A Have a
conversation as natural as possible with a partner about the topic. Use the
pictures above and the questions below to help you.
1. What major technological breakthrough do you think has
had the greatest impact on society? Why? In what ways has technology improved
our lives? In what ways has it made life worse?
2. Imagine that you could only use one of
the following: a computer, a telephone, or a car. Which one would you use and
why?
3. Do computers save time or do they make
us waste more time? If you had the possibility to only work from your house via
a computer, would you do it? What would be the benefits and the drawbacks? Has a computer virus ever wreaked havoc on your laptop?
4. What would the world be like without the
Internet? Do you remember the first time you used it?
5. What role do the new technologies play
in education nowadays? Have traditional teaching methods outlived their usefulness? How do children learn best?
Can children learn almost anything through video games? Or do you think that video games are a slippery slope? Have you ever been so intent on playing a computer game that you forgot to do something? Do you know anybody who is so intent on gaming that video games take priority over other interests? What will the classroom of the future look like?
6. What aspects of new technologies are Spanish people most attracted to? Why?
7. What technological gadgets or apps have taken off in Spain? Why?
7. What technological gadgets or apps have taken off in Spain? Why?
8. What are the uses of AI in Spain? Have Spanish people embraced it? What are the pros and cons of AI? Is
it ethically correct to create replicas of human beings? Do our moral
values allow us to recreate intelligence? Do you think AI could pave the way for a better world? Or do you think AI represents the thin end of the wedge? Can you think of any big questions that are left hanging?
9. What characterises an ardent technophile and an inveterate technophobe?
10. What memes do you know that have gone viral?
11. How can you deliberately design content which has a high chance of going viral?
12. Have any of your files ever been corrupted? Do you make a point of backing them up regularly?
Student
A
1. Do we
make a good use of mobiles? Do smartphones provide a stimulus for learning? Are smartphones making us smarter? or can they be counterproductive? What
benefits can derive from using a mobile phone? Do you
think landline phones may one day disappear?
2. Do Spanish companies offer their employees the possibility of working
from home via a computer? What are its benefits and drawbacks?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking sites like Facebook or Instagram?
Student B
1. Could Spanish children live without the Internet? How important is it
for them? How has the Internet changed the way Spanish people live? What
aspects of new technologies do Spanish people struggle to get to grips
with?
2. What do you use the Internet for? How often do you access the Internet? How much time do you spend online? How has the Internet changed the world? What is the best thing about the Internet? What annoys you about it?
3. What are your favourite Internet sites? Would you recommend them? Why?
Vocabulary:
wreak something (on somebody/something) to do great damage or harm to somebody/something.
E.g.
Their policies would wreak havoc on the economy.
havoc: a situation in which things are seriously damaged, destroyed or very confused.
E.g.
The floods caused havoc throughout the area.
Continuing strikes are beginning to play havoc with the national economy.
These insects can wreak havoc on crops.
the/a slippery slope a course of action that is difficult to stop once it has begun, and can lead to serious problems or disaster.
E.g.
She realized he was on the slippery slope towards a life of crime.
intent on/upon something giving all your attention to something. Sp absorto.
E.g.
I was so intent on my work that I didn't notice the time.
The bright brown eyes were intent on Marie.
She was very intent on her work
pave the way (for somebody/something) to create a situation in which somebody will be able to do something or something can happen. Sp. allanar el camino.
E.g.
This decision paved the way for changes in employment rights for women.
the thin end of the wedge (especially British English) an event or action that is the beginning of something more serious and/or unpleasant. Sp. el principio de algo peor.
E.g.
The introduction of a tax on workplace parking is seen by many as the thin end of the wedge.
leave hanging (also, leave hanging in the air or in midair). Keep undecided, uncertain, or in suspense. Sp, dejar en el aire.
E.g.
Since we hadn't found a big enough hall, we left the final date hanging.
She couldn't figure out a good ending for the book, so her audience was left hanging in midair
ardent: very enthusiastic and showing strong feelings about something/somebody. Synonym: passionate. Sp. apasionado.
E.g.
an ardent supporter of European unity.
corrupt (something) /kəˈrʌpt/ (computing) to cause mistakes to appear in a computer file, etc. with the result that the information in it is no longer correct; (of a computer file, etc.) to start containing mistakes.
E.g.
The program has somehow corrupted the system files.
