Work and the Economy

What companies do you know of?
What work places have you ever visited?
What jobs can you name?
What is an "arubaito"? Is it a part-time job? a temporary job?
What is a "free-ta"? Are student workers included?
What is a freelance photographer? freelance writer?

Q1 Have any of your high school or junior high friends started working?
What are they doing?

SVO=My friend Makoto is working in a keyshop....

Do both your mother and father work?
Have you ever watched them work? helped them?
Do you want to do the same kind of work as your parents?
Does your family have its own business? Will you take it over?

What did you want to be when you were a child?
Have your ideas changed over the years? Why?

Now what kind of work do you want to do after graduation?

Q2 Where (location and/or kind of company) do you want to work?

2.....

How much do you want to make?
Which do you value more, time or money?
At what age do you want to retire?

Preparing for Work
What licenses or qualifications can you get to prepare for work?
Does part-time job experience perpare you for full-time work?
What have you learned from part-time jobs?
Is it better to have had many different part-time jobs?
How do you find part-time work?
Are there job listings in Town Work? in Docan?
Did you go work for experience somewhere in junior high?

Job Descriptions and Work Life
Does your mother have a job now?
Where (location and kind of company) does she work?
How long has she had the job?
Is your father satisfied with his job?
Does he take work home with him?
Who does he work with? Does he get along with them? like them?
Does he take any business trip? overseas?
Has he ever been transferred? Where?
How many hours a week do you work?

Q6 What is your weekly work schedule like?

6.....

What different kinds of effort are necessary in different jobs?
What information do you have to remember for your job?
What skills do you need?
Have you worked in a factory? on an assembly line?
What have you learned from working?
Have you ever made a mistake? What happened? Did you have to pay for it?
Has a customer ever thanked you? for what?
Have you ever skipped work?
Have you or your co-workers ever been teased, harassed, or bullied at work?
Does your brother work at night?
What does he do? Be specific.
Is there anything interesting about the work? anything difficult?
Are there any perks (fringe benefits) to the job?
Does your sister get a chance to use any English in her work?
What is the pay like? What does she spend her salary on?
Are there any fringe benefits to the job?
Is she busier at certain times of the year? month? week? day?
Does she get any vacation? paid vacation?

Q7 What job would you like to get next?

7.....

Looking for Work
How do people in Japan find their jobs?
Who helps them find jobs?

Q4 Have you ever looked for work? When? How?

4.....

What magazines have job information? AN? From A?
Have you visited any job websites on the Internet? Mai Nichi Career Navi? Employment Net? Meidaisha?

Q5 Have you ever visited a company? Had a job interview? What happened?

5.....

The Economy
How is Japan's economy doing these days? the world economy?
How big is the world economy?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a global market?
How did Japan's economy recover so quickly from the destruction of World War II?

What is the difference between wholesale and retail?
What is the primary industrial sector of an economy?
What is the role of manufacturing and construction? the service sector? research and development?

How high is the inflation rate?
What's the unemployment rate?

Q3 Is Japan in a depression?

3.....

What is the difference between a corporation (Corp. = Ltd.) and a partnership?
Why are convenience stores brightly lit and almost always open?

Are you worried about the environment?
What do you think businesses can do about these problems?