B2.1 · 14 of 37
Lesson · 3 rules · about 3 min
Ein Text mit Pro und Contra zum Arbeiten von zu Hause, etwa 320 Wörter, geschrieben wie Meinungstexte in deutschen Zeitungen und Zeitschriften: Befürworter betonen … Kritiker weisen jedoch darauf hin, dass … Beide Seiten haben gute Argumente … Entscheidend ist … Der Aufbau ist eine vollständige Stellungnahme, also ein Text, der eine Meinung begründet. Zuerst kommt die verbreitete Sicht, dann das Argument der Befürworter mit einer Umfrage. Danach folgt das Argument der Kritiker mit derselben Umfrage, nur anders gelesen. Dann kommt der Kompromiss, den die meisten Firmen gewählt haben, und zum Schluss das Fazit des Autors. Die Sprache ist typisch für diese Textsorte: Konjunktiv I für die wiedergegebenen Positionen (Termine könnten besser vereinbart werden; die Grenze verschwimme; wer ständig erreichbar sei, arbeite mehr), Verben mit Präposition (hinweisen auf, aufgeben) und die Konnektoren jedoch, hinzu kommt, daher, die die Wendepunkte markieren. Lies einmal für den Aufbau und einmal für die Antworten. Schau dann, wie der Text das macht, was du selbst tust, wenn du einen Forumsbeitrag oder Kommentar schreibst.
Das Arbeiten von zu Hause wird seit einigen Jahren oft als ideale Lösung dargestellt: kein Stau am Morgen, keine lauten Großraumbüros, mehr Zeit für die Familie. Befürworter betonen vor allem die gewonnene Flexibilität. Termine könnten besser mit dem Familienleben vereinbart werden, und wer konzentriert arbeiten wolle, werde zu Hause seltener unterbrochen.
Continues on the next page
For some years working from home has often been presented as the ideal solution: no traffic jam in the morning, no noisy open-plan offices, more time for the family. Supporters stress above all the flexibility gained. Appointments could be better combined with family life, and anyone who wanted to work with concentration would be interrupted less often at home. A survey by the Institute for Labour Research shows that two thirds of employees who are allowed to work from home no longer want to give up this option. Many say they are more productive than in the office. Critics, however, point out that the line between work and leisure blurs. Anyone who is constantly reachable ends up working more, not less. Indeed the same survey reports that a third of those questioned regularly answer e-mails in the evening and at the weekend. Added to this is a problem that becomes visible only after months: the informal exchange with colleagues is missing. Ideas that used to arise in the coffee kitchen now do not arise at all. Managers also report that new employees take longer to find their feet in the team. Both sides have good arguments, and most companies have therefore introduced a mix: two or three days in the office, the rest at home. But this model too works only if there are clear agreements. When does one have to be reachable? When may the laptop stay closed? Which meetings take place on site? The decisive thing is therefore not the place where work is done, but a clear arrangement of working hours. Companies that have introduced fixed core hours and one day without meetings report more satisfied employees – regardless of whether they sit at home or in the office. So working from home is neither curse nor blessing. It is a tool that has to be used correctly.
Exercise
Lesen: Pro & Contra Homeoffice · B2.1
No single question is on screen — the report is about the whole exercise.
Reports go to the forum, where anyone can read them and the answer is kept for the next learner. To send one — and to be told when it is answered — sign in first. It takes one email, and no password.
Signing in lets us reply to your report, and shows you the answer the next time you are here. We email you a one-time link: no password, and nothing is shared with anyone.
Everything works without an account. Signing in backs your progress up, carries it to your phone, and lets you post on the forum.
One email, no password. We email you a one-time link: no password, and nothing is shared with anyone.