people and getting along In the workplace, you meet and work with people who have diverse backgrounds and social values. Most employers place a high value on your ability to get along well with others. Basic good manners or etiquette common sense rules of behaviour will help you treat co- workers and customers with courtesy and respect. Use this checklist to ensure you interact well with co- workers and customers: I treat my co- workers as I d like to be treated. I treat everyone with respect, regardless of gender, status or position in the company. I shake hands with a firm, not crushing, grip, for about three seconds while smiling and making eye contact. I don t invade personal space. In Canada, that means standing about 60 to 100 cm away from another person. I don t talk about my personal life during work time. I know how to be friendly without giving too much detail about my personal life. I don t ask my co- workers questions that are too personal. I take my time making friends at work. I m cautious around co- workers who come on too strong or who like to complain about work. I don t take part in office gossip. I respect the working styles and abilities of others. I m a good team player. I m happy to help when needed. I act in a professional way. I accept constructive criticism, think before I speak and act, and take 15responsibility for my mistakes. I respect the authority of supervisors in work- related situations. I recognize that Canadian employers rarely give an order. They assign work by request. When they say, If you have time, would you please they mean, Please complete this task. I realize that Canadian employers rarely say no directly. When they say, This would not be a good time or This may not be a good idea they mean, Not right now or No. I keep an open mind and a sense of humour. I remember to do little things that matter a lot, like making a fresh pot of coffee and cleaning up my mess in the lunchroom. I realize that saying please and thank you is always appropriate. Watching, asking and learning In the first day or so, you ll learn a lot about the organization its values, structure, products and services and the people you ll be working with. In most workplaces, you ll learn this either from your supervisor or at a staff orientation. Your supervisor (or someone he or she assigns) will tell you about your job and how it fits into the organization. If no formal staff orientation is provided and your supervisor doesn t instruct you, then it s up to you to learn about your job. Review your job description if 15

16 you have one. Find out what you need to do so you can be productive. Watch your co- workers and ask questions. You may be able to job shadow a respected co- worker for a day or two to see how things are done. Use the following checklist to help you through the first few days: I play the role of a student I listen more than I talk. I try not to interrupt. I tell people I ve just started working here. If I don t understand, I ask. I ask a first time, even a second. I write down details to help me remember. I realize that things may be done a certain way for a reason. Because I m new, I don t try to make changes. I work closely with the person assigned to help me. If my employer doesn t assign someone to help me, I take direction from a respected co- worker. I graciously ask for and accept their assistance. If a supervisor tells me to do something one- way and a co- worker tells me another, I do it the supervisor s way. Finding out the details An orientation program or your supervisor will provide many of the details you need to know, such as pay schedules, benefits and safety requirements. But you ll also want to find out about day- to- day details like where to find the lunchroom and office supplies so you can settle in and make your work environment comfortable. Use this checklist to help you keep track: I know whether it s appropriate to personalize my work area and what personal items, such as family pictures, coffee mugs, etc., are acceptable. I keep my work area tidy. I know where to store my personal items, such as my coat and briefcase or handbag. I m careful not to store my things in someone else s space. I know the hours of work and the times and lengths of lunches and breaks. I respect these rules even when others don t. I know where to find parking, the lunchroom, the washroom, first aid kit, emergency exits, the photocopier and other frequently needed equipment and supplies. I know about shared spaces and the responsibilities that go with them the staff refrigerator, the coffee fund, lunchroom clean- up, and so on. Excerpted from 16

17 Reading for Meaning Read the following statements below, based on the reading above. Which statements are true and which are false? If you choose false, re- write the statement to make it correct. Answers can be found in the appendix. 1. It is unlikely that your new workplace will have standards related to appearance and behavior. True/False 2. If you are unsure about what to wear it is best to check on the Internet and make your best guess about what to choose. True/False 3. It should be expected that tattoos and body piercings may have to be covered at work. True/False 4. It is possible that wearing perfume or aftershave may not be permitted in some workplaces. True/False 5. It is better to be early on the first day. True/False 6. Talking about your personal life in details in the workplace is not a good idea. True/False 7. You should never expect to have to do activities outside your job, such as making coffee or cleaning the lunchroom. True/False 8. It is always a good idea to say please and thank you. True/False 9. You should not write down details about your job because it seems you have a bad memory. True/False 10. Different workplaces have different rules about personalizing your workspace and these can often be determined by observing the behavior about others. True/False 17

