A. Interaction
1.Have you ever been abroad? If so, what special difficulties did you experience?
2. What ambitions have you harboured? Have you ever thought they would be too great to fulfil? Have you ever given up any ambitions you had? What were the reasons?
3. Do you usually go out for dinner or lunch? How often do you do it?
4. Did your parents use to read you a story at bedtime? If so, what stories do you remember them telling you? Do you think this is something positive? Do bedtime stories encourage people to read later in life?
5. When you were a little child, did your parents let you watch everything on TV? What kind of programmes or films were you NOT allowed to watch? Do you remember any films in particular?
B. Monologue
Partner A
1. Have you been learning new vocabulary this week? What new words have you learnt so far?
2. Is this the first time you have attended an Advanced English course?
3. Where have you been eating during the summer? What healthy meals have you been cooking at home?
Partner B
1. Would you rather the English grammar was easier than it is?
2. Would you sooner study online than face-to-face?
3. Would you rather have worked than come to class?
Monologue sample answer:
1. Would society sooner adopt fully remote schooling or maintain a blended, flexible approach to education?
2. This is probably the first time in history that multiple generations have had to adapt to such rapid technological change simultaneously. What challenges has this created?
3. By the time young people finish university today, what skills will they have been developing that previous generations had largely ignored?
Introduction
When considering the future of education, it's clear that we're at a real crossroads. The experiences of the past few years have fundamentally challenged our assumptions (1)______________ how learning should take place, and it's necessary to consider not just what's technologically possible, but what's actually beneficial for students and society as a (2)___________.
Question 1
From an educational perspective, most people would prefer to keep some form of face-to-face interaction in schools and universities rather than moving everything online permanently. You see, whilst the pandemic forced us into remote learning almost overnight, it's become increasingly clear that this wasn't the educational revolution some (3)_____________ been predicting. In fact, what became apparent was that students were constantly complaining about feeling isolated and disconnected from their peers. Teachers, too, had been struggling to maintain engagement when they couldn't gauge students' understanding and reactions in the way they (4)_____________ to.
For many educators, this was the first time they (5)____________ ever taught an entire course online, and the learning curve was extremely steep. Some schools had been investing in digital infrastructure for years, but even so, nothing could have fully prepared them for such an abrupt transition. (6)_______________ said that, there's unlikely to be a complete return to pre-pandemic practices. It's now several years (7)____________ distance learning became commonplace, and valuable lessons about flexibility have been learnt. For instance, students who used to spend hours commuting can now attend some sessions from home, (8)____________ has actually improved attendance rates in many institutions.
Question 2
This leads to another important consideration. (9)____________ makes this period in history particularly remarkable is that we're witnessing something quite unprecedented – people of all ages, from schoolchildren to their grandparents, have been forced to embrace new digital tools at the same time. This simultaneous transformation across age groups has certainly created some unique obstacles.
On the one hand, younger people have generally been finding it easier to adapt – after (10)_____________, they've been using tablets and smartphones since they were toddlers. On the other hand, older generations have had to completely rethink the way they'd been doing things for decades. Research suggests that many experienced teachers would have preferred their schools to have provided more comprehensive training before expecting staff to conduct lessons on Zoom. It was a long time since many educators (11)___________ last felt so professionally challenged by technological change. Many had been planning to finish their careers using traditional methods they'd always relied on, and suddenly everything changed. Several training programmes (12)____________ to have taken place in March 2020, but they were cancelled when the first lockdown began, which left many teachers feeling inadequately prepared.
What's (13)_____________, this rapid transformation has exposed a significant digital divide. Not everyone has had access to reliable internet or appropriate devices, which means that some students have been falling behind through no fault of their own. Before the pandemic, these inequalities had been less visible because everyone was physically present in the classroom. Research indicates that many families would (14)_______________ have kept their children in traditional classrooms where at least the playing field was more level.
Question 3
Looking ahead, it's fascinating to consider the capabilities that today's university leavers are acquiring. The competencies they've been gaining throughout their studies are remarkably different from what earlier cohorts concentrated on. (15)________________ previous generations had focused primarily on memorising information and following established procedures, modern students have been learning to think critically, collaborate remotely, and adapt to constant change.
For example, digital literacy has become absolutely fundamental. Students have been using online research tools, managing their digital presence, and communicating across various platforms in ways that (16)_____________ have been unimaginable just twenty years ago. Similarly, soft skills like resilience and flexibility have become increasingly important. The fact of the matter is, these young people have been navigating unprecedented disruption throughout their education, which has actually taught them to cope with uncertainty far better than previous generations (17)_______________ to.
Moreover, they've been developing what's often referred to as 'learning agility' – the ability to teach themselves new skills quickly. This is crucial because, it's clear that many of the jobs they'll be doing in ten years' time probably don't even exist (18)________________. By the time they graduate, they will have been adapting to new technologies and working methods for their entire educational journey, which is something no previous generation experienced to the same extent.
Conclusion
To summarise, evidence suggests we're heading towards a hybrid educational model that combines the best of both traditional and digital approaches. Whilst the rapid technological transformation has undoubtedly created obstacles, particularly for older age groups, it has also equipped young people (19)___________ a unique set of capabilities that will serve them well in an increasingly unpredictable world. The key consideration is ensuring that no one is left (20)_____________ in this transition and that human connection continues to be valued alongside technological innovation.
KEY
1. about
2. whole
3. had
4. used
5. had
6. Having
7. since
8. which
9. What
10. all
11. had
12. were
13. more
14. sooner/rather/
15. Whilst/ While
16. would
17. used
18. yet
19. with
20. behind
