March is an incredible month for various reasons, one of them being International Women’s Day. Don’t shy away from the topic as it may bring up an engaging debate about gendered jobs – jobs that are typically associated with either males or females.
The internet is filled with information about International Women’s Day and its origins. While you can learn about the history of this day and how it’s celebrated today, I have many HR and CAE students, so I thought I could make a lesson about gendered jobs and reversing roles. This lesson aims to discuss the idea of men and women doing jobs typically associated with the opposite gender.
You can access the presentation, worksheet, and teacher’s notes, completely free of charge! Simply head to the end of the post and download your copies.
The lesson starts with a Venn diagram that shows a clear separation of different professions based on an article by My Perfect Resume titled Gendered Jobs: Exploring Career Stereotypes [2023 Study]. Students analyze the diagram and discuss the meaning of each circle. The professions are divided into jobs dominated by either men or women, with a few professions that have a relatively equal split between genders. After the students have guessed the division, they brainstorm other professions that could be included in the diagram. Conclude the lead-in with a general discussion about whether this division accurately represents their respective countries.
To introduce CAE Speaking Part 2, you can display three pictures of women working in professions that are typically male-dominated, such as construction, software engineering, and law enforcement. Then, ask your students to consider some reasons why women may be better or worse at working in these fields. After that, provide a list of the advantages and disadvantages of women working in these professions and ask to match them to the respective fields. There can be multiple correct answers for each option, for instance, the ability to demonstrate empathy and compassion or difficulty in meeting fitness standards.
It’s time for the CAE Speaking Part 2 task. Read the examiner’s notes and ask the students to identify three things they need to do (compare two pictures and answer two questions). Remind them that the questions are always at the top of the exam task. This means that if they forget to listen or simply zone out, they can still successfully complete the task.
In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you three pictures. I’d like you to talk about two of them for about a minute, and also to answer a question briefly about your partner’s pictures. Here are your pictures. They show women working typically male jobs. I’d like you to compare two of the pictures and say how women may be better than men in these positions and what problems they may face.
In the next activity, students work in pairs and take turns to talk about the pictures for about a minute each. They can discuss all three pictures, not just the ones mentioned by their partner. After answering the question, remind them that this activity is similar to an exam where they will be asked a follow-up question. The follow-up question is, What job do you think may be the most challenging for women to do and why?
On 8th March, we celebrate International Women’s Day, but it’s important to note that workplace discrimination isn’t limited to women. There are several female-dominated professions where men may also face challenges. To explore this idea, repeat the previous exercise, this time, focusing on men working in typically female jobs such as primary school education, home health aide, and dressmaking. In pairs, students create a list of reasons why men may be better or worse at working in those fields. They can then compare their answers with the list and match the qualities to the corresponding pictures. It’s important to remember that there can be more than one answer for each picture, as factors such as a lack of nurturing instincts or greater physical strength may be relevant to more than one field.
Once again, for the CAE Speaking Part 2 task, you need to compare pictures that depict different jobs and discuss how men’s abilities and predispositions may make them better or worse suited for these positions than women. You must also talk about the challenges that men may face in these roles. You have one minute for this task. Afterwards, ask another candidate a short question: What job do you think may be the most challenging for men to do and why?
Understandably, the topic we have covered may spark a debate about jobs that are typically associated with a particular gender. It’s possible that some students disagree with the pictures shown in the lesson and the list of reasons provided by ChatGPT. Therefore, it might be a good idea to end the class with a group discussion or a paired debate, similar to CAE Speaking Part 4, where students can express their opinions. Monitor the discussion and provide feedback to the students on their speaking skills after the activity.
You can access the presentation and worksheet by clicking the links below.
How is International Women’s Day celebrated in your country?