A virus has corrupted the data and now it's useless
back something up (computing) to prepare a second copy
of a file, program, etc. that can be used if the main one fails or needs
extra support. Sp. realizar una copia de seguridad.
E.g.
It's a good idea to back up your files onto a memory stick.
counterproductive: having the opposite effect to the one that was intended. Sp. contraproducente.
E.g.
Increases in taxation would be counterproductive.
come/get to grips with something to begin to understand and deal with something difficult.
E.g.
I'm slowly getting to grips with the language.
They have so far failed to come to grips with the ecological problems.
Vocabulary about the internet
surf the Net/Internet:
to use the Internet. E.g. I was surfing the Net looking for information on Indian music.
ego-surfing:
the activity of searching the Internet to find places where your own name has been mentioned.
silver surfer:
an old person who spends a lot of time using the Internet.
browse (something)
(computing) to look for or to look at information on a computer, especially on the Internet or a specific website. E.g. I spent the whole evening just browsing on the Internet. I browsed the website for information about the event but didn’t find anything useful.
hook up:
to connect somebody/something to a piece of electronic equipment, to a power supply or to the Internet. E.g. Check that the computer is hooked up to the printer. A large proportion of the nation's households are hooked up to the Internet.
lurk:
to read a discussion in a chat room, etc. on the Internet, without taking part in it yourself.
netizen:
a person who uses the Internet a lot.
webhead:
a person who uses the Internet a lot.
cyberbully:
/ˈsaɪbəbʊli/ a person who uses messages on social networking sites, emails, text messages, etc. to frighten or upset somebody. E.g. Fortunately, the victim reported the cyberbully to the moderator and the offensive messages were removed from the message board.
cyberbullying:
/ˈsaɪbəbʊliɪŋ/ the activity of using messages on social networking sites, emails, text messages, etc. to frighten or upset somebody. E.g. The school provides guidance for parents on how to deal with issues such as cyberbullying.
netiquette:
the rules of correct or polite behaviour among people using the Internet.
troll:
a message to a discussion group on the Internet that somebody deliberately sends to make other people angry; a person who sends a message like this.
Vocabulary about phones
nomophobia:
/ˌnəʊməʊˈfəʊbɪə/ a state of stress caused by having no access to or being unable to use one’s mobile phone.
text:
/tekst/ to send somebody a written message using a mobile/cell phone. E.g. Text me when you're on your way. Kids seem to be texting non-stop these days. I'll text you the final score.
hands-free set / kit:
Sp. manos libres
missed call:
Sp. llamada perdida.
send s.o. a missed call/give s.o. a missed call/ missed call s.o./ drop call s.o./ prank s.o./ give s.o. a prank call/ one bell s.o./ call s.o. and hang up:
Sp. dar un toque
Phone charger:
Sp. cargador de batería
Low battery
Dead battery
Touch screen:
noun(computing) a computer screen which allows you to give instructions to the computer by touching areas on it.
turn on/set airplane, vibrate or silent/mute mode. If you could all mute your phones, that'd be great. You may unmute your phones now.
There’s no signal / reception/ out of range:
Sp. no hay cobertura
To be breaking up:
when a person who is talking on a mobile/cell phone breaks up, you can no longer hear them clearly because the signal has been interrupted. Sp. se va el sonido, la voz; se corta la conversación.
Cut off:
to interrupt somebody who is speaking on the telephone by breaking the connection. E.g. We were cut off in the middle of our conversation.
Engaged/ busy:
The line is busy.
Handset:
1. Mobile phone; 2. The part of a desktop telephone that contains the speaker and the microphone.
swipe (something) (on/across something)
to move your finger quickly across the screen of an electronic device such as a mobile/cell phone or small computer in order to move text, pictures, etc. or give commands. E.g. Switch on the phone and swipe your finger across the screen to unlock it.
smiley:
a simple picture or series of keyboard symbols :-) that represents a smiling face. The symbols are used, for example, in email or text messages to show that the person sending the message is pleased or joking.
emoticon:
/ɪˈməʊtɪkɒn/ a short set of keyboard symbols that represents the expression on somebody’s face, used in email, etc. to show the feelings of the person sending the message. For example :-) represents a smiling face (when you look at it sideways).
