A rich man in India, NR Narayana Murthy, said young people should work 70 hours a week to help their country. Some people agree with him, but others worry about low pay and health problems from too much work. This talk is happening when many people, because of Covid-19, are thinking about how much they work and wanting a good balance between work and life.
People in India already work a lot. But some experts say working more hours is not the only way to do more work. They say learning new skills, having a nice place to work, and getting good pay are also important. Some bosses in India agree with Murthy, but others say working five days a week is not good for a fast-growing country like India. In some rich countries, people are trying to work less. For example, in Belgium, people can work four days a week without getting less money, and some companies in the UK are trying this too.
The talk about how many hours people should work in India is making people think about how to work well, have a good life, and keep workers happy. It shows that we need to think about more than just how many hours we work. We also need to think about learning new things, getting paid fairly, and having a good place to work.
Original news source: NR Narayana Murthy: Why Indians are debating a 70-hour work week (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Write down various actions related to work and life balance on small slips of paper (e.g. working overtime, spending time with family, exercising, etc.). Each team will take turns having one member act out the action without speaking, while the rest of the team tries to guess what it is. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Word Association
Instructions: Write the words “work” and “life” on the board. Have the students take turns saying a word that comes to mind when they hear each word. Encourage them to think of words related to work-life balance. Write their answers on the board and discuss how these words are connected to the topic.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of work-life balance related vocabulary words written on small slips of paper. One student from each pair will draw a picture representing the word, while the other student tries to guess what it is. The pairs can take turns until all the words have been used.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to work-life balance (e.g. “Working long hours is necessary for success,” “Having time for hobbies and interests is important,” etc.). Have the students walk around the room and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can record their classmates’ responses and share their findings with the class.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Give each student a blank piece of paper. Ask them to create a headline that captures the essence of the article and the discussion on work-life balance. Encourage them to be creative and use their understanding of the topic. After they have finished, have them share their headlines with the class and discuss why they chose those particular words.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What did NR Narayana Murthy say about young people and work?
2. Why are some people worried about working too many hours?
3. What are some other ways to do more work besides working more hours?
4. Do all bosses in India agree with Murthy?
5. What are some countries where people are trying to work less?
6. What are some things we need to think about besides how many hours we work?
7. Why is the talk about how many hours people should work important?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A rich man in India, NR Narayana Murthy, said young people should work 70 hours a week to help their (1)______. Some people agree with him, but others worry about low pay and health problems from too much work. This talk is happening when many people, because of (2)______, are thinking about how much they work and (3)______ a (4)______ balance between work and life.
People in India already work a lot. But some experts say working more hours is not the only way to do more work. They say learning new skills, having a nice place to work, and getting good pay are also important. Some bosses in India agree with Murthy, but others say working five days a week is not good for a fast-growing country like India. In some rich (5)______, people are trying to work less. For example, in Belgium, people can work four days a week without getting less money, and some companies in the UK are trying this too.
The (6)______ about how many hours people should (7)______ in India is making people (8)______ about how to work well, have a good life, and keep workers happy. It shows that we need to think about more than just how many hours we work. We also need to think about learning new things, getting paid fairly, and having a good place to work.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What do you think about working 70 hours a week?
2. How would you feel if you had to work a lot of hours every day?
3. Do you like working a lot or do you prefer having more free time? Why?
4. Do you think it’s important to learn new skills at work? Why or why not?
5. What do you think is more important, having a good salary or having a nice place to work? Why?
6. How do you think people in India feel about working five days a week?
7. What do you think about the idea of working four days a week without getting less money?
8. How would you feel if you had more time for yourself and your family?
9. Do you think it’s important to be happy at work? Why or why not?
10. How do you think people in India can work well and have a good life at the same time?
11. What do you think about the idea of having a good balance between work and life?
12. Why do you think it’s important to think about more than just how many hours we work?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. India
2. work
3. hours
4. pay
5. balance
6. skills
7. bosses
8. countries
Meanings:
(a) The amount of time spent doing something
(b) Things people learn to do their job well
(c) What people do to help their country
(d) The place where the rich man lives
(e) Having the right amount of work and free time
(f) The money people receive for their work
(g) Places where people live and work
(h) People who tell others what to do at work
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Who said young people in India should work 70 hours a week?
