Open Space ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up

1) How has the inside of offices changed since the time of your parents?
2) What are the minimum things you need to do your work effectively? Do you have them?
3) Would the below items affect your productivity as a worker in an office? How so?

 sunlight / lighting  coworkers  unrestricted WWW access

 artwork  furniture (e.g. chairs)  wall colors

Topic: Offices, Cubicles, & Open Space (August 23, 2011)

In the past few decades, there has been a shift away from the traditional private offices and
cubicles found in the workspaces of the 1980s. Whether for financial reasons or streamlining
efficiency, many companies are adopting open space layouts where teams of workers are
clustered together.

The most glaring criticism of cubicles, semi-private work areas surrounded by partitions, is their
resemblance to cages. They can remind the worker of confinement and claustrophobia.
Franklin Becker, the director of a workplace studies program at Cornell University, believes
cubicles “provide pseudo-privacy at best, and are terrible for spontaneous communication.”
Becker is also against private offices because they discourage employees from having contact
outside of their group. He believes promoting inter-group collaboration is important for a
company’s success. While Becker realizes employees need privacy at times, he believes four to
eight-person team offices are ideal because people spend most of their time in teams. Such an
environment can also generate synergy and boost employee morale.

Michael Brill, a workplace-planning consultant in Buffalo, holds a different view. According to

Brill, the top two predictors of job performance are: 1) the ability for teams and individuals to do
work without distraction, and 2) the ability to have easy, frequent, informal interactions.
Therefore, he believes that having a private office lends itself to a more productive work
environment.

Another issue at question is the importance of displaying hierarchy. Some argue that private
offices promote individual status over team performance. Stripping senior employees of their
cherished offices, however, could be interpreted as an insult.

Clearly, designing the ideal workspace is a complex task. Employers might be better off asking
their workers what they prefer. (277)

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[Sources: http://hrpeople.monster.com/news/articles/2242-pods-or-pits-office-design-for-teamwork-productivity-and-open-

communication, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_9_47/ai_91305824/]

ESL Lesson Plan: Comprehension Questions

1) What does the author believe is the most obvious criticism of cubicles?
2) According to Franklin Becker, what should companies promote?
3) True or False: Brill believes, most importantly, workers must be able to concentrate on
their job.
4) True or False: The author states that companies should give offices to workers who earn
them.

Match the words with their meaning as used in the article.

streamline (verb) imprisonment

cluster (verb) make a system, organization, etc. work better
glaring obvious, striking
confinement false, not genuine
claustrophobia fear of small enclosed places
pseudo- the confidence and enthusiasm of a group or person
synergy be suitable for something
morale energy/success gained by working together
lend itself to (verb) come together in a group

Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a sentence. (note: good as homework)

government / crush / uprising e.g. The government crushed the uprising

cluster / stars
cubicle / pseudo-privacy
confinement / claustrophobia
streamline / production
glaring / problem / democracy
morale / boost
layout / lend itself to

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ESL Lesson Plan: Quotations (Pair Work)

Discuss with a partner whether you agree with the below quotations. Present you answers to the
class when finished.

“Open office settings encourage office space cleanliness and organization.”

“Cleanliness can be equated with productivity.”

“People (workers) spend most of their time in teams.”

“Happy workers are more productive”.

“Employers might be better off asking their workers what they prefer.”

ESL Lesson Plan: Debate (Each student reads his/her role to him/herself)

Student A: Your company is moving to a different location next month. Due to budget
concerns, you have had to reduce the number of offices available to managers.
Student B is a senior manager at your company. She/he will lose his office.
Please give him/her the news, and try to convince him/her that it will benefit
his/her happiness and productivity. When you are ready, start the conversation.

Student B: You have been working for Student A’s company for 15 years. You are a senior
manager. The company announced that they would be changing locations last
year. The move will take place next month. You are already unhappy about this
because you bought a home near the current location. Now, Student A says
he/she wants to talk to you about something.

ESL Lesson Plan: Workspace Design (Optional Pair Work)

Design a workspace for a small IT company consisting of 1 owner, 1 team leader, 5

programmers, 3 graphic designers, and 1 receptionist. Use the space on the back of this page.
You have five minutes. When done, present your design to the class.

ESL Lesson Plan: Discussion Questions

1) What do you believe are the top predictors of job performance?

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 2) Do people often work from home in your company? What do you think of this?

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Lesson plan copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com

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