Time to twitter, Speakup in Class

Time to Twitter part II

Level: Basic

Source: Speak Up

British Standar Accent

Every year there is a new internet phenomenon. In the past we have seen e-mail, Google, Messenger, Wikipedia, Youtube, MySpace and Facebook. The latest sensation is called Twitter. It is very popular in the United States, Britain and Japan. Twitter is a "Social networking system" like MySpace and Facebook. The difference is that you write messages with a maximum of 140 characters. In your message you answer one simple question: "What are you doing now?"

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Twitter is popular with "normal people," but it also popular with celebrities who use it as a blog. Barack Obama, John McCain, Gordon Brown and Britney Spears all like Twitter. The simple format makes twitter esay to use from a mobile phone. Many guests at Obama's presidential inauguration wrote Twitter messages during the ceremony. People watching on televison complained about this.

A BIRD LANGUAGE

A Twitter message is called a tweet. "Tweet" is literally the sound of a small bird: the symbol on the twitter website is a bird on a tree. The word twitter also refers to the sound of birds singing. Humans can also twitter when they talk quickly and nervously. In British English a twit is a stupid person.  

Twitter may not be an intelligent word, but it is the new digital activity. It is replacing "chat" as the most important form of communication. Other twitter words include follower, a person who "follow" a twitter's old messages: re-twit, which means sending another person's message; a twitterati, which describes the people who use twitter. Twitter is based in Silicon Valley, California. Will Twitter replace Facebook? Who knows. According to the British newspaper The Financial Times, last year Facebook offered to buy Twitter for $ 500 million. Twitter said no.

Speak Up 264, page 10

MODERN LANGUAGE. TIME TO TWITTER

BEFORE YOU READ.

TASK 1. Speaking. With your partner(s) discuss these questions.

a) How often do you use a computer at work? Why?

b) How often do you use a computer at home? Why?

c) Do you think the internet is a positive or a negative thing? Why?

d) What do you use the internet for? Why?

e) How many emails do you send/receive per day?

f)  How many text messages do you send/receive per day? 

TASK 2. Glossary. It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the vocabulary in the glossary before you do the reading TASKS. Work with your partner(s). Try this idea:

a) Cover the Portuguese words/phrases and look at the English words/expressions only. Do you know any of these words/expressions in English? Write your ideas. Check them with other members of the class.

b) Look at the glossary and check your ideas. How many are correct?

c) Test yourself and/or your partner(s). It is not important to memorise this vocabulary, but to be familiar with it. 

READING

TASK 3. Prediction. You are going to read about “Twitter.” Before you read, discuss these questions with your partner(s). Make some notes.  If you don’t know the answer, guess.

a)    What exactly is “Twitter?”

b)    Is it similar or different to “Google,” “Wikipedia,” “Facebook”?

c)    What kinds of people use “Twitter”?

d)    What does “Tweet” mean?

e)    What does “twit” mean?

f)    Does “Twitter” have a good future?

TASK 4: Reading for Specific Information: Read the all of the text as quickly as possible, without trying to understand every single word. Were your ideas correct? Compare with other students.

TASK 5. Prediction #2. Before you read all of the article again, discuss these questions with a partner and make some notes.

a)    How is “Twitter” similar to “MySpace”?

b)    How is it different?

c)    How is “Twitter” connected with a “blog”?

d)    What is the symbol on the twitter website, and why?

e)    How is “Twitter” connected with “chat”?

f)    Will “Twitter” replace “Facebook”?

TASK 6: Reading for Specific and Detailed Information: Read all of the text and find answers to TASK 5. How many were correct?

AFTER YOU READ

TASK 7. Speaking and/or writing: Discuss these questions with your partner(s). If you like, you can