aiMOOC

ABI - Globalisation and the world of work

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ABI - Globalisation and the world of work

Einleitung

English first. Globalisation changes where goods are produced, how teams communicate, how careers develop and which skills matter. In this aiMOOC, you investigate these four dimensions through visuals, short source-based tasks and fictitious, company-neutral cases. Your aim is not to memorise slogans about globalisation, but to analyse connections, weigh trade-offs and support claims with evidence.

Media starter – What work is visible, and what work is hidden? Look at the container ship for 30 seconds. Name three jobs that may be directly visible and five forms of work that are necessary somewhere else in the chain: design, administration, software, port logistics, maintenance, insurance, translation, sales or other services. Then ask: Who depends on whom?

This course is designed for Englisch als fortgeführte Fremdsprache in der Kursstufe Baden-Württemberg. It is a shared course for Basisfach (BF) and Leistungsfach (LF). The target is B2, with parts of C1 as a learning orientation, without artificial difficulty.

Official check: Baden-Württemberg 2027/2028

Status: 3 October 2026. The current Ministry page provides the official Facherlasse for both the 2027 and 2028 Abitur cohorts. For 2028, the Facherlass is dated 2 July 2026. In English, the 2028 regulations continue to refer to the Bildungsplan 2016 and to the additional focus On the Move: Migration and Cross-Cultural Encounters. The present course is not that additional Schwerpunktthema. It develops curriculum content that is nevertheless relevant to the Kursstufe: in the LF, the Bildungsplan names Globalisierung als Chance und Herausforderung including the world of work; in the BF, it includes globale Herausforderungen and die Rolle des Individuums in der Arbeitswelt.

For LF 2028, the written examination combines listening with writing; the writing task includes reading comprehension, analysis and a final writing task, and it may include discontinuous materials such as images, statistics, diagrams or tables. In the BF, the Facherlass requires the course assessments across the four semesters to cover listening, reading, analysis, mediation and two different types of writing; the Abitur examination itself is oral. The IQB operator list valid from the 2027 exam cohort defines, among others, analyze/examine and assess/evaluate.

Important: Before using this aiMOOC for a later exam cohort, check the Ministry's current Facherlass again.

I-can goals

By the end of the course, you can say:

I can explain how globalisation connects production, communication, careers and skills.
I can analyse a short non-fiction text, an infographic or a dataset by linking claims to evidence and design choices.
I can distinguish outsourcing, offshoring, automation, upskilling and reskilling.
I can discuss trade-offs such as efficiency versus resilience or flexibility versus security.
I can speak and write in clear B2 English and use selected C1 language when it improves precision.
I can mediate relevant information rather than translating sentence by sentence.
I can check source date, authorship, evidence and limitations, including when information has been suggested by AI.

BF/LF route

Basisfach	Leistungsfach
Fewer sources, one main case, guiding questions, language frames and a clear note grid.	More sources, greater text complexity, stronger source comparison and independent material links.
Focus on representative examples and a manageable number of arguments.	Add breadth, depth, limitations, counter-arguments and more AFB II/III work.
Aim for clear B2 explanation and analysis.	Aim for secure B2 plus selective C1 precision where useful.

Rule for both routes: harder language is only useful when it makes your thinking more precise.

Vorwissen und Medien-Einstieg

Quick concept map

Without searching, place these terms around the centre word GLOBALISATION: production, supply chain, trade, internet, remote work, automation, career, skills, English, migration, sustainability, labour standards. Draw at least six arrows and label each arrow with a verb such as enables, depends on, changes, connects, increases, reduces, requires.

Then compare your map with a partner. Do not ask whether globalisation is simply “good” or “bad”. Ask instead: For whom, in which context, according to which evidence?

Visual warm-up: production networks

See – Think – Question: First describe only what the diagram shows. Then infer what it suggests about dependencies. Finally write one question the diagram cannot answer, for example about wages, environmental costs, ownership or risk.

