최신뉴스 속 영어표현: 개방형 사무실의 반짝 인기

** Note for tutors: Korean texts in the article is annotated notes & explanation of highlighted expressions. 

Suggested lesson flow:

1. After a short greeting, ask the student to read the article out loud.

2. Go over any vocab or expressions that they don't understand.

3. Go through discussion questions below.

The open office fad may be fading

Open offices are so hot right now–today about 70% of U.S. offices have opted for open concept offices.

Some companies have even adopted a more extreme version called “hotdesking,” which sounds like something out of Urban Dictionary but is actually a setup where people don’t have assigned desks, and move around the office from day-to-day.

Promoters argue that open offices are cheaper, increase collaboration, and employees just like them more than traditional office layouts.

 fad : 일시적 유행. ~ fad라고 하면 ~열풍

 opt for something : opt는 '선택하다' 특히 여러 옵션(option)들 중에서 하나를 선택할 때 쓰는 영어표현. opt for은 ~를 선택하다.

 adopt something : 채택하다. adopt someone은 '입양하다'라는 뜻.

 assigned N : assign은 '할당하다, 맡기다'라는 뜻은데 assigned는 '할당된, 지정된'이라는 뜻의 영어표현. assigned desk는 '지정된 책상' 정도의 뜻.

But, the numbers as stacked against the trend

Research shows that we’re 15% less productive and twice as likely to get sick in open working spaces. And, when surveyed on 14 different criteria, like temperature and sound quality, employees were more satisfied with closed offices than open work spaces.

Actually, the collaboration argument doesn’t really hold up either. Sure, people tend to talk more, but think about it; if you’re planning to brainstorm on a project, you’re probably gonna book a meeting room.

So, to keep employees from having to duke it out over the thermostat, or take work home with them…

 something is stacked against something : ~가 ~에게 불리한 쪽으로 되어 있다. stack은 '쌓다'라는 뜻. 원래 stack against는 '~에 기대어 쌓다'라는 뜻의 영어표현. the odd/cards are stacked against something이라고 하면 "~에게 불리하다, 상황이 ~에게 안 좋게 되어있다'"라는 뜻임. 따라서 본문에서는 수치(the numbers)가 open office라는 트렌드(the trend)에 불리하게 나와있다는 뜻.

 argument holds up : 버티다, 건재하게 남아있다. 

 duke it out : 원래는 '주먹질하며 싸우다'라는 뜻의 영어표현. 비유적으로 '치열하게 싸우다, 경쟁하다'는 뜻.

Some companies are making the switch back to private spaces

Take, for example, Microsoft’s IT innovation group, which has opted back into small offices to let developers “hunker down and focus,” while still being close enough to collaborate.

According to the team, for activities like coding that require intense concentration, doors are just a barrier to distractions, not communication.

 opt into : ~에 합류하기로 선택하다.

 hunker down : hunker는 웅크리다, 쭈그리다. hunker down은 '숨어 들어가다, 은신처로 들어가다' 정도의 뜻.

출처: http://thehustle.co/open-office-backlash

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