18 Writing Activity Writing a summary How to write a summary Writing a summary is an important academic skill. The process of writing a summary can help you to understand a text you are reading; the summary itself can show your teacher how well you understand and can express a text in your own words. It is important to remember that when you write a summary, you should use your own words but keep the ideas and organization of the original text. A summary should be shorter than the original text and you can do this by trying to cut out all of the details and examples, which are not needed. When you are planning and writing your summary, think about what the author is saying. Below are some steps that will help you to write a good summary. 1. Skim the text check out the title and sub- headings and think about the main ideas you can get from these. 2. Read the text from beginning to end. What is the author saying? 3. If you have a photocopy of the text (not the original book or magazine), circle the key words, or highlight the main idea of each section. 4. Re- read the main points you have highlighted. 5. Identify the title, author and original date of the text you are going to summarize. 6. Write one sentence that summarizes the main idea of the text. 7. Write the main points and important details in your own words. You will have to use the same technical vocabulary and proper names for things in the original text. Do not waste words by using such expressions as, The original text says, or The author states The whole summary tells us what the original text says. 8. Keep the same organization as the original author. 9. Do not add your own ideas or conclusion, unless your teacher specifically asks you to do this. 10. Proofread your summary ask yourself, have I kept the authors original ideas but used my own words? Re- read the text above; New job? Here s how to make a good first impression. Using the steps suggested above, write a summary of the text. Try to write the summary in one paragraph. You can see an example summary of the text in the appendix. 18

19 Links to the community A guide to the sometimes- confusing concept of business casual: The often unspoken rules of what not to wear to work (targeted in particular to women): fashion- sexy- forbes- woman- style- clothes.html Understanding appropriate clothing choices for work: Fashion- Whats- Really- Appropriate- for- the- Office An interesting youtube video about how to dress for success at work: Links for language learning An online interactive website to help you to improve your pronunciation: BigThink has interesting videos about all sorts of topics and many of the speakers are experts: This is a great site from the University of Victoria ESL website with information on how to write a summary, 19

20 Answer Key Listening Vocabulary Word from text Definitions (Mixed up) Correct definition 1. capabilities A. 100%, or completely M 2. discriminate against B. a belief or idea that influences the way you think or behave O 3. disgusted C. a feeling of not wanting to do something G 4. entirely D. a situation you imagine could happen A 5. ethic E. able to be trusted or believed B 6. flexibility F. able to change easily F 7. focus G. feeling extreme dislike or disapproval of something K 8. inappropriate H. not interested in serious ideas I 9. interacting I. not suitable L 10. peek J. rules or laws that control what people can do N 11. reliable K. special attention given to something E 12. reluctant L. talking and doing things with other people 13. restrictions M. the abilities or skills needed to do something 14. scenario N. to look at people quickly, often in a way that people won t see you 15. shallow O. to treat a person in a worse way than the way you treat other people, often because of their skin colour, sex, sexual orientation, etc. C J D H 20

21 Listening for Meaning 1. For what reasons did Kendra feel she was unable to get a job interview at the business she approached in West Edmonton Mall? She felt that the boss of the place at West Edmonton Mall made a negative judgement about her because of her appearance, including her body piercings. 2. What action did Kendra take after this experience? She started an online petition to get body- piercing discrimination included in the Alberta Human Rights Act. 3. Who does the Workplace columnist, Margot, believe should have 100% of the decision making power about the appearance of the employees? She believes that 100% of the decision about appearance of people applying for work, belongs to the employer. 4. What is the connection between the appearance of employees and the employers they work for? The employees appearance reflects the image of the company, its brand and perhaps its values. 5. Why does Margot believe that customer comfort with employees appearance is so important? The customers are the most important part of the business; they pay the bills. 6. In what ways are body piercing attitudes a generational thing? In previous years, people were shocked by servers working with body piercings but younger people are more used to this look and as years go by everyone gradually becomes more used to it. 7. Explain why the ability for getting a job with body piercings might depend on the level of job you are applying for? Some positions mean you do not come into contact with customers, which means your appearance is not as important as those employees who interact with customers regularly. 8. Explain what Margot means by describing a job interview as a two- way street. When you apply for a job it is not just about the employer liking you. It is also important that you like their culture and values. In that way you wont have as many problems with things like your appearance because you have shared values. 21