Core input: four dimensions of globalised work

Production: from one factory to networks

A product can pass through many stages before it reaches a customer: raw materials, components, assembly, software, transport, marketing and after-sales service. When stages are distributed across organisations or countries, they form part of a global value chain. This can create specialisation and access to larger markets, but it can also create dependencies.

Outsourcing means contracting a task to an external organisation. Offshoring means moving an activity to another country. The two may occur together, but they are not the same. Automation changes tasks by using machines or software. It can replace some routine activities while also creating new tasks in maintenance, programming, coordination or quality control.

Trade-off lens: lowest short-term cost is not the only possible objective. Organisations may also value resilience, quality, speed, labour standards, lower emissions or secure access to critical inputs.

Human perspective: do not infer more than the image shows

The photograph documents a garment factory in Bangladesh in 2011. It can support observations about the visible workplace, but it does not by itself prove a claim about wages, safety, worker choice or the entire garment sector. Separate visual evidence from assumptions. If you make a broader claim, add a reliable source.

Communication: global work needs infrastructure and clarity

Global teams can collaborate across locations through messaging, shared documents, video calls and project platforms. Synchronous communication happens at the same time; asynchronous communication does not. Time zones, language proficiency, access to technology and different communication conventions can all affect teamwork.

This map shows submarine communication cables using data from 2015. Treat it as a historical visual source, not as a current network map. Its key learning point is structural: apparently “virtual” communication still depends on physical infrastructure.

English often functions as a lingua franca in international work. Effective communication therefore means more than idiomatic fluency. Clear structure, explicit deadlines, respectful clarification and awareness of different communication styles can matter more than sounding like a native speaker.

Careers: from fixed ladders to changing task profiles

Careers can include changes of employer, occupation, workplace, contract type or country. Digital tools can make some tasks location-independent; other jobs remain tied to laboratories, workshops, hospitals, ports, farms, shops or care settings. A globalised labour market does not create the same opportunities for everyone.

Career question: Which parts of an occupation can be done remotely, which cannot, and why? Avoid saying that a whole occupation is “remote” or “automated” when only some tasks are.

Mobility can mean commuting, relocation, international recruitment, remote collaboration or changing professional fields. Analyse the specific form instead of treating “mobility” as one single experience.

Skills: combine expertise with adaptability

The useful question is not “Which single skill will guarantee a job?” but Which combination of skills helps people perform changing tasks well?

A strong profile may combine domain knowledge with digital and data literacy, communication, problem solving, collaboration, source evaluation and the ability to learn. Upskilling develops skills for an evolving role. Reskilling prepares a person for substantially different tasks or a different role. Lifelong learning does not mean constant self-optimisation; it means that learning can continue beyond initial education.

Mini-infographic: connect the four dimensions

Dimension	Typical change	Possible opportunity	Possible challenge	Useful question
Production	Cross-border value chains and automation	Specialisation, larger markets	Dependencies, unequal standards	Where is value created and where is risk located?
Communication	Digital, multilingual collaboration	Faster coordination across distance	Time zones, access, misunderstandings	Which channel fits which task?
Careers	More transitions and changing task profiles	New roles and forms of mobility	Insecurity or unequal access to opportunities	Which tasks are transferable?
Skills	More frequent learning and recombination of skills	Adaptation and new professional pathways	Training gaps and unequal access	Who gets time, support and resources to learn?

Listening and Viewing

Viewing 1: OECD – The future of work is now

Before viewing: Predict three drivers that may be mentioned.

First viewing: Note the main message in one sentence.

Second viewing: Sort examples into production, communication, careers and skills. Then write one claim the video makes and one question you would ask about its evidence or date.

BF: Use the four-category grid and sentence starters: “The video suggests that …”; “One example is …”; “A limitation is …”.

LF: Add source purpose, selection of evidence and a brief assessment of how well the video supports its main message.

Viewing 2: Crash Course – Globalization, trade and poverty

This video was published in 2015. Use it to practise argument tracking, not to memorise old figures.

Identify the overall position and one qualification.
Distinguish a claim, an example and a value judgement.
Select one quantitative or time-sensitive statement and check it against a newer reliable source before reusing it.
Explain why “aggregate benefit” does not mean “benefit for every individual”.

