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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

AGEISM IN
THE
WORKPLACE
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1 Warm up

Look at the descriptions of workers in the box. Which ones would you use to describe:

1. Older workers:
2. Younger workers:

In pairs, discuss and explain your choices. Did you choose the same answers? Why/why not?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. meteoric (adj.) a. full of energy

2. galling (adj.) b. someone who is very successful in their career

3. gusto (n) c. someone who is eager to be successful in their career

4. hotshot (n) d. to examine someone or something extremely carefully

and look at the details
5. the old guard (n) e. an unreasonable dislike of, or preference for, a group of
people based on their skin colour, religion, nationality or
other superficial element of their identity
6. go-getter (n) f. the senior members of an organisation or group, who
are usually against change
7. prejudice (n) g. becoming successful very quickly

8. scrutinise (v) h. upsetting because a situation is not fair

Part B: Now put the vocabulary from Part A in the correct gaps in the following sentences.

1. I find that if I get up early and go for a run first thing, and then get to the office early, I can attack
my work with .

2. I had my lawyer the contract, but she couldn’t find anything wrong with it at all.

3. The changes in company policy haven’t gone down very well with who see them
as making doing business more difficult.

4. The new intern is a bit of a . I think she’ll do very well as she’s extremely ambitious.

5. The lawyer they’ve taken on is very good; apparently, she’s a bit of a .

6. It was particularly when they lost the contract as not only did it cost them a lot
of money, they lost it to their main competition who they suspect was spreading false rumours
about them.

7. She went from mid-level management to senior management over the course of only about five
years. Her rise has been truly .

8. There’s been a lot of directed at the foreign workers who are seen to be taking
jobs from the native employees.

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Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Would you describe yourself as a go-getter? Why/Why not?

2. When did you find a situation at work particularly galling? What happened?
3. Do you know of anyone whose professional advancement has been meteoric? Why do you think
that was?
4. Which groups of people in your country are the subject of a lot of prejudice? Why do you think
that is?
5. What is the best time of the day for you to do your work with gusto? Why?
6. What are the attitudes of the old guard in your industry? How are they different from newer
employees?
7. Do you think of yourself as a hotshot? Why/Why not?
8. If you have to sign a contract, do you usually scrutinise it first? Or do you just sign it? Why?

3 Skimming for gist

Quickly read the article on page 5 and decide which of the following titles are most appropriate for
paragraphs A – D. You will not need all of them.

1. The last permitted prejudice?

2. The problem

3. Steps to prevent ageism

4. The youth are affected too

5. The solution

6. The legal impact

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4 Reading comprehension

Complete the following sentences with one, two, or three words from the article on page 5.

1. When young people enter into their for the first time, most would like the colleagues
to see them as a go-getter and highly competent.

2. However, when you are a little further down the road in your career, due to age
can be a factor most people aren’t ready for.

3. Older workers, once aware of the negative attitudes towards age, often develop certain
to make it less obvious how old they are, such as removing graduation dates
from their CV.

4. Yet younger people can find themselves on the receiving end of causing frustration
and difficulty at the beginning of their careers.

5. have affected how people of different ages interact for as long as humans have
lived together and are nothing new.

6. based on age are common, but it’s important to not let them guide your decisions
about someone.

7. It is often age bias during the application process as candidates typically get little
feedback if they are unsuccessful.

8. Older applicants who are worried about prejudice around their age should underline how
they are if they want to avoid being put at a disadvantage.

