Reflect and Discuss

Roundtable Preparation

Roundtable Discussions are live, small-group (max 4 students) conversations centering on the topics raised in the TED talk. Guided by an American business trainer with more than 35 years of professional experience, the Roundtable Discussions are designed to help you build fluency and confidence in spontaneous conversation with other advanced-level English speakers from around the world.

Read more about Roundtable Discussions >>

Prepare for the Roundtable Discussion by reflecting on the questions below. Practice answering them using vocabulary that was introduced in this lesson. You’ll get the best practice if you practice answering by speaking out loud.

• Can you give a clear and concise summary of the video? Include the following points in your summary:
  • The problem
  • The negative impact(s) of the problem
  • The specific solutions that the speaker proposes

• What, if anything, did you find difficult in the transition from working in an office or in a shared workspace to working remotely?

• What did you personally find challenging about working from home?

• Is there anything about working remotely that you prefer compared to working in the office/shared space?

• What rituals and routines did you have in a typical office/shared space-based workday?

• What rituals and routines have you adopted while working remotely?

• When managing or supervising others, what special challenges are posed by working remotely? How can a manager best address these challenges?

• Which of the speaker’s suggestions are practical and useful? Why? Can you provide example situations?

• Which of the suggestions aren’t practical or useful? Why? Can you provide example situations?

• Did the speaker leave out any important advice? Explain.