22 Listening strategies Who said what? Comment It is a disgrace to reject someone based on his/her appearance. It is shallow to judge someone based on what he/she looks like. It is 100% up to the employer to decide how their employees will look. Employers have an image they want to have based on the look of their employees. Attitudes to body piercing are a generational thing. Piercings have become the norm in our culture. No one is entitled to any job. Employees should have guidelines about body modifications. Finding a workplace culture that suits you is a two- way street. CBC journalist John Archer Kendra Behringer Margot Ross Graham Feedback from listeners 22

23 Speaking Strategies: Pronunciation: - ed endings. /t/ sound /d/ sound /Id/ sound peeked looked punished based worked refused interviewed served hired discriminated disgusted started frustrated reacted wanted Grammar Activity Simple present Sample answers - There are more examples of the simple present in the transcript. Use for the simple present Habitual actions in the present Timeless truths To indicate states, using be and stative verbs Transcript I have an amazing reputation at that place because I don t call in sick You deal with resumes and applications all the time. We don t want piercings in the workplace. It is a generational thing. Kendra Behringer has about a half dozen piercings around her eyebrows, nose and lip. I think that it s good that she feels she can express herself. Pre- Reading Vocabulary 1. Alberta is becoming a very diverse province with people from all over the world moving here to work and live. 2. I am starting a new job on Monday and for the first two days I will be attending the orientation. 3. There is not a lot of gender diversity in my workplace; I am the only woman who works there. 4. There is very clear etiquette at my workplace but the rules are mostly unwritten and you have to learn them by observing other workers. 23

24 5. My preferred footwear for work is something very comfortable rather than fashionable because I am on my feet all day. 6. When you go to the job interview, you should take your cues about sitting down, shaking hands etc. from the person who interviewing you. 7. It is not appropriate to gossip about your co- workers in the workplace. 8. I have increased my awareness of how to interact with customers from my colleagues. 9. I found the first day in my new job a bit overwhelming because there was so much new information to absorb. 10. You are bound to make lots of new friends at your summer job. 11. Sometimes it is hard to get negative feedback even when the person giving it is trying to be constructive. 12. It is important to ask for help graciously in the workplace so that your co- workers will be happy to help you. 13..I have been assigned two new employees to give them training in their new jobs. They will be job shadow me for two days. Reading Strategies Skimming and Scanning Casual does not mean you can wear whatever you choose. Keep perfume to a minimum. Shaking hands is expected. Canadians are more likely give an order than make a request. In the first few days, I am more like a student than a co- worker. Changes happen at work and I am expected to try to make changes when I first start in a new job. Shared spaces in the workplace in Canada often require employees to share True False 24

25 organizing and cleaning tasks. Reading for Meaning 1. It is unlikely that your new workplace will have standards related to appearance and behavior. False. Most work places have standards of dress, speech and behavior. 2. If you are unsure about what to wear it is best to check on the internet and make your best guess about what to choose. False. If you are unsure about what to wear it is best to ask your supervisor or co- workers. 3. It should be expected that tattoos and body piercings may have to be covered at work. True 4. It is possible that wearing perfume or after shave may not be permitted in some workplaces. True. 5. It is better to be early on the first day. True 6. Talking about your personal life in details in the workplace is not a good idea. True 7. You should never expect to have to do activities outside your job, such as making coffee or cleaning the lunch room. False. It is a good idea to do little things such as making coffee or cleaning up the lunchroom. 8. It is always a good idea to say please and thank you. True. 9. You should not write down details about your job because it seems you have a bad memory. False. It is a good idea to write down details. 10. Different workplaces have different rules about personalizing your work space and these can often be determined by observing the behavior about others. True 25

