Free Printable Lessons for English Teachers
ESL English Lesson: British banks cut thousands of jobs and hundreds of banking branches
David Robinson
British banks are to cut thousands of jobs and close hundreds of bank branches. The huge shake up is a result of them being allowed to get too big. The devastating 2008 financial crisis saw two of the biggest UK banks taken over by the government because of the losses they incurred.
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) that is 81% owned by the government is expected to axe 30,000 jobs this year. The bank will withdraw from risky business and severely cut its international division. Its new Chief Executive Ross McEwan aims to decrease the RBS Group headcount by a quarter over the next 3-5 years.
Article quiz, Student questions (Name three British banks, Name the American Bank to be sold, etc.), In pairs: On the board write as many words as you can to do with ‘Banks’; One-two minutes; Compare with other teams, Speaking, Discussion, Grammar, Gap fill, etc.