THEME: DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION

AGE DISCRIMINATION AND OLDER WORKERS

SPEAKING
1. With a partner, discuss the following questions.

a. What do you understand by age discrimination? Does age discrimination occur only against older workers?
b. Look at the following job snippets; have you ever seen similar criteria on a job ad before? Could they be
considered discriminatory, or are they justifiable? Support your response.

“We’re a fun, energetic

The candidate must have “We’re looking for a “We are seeking an
and lively office looking
10+ years’ worth of recent graduate, fresh out experienced candidate who
for someone who will fit
experience in a similar of university, looking for will fit well within our mature
well within our active
position.” an exciting new role.” team.”
company.”

KEYWORDS
2. Read the following sentences and match the words and phrases in bold with their definitions a–J.
Then in pairs / groups, compare your answers.

1. In our society, there are many stigmas associated a. a person that has the same position or
with mental illness. :______ function as somebody else in a different
place or situation
2. Nowadays, we see more and more children having
little or no respect for their elders. :______ b. the number of years that a person is likely
to live
3. This new TV show is reinforcing common stereotypes
about the French. :______ c. a belief or feeling that something is true
although there is no proof
4. Women, unlike their male counterparts, are not
d. negative feelings that people have about
given regular promotions. :______
particular circumstances or characteristics
5. Research shows women are more likely to feel that somebody may have.
insecure about their weight than men. :______ e. the process of growing old
6. According to a new survey, older employees are at f. not confident about yourself
risk of being marginalised in the workplace. :______
g. to leave your job and stop working,
7. It is important not to make assumptions about especially because age or illness;
someone before getting to know them first. :______
h. people of greater age, experience and
8. In many European countries, many workers retire at authority
the age of 62. :______ i. to make somebody feel as if they are not
important
9. In general, women have a longer life expectancy than
men. :______ j. a fixed idea or image that many people
have of a particular type of person or
10. Ageing is one of the natural parts of life that many thing, but which is often not true in reality
people find hard to accept. :______

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 THEME: DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION

VIDEO COMPREHENSION
3. PREDICTING: You are going to watch a video, Ageism in the Knowledge Era (extract 0:00 -4:35).
Look at the title; what do you think is the Knowledge Era? What are some of the stereotypes and assumptions
associated with older workers? After watching, remember to check if your prediction was correct. Write down
short notes.
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4. Answer the following questions in your own words, using complete sentences. Then compare your
answers with a partner.

1. According to the speaker, what is a serious problem currently affecting society?

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2. What was the aim of the study conducted by the Center for Creativity and Well-being? What did it reveal?

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3. When did older workers start to experience discrimination in the workplace? What contributed to this new
attitude?

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4. According to the speaker, what can be done to address these negative stereotypes and assumptions toward
older workers?
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5. Answer the following True or False questions. Then compare your answers with a partner.

a. Some people believe that older people were taking their social security benefits. T/F
b. There is very little problem associated with stigma and the ageing population in the USA. T/F
c. One study found that everyone believed that older people were as valuable as younger people. T/F
d. The introduction of machines in the workplace contributed to Ageism against older workers. T/F
e. The beginning of the knowledge era meant discrimination against older workers was T/F
discontinued.

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 THEME: DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION

f. In the US, the age of retirement for many people is 52. T/F
g. IN the US, many people spend an average 25 years on retirement. T/F

CRITICAL THINKING
6. With a partner, discuss the following questions, then share your views with the rest of the class.

1. In your country, are there laws protecting older workers in the workplace?
2. What do you think contributes to the perpetuation of negative stereotypes and assumptions about older
workers?
3. Complete the quiz: “ Ageing Attitudes Quiz” to check what beliefs about age/ageing you are carrying. Then,
share and compare your result with the class.

LANGUAGE FOCUS
7. VOCABULARY CHECK: Look at the following idioms and expressions found in the video. Find the
correct definition, and then reuse these words to create your own sentence.

1. That man has been hanging around all day. I am 3. In the workplace, older workers are being pushed
not sure why he is here. to the side for their younger counterparts.
a. to hold on to something. a. are being overlooked in the workplace.
b. to be idle or inactive. b. are moving forward in the workplace
c. to be busy. c. are working together in the workplace.
Example sentence: Example sentence:
………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………

2. It is time we dispel the myths that older workers 4. Many people are looking for a job as they have
are not an asset to the workforce. many mouths to feed.
a. to stop the false ideas a. to be hungry with others
b. to start the belief b. to speak a lot to others
c. to understand the idea c. to be responsible for others.
Example sentence Example sentence:
…………………………………………………………………
:…………………………………………………………………

8. VERBS PHRASES: Choose the most suitable verb to go with the word in bold. Change the form of
the verb as needed. Then compare your answers with a partner.

To cause | To respect | to retire | to marginalise | to feel | to realise | to treat

a. In many cultures, it is important …………………………. your elders.

b. During the last economic crisis, many people ……………………………… insecure about their job.
c. This new Equality and Inclusion law ……………………… a number of problems for some businesses.
d. We continue …………………………… our older workers in favour of younger upcoming workers.
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 THEME: DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION

e. In many European countries, many employees ………………………. after 60 years old.

f. Many older employees ……………………… unfavourably because of their age.
g. Sometimes it takes many years of work before we ……………………… our full potential.
9. ADJECTIVE + NOUN COLLOCATION: combine one word from list A with one word from list B to
make suitable noun phrases. Then use a word from list A to complete the sentences below.

LIST A LIST B
1. major 6. boosting a. confidence f. contact
2. aging 7. intergenerational b. attitude g. folks
3. horrible 8. younger c. workforce h. contributions
4. prevailing 9. positive d. diversity i. stereotypes
5. older 10. age e. problems j. counterparts

i. In our society, we constantly apply a whole host of horrible ……………………………… to groups of people without
knowing them.
ii. It is important for us to highlight the positive …………………………. those senior workers are marking in the labour
market
iii. In Developed countries, age discrimination is a ………………………. problem in many workplaces.
iv. Many people believe that older workers are less useful than their younger …………………………………….
v. To reduce discrimination against older workers, we need to promote intergenerational ……………………….. through
mentoring and job-sharing schemes.
vi. During the Industrial Revolution, for the first time, an …………………………… workforce became a problem.

TRANSFER ACTIVITIES
10. In pairs/groups, discuss the following questions, then share your views with the rest of the class.

With a partner, think of different measures that a company could put in place to reduce discrimination against
older workers. Then, present your proposal to the class. Use the grammar and vocabulary previously learnt to
support your response.

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Technical English worksheet (CEFR B2) © sweetlingua.com