26 Writing Activity Writing a summary Summary: New Job? Here s How To Make a Good First Impression Excerpted from When you begin a new job whether with a new employer or in a different area of your existing company, some forward planning can make the transition go more smoothly. You want to give a first impression that you fit in and an easy way to do that is an appropriate appearance and positive attitude. You can get some ideas about this from your new co- workers. Every workplace has a range of people for you to get along with and basic good manners will help with this. Overall, it is best to have an open mind to learning about your workplace and recognize this will take some time to do this. 26

27 Audio Transcript John Archer Kendra Behringer John Archer Margot Ross Graham If you re a great employee, should it matter what you look like? An Edmonton woman says she s been discriminated against because of her various piercings. Kendra Behringer has about a half dozen piercings around her eyebrows, nose and lip, plus some on her ears. Now she has a job at the moment but she says that she s been refused work because of her appearance. Here she is telling the CBC about a recent experience handing over a resume at West Edmonton Mall. The employee took the resume to the boss in the back room, and he peeked out and looked at me and threw out the resume, shook his head and threw out the resume. I was disgusted that someone could be like that. Because that s incredibly shallow, and it has nothing to do with my work ethic or with my capabilities with my job. I have proven that I m a very capable, very good employee who is very reliable. I have an amazing reputation at that place because I don t like call in sick. I do my work as hard as I can no matter how tired I am. I just want, like, employers to focus on people s qualifications rather than their appearance. I understand working with food you probably shouldn t have those in. I understand some places it can be dangerous to have piercings. I just don t it s it s not fair to for people to be punished for expressing themselves, just because it doesn t appeal to everyone. I don t see how my piercings have anything to do with the job. Kendra Behringer has since started an online petition to change the Alberta Human Rights Act to make restrictions on piercings grounds for employee discrimination. This is our talking point this morning; we ve been getting a lot of feedback we ll get to more of that in just a bit, but here to talk about piercings and the workplace, our workplace columnist Margot Ross Graham. Good Morning. Good Morning. John Archer So what do you think of what Kendra had to say? 2:03 Margot Ross Graham I think that it s good that she feels she can express herself but I also believe that it s entirely up to the employer to make a decision on the image and the brand that they want to portray to their customers. And so while I understand that she wants to present her image and her brand, it s entirely the employers right to say no we don t want piercings in the workplace. John Archer But she says that her piercings have nothing to do with her ability to do the job? 2:30 Margot Ross Graham I m sure it doesn t. I m sure she s very capable and very competent. But, as an employer I have a certain brand that I would like to portray and if that piercing doesn t align with my brand then it s entirely up to my right to be able to choose that. So, I think where she s frustrated is she s seeing that people aren t seeing beyond what s on the outside, to what she can produce. And that is unfortunately 0:00 0:30 1:40 2:01 2:06 2:33 27