(a) Bill Gates
(b) Mark Zuckerberg
(c) Jeff Bezos
(d) NR Narayana Murthy
2. What are some concerns about working too many hours?
(a) Low pay and health problems
(b) High pay and good health
(c) More free time and happiness
(d) Learning new skills and having a nice place to work
3. What are some other ways to do more work besides working more hours?
(a) Learning new skills, having a nice place to work, and getting good pay
(b) Taking more breaks and working fewer days
(c) Working longer hours and getting more money
(d) Having a good balance between work and life
4. Do all bosses in India agree with NR Narayana Murthy?
(a) Yes
(b) No
(c) Maybe
(d) I don’t know
5. In which country can people work four days a week without getting less money?
(a) India
(b) UK
(c) Belgium
(d) Germany
6. What are some things we need to think about besides how many hours we work?
(a) Working longer hours and getting more money
(b) Taking more breaks and working fewer days
(c) Having a good balance between work and life
(d) Learning new things, getting paid fairly, and having a good place to work
7. Why are people in India thinking about how many hours they should work?
(a) Because they want more free time
(b) Because they want to learn new skills
(c) Because of Covid-19
(d) Because they want to work less
8. What is the main idea of the article?
(a) People in India should work 70 hours a week
(b) We need to think about more than just how many hours we work
(c) Working more hours is the only way to do more work
(d) People in Belgium work four days a week without getting less money
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. In Belgium, people cannot work four days a week without getting less money.
2. Some bosses in India agree with the rich man, but others say working five days a week is not good for the country.
3. Few people are thinking about how much they work because of Covid-19.
4. A poor man in India said young people should avoid working to help their country.
5. The talk about how many hours people should work in India is making people think about how to work well and have a good life.
6. All people agree with him and there are no worries about getting sick from working too much.
7. Learning new skills and getting good pay are also important for doing more work.
8. Some experts say working more hours is not the only way to do more work.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What did NR Narayana Murthy say young people should do to help their country?
2. Why are some people worried about working too many hours?
3. What are some other ways to do more work besides working more hours?
4. What do some bosses in India think about working five days a week?
5. What are some things we need to think about besides how many hours we work?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What did NR Narayana Murthy say about young people and work?
NR Narayana Murthy said that young people should work 70 hours a week to help their country.
2. Why are some people worried about working too many hours?
Some people are worried about working too many hours because it can lead to low pay and health problems.
3. What are some other ways to do more work besides working more hours?
Some other ways to do more work include learning new skills, having a nice place to work, and getting good pay.
4. Do all bosses in India agree with Murthy?
No, not all bosses in India agree with Murthy.
5. What are some countries where people are trying to work less?
Some countries where people are trying to work less include Belgium and the UK.
6. What are some things we need to think about besides how many hours we work?
Besides how many hours we work, we also need to think about learning new things, getting paid fairly, and having a good place to work.
7. Why is the talk about how many hours people should work important?
The talk about how many hours people should work is important because it makes people think about how to work well, have a good life, and keep workers happy.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) country
(2) Covid-19
(3) wanting
(4) good
(5) countries
(6) talk
(7) work
(8) think
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. India
Answer: (d) The place where the rich man lives
2. work
Answer: (c) What people do to help their country
3. hours
Answer: (a) The amount of time spent doing something
4. pay
Answer: (f) The money people receive for their work
5. balance
Answer: (e) Having the right amount of work and free time
6. skills
Answer: (b) Things people learn to do their job well
7. bosses
Answer: (h) People who tell others what to do at work
8. countries
Answer: (g) Places where people live and work
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Who said young people in India should work 70 hours a week?
Answer: (d) NR Narayana Murthy
2. What are some concerns about working too many hours?
Answer: (a) Low pay and health problems
3. What are some other ways to do more work besides working more hours?
Answer: (a) Learning new skills, having a nice place to work, and getting good pay
4. Do all bosses in India agree with NR Narayana Murthy?
Answer: (b) No
5. In which country can people work four days a week without getting less money?
Answer: (c) Belgium
6. What are some things we need to think about besides how many hours we work?
Answer: (d) Learning new things, getting paid fairly, and having a good place to work
7. Why are people in India thinking about how many hours they should work?
Answer: (c) Because of Covid-19
8. What is the main idea of the article?
Answer: (b) We need to think about more than just how many hours we work
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. In Belgium, people cannot work four days a week without getting less money. (Answer: False)
2. Some bosses in India agree with the rich man, but others say working five days a week is not good for the country. (Answer: True)
3. Few people are thinking about how much they work because of Covid-19. (Answer: False)
4. A poor man in India said young people should avoid working to help their country. (Answer: False)
5. The talk about how many hours people should work in India is making people think about how to work well and have a good life. (Answer: True)
6. All people agree with him and there are no worries about getting sick from working too much. (Answer: False)
7. Learning new skills and getting good pay are also important for doing more work. (Answer: True)
8. Some experts say working more hours is not the only way to do more work. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