Viewing 3: careers and self-knowledge

Task: Note three links between self-knowledge, learning and career decisions. Then challenge the source: Which structural factors beyond individual choice could also shape access to education and work?

Reading: company-neutral case

Case A – A fictitious household-device supply chain

All organisations, places, numbers and events in this case are fictitious.

A mid-sized producer sells a smart household sensor. Its product design and customer support are located in one region, electronic components come from two suppliers abroad, final assembly takes place in another country and distribution is handled by several logistics partners. For years, managers focused mainly on low unit costs and short inventories.

After two delivery disruptions, the organisation considers a different model. It could keep two component suppliers in different regions, hold a small safety stock and train assembly staff to handle several product variants. These changes would raise some short-term costs. Managers argue, however, that they may reduce the risk of a complete production stop.

At the same time, the design, purchasing and support teams work across three time zones. They replace some meetings with shared written updates. This gives employees more control over when they contribute, but unclear documentation can create delays. The organisation therefore introduces a common decision log and plain-English writing guidelines.

No one in the case claims that one model is universally best. The decision depends on priorities, risks, evidence and stakeholder interests.

Reading tasks: Summarise the central change in no more than three sentences. Then identify one production issue, one communication issue, one career implication and one skill implication.

LF extension: Explain two assumptions built into the proposed strategy and what evidence would be needed to test them.

Fictitious dataset for visual analysis

The following figures are invented only for learning purposes. Do not cite them as real-world data.

Indicator	Scenario A	Scenario B
Main component suppliers	One	Two
Average safety stock	3 days	12 days
Cross-team written updates per week	2	7
Staff trained for multiple task areas	24%	61%
Estimated unit cost index	100	106

Analyse, do not just describe: What change is visible? What could explain it? What cannot be concluded from the table? Which additional data would you request before recommending a decision?

Kontextwortschatz und Wortbildung

Use this order: context → word family → English explanation → monolingual dictionary → German help only if still needed.

Word family	English explanation	Example	German help, last step
global → globalise → globalisation	to become more connected across countries and regions	Production has become more globally connected.	globalisieren / Globalisierung
employ → employer → employee → employment → employability	words connected with paid work and the ability to enter or remain in work	Training may improve employability, but access also matters.	beschäftigen / Beschäftigung
skill → skilled → upskill → reskill	to develop abilities for present or different tasks	Workers may upskill within a role or reskill for another role.	weiterqualifizieren / umschulen
outsource → outsourcing	to contract a task to an external organisation	The service was outsourced to a specialist provider.	auslagern
offshore → offshoring	to move an activity to another country	Offshoring concerns location, not necessarily ownership.	ins Ausland verlagern
automate → automation → automated	to use technology to perform tasks with less direct human input	Some routine checks can be automated.	automatisieren
collaborate → collaboration → collaborative	to work together towards a shared result	Asynchronous collaboration needs clear documentation.	zusammenarbeiten
resilient → resilience	able to continue or recover after disruption	A second supplier may increase resilience.	widerstandsfähig / Resilienz

Precision vocabulary

trade-off: a situation in which improving one aim may make another aim harder to achieve.
stakeholder: a person or group affected by or able to affect a decision.
global value chain: connected stages through which value is created across locations and organisations.
transferable skills: skills that can be useful across different tasks or roles.
labour standards: rules or norms concerning working conditions and rights.
source limitation: a reason why a source cannot support every possible conclusion.

Analysis

Abi analysis scaffold

For a text, infographic, table or image, use the sequence:

Claim → Evidence → Technique/feature → Effect/function → Context/limitation

Example frame: “The visual foregrounds … through … . This supports the message that … because … . However, the source does not provide evidence about … .”

The IQB operator analyze/examine requires detailed description and explanation with evidence, linked to relevant aspects of language or form. Assess/evaluate requires a well-founded judgement supported by evidence and examples. Do not turn either operator into a list of devices.