28 John Archer Margot Ross Graham John Archer Margot Ross Graham John Archer Margot Ross Graham Margot Ross Graham a challenge in the workplace is I have to have a good image that I want to portray. So, some organizations it wouldn t matter, depends on the industry she was in. The scenario that she describes of going to the mall with her resume, handing it to an employee and then seeing that employee hand it to a boss who took a peek around the door and pretty much just pitched it in the garbage. You deal with resumes and applications all the time, that is part of what you do, do you do that? Well no I d hope not. I think that how the guy reacted while she was there was inappropriate, so it was just rude. There was no need for him to peek his head around the corner and then visibly rip her resume and throw it in the garbage. If you wanted to do that, just put it aside, and so I do think his behaviour was rude, but whether or not he should have interviewed her is entirely his choice. And so I don t think really she has much leg to stand on. What are the reasons that an employer might be reluctant to hire someone with piercings like that? Is it all about the image? Well, there is image, there is safety. And so, depending on the job that you re in. The image has to do with not so much what you believe, so you may view piercings and tattoos as not a big deal; you don t care. But, your customers may not like that and so you would know that based on your conversations and your clientele. So it s a generational thing to a degree. If part of your customer base is of a generation that that s uncomfortable for them, then why would you put off your customers when you really don t have to hire somebody that has tattoos and piercings that are offensive to your customers? It would be crazy for you to do that. You need those customers. They are paying your bills. It is a generational thing. I was commenting earlier this morning that I think I remember the first time that someone served me food or coffee, or something like that with a ring in their nose and I was somewhat taken aback, but now it s like, try to get someone to bring you a coffee that doesn t have a ring in their nose. Yeah, exactly, exactly. We re used to it more now. 5:01 We re used to it and it s something that has become more norm in our culture. I mean I remember working in an organization where tattoos were not people who worked there wore tattoos, our customers did not always see tattoos, and I at the time was not a big fan of it. But I came to realize that if the customer doesn t mind it and it s an expression of this individual and it doesn t get in the way of their doing their job and the employer was good with it, really? Big deal. But that is part of the issue. If it gets in the way of your relationship with your customer, then it s entirely up to you to be able to make that choice. 3:08 3:29 3:55 4:03 4:40 5:00 5:02 28

29 John Archer Garret McGowan John Archer Margot Ross Graham John Archer Margot Ross Graham As mentioned this is our talking point this morning and we ve been getting some feedback from our audience. Garret McGowan has been watching things as they ve been coming in by text. I just want to read one here. We did get a message from Jeanette Glass and Jeanette says that, when I was looking for my first professional job 17 years ago my dad who was a member of the profession, told me I should remove my numerous ear piercings. She had seven. None of my interviewers had any problems with them and I got job offers from all of them. Now that I have my own office and I have to make my own hiring choices, I have hired people with piercings and tattoos. That said, they should be discreet and tidy. I wouldn t rule you out for having body mods but if they were very distracting I d have trouble hiring you. So that s a note that comes in from Jeanette Glass this morning and Garret McGowan on the text messages. Yes we ll start with Go Margot, sort out that hippy. That was from Mickey. The next one, We have to remember that none of us are entitled to any job, employers select the person who best fills their needs, not ours. And this one, Reality is people who overdo it with piercings have individualistic, non- conformist views, not exactly what most employers are looking for. How much of an issue has this come up? Because you know in talking to in your human resources department, you get a lot of different kinds of people applying for jobs, and so how often is this an issue? I think that it depends on the hiring manager and it depends on where the person is. So, in the organization. So I actually don t have an issue with body piercings and tattoos either but when they become garish and overpowering then there is an issue. So back to the comment of it being discreet. But it also depends on my customer. So in one case I might hire an employee that has body piercings and tattoos if they are not interacting with a client and it s discreet and its clean; I wouldn t worry about that. In another part of our organization, I might have to say it doesn t fit that part of our organization. So there is some flexibility involved as well. What employers have to do is have some guidelines about it. So a lot of employers will have I don t care if you have a tattoo but I just don t want to see them. So make sure they are covered, so maybe wear longs sleeves. I don t care if you have body piercings but you can t have giant loop earrings that are in your nose or in your ears, or whatever. That s totally up to the employer and that gives that flexibility. From the people doing the job hunting as well I guess this gets back to a lot of your previous advice: know the place where you re applying and exactly, know the business they do. Well that, and also find a place where the culture will fit you. So if you join an organization where this is nt your culture, you re going to have a hard time anyway. So why would you want to join that organization. So find an organization 5:34 6:29 6:54 7:08 8:09 8:19 29

30 that fits with who you are and what you re all about and then this piercing issue is not going to come up, because that fits. So I think it s a two way street. Find the place that you fit and find an organization that wants you to fit, and both sides fit. John Archer Thanks Margot. 8:46 Margot Ross Graham John Archer Have a great week. Margot Ross Graham our workplace columnist. She s also Vice President of Williams Engineering where Human Resources is one of her portfolios. 8:47 8:48 30