Tag: technology

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For most families, it can be difficult to keep up with the rapid development in technological devices, mobile applications, and the ways young people use them.

Digital parents play a crucial role in molding how their children use digital media. It’s important for parents to have conversations with their children about the digital world – so families can make the best use of it and enable children to navigate it safely.

Read the article on connectivity and raising children.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/digital-parents-how-connectivity-has-improved-the-way-we-bring-up-children_uk_5cc3060ee4b05f4d35ff4a7b

Discussion Questions:

1. Is technology a good or a bad thing?
2. How has technology changed parenting?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using gadgets for children?
4. From what age do you think children should have a mobile phone?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Today’s technology is rapidly evolving and now with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle also known as a drone, our agriculture will soon be revolutionized.

Read the article below to know how Thai agriculture could expand and evolve.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/03/asia/bug-away-thailand-drones-intl/index.html

Discussion Questions:

1. How will drones transform agriculture?
2. What are the pros and cons of using drones in agriculture?
3. What do you think are other uses of drones?
4. Would you like to have a drone? What are you going to use it for?
5. How has the agriculture sector changed in your country over the past years?

B2- Upper Intermediate

What if you could make money or type something just by thinking about it? What if you could get richer, get healthier or even live longer? It sounds like science fiction, but it might be closer to reality than we think.

Super smart people could be walking down the street; men and women who’ve paid to increase their intelligence. Dr. Cerf believes we will be able to control our lives better if we have more control over our brains.

Listen to the audio about smart chips:

Read the transcript here: https://deepenglish.com/2019/04/become-more-intelligent/

Discussion Questions: 

1. Would you want to get a smart chip implanted on your brain?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of smart chips?

3. What will be the social implications of smart chips?

4. Will the smart chips create intelligence inequality?

5. What are some brain exercises that help enhance our intelligence?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Smart speakers have been gaining popularity all over the world. We find convenience in using these devices as they listen to all our commands.

But how can we be sure that this mere ‘listening’ by these gadgets isn’t ‘spying’?

Listen to the discussion on smart speakers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-190509

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you make of smart speakers?
2. What are your thoughts on the possibility of you being spied on through your smart devices?
3. Talk about your experience using a smart speaker or any smart device. If you aren’t using one yet, what are your reasons for not doing so?
4. Tell us your experience eavesdropping.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One of the many things we can do on our laptops and smartphones is shopping. We can do it any moment of the day, even in the dead of the night. But is this a good thing to do?

Listen to this episode as the hosts talk about their shopping habits and vampire shopping.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-190530

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion on very late night shopping?
2. What are the pros and cons of shopping online?
3. Talk about your online shopping habits, experiences, and online shopping’s effects on you.
4. Have you ever bought things you regretted or were ashamed of?
5. Have you ever gotten sucked into something?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Nowadays, everyone plasters their opinions over the internet. No longer do we have to wait for experts to give their stamp of approval on hotels, online stores (Amazon), |Trip Advisor and so many others as it had literally millions of reviews of anything we could think of because anybody could write what they think online. The big question is, how reliable could these reviews be in influencing our decision-making process in purchasing products online.

Watch the video and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion on online reviews?
2. Do you read reviews online to help you make decisions?
3. Have you ever made a fantastic discovery out of a review online?
4. What kind of reviews do you trust and those that make you skeptical?
5. Share your good/bad experience with online reviews.