Infographic analysis checklist

What is the source, date and purpose?
What is selected, omitted or simplified?
What do scale, proportion, layout, symbols or labels suggest?
Which claim is directly supported?
Which interpretation is plausible but not proven?
Which additional source would strengthen the analysis?

Speaking

Decision meeting: resilience or lowest cost?

Use Case A. Four roles discuss whether the fictitious producer should adopt Scenario B: operations, employees, sustainability, customers.

Round 1: Each role states one priority and one piece of evidence.

Round 2: Respond to another role using “I agree up to a point because …” or “The evidence supports …, but it does not show …”.

Round 3: Draft a joint recommendation with one condition and one unresolved question.

BF support: Prepare three sentence frames and one counter-argument.

LF extension: Integrate the reading case, dataset and one external source; explicitly discuss evidence quality.

Recordings are optional and private. No task requires an upload. A live contribution, teacher-only submission or written alternative is equally possible.

Writing

Writing task: comment or article

Prompt: “In a globalised labour market, adaptability is becoming as important as specialist knowledge.” Discuss this statement with reference to at least two dimensions of the course.

Before writing, make a two-column plan: claim/evidence and counterpoint/limitation.

BF: Use one clear thesis, two developed arguments and one counter-argument. A structure grid may be used.

LF: Synthesize at least two materials, distinguish individual from structural factors and reach a qualified conclusion. Use more AFB II/III thinking rather than simply adding length.

Academic integrity: The final argument and wording must be your own. AI-generated replacement essays are not a learning product.

Mediation

Scenario: German internship notice → English message

Fictitious German source text: Ein regionales Ausbildungszentrum organisiert eine Projektwoche mit internationalen Partnerklassen. Teilnehmende arbeiten in gemischten Teams an einem fiktiven Logistikfall. Die gemeinsame Arbeitssprache ist Englisch. Videokonferenzen finden nur an zwei Tagen statt; die übrige Zusammenarbeit erfolgt über schriftliche Statusmeldungen. Persönliche Aufnahmen sind nicht erforderlich. Ergebnisse können ausschließlich im Kursraum gezeigt werden.

Task: Your English-speaking project partner asks what they need to know. Write a short English message that selects and adapts the relevant information. Do not translate sentence by sentence.

Check: Have you included purpose, working language, communication format and privacy information?

Hilfen: English before German

Help ladder

Look again at context: Which surrounding words, visuals or examples give clues?
Build the word family: Can a prefix or suffix help?
Explain it in simple English: Use a synonym, contrast or example.
Use a monolingual learner's dictionary: Check meaning, collocation and pronunciation.
Use the course glossary: Compare the term with related concepts.
Use a bilingual dictionary or brief German support: Only when the earlier steps do not resolve the problem.
Ask for targeted help: Name exactly what remains unclear.

Language frames

Describing: “The table shows a difference between … and …”

Analysing: “By highlighting …, the source directs attention to …”

Qualifying: “This may indicate …, but the data do not establish …”

Evaluating: “The proposal is convincing with regard to …, yet weaker on …”

Synthesising: “Source A focuses on …, whereas Source B adds …; together they suggest …”

Feedback und Fehleranalyse

Two-pass feedback

Pass 1 – thinking: Is the claim clear? Is the evidence relevant? Is the reasoning explicit? Are limitations acknowledged?

Pass 2 – language: Check verb patterns, collocations, article use, sentence boundaries, register and linking.

Use short feedback codes: C = content/reasoning, E = evidence, L = lexis, G = grammar, R = register. First identify the problem yourself; then revise.

Common traps

Trap	Better choice	Why
“actual” for German “aktuell”	current / recent	“actual” means real or factual.
“career” used only for top management	career / working life	A career can describe a person's working path more broadly.
“home office” as the general English term	remote work / working from home	These are more natural in international English.
“globalisation causes X” without evidence	globalisation may contribute to X under specific conditions	Causation needs evidence and context.
device spotting without function	feature + evidence + function	Analysis explains effects and purpose.

