Nomads: who are they and how do they live (Worksheet)

Although it is not easy to travel now, people who thrive for adventure always find their ways. Today we want to present you this worksheet on digital nomads which might inspire your students to try new ways of life.

After this lesson, your students will know the words related to the subject of digital nomads and traveling, will be able to share and prove their point of view, will boost their listening comprehension, learn to identify the pros and cons of the given situation and speculate about their life and lives of others.

Level: Intermediate and higher

Time: 50 minutes

Skills: reading, listening, speaking, vocabulary.

Task 1. Lead in

Discuss the questions

What do you see in this picture?

Do you think this person likes to travel? What makes you think so?

Do you know anybody who has been traveling their whole life?

Would you like to do this?

What are some pros and cons of such a lifestyle?

Task 2. Reading

Do you know anything about digital nomads? Read the text and check your ideas.

1. Digital Nomads are a population of independent workers who choose a location-independent, technology-enabled lifestyle that allows them to travel and work remotely, anywhere in the world.
2. Nomads are a diverse group, made up of no single generation, profession, or socio-economic class.
3. Creative professions dominate, but IT and marketing are also strong participants in the movement. One in six earn more than $75,000 annually,  although they are split relatively evenly between full- and part-time workers (54 to 46 percent).
4. Each year, the number of digital nomads grows. According to a 2020 report by MBO Partners, which provides support services for independent workers, 10.9 million American workers consider themselves digital nomads.
5. The digital nomad lifestyle is attractive to many people because it provides a feeling of independence. They want to be freed from the trappings of the nine-to-five timeframe, the always-on synchronous communication, and the outdated idea that productivity is measured by time spent at a desk, rather than output alone.
6. Money is a big hurdle for would-be digital nomads. Not everyone can afford months-long hotel subscriptions or Airbnb reservations, let alone accrue enough savings to cover a big move or travel expenses. And even if they could, many jobs, such as blue collar and service industry ones, require workers to stay in a fixed location. And plenty of people have responsibilities as caregivers for which they have to stay put.

Adapted from https://www.mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/research-trends-digital-nomads/

Task 3. Reading

Read the text again. Match the questions with the paragraphs.

1. What are some drawbacks in the digital nomad lifestyle?
2. Why does the digital nomad lifestyle attract people?
3. What kind of people become nomads?
4. Which professions dominate among digital nomads?
5. What is the tendency about being a modern nomad?
6. Who are digital nomads?

Keys: 1 — f; 2. — c; 3. — d; 4. e; 5 — b; 6. — a;

Task 3. Vocabulary

a) Try to figure out the meaning of the words in bold from the context.

b) Fill the blanks with these words:

1. The fund … both travel expenses and daily subsistence allowances.

2. It’s interesting that so many people still cling to …, ancient beliefs.

3. We are a … group of countries, separated by great distances.

4. Some people have the opportunity to …. …. for the majority of the working week, but have to commute to in-person meetings at the office.

5. Working with volunteers often means working outside of the …. , as most volunteers are available after work and on weekends.

6. In the new, … world, computer skills play an increasingly important role.

c) If you have finished fast or want to learn more vocabulary on the topic, try to deal with the following:

7. There are nineteen cards available that … points with each purchase.

8. His political support comes mainly from … workers.

9. As patients are sent home sooner and sooner, families should have the role of … .

10. The next big …. is to find out how to pay for rent.

11. The judge wore a wig and all the … of his position.

Keys:

1. The fund covers both travel expenses and daily subsistence allowances.
2. It’s interesting that so many people still cling to outdated, ancient beliefs.
3. We are a diverse group of countries, separated by great distances.
4. Some people have the opportunity to work remotely for the majority of the working week, but have to commute to in-person meetings at the office.
5. Working with volunteers often means working outside of the nine to five timeframe, as most volunteers are available after work and on weekends.
6. In the new, technology-enabled world, computer skills play an increasingly important role.
7. There are nineteen cards available that accrue points with each purchase.
8. His political support comes mainly from blue-collar workers.
9. As patients are sent home sooner and sooner, families should have the role of caregivers.
10. The next big hurdle is to find out how to pay for rent.
11. The judge wore a wig and all the trappings of his position.

Task 5. Watching the video

Watch the video from the beginning to 02: 25. What are the main trappings of digital nomads’ lives

Task 6. Watch the video

Answer the questions:

1. Who is the trend of digital nomads driven by?
2. Where is the vlogger? What is he going to do?
3. What does he say about his new working space?
4. What does he have for lunch?
5. Who are Cassie and Shay? What do they say about their current work?
6. Which company have they started? What is its main goal?
7. What do we get to know about Zack?
8. What living conditions do Cassie and Shay have? How much do they pay for it?

Keys:

1. Millennials.
2. He is in Bali. He’ll attempt living one day as a digital nomad. 
3. This is an open-air space called Dojo. It’s filled with people from around the world, now living in Bali.
4. Coconuts.
5. Cassie and Shay have been global digital nomads for four years now. They’re originally from the U.S. and Canada and have lived in Bali for the past year. They say their work now is a lot more productive and less exhausting.
6. They started The Bucketlist Bombshells: a company which helps millennial women build an online business while traveling the world. They do this by providing online courses which teach skills like website design and digital marketing.
7. Zack is a digital nomad from Michigan and works as a freelance software engineer for a variety of clients. He’s been in Bali for a few months now and pays under $500 a month for his apartment and his motorbike.
8. Cassie and Shay break down their costs of living. They each pay $500 a month to live in a villa with a pool.

Task 6. Speculating

Let’s speculate about the life of the people you met in the video. Think over the questions:

1. Do you think they like living as nomads? Or would they rather work as blue collars within a nine-to-five timeframe? Explain your point.
2. How does technology-enabled lifestyle help them with their work?
3. What do they probably like the most about living as nomads?
4. Do you think it’s hard to live like this with a family? Why (not)?
5. What countries might they visit next?
6. How long might they stay there?
7. What hurdles might they face there?
8. Will they ever settle down?

Task 7. Discussing the questions

Discuss the questions

1. Would you like to try living like a nomad?
2. What things attract you to this lifestyle?
3. Why do you think this trend is becoming more and more popular?
4. How did the quarantine affect this tendency?
5. What challenges would you face living as a nomad?

Task 8. The pros and cons

Think of all the pros and cons of being a digital nomad.

Put those points in the appropriate column.