Work Life English — What Do You Do at Work?

Introduction

Work Life English — What Do You Do at Work?

Welcome to this WebQuest!

In this activity, you are going to explore how people talk about work routines in English. Many jobs use the same kind of language every day: schedules, duties, responsibilities, questions, and short conversations with managers or coworkers.

You will learn how to use the present simple to talk about work life outside of school.

Examples:

I work on Saturdays.
She helps customers.
He cleans the tables.
We arrive on time.
Do you work in the morning?
Does your manager make the schedule?

Big Question:

How can I use the present simple to talk about my job, my schedule, and my responsibilities in English?

https://flic.kr/p/afpME3

Task

Instructions

Your task is to create a short digital project called “A Day at My Job.”

You will choose one common job, learn about its daily responsibilities, and use the present simple to explain what a person does at work.

Your final product will include:

The name of one job.
Five present simple sentences about the job.
Two questions using do/does.
One short workplace conversation.
One digital visual, such as a slide, poster, or Canva page.
A short oral presentation or recorded audio.

You can choose a job like:

cashier
restaurant host
grocery store worker
warehouse helper
office assistant
school helper
library assistant
store associate

By the end, you should be able to say what someone does at work and ask basic work-life questions in English.

Process

Step 1: Choose a Job

Choose one job that is useful or interesting to you.

Write the job here:

My job is: ___________________________

Then write three words connected to that job.

Example:

Job: Cashier

Words: customers, money, receipt

Step 2: Explore Work Duties

Visit a career or job information website selected by your teacher. Look for your job or a similar job.

Find three things a person does in that job.

Example:

A cashier:

greets customers
scans items
gives receipts

Write your ideas:

Step 3: Listen to the Audio

Listen to the teacher-created audio called “A Day at My Job.”

Audio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsxOYH_q4qk

After listening, answer:

Where does Daniel work?
What time does he start work?
What does he do at work?
Does he work every day?

Step 4: Learn the Present Simple Pattern

Use the present simple to talk about routines, schedules, facts, and responsibilities.

For I, you, we, they, use the base verb:

I work.
You help customers.
We clean the room.
They arrive on time.

For he, she, it, add -s or -es:

He works.
She helps customers.
The manager checks the schedule.

For questions, use do or does:

Do you work on weekends?
Does she help customers?
What time do you start?
What does he do at work?

For negatives, use do not / don’t or does not / doesn’t:

I don’t work on Mondays.
He doesn’t work at night.

Step 5: Write Five Sentences

Write five present simple sentences about your job.

Use this sentence frame if you need help:

A __________ works at/in __________.

He/She __________.

He/She __________.

He/She usually __________.

He/She does not __________.

Example:

A cashier works in a store.

She helps customers.

She scans items.

She gives receipts.

She does not cook food.

Now write your sentences:

https://flic.kr/p/24WKTRF

Step 6: Interview a Partner

Ask your partner two work-life questions using do or does.

Examples:

Do you work after school?
Do you like working with people?
Does a cashier talk to customers?
Does a manager make the schedule?
What time do you start work?
Where does a cashier work?

Write your two questions:

Write your partner’s answers:

Step 7: Create and Present Your Final Product

Create one digital slide, poster, or page called “A Day at My Job.”

Include:

job title
3–5 job duties
5 present simple sentences
2 do/does questions
1 short workplace dialogue
1 picture or icon
your name

Short dialogue example:

Manager: Do you work on Saturday?

Worker: Yes, I do. I work from 9:00 to 1:00.

Manager: What do you do in the morning?

Worker: I help customers and organize products.

Present your project to the class or record your voice reading it.

https://flic.kr/p/3FWyyY

Evaluation

Your project will be graded using this rubric.