Source checking, AI and privacy

Check AI claims: Treat AI output as an unverified secondary aid. Verify factual claims with reliable sources and check dates.
No replacement essays: Do not submit AI-generated analysis or writing as your own.
No required external AI: Every task in this course can be completed without an external AI service.
Protect data: Do not upload personal recordings, private documents or identifiable data without explicit permission.
Use fictitious data carefully: The course dataset is marked fictional and must never be presented as real evidence.
Respect media rights: The embedded Commons files have reusable licences documented on their file pages; videos are embedded from their official YouTube pages. This course does not reproduce full mandatory texts or unauthorised film sequences.

Transfer

Case B – global team communication

Fictitious case: A project team works across three time zones. Meetings are becoming longer, but decisions are still unclear. Design a communication rule set with no more than five rules. Include one rule each for synchronous communication, asynchronous updates, decision documentation, language clarity and accessibility.

Transfer question: Which rule is likely to help any team, and which rule depends strongly on this particular context?

Case C – changing career profile

Fictitious case: A trained technician increasingly works with sensor data, maintenance software and international suppliers. The core technical knowledge remains important, but the task profile changes.

Create a skills map with three rings: existing expertise, upskilling and possible reskilling. Explain why “new technology” does not automatically mean “old skills become useless”.

Abi-Check

Operator sprint

Summarise: Reduce a source to its relevant main points without adding your opinion.

Analyse: Explain how content and form create meaning, supported by evidence.

Assess/Evaluate: Reach a well-founded judgement using criteria, evidence and examples.

Mediation: Select and adapt relevant information for a particular addressee and situation.

Mini mock task

Use the fictitious dataset and Case A.

AFB I: Summarise the change from Scenario A to Scenario B.
AFB II: Analyze how the dataset and case text present resilience as a production issue.
AFB III: Evaluate whether Scenario B should be adopted. Define your criteria and identify at least one missing piece of evidence.

BF version: Use the case text and table with the analysis scaffold.

LF version: Add a current external source, compare evidence types and discuss source limitations before reaching a judgement.

Self-check before submission

Did I answer the exact operator?
Did I distinguish description from analysis?
Did I support claims with evidence?
Did I connect at least two dimensions of globalised work?
Did I qualify claims where the evidence is limited?
Did I write independently and verify time-sensitive information?
Did I use English that is precise rather than artificially difficult?

Folgekurs

Continue with ABI - Globalisation: opportunities, inequalities and sustainability. There you can transfer the same source-checking and analysis skills to distributional effects, sustainability, human rights and competing policy or stakeholder perspectives.

Medien- und Quellencheck

The media in this course are used as active learning sources, not decoration. Always consider their date and purpose.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What does a global value chain describe? (Connected stages of value creation across locations and organisations) (!A single factory producing every component) (!Only the final transport of a product) (!A list of international currencies)

What is outsourcing? (Contracting a task to an external organisation) (!Moving every activity to another country) (!Replacing all employees with machines) (!Working from home one day per week)

What is offshoring? (Moving an activity to another country) (!Hiring a temporary worker in the same office) (!Buying safety stock for a warehouse) (!Writing an asynchronous message)

What is asynchronous communication? (Communication that does not require participants to respond at the same time) (!Communication that must happen face to face) (!Communication without any written record) (!Communication only between managers)

What does reskilling usually mean? (Developing skills for substantially different tasks or another role) (!Repeating exactly the same training every year) (!Reducing the number of skills used at work) (!Learning only informal vocabulary)

What should an analysis do beyond describing a source? (Explain how evidence and features contribute to meaning or purpose) (!List as many technical terms as possible) (!Replace evidence with personal opinion) (!Ignore the source context)

Why should a time-sensitive claim from an older video be checked? (The underlying data or context may have changed) (!Older sources are always false) (!Videos cannot contain evidence) (!Only printed sources may be used in school)

Which aim is most closely connected with supply-chain resilience? (Continuing or recovering when disruptions occur) (!Maximising the number of meetings) (!Avoiding every form of international trade) (!Using only one supplier in all situations)

Which statement best reflects careful source use? (A visual can support some observations but not every broader claim) (!A photograph proves the conditions of an entire industry) (!A chart never needs a date or source) (!A persuasive design is the same as strong evidence)

