OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This ESL lesson plan on work impact & burnout offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for advanced C1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Discuss how impactful roles affect society and why certain jobs feel fulfilling or draining.
• Expand vocabulary with adjectives describing work impact, value, and burnout.
• Watch a video by Liz Wisman that explores why burnout comes from too little impact, not too much work.
• Practice using adjectives and key phrases to describe workplace roles and levels of impact.
• Take part in a final activation where they evaluate their own work impact and compare it to others.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this ESL lesson on work burnout and impact by examining images of professionals such as a health worker, civil engineer, court judge, and star athlete. They discuss the societal impacts of these roles and describe which factors make jobs feel exhilarating, draining, fulfilling, or high-stakes. Students then reflect on “impact players” in both sports and their own workplaces, considering what sets them apart from ordinary contributors. Next, they engage with agree/disagree statements on impact and burnout, sharing their views and debating ideas. Finally, students preview the lesson’s theme by considering what they believe could serve as an antidote to burnout at work.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

Students watch a video talk by leadership expert Liz Wiseman, who explains that burnout often stems from too little impact rather than too much workload. She describes how “impact players” in the workplace work differently, not harder, and avoid burnout by focusing on meaningful, visible contributions. After the introduction, students answer comprehension questions about how Wisman defines burnout, what adjectives she uses for unimpactful work, and how she compares workplace impact players to athletes. They then complete a gap-fill exercise on Wisman’s description of impact players at work. Finally, students identify the best summary statement of the video’s overall message.

VIEWING FOLLOW-UP

Students share their opinions on Wisman’s argument by debating whether burnout is best prevented through mindset changes or structural changes in organizations. Next, they complete statements from different workers—including a software developer, retail clerk, sanitation worker, and urban planner—by inserting adjectives that describe their levels of impact. The follow-up concludes with a discussion in which students classify which roles seem high impact, low impact, or somewhere in between, and relate the experiences to their own jobs.

MAPPING YOUR WORK IMPACT: CHALLENGE, RECOGNITION, & REACH

In this activation, students apply the lesson’s ideas to their own lives. They choose from two task options. In the first option, students use a mindmap to guide a discussion of their own work impact, including novelty vs. routine, recognition, and tangible results. They evaluate whether they have an “impact player mindset” and consider how they could increase their impact. In the second option, students select from various discussion topics, such as comparing the impact of current and past jobs, analyzing overlooked ethical or social impacts, or debating the idea of working smarter rather than harder.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS WORK IMPACT & BURNOUT ESL LESSON

This work impact & burnout ESL lesson gives teachers a ready-made plan that combines engaging visuals, authentic video, and thought-provoking activities. Teachers gain materials that focus on advanced vocabulary, workplace themes, and critical thinking. The plan guides students through structured speaking, listening, and discussion tasks that spark meaningful conversations. Teachers can use the materials flexibly in one-on-one or group settings, in-person or online. This lesson saves preparation time and provides high-quality content that makes complex workplace themes accessible to C1 students.