Speaker 1: Today we're going to look at the topic of job
culture in America. I'll show you how these concepts shape
the daily lives of American workers, and then we'll go
over some useful vocabulary words and phrases that'll help you
talk about work culture in your own conversations. Let's dive in.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael all Rye.
Speaker 1: Thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael here from
Happy English and I help people speak English better. This
is Happy English Podcast, Episode seven forty. Job culture in America.
People living here in the US have a hard time
separating from work. Now, this doesn't mean that we are
always checking our work email. What we do is who
we are. Many Americans define themselves based on what their
profession is. If you work with Americans, or if you
know any Americans, you know that when you first meet
they are sure to ask you what do you do,
which is a common way of asking about someone's job.
Most Americans take pride in what they do and are
more than happy to talk about work even when you
first meet them. Here in the United States, work culture
is a central part of life. Of course, this work
culture varies greatly depending on the industry, company, and region. However,
there are certain themes which are common across the board.
American culture is often characterized by a strong emphasis on productivity, innovation,
and individual achievement. Many American workers are driven by a
desire to succeed and to climb the career ladder, which
can sometimes lead to long hours and a high level
of dedication to work. However, this focus on work has
also sparked conversations about the importance of work life balance.
For many Americans, achieving a balance between their professional and
personal lives is a constant challenge. The idea of work
life balance involves finding time not only to be productive
at work, but also to enjoy time with family, friends,
and personal interests outside of work. This balance is crucial
for maintaining overall well being and avoiding burnout. In recent years,
more companies have recognized this and have started offering flexible
work schedules, remote work options, and other benefits to help
employees manage their time more effectively. And now let's have
a look at the key vocabulary from this lesson. First
of all, we have productivity. Productivity means the rate and
amount that something is produced related to the time and
effort needed. In other words, what you get out of
what you put in. By the way, we also use
the adjective form productive to mean that a lot of
something is produced compared to the work and time used
to produce it. Here are some examples. High productivity is
valued in American work culture, often leading to long work hours.
Companies often focus on increasing productivity to stay competitive in
the market. I had a productive morning. I was able
to finish everything on my to do list. Here is
a way to increase your business English productivity. There is
a podcast from all Ears English called Business English, and
they will help you feel more confident with your business English.
My friends Lindsey, Michelle and Aubrey show you real business
English vocabulary for the global economy. In the Business English podcast,
you can learn vocabulary for socializing and making small talk
with colleagues. They also cover English writing, presentations, job interviews,
telephone English and more. In the next few weeks, they'll
be talking about how to deliver a strong proposal to
your manager in English and idioms you can and cannot
use at work. Follow the new Business English podcast from
all Ears English. Just type all Ears English into your
search bar wherever you are listening to this podcast right
now now and choose Business English podcast and hit follow next.
We have burnout or to be burned out. We use
both to talk about the feeling when you are mentally
and emotionally exhausted, usually because of stress. Let's look at
some examples. Burnout is common in high pressure jobs, where
employees feel overwhelmed by their workload. To prevent burnout, it's
important to find ways to relax and recharge outside of work.
I was totally burned out from a job I had
for a short time in twenty ten, so I quit
and started my own company. One way to prevent burnout
is to have a good work life balance. A person's
work life balance means that they are spending enough time
outside of work on things like family, hobbies and personal activities.
In other words, there's a good balance between the time
you spend working and the time you spend on living.
For example, my friend Paul always tries to maintain a
good work life balance, but it's true that many people
struggle to achieve work life balance, especially when they have
demanding careers. Companies that promote work life balance often have
higher employee satisfaction as well. Having a flexible work schedule
will also help prevent burnout. A flexible work schedule is
one that allows employees to choose their working hours within
certain limits. Here are some examples. Jenny appreciates her flexible
work schedule, which lets her start and finish work at
times that suit lifestyle. A flexible work schedule can reduce
stress by allowing employees to manage their time more effectively.
These days, more and more companies are offering flexible work
schedules to improve work life balance for their employees. And finally,
we have the career ladder. A ladder is a tool
which has steps and is used to climb up to
and down from high places. With this image, we have
the career ladder or the company ladder, which means a
progression of roles and responsibilities in your career. As you
work in a company, you'll typically receive promotions to higher positions,
bringing your career up the ladder. Let's look at some examples.
The opportunity to climb the career ladder is a motivating
factor for many works in America. This is a true story.
My aunt was one of the first employees of a
cosmetics company in the mid nineteen forties and went up
the company ladder to become the head of the HR department. There.
Frankie has been steadily climbing the career ladder at his company,
starting as an intern and now managing a team. Keep
in mind, the best way to remember this and any
other word or phrase in English is to take that
word or phrase, write it in a sentence that's true
for you or true in your world, and then memorize
your sentences. Did you know that you can get the
chance to practice this kind of English with me directly.
You can get more practice using your English when you
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And on top of that, each episode has exercises where
you can practice this English point with speaking and writing
checked by me. To learn more, just visit Myhappy English
dot com and choose podcasts lesson seven forty. Remember learning
another language is not easy, but it's not impossible, and
I'm here to help you on your journey.
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