Category	Excellent	Good	Needs More Practice
Task Completion	Includes all required parts: job, sentences, questions, dialogue, and visual	Includes most required parts	Missing several required parts
Present Simple Grammar	Uses present simple correctly most of the time, including he/she + -s	Some grammar errors, but meaning is clear	Many errors make meaning difficult
Work Vocabulary	Uses useful work words connected to the chosen job	Uses some work words	Uses very few work words
Questions with Do/Does	Includes clear and correct questions	Questions are understandable with some errors	Questions are missing or unclear
Speaking / Presentation	Speaks clearly and practices pronunciation	Speaks with some hesitation but communicates meaning	Needs more support to present
Digital Design	Project is organized, readable, and includes graphics	Project is mostly organized	Project is hard to read or incomplete

Total: 20 points

Conclusion

Today you practiced using the present simple for real work-life English.

You learned how to:

describe job duties
talk about schedules
ask workplace questions
use he/she with -s
use do/does in questions
create a short workplace conversation

Reflection:

Answer these questions before you finish:

What job did you choose?
What are three things a person does in this job?
What present simple sentence are you most proud of?
How can this English help you outside of school?

Optional exit sentence:

“Now I can use the present simple to talk about __________________________.”

Credits

References

BookWidgets. (2024, September 24). 10+ surprising ways to use WebQuests in your classroom. https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2018/08/9-surprising-ways-to-use-webquests-in-your-classroom

British Council. (n.d.). Present simple. LearnEnglish. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/free-resources/grammar/english-grammar-reference/present-simple

CareerOneStop. (n.d.). Careers and career information. https://www.careeronestop.org/

Flickr. (n.d.). Creative Commons. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

wikiHow. (n.d.). How to make a WebQuest. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Webquest

Fino, M. (2026). A day at my job https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsxOYH_q4qk

Teacher Page

Page 7: Teacher Page

Learner Information

This WebQuest is designed for multilingual ESL students who are learning English for real-life communication outside of school.

Suggested learner profile:

Age: high school students or adult ESL learners
Proficiency level: beginner to low-intermediate, A1–A2 or early B1
Language background: multilingual learners with different first languages
Learning needs: workplace English, basic grammar, oral communication, vocabulary development, and confidence using English in practical situations

Theme

The theme is work-life outside of school.

Students explore common jobs, schedules, duties, and short workplace conversations.

Language Objective

Students will use the present simple tense to describe job routines and responsibilities and to ask basic workplace questions using do/does.

By the end of the WebQuest, students should be able to:

write simple sentences about work routines
use third-person singular verbs correctly
ask and answer basic workplace questions
use vocabulary related to jobs and schedules
present a short digital project orally

Content Objective

Students will identify common job duties and connect workplace vocabulary to real-life communication.

Tips and Strategies

Before students begin, review:

common job names
action verbs: work, help, clean, organize, answer, greet, check, start, finish
time expressions: every day, usually, on Mondays, in the morning, after school
present simple rules for I/you/we/they and he/she/it

Model one example first as a class.

Example:

A restaurant host works in a restaurant.

She greets customers.

She answers questions.

She checks the table list.

She does not cook the food.

Differentiation Ideas

For beginning students:

provide sentence frames
provide a word bank with verbs and job vocabulary
allow students to work with a partner
let students draw or use icons before writing
allow oral answers before written answers

For stronger students:

ask them to add frequency adverbs: always, usually, sometimes, never
ask them to compare two jobs
ask them to write a longer workplace dialogue
ask them to include negative sentences and questions
ask them to record a one-minute audio presentation

For students with limited technology skills:

provide a PowerPoint template
allow paper planning before digital work
assign partners with clear roles
give direct links instead of asking students to search freely

Cautions

Some students may not have work experience. Allow them to choose a future job, a family member’s job, or a common community job.

Avoid asking students to share private information about their family income, immigration status, or personal work situation.

Pre-select safe websites so students do not spend too much time searching online.

Creative Enhancements

Students can:

record their final presentation as audio
create a Canva poster
make a short workplace role-play video
create a QR code linking to their audio
present their job as a “career fair” activity
interview a classmate and report using third person: “He works...” or “She helps...”

Suggested Time

This WebQuest can be completed in one or two class periods.

Option 1: One 60–75 minute class

Option 2: Two 45-minute classes

Materials Needed

Computer, Chromebook, or tablet
Internet access
Headphones for audio
Digital slide/poster tool
Teacher-created audio
WebQuest guide or worksheet
Rubric