A top-up card:
tarjeta recargable
To top up:
recargar el teléfono
Call rate:
tarifa de llamada telefónica.
call waiting:
llamada en espera
Contacts / phone book:
guía
Contract :
de contrato
pay-as-you-go:
prepago
call forwarding:
Desvío de llamada:
connection fee:
Establecimiento de llamada:
Flat rate/Unmetered access:
tarifa plana.
flip phone:
móvil que se abre levantando la tapa
Hands-free set / kit:
manos libres
Hash key:
almohadilla.
Inbox:
Buzón de entrada
Keypad:
teclado numérico
Keys / buttons:
teclas
landline / home phone:
teléfono fijo
Larga distancia:
long-distance call.
“Long-distance phoning centre”:
locutorio
local call:
llamada urbana:
Menu:
menú
Mobile phone / cell phone (handset):
móvil.
to run out of minutes; not to have any minutes on one’s mobile phone; to run out of credit to call.
No tener saldo:
Outbox:
buzón de salida
ring tone:
tono de llamada
Screen:
pantalla
Service provider/ carrier:
operadora telefónica; compañía telefónica (Orange, Movistar, etc.)
to dial:
marcar
to hang up:
colgar
to jailbreak / to unlock a mobile phone:
liberar un móvil.
To give sby a bell/buzz:
llamar a alguien
voicemail:
buzón de voz
Your credit is about to expire
Hold:
to wait until you can speak to the person you have telephoned: That extension is busy right now. Can you hold? She asked me to hold the line.
Put sb/sth 'through (to sb / … )
to connect sb by telephone:
Could you put me through to the manager, please?
- Is Mary there?
-Speaking
erase:
to remove sth completely. Delete.
Stylus:
[ˈstaɪləs](Computer Science) A pointed instrument used as an input device on a pressure-sensitive screen.
Vocabulary about Social Networking
Log in/on:
to perform the actions that allow you to begin using a computer system. E.g. You need a password to log on.
Log out/off:
to perform the actions that allow you to finish using a computer system. E.g. Log out before switching the computer off.
Sign up:
E.g. sign up to our social media.
Befriend:
/bɪˈfrend/ befriend somebody to become a friend of somebody, especially somebody who needs your help. E.g. Shortly after my arrival at the school, I was befriended by an older girl. When did it become normal to befriend people you don’t know on Facebook?
Add a friend:
E.g. add me as a friend on facebook.
Defriend or unfriend:
to remove somebody from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking website. E.g. If a Facebook friend suddenly becomes your boss, do you unfriend them? Young adults are more likely to unfriend.
Report:
to tell a person in authority about a crime, an accident, an illness, etc. or about something bad that somebody has done. E.g. Please keep in mind that reporting something to Facebook doesn't guarantee that it will be removed. You can report inappropriate content on facebook and they will take it down. Report someone I reported him on Facebook for being annoying.
Block:
if you want to stop someone from contacting you, you can block them. E.g. When you block someone, they can't see your profile or posts.
Friend request:
E.g. should you accept a friend request from someone you don't know?
Mutual friend:
We have some mutual friends on facebook.
Update:
to give somebody the most recent information about something; to add the most recent information to something. E.g. Update your status by telling others what you're doing right now. Can you see my latest status update on Facebook?
Feed:
(N) a special feature on a blog, news website, social networking website, etc. that allows you to see new information that has been added without having to visit the website. E.g. News Feed is the constantly updating list of stories in the middle of your Facebook home page.
Poke:
(V) to quickly push your fingers or another object into somebody/something. In Facebook it is a mechanism for getting someone's attention. E.g. I Facebook poked Wendy two hours ago, but she hasn't poked me back yet!
Poke:
(N) the action of quickly pushing your fingers or another object into somebody/something. In Facebook it is a mechanism for getting someone's attention. E.g. Have you ever received a poke from someone on Facebook?
like something
if you like something on a social networking service, news website, blog, etc. you show that you agree with it or that you think it is good by clicking a special button. E.g. By the next morning, over twenty of my friends had liked my new profile picture. Over seven hundred Facebook users have already liked the company’s website.
Like
(N) if something on a social networking service, news website, blog, etc. receives a like, it means that somebody has shown that they agree with it or think it is good by clicking a special button. E.g. The band now has thousands of likes.
Comment: (V) comment (on/upon something)
to express an opinion about something. E.g. Thanks everyone who commented on my blog.
comment (about/on something)
something that you say or write which gives an opinion on or explains somebody/something. E.g. Please email us or leave a comment on our website.
