English oral: presenting a four-day week trial under pressure
You are a candidate in the BCE English oral. You have 20 minutes to prepare a three-minute presentation of a short article. The article reports that a UK council trialled a four-day week for 180 staff: productivity rose 12%, sick leave fell 18%, but resident call-back times worsened by 9% and two managers resigned. The article quotes a union saying the results are « promising but not transferable », and a councillor saying « residents pay for experiments ». You must present the document, then answer questions. The examiner interrupts after 90 seconds: « Isn’t this just a privilege for white-collar workers? » Later she asks: « What would you recommend to the council? » You have no notes on the second question.
1. Outline a three-minute presentation that analyses rather than paraphrases the article.
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Presentation plan: (1) 30 seconds: identify the source, the trial and its mixed results; (2) 90 seconds: analyse three tensions - productivity and sick leave versus call-back times and resignations; (3) 60 seconds: connect to the wider question of flexible work and public-service constraints.
Do not read the article. Use the figures selectively: +12% productivity, −18% sick leave, +9% call-back times, two resignations. State a clear thesis: the trial shows conditional, not universal, benefits. Acknowledge the union and councillor quotes as competing interpretations. Conclude with a criterion for evaluation: service quality and worker consent, not productivity alone.
2. How would you answer the interruption about white-collar privilege?
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Answer: acknowledge the point - four-day weeks can favour white-collar staff with measurable output. Then distinguish: the trial included 180 staff across council services, not only managers; call-back times worsened, which shows the model is not cost-free. Argue that the relevant comparison is not blue- versus white-collar privilege but task design, staffing levels and client contact.
Give an example: shift-based workers need staggered rotas and overlap, not a uniform Friday closure. Avoid claiming all jobs can adopt it. Turn the interruption into a criterion: pilot by service, measure service quality and overtime, negotiate with unions. This shows nuance and keeps the presentation structured.
3. What recommendation would you make to the council?
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Recommendation: do not roll out immediately. Run a six-month service-level pilot with four KPIs: productivity, sick leave, call-back time, staff turnover. Stagger days off, maintain a minimum staffing level, and protect pay. Consult unions and residents. If call-back times remain 9% worse, roll back only the services concerned, not the whole scheme. Publish results.
The recommendation is conditional and reversible, which answers the councillor’s cost objection without ignoring the benefits.