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Nothing but a number

Ageism in the workplace

A. Everyone would like to be the new, hot young thing these prejudices could lead to companies missing out
making a splash in his or her chosen field. For some on valuable skills.
people in their 20s and 30s, their rise can be meteoric,
C. It’s possible that, in some ways, ageism is still allowed.
quickly making their way through the ranks to senior
While there is still much to do, there has been
positions, their youth and dynamism highly-valued by
significant progress regarding discrimination in the
those around them. Yet what happens when you’re
areas of race and gender. Faced with tens or
no longer the new kid on the block - and what’s
hundreds of job applications, many hiring managers
more, you’ve been around the block a few times?
will be initially looking for reasons to quickly dismiss
Working life is often not quite so blessed for people in
applications without looking at them too closely.
their 50s and upwards. Studies have shown that age
This is when unconscious bias can step in. Making
discrimination is still a significant factor in the way
assumptions about what someone will be like to work
companies hire. A 28-year-old worker applicant was
with based on their age is easily done. Someone
up to three times more likely to be chosen for a role
with a lot of experience may find that this works
than a 50-year-old colleague. Middle-aged workers
against them as some managers may feel threatened
are aware of the bias too. In one survey of people
by someone with many years more involvement in a
over 45, 44% of them admitted that they had altered
particular industry. Equally, younger applicants may
their age on their CV. Other tactics included leaving
find themselves getting passed over for mid-level
out experience that was over 15 years ago and
management roles that they are qualified for as they
removing indicators of age such as graduation dates.
would be managing older workers. Ageism is also
Older workers are more likely to have responsibilities
hard to detect as no one is going to give it as a reason
such as children and investments, so failing to get a
for not selecting a candidate. Many companies give
job when you suspect ageism was involved can be all
little if any feedback to failed applicants, so it’s very
the more galling.
hard to know if age is a disqualifying factor. There’s
B. However, reverse ageism is also a significant factor in
also the sense that with older workers, they’ve had
working life too. At a certain level of management,
their time to shine, so it’s not discrimination, it’s just
seniority is prized and young people are often edged
giving younger people a chance.
out for management level jobs as they are judged to
be inexperienced purely due to their age. Younger D. So what can be done? Given that age-related
workers have reported that although they have the prejudice is a distinct possibility for all applicants, it’s
right qualifications and experience, while doing their a good idea to anticipate it and address it. Applicants
jobs with gusto, they are often not taken seriously. over 50 could, for example, underline the new skills
The attitude towards them seems to be ‘you’re too they have learned and how adaptable they are to
young, what do you know?’ Much of this can be fend off the stereotype that middle-aged people can’t
down to generational differences which have always learn. They say you can’t teach an old dog new
existed. Traditionally, older workers tend to be more tricks, but you can. Younger applicants in turn could
conservative and often view their younger colleagues focus on their experience and how that and their
as lazy and entitled while also being radical and too qualifications make them particularly suitable for the
quick to embrace change. Part of this, of course, is job. Yet it shouldn’t be all down to the applicants.
the professional circle of life. Today’s up-and-coming Companies can make a lot of progress by scrutinising
hotshots will be tomorrow’s old guard, protective of their recruitment processes and ensuring that ageism
their way of doing things and suspicious of the new isn’t allowed to play a part. Discrimination, in
crop of go-getters. There is real danger though that whatever form it takes, disadvantages all of us.

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5 Scanning for vocabulary

Quickly read the article on page 5 and find words or phrases which mean the same as the following.

1. (idiom, para. A): to do something which creates interest and excitement

2. (idiom, para. A): someone who has just started in an organisation or company

3. (idiom, para. A): have a lot of experience in a particular field

4. (n, para. A): a sign that something is happening or is true

5. (phr. v, para. B): to take someone’s position in a company or a competition

without them knowing that it is happening
6. (phr. v, para. C): to not offer a job or promotion to someone, even though
they may deserve it
7. (phr. v, para. D): to defend yourself against an attack of some kind

8. (saying, para. D): not being able to get someone to change their ideas or ways
of working as they have had them/done it that way for some time

6 Listening for details

Listen to the conversation. Tick the expressions about old age that are used.

1. to be no spring chicken

2. to have one foot in the grave

3. to be a dinosaur

4. to be getting on a bit

5. to be a bit long in the tooth

6. to be an old codger

7. to be over the hill

8. to be at a ripe old age

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7 Listening comprehension

Listening again and decide which of the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

1. The job is based in the Middle East.

2. The man thinks that he didn’t get an interview because he’s too old.

3. The woman suggests he might have too much experience for the job.

4. The man has evidence for his belief that ageism was the problem.

5. The man does not have the year he completed university on his CV.

6. The man recently attended a training course related to his job.

7. The man doesn’t want to alter his CV.

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think ageism is an issue in your country? What causes it in your opinion?
2. Do you think that reverse ageism is a problem in your country? Why/Why not?
3. What idioms or sayings do you have in your first language about a. older people? b. younger
people? Can you translate them?
4. Have you personally experienced ageism or reverse ageism? What did you do about it? Or what
could you have done about it?

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9 Extended activity / Homework

One way of emphasising something in a strong way is to use inversion.

For example:

I have sold computers and I have lived in the Middle East for seven years.

Not only have I sold computers, but I have also lived in the Middle East for seven years.

Now rewrite the following sentences.

1. I studied computer science at university and received a first-class degree.

2. I have a lot of experience with sales and I have a lot of experience in European markets.
3. I received a promotion after my first year of work and I was awarded employee of the year.

Now write at least two sentences using inversion to emphasise your own achievements.

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Transcripts

6. Listening for details

Older Male: Well, I have to say I’m surprised.

Younger Female: What happened?

Older Male: I didn’t even get asked for an interview for that job I applied for. I just got a standard
rejection letter.

Younger Female: Oh, which one was that?