Share:
E.g. many followers shared my status update.
follow:
to choose to regularly receive messages from a person, company, etc. E.g. I don’t follow many celebrities on Twitter any more.
follower:
a person who chooses to regularly receive somebody’s messages. E.g. a celebrity with thousands of followers on Twitter.
followee:
a person, company, etc. whose messages people choose to receive regularly. E.g. I often use Twitter recommendations to select new followees.
tweet:
(N) a message sent using the Twitter social networking service. E.g. He started posting tweets via his cell phone to keep friends and family updated on his progress. He sends too many tweets
tweet:
(also twitter) (V) tweet/twitter (something) to send a message using the Twitter™ social networking service. E.g. He tweeted that he was very busy.
retweet:
if you retweet a message written by another user on the Twitter social networking service, the message can be seen by all of the people who regularly receive messages from you. E.g. I retweeted a tweet from a friend about it. That tweet got retweeted over 500 times.
hashtag:
a word or phrase with the symbol ‘#’ in front of it, included in some messages sent using the Twitter social networking service so that you can search for all messages with the same subject. E.g. I often use hashtags to search for trending topics.
Facebook:
(V) 1 to communicate with someone by using the Facebook™ website. E.g. Noticing her healthy hair in a picture the other day, I Facebooked her a compliment. 2 to search for information about someone by using the Facebook™ website. E.g. My curiosity about Lloyd became overwhelming, and within five minutes I had facebooked him and found out where he lived on campus.
Location:
E.g. turn off location if you do not want to advertise your whereabouts.
Vocabulary about computers
sleek:
having an elegant smooth shape. Sp. elegante. E.g. a sleek yacht. The sleek lines of the new car. Travel in style with a sleek laptop.
bug:
a fault in a machine, especially in a computer system or program.
crash:
(N) a sudden failure of a machine or system, especially of a computer or computer system. E.g. A systems crash in the morning and a bomb scare in the afternoon provided enough excitement for one day.
crash:
(V) crash (something) if a computer crashes or you crash a computer, it stops working suddenly. E.g. Files can be lost if the system suddenly crashes.
freeze, froze, frozen:
when a computer screen freezes, you cannot move any of the images, etc. on it, because there is a problem with the system.
scroll:
to move text on a computer screen up or down so that you can read different parts of it. E.g. Use the arrow keys to scroll through the list of files. Scroll down to the bottom of the document.
Vocabulary about Email
E-pal: (also e-friend):
a person that you make friends with by sending emails, often somebody you have never met. E.g. She now has e-pals all over the world.
email: (V)
to send a message to somebody by email. E.g. email (somebody) Patrick emailed me yesterday. Email something (to somebody) I'll email the documents to her. Email somebody something I'll email her the documents.
trash:
E.g. To delete an email, you can move it to Trash
spam/junk mail:
advertising material sent by email to people who have not asked for it
CC:
carbon copy (to) (used on business letters and emails to show that a copy is being sent to another person) E.g. to Luke Peters, cc Janet Gold.
BCC:
blind carbon copy (to) (used on emails or business letters to show that a copy is being sent to another person whose name and address cannot be seen by the other person or people who receive it).
snail mail:
used especially by people who use email to describe the system of sending letters by ordinary mail.
Vocabulary related to Websites and Blogs
Google: (V)
to search for something on the Internet, especially using the Google™ search engine. E.g. Last week, with the new year on the horizon, I Googled the top ten resolutions to help me prepare my answer for the question of the day. Having Googled my symptoms, I feared the worst.
googleable, googleability, ungoogleable
As online identity became more significant, being googleable (=found when entered as a Google™ search) was considered desirable, which in turn gave us the quality of googleability (=a measure of how easy it is to find someone or something by googling) and the potential to be ungoogleable.
a blog post/entry
label (V)
label (N)
embed:
E.g. embed videos
embed code
stream something
(computing) to play video or sound on a computer by receiving it as a continuous stream, from the Internet for example, rather than needing to wait until the whole of the material has been downloaded. E.g. You can stream the song for a single listen. The programme was streamed on the Web 24 hours a day. He live streamed his party.
More vocabulary related to science and technology
The cutting edge (of something):
the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something. Sp. lo más nuevo, lo último. E.g. working at the cutting edge of computer technology.
be all the rage:
(informal) to be very popular and fashionable. E.g. Fax machines in cars are all the rage in California.
