📌 A2EN

My First Job

A ready-to-use A2 English lesson — reading, questions and answer key, built by teachers on TeachIn.

This lesson has 3 sections in total — including the full answer key.

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📖 Reading

Maria is nineteen years old, and she just started her first job at a coffee shop in the city center. Before that, she was a student, so this is a big change for her. She works from Monday to Friday, and sometimes she works on Saturday too. Every morning, she wakes up early and takes the bus to work. She likes her job because she meets a lot of interesting people every day. Maria's boss, Mr. Chen, is very kind. He always says, 'If you have a problem, you should tell me.' Last week, Maria made a mistake with an order, but Mr. Chen wasn't angry. He explained the correct way to do it, and Maria learned quickly. Now she never forgets how to make the special coffee that customers love. Maria's friend, Tomás, has a very different job. He is a nurse at the big hospital near the train station. He often works at night, and his job is difficult and tiring. However, Tomás says he loves helping people, and he has never regretted his career choice. He is studying in the evenings because he wants to become a doctor one day. Both Maria and Tomás agree that work is important, but free time is important too. On Sundays, they usually meet other friends and talk about their busy weeks. Maria is going to start an evening course next month because she wants to become a manager in the future. Tomás thinks that is a great idea, and he believes she will be very successful.

🗣️ Speaking — discussion

Context

Most people remember their first job clearly, even years later.
First jobs can be part-time, summer work, or a first 'real' job after school.
People often learn important lessons from their first job, like being on time or working with others.
First jobs are not always related to what people study or want to do later.
This topic helps students talk about past experiences and simple work vocabulary.

Themes

First experiences — Talking about the first time we do something, like starting a job.
Learning at work — Jobs teach us new skills, even simple or small jobs.
Money and independence — A first job often means earning money for the first time.
Likes and dislikes — Not every job is enjoyable, and it's normal to have good and bad experiences.

Personal Response

What was your first job?
How old were you when you started your first job?
Did you like your first job? Why or why not?

Themes & Ideas

What did you learn from your first job?
Was your first job easy or difficult?

Critical Thinking

Why do you think first jobs are important for young people?
What is a good first job for a teenager?

Cultural & Social Topics

At what age do people usually start working in your country?
Is it common for students to work part-time in your country?

🎭 Classroom activity

In pairs, students interview each other about their first job using questions like 'What was your job?', 'Where did you work?', and 'Did you like it?'. Then each student introduces their partner's first job to the class.

✏️ Questions

Yesterday, Maria ___ (have) a job interview at a big company.
The manager usually ___ (check) the sales reports every Monday morning.
If the team ___ (finish) the project on time, the client will be very happy.
While the accountant ___ (prepare) the budget, the phone suddenly rang.
She has ___ (never / work) as a manager before, so she feels nervous about her new role.
Employees ___ (must) wear a uniform when they are working in the factory.
What is Maria's job?
- a) She is a nurse.
- b) She works in a coffee shop.
- c) She is a student only.
- d) She is a manager.
How does Maria get to work?
- a) She walks.
- b) She drives a car.
- c) She takes the bus.
- d) She takes the train.
How did Mr. Chen react when Maria made a mistake?
- a) He was angry and shouted at her.
- b) He fired her immediately.
- c) He calmly explained the correct way.
- d) He ignored the mistake completely.
Why does Tomás say his job is worthwhile, even though it is difficult?
- a) Because he earns a lot of money.
- b) Because he works with his best friend.
- c) Because he loves helping people.
- d) Because the hospital is close to his home.
In the sentence 'Tomás thinks that is a great idea, and he believes she will be very successful,' what does the word 'successful' mean?
- a) Very tired
- b) Achieving good results
- c) Very busy
- d) Making mistakes often
What can we infer about Maria and Tomás's friendship?
- a) They never see each other because they are too busy.
- b) They support each other's career goals.
- c) They work at the same hospital.
- d) They disagree about the importance of work.