How does the LF route mainly differ from the BF route in this course? (It requires greater breadth, depth and independent material synthesis) (!It requires artificial C2 vocabulary in every task) (!It removes all structure and feedback) (!It focuses only on factual recall)

Memory

Global value chain	Production stages connected across locations
Outsourcing	Task contracted to an external organisation
Offshoring	Activity moved to another country
Upskilling	New or deeper skills for an evolving role
Reskilling	Preparation for substantially different tasks
Asynchronous	Not happening at the same time
Resilience	Capacity to withstand or recover from disruption
Stakeholder	Person or group affected by a decision

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Global value chain	Production
Asynchronous collaboration	Communication
Transferable tasks	Careers
Critical source checking	Skills
Claim-evidence link	Analysis

Kreuzworträtsel

Outsourcing	What term means contracting a task to an external organisation?
Offshoring	What term means moving an activity to another country?
Reskilling	What term means learning for substantially different tasks?
Resilience	What is the capacity to withstand or recover from disruption?
Automation	What term describes technology performing tasks with reduced direct human input?
Mediation	What skill means selecting and adapting relevant information for another language context?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Media detective: Choose one Commons image from the course. Write three observations and two questions. Mark clearly what is visible and what is only an inference.
Word-family map: Create a visual map for employ, skill, automate and collaborate. Add one accurate example sentence for each family.
Supply-chain sketch: Draw a fictional supply chain for a simple product. Add at least five stages and two possible disruptions.
One-minute explanation: Explain one difference between outsourcing and offshoring. Speaking live is enough; any recording is optional and private.

Standard

Listening claim audit: Choose one claim from a course video, identify its date and verify one time-sensitive detail with a reliable current source.
Case decision: Recommend Scenario A or B from the fictitious dataset and justify your decision with two criteria and one limitation.
Infographic redesign: Turn the fictitious dataset into a clear hand-made infographic. Explain which design choice helps the reader and which could mislead.
Mediation pack: Transform the German project-week notice into a short English email, a five-point briefing and a 30-second oral summary.

Schwer

Two-source synthesis: Combine one course video and one current institutional source. Identify agreement, difference and one limitation of each.
Stakeholder debate: Develop a negotiated supply-chain recommendation from four stakeholder perspectives without declaring any one perspective automatically correct.
Mini research with source audit: Investigate how one occupation is changing. Use at least three credible sources and document date, author, evidence and limitations.
Mock-Abitur reflection: Complete the Mini mock task, revise it after feedback and add a short reflection explaining one content change and one language change.

Lernkontrolle

Resilience transfer: Compare a lowest-cost single-supplier model with a dual-sourcing model. Explain which conditions could make each model reasonable and what evidence a decision would require.
Data limitations: Analyse the fictitious Scenario A/B table and identify three conclusions that cannot be drawn from it. Propose the missing data needed for each conclusion.
Remote collaboration: Design a communication plan for a team across three time zones. Justify when synchronous and asynchronous communication should be used.
Skill transfer: Choose an occupation and divide its tasks into stable expertise, likely upskilling needs and possible reskilling pathways. Avoid claiming that the whole job will disappear.
Mediation transfer: Mediate a short German workplace notice for an English-speaking partner. Explain two pieces of information you intentionally left out and why.
Source-age check: Take one older course video and explain which claims are conceptual and which are time-sensitive. Describe how you would verify the latter.

Lernnachweis

For a successful Lernnachweis, you should demonstrate:

a coherent English explanation of links between production, communication, careers and skills;
correct use of core concepts such as outsourcing, offshoring, upskilling, reskilling and resilience;
an analysis that links claims to concrete evidence rather than listing features;
a justified judgement that states criteria and acknowledges missing evidence;
source awareness concerning author, date, purpose and limitations;
an independently written product in which factual claims, including AI-assisted claims, have been checked;
appropriate B2 English with selective C1 precision where it genuinely improves meaning;
reflection on feedback and at least one documented revision;
respectful handling of privacy, with no required public upload or personal recording.

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