Older Male: The sales job I applied for. They were looking for someone to manage computer
sales to the Middle East. Not only have I sold computers before, but I also lived in
the Middle East for seven years. I don’t know why they wouldn’t even talk to me.

Younger Female: That is disappointing. I wonder why.

Older Male: I bet it’s because I’m getting on a bit now.

Younger Female: (dismissively) Nah, you’re not that old.

Older Male: You’d be surprised. Sales is a bit of a young person’s game these days. People like
me are seen as dinosaurs.

Younger Female: It could be that they think you’re overqualified for the position and that you’ll want
to move on after a year. They might be looking for someone they can train and who
can grow into the position a bit.

Older Male: I don’t know. I think someone’s looked at my CV and seen how far back my
experience goes and decided I’m over the hill.

Younger Female: I admit that it is a bit strange that they didn’t even offer you an interview given
how closely your experience matches to the job description, but you can’t know
that they think you’re getting a bit long in the tooth to do the job.

Older Male: That’s just it. There’s no way of knowing or proving it. They can just say something
vague like ‘we didn’t think he’d be a good fit,’ when what they mean is ‘you’re no
spring chicken and you’ll slow us down.’

Younger Female: Would it help if I looked at your CV with you? I might be able to suggest some
ideas to help.

Older Male: Like what?

Younger Female: Well, if you think people are going to be prejudiced about your age, then we can
do some things to deal with that. Do you have the year you graduated on there?

Older Male: Yes.

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Younger Female: Well, maybe take that off for a start. It doesn’t matter when you graduated, it
matters that you graduated.

Older Male: I suppose.

Younger Female: And have you got that training you did recently on there?

Older Male: I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.

Younger Female: Of course, it is. And it shows you’re still actively learning.

Older Male: You make a good point. OK. I’ll play around with it a bit. I did really enjoy that
training and spent a few months on it.

Younger Female: You did really well. You should definitely have it on there.

Older Male: I’m pretty smart for an old codger. (laughs)

Younger Female: laughs

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AGEISM IN THE WORKPLACE

Key
1. Warm up

5 mins.
This introduces the topic and gives students an opportunity to think about their own attitudes towards age,
possibly confronting their own prejudices.

2. Focus on vocabulary

5 mins.
Part A: Ensure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask students to complete the task unaided
in the first instance, but allow them to check their work with a reference later if needed.
1. → g. 2. → h.
3. → a. 4. → b.
5. → f. 6. → c.
7. → e. 8. → d.

10 mins.
Part B: Ask students to predict which part of speech can be used in the gaps before completing the exercise.
When they have done it, ask them to discuss the questions in order to practice using the vocabulary.
1. gusto 2. scrutinise 3. the old guard
4. go-getter 5. hotshot 6. galling
7. meteoric 8. prejudice

3. Skimming for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a strict time limit to encourage skim reading rather than reading for detail.
1. Paragraph C
2. Paragraph A
3. Not used
4. Paragraph B
5. Paragraph D
6. Not used

4. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to read the text more carefully and complete the sentences with one, two or three words.
1. chosen field 2. discrimination
3. tactics 4. reverse ageism
5. Generational differences 6. Assumptions
7. hard to detect 8. adaptable

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5. Scanning for vocabulary

5 mins.
This offers students further support with the article and can be done before or after the comprehension.
1. make a splash 2. the new kid on the block
3. have been around the block a few times 4. indicator
5. edge out 6. pass over
7. fend off 8. you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

6. Listening for details

5 mins.
This gives students a chance to listen to the conversation ahead of the comprehension. Explain that these are all
expressions or idioms to talk about older people. They are all informal and should be used with caution with people
that they don’t know. While they are not particularly offensive, some people will not be happy to be referred to
in this way.
1. ✓ to be no spring chicken
3. ✓ to be a dinosaur
4. ✓ to be getting on a bit
5. ✓ to be a bit long in the tooth
6. ✓ to be an old codger
7. ✓ to be over the hill

7. Listening comprehension

5 mins.
Ask the students to listen again and make notes in order to support their answers.
1. False. ‘They were looking for someone to manage computer sales to the Middle East. ‘
2. True. ‘I bet it’s because I’m getting on a bit now.’
3. True. ‘It could be that they think you’re overqualified for the position...’
4. False. ‘That’s just it. There’s no way of knowing or proving it.’
5. False. ‘Do you have the year you graduated on there? Yes.’
6. True. ‘I did really enjoy that training and spent a few months on it.’
7. False. ‘OK. I’ll play around with it a bit.’

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

9. Extended activity / Homework

10 mins.
This gives students a structure to emphasise their achievement when presenting them to a potential employer.

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