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A2.43: Remote work or the office?

Lavoro remoto o in ufficio?

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Explore essential Italian vocabulary and expressions for discussing remote work versus office work, including words like lavorare (to work), riunione (meeting), and collega (colleague), while practicing useful phrases for preferences, organizing online meetings, and addressing challenges.

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Esercizio 1: Conversation exercise

Istruzione:

  1. Do you work remote or in-person or both? (Do you work remote or in-person or both?)
  2. Tell your opinion on working remotely. (Tell your opinion on working remotely.)
  3. Do you prefer video calls or in-person meetings? (Do you prefer video calls or in-person meetings?)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Remote work or the office?

Example phrases:

Faccio entrambi. Lavoro da casa due giorni e vado in ufficio tre giorni.

I do both. I work from home two days and go to work three days.

Vado in ufficio. Lavoro in presenza con il mio team.

I go to the office. I work in-person with my team.

Secondo me, il lavoro da remoto è migliore. Posso trascorrere più tempo con la mia famiglia.

In my opinion, remote work is better. I can stay with my family more.

Penso di sì, il lavoro da remoto è utile. Posso lavorare in un luogo tranquillo.

I think so, remote work is useful. I can work in a quiet place.

Le videochiamate sono migliori per me. Risparmio tempo e non devo viaggiare.

Video calls are better for me. I save time and don’t travel.

Preferisco le riunioni di persona. È più facile parlare e capire.

I prefer in-person meetings. It’s easier to speak and understand.

...

Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

1

Chiedere opinioni sul lavoro da remoto

2

Organizzare una riunione da remoto

3

Parlare delle difficoltà del lavoro da remoto

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Quando lavoro da remoto, ____ sempre la videoconferenza per comunicare con i colleghi.

(When I work remotely, ____ I always use videoconferencing to communicate with colleagues.)

2. Se avessi un problema tecnico, ____ aiuto al reparto informatico.

(If I had a technical problem, ____ I would ask the IT department for help.)

3. Non dimenticare di ____ il report prima della riunione di domani.

(Don't forget to ____ the report before tomorrow's meeting.)

4. Spero che il mio collega ____ partecipare alla presentazione online questa sera.

(I hope my colleague ____ can participate in the online presentation this evening.)

Exercise 4: Remote work or office work?

Instruction:

Luca (Partecipare - Presente) a riunioni online con i colleghi. Stamattina io (Decidere - Passato prossimo) di lavorare in ufficio perché la mia connessione Internet non funziona bene. Quando noi (Arrivare - Presente) in ufficio, troviamo sempre molti documenti da sistemare. Maria, la nostra responsabile, ci (Chiedere - Presente) se preferiamo lavorare da remoto o in ufficio. Io (Rispondere - Presente) che mi piace lavorare da casa, ma a volte è importante vedere gli altri di persona.

Luca works from home and often participates in online meetings with colleagues. This morning I decided to work in the office because my Internet connection is not working well. When we arrive at the office, we always find many documents to organize. Maria, our manager, asks us if we prefer to work remotely or in the office. I answer that I like working from home, but sometimes it is important to see others in person.

Verb Tables

Partecipare - Participate

Presente

  • io partecipo
  • tu partecipi
  • lui/lei partecipa
  • noi partecipiamo
  • voi partecipate
  • loro partecipano

Decidere - Decide

Passato prossimo

  • io ho deciso
  • tu hai deciso
  • lui/lei ha deciso
  • noi abbiamo deciso
  • voi avete deciso
  • loro hanno deciso

Arrivare - Arrive

Presente

  • io arrivo
  • tu arrivi
  • lui/lei arriva
  • noi arriviamo
  • voi arrivate
  • loro arrivano

Trovare - Find

Presente

  • io trovo
  • tu trovi
  • lui/lei trova
  • noi troviamo
  • voi trovate
  • loro trovano

Chiedere - Ask

Presente

  • io chiedo
  • tu chiedi
  • lui/lei chiede
  • noi chiediamo
  • voi chiedete
  • loro chiedono

Rispondere - Answer

Presente

  • io rispondo
  • tu rispondi
  • lui/lei risponde
  • noi rispondiamo
  • voi rispondete
  • loro rispondono

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Introduction to Remote Work and Office Preferences

This lesson explores vocabulary and expressions related to the modern work environment, focusing on preferences between working remotely and working in the office. It is designed for A2 level learners and helps develop practical communication skills for daily conversations about work habits, technology use, and social interaction.

Key Topics Covered

1. Expressing Opinions on Remote Work

Learn to discuss your preference between working from home and working at the office using simple phrases and everyday vocabulary.

  • Examples include:
    "Preferisci lavorare da casa o in ufficio?" (Do you prefer working from home or at the office?)
    "Preferisco lavorare da casa perché risparmio tempo." (I prefer working from home because I save time.)

2. Organizing Remote Meetings

Practice simulated conversations to arrange online meetings seamlessly, a vital skill for remote teamwork.

  • Sample dialogue:
    "Possiamo fare la riunione su Zoom domani?" (Can we have the meeting on Zoom tomorrow?)

3. Discussing Challenges of Remote Work

Explore common difficulties encountered in remote work environments and how to express them simply.

  • Example expressions:
    "Lavorare da casa è comodo, ma a volte è difficile." (Working from home is comfortable, but sometimes it is difficult.)

Verb Practice: Conjugation Focus

The lesson includes multiple-choice exercises focusing on verb conjugations critical for expressing actions and intentions related to work.

  • Verbs practiced include usare (to use), chiedere (to ask), inviare (to send), and potere (to be able to).
  • Example:
    "Quando lavoro da remoto, ____ sempre la videoconferenza per comunicare con i colleghi." (When I work remotely, I always ____ the videoconference to communicate with colleagues.) Correct answer: uso.

Short Story for Contextual Learning

A mini story provides context to vocabulary and verb conjugations, describing a typical day mixing remote and office work:

Luca lavora da casa e spesso partecipa a riunioni online con i colleghi. Stamattina io ho deciso di lavorare in ufficio perché la mia connessione Internet non funziona bene...

Verb Tables Included

To aid memorization, conjugation tables for verbs used in the mini story are provided, such as partecipare (participare), decidere (to decide), and arrivare (to arrive).

Language Notes: Differences between English and Italian

Unlike English, Italian verb conjugations change extensively depending on the subject and tense, making verb endings essential for understanding meaning. For example, the verb "lavorare" (to work) conjugates as io lavoro (I work), tu lavori (you work), etc. Phrases involving modal verbs like potere (can/to be able to) require conjugation matching the subject, e.g., possa (may/can - subjunctive) versus può (can - indicative).

Useful expressions:
Preferisco lavorare da casa. - I prefer to work from home.
Possiamo fare la riunione su Zoom domani? - Can we have the meeting on Zoom tomorrow?
È comodo, ma a volte manca la motivazione. - It is comfortable, but sometimes motivation is missing.

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