Wearable Technology:
clothing and accessories incorporating computer and advanced electronic technologies.Sp. Wearable Technologies like Google Glass and Smartwatches are on the rise in personal and business use.
tech-savvy: well
informed about or proficient in the use of modern technology,
especially computers. E.g. today’s tech-savvy consumers. Kids are pretty
tech-savvy these days.
Savvy:
/ˈsævi/ practical knowledge or understanding of something. E.g. political savvy.
techie (also techy)
/ˈteki/ a person who is expert in or enthusiastic about technology, especially computers. E.g. many techies are often too busy to eat properly.
Savvy:
/ˈsævi/ practical knowledge or understanding of something. E.g. political savvy.
techie (also techy)
/ˈteki/ a person who is expert in or enthusiastic about technology, especially computers. E.g. many techies are often too busy to eat properly.
hack:
to secretly find a way of looking at and/or changing information on somebody else’s computer system without permission. E.g. hack into something He hacked into the bank's computer. hack something They had hacked secret data.
phishing:
the activity of tricking people by getting them to give their identity, bank account numbers, etc. over the Internet or by email, and then using these to steal money from them.
pharming:
the practice of secretly changing computer files or software so that visitors to a popular website are sent to a different website instead, without their knowledge, where their personal details are stolen and used to steal money from them.
pirate:
a person who makes illegal copies of DVDs, computer programs, books, etc., in order to sell them. E.g. a pirate edition. Software pirates.
pirate something
to copy and use or sell somebody’s work or a product without permission and without having the right to do so. E.g. pirated computer games. Jones was accused of having pirated the scientist’s work.
Web 2.0:
a second stage in the development of the World Wide Web, involving ways of sharing information such as blogs and wikis. It is a term used to describe how the internet has changed in recent years to facilitate greater sharing of personal information and user-operated design. E.g. On the one hand a Web 2.0 site may allow users to interact and collaborate with each other. They can access information about a wide range of topics on Web 2.0 sites. They offer information and data from all over the world. On the other hand, it is necessary to develop skills to evaluate what you find. When you use a research or academic library, the books, journals and other resources have already been evaluated by scholars, publishers and librarians. Inaccurate information can be misleading or even dangerous (health information for example).
The term Web 3.0 (the “semantic Web”)
describes sites where computers will be generating raw data on their own.
raw data:
not yet organized into a form in which it can be easily used or understood. E.g. This information is only raw data and will need further analysis.
For Web 1.0 and 2.0, the Internet is trapped within the physical walls of the computer, but as more devices become connected to the Web, such as smartphones, cars, and other household appliances, the Internet will be set free and become omnipresent. Devices will be able to exchange data among each other and even generate new information (e.g. how Last.fm anticipates what music the user may enjoy based on their previous song selections). The Internet will be able to perform tasks faster and more efficiently, such as search engines being able to search for the actual individual users interests, and not just for the keyword typed into search engines. We are not there yet, but we will someday soon, and educators must be prepared because Web 3.0 technology will truly move the classroom beyond the basic lecture and take it to new exciting territories!
MOOC:
/muːk/ the abbreviation for ‘massive open online course’ (a course of study that is made available over the Internet, usually without charge, to a very large number of people).
gamification
/ˌɡeɪmɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ the use of elements of game-playing in another activity, usually in order to make that activity more interesting. E.g. The supermarket chain has started using gamification to make food shopping online fun. Gamification is no stranger to the education industry, as I'm sure many of us remember our teachers turning classroom learning into games.
gamify /ˈɡeɪmɪfaɪ/ to use elements of game-playing in another activity, usually in order to make that activity more interesting. E.g. We gamified the online survey by awarding virtual rewards at the end of each section. A gamified classroom engages students while allowing them to learn better.
m-learning
/ˈem lɜːnɪŋ/ (also mobile learning) a system of learning that uses mobile devices such as mobile/cell phones, small computers and tablets that can be carried, etc. so that people can learn anywhere at any time.
Flipped classroom:
In a flipped classroom model, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of the instructor. Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter. In a flipped classroom students are doing the lower levels of cognitive work (gaining knowledge and comprehension) outside of class, and focusing on the higher forms of cognitive work (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) in class, where they have the support of their peers and instructor. This model contrasts from the traditional model in which “first exposure” occurs via lecture in class, with students assimilating knowledge through homework; thus the term “flipped classroom.”
E.g. In a flipped classroom problems may arise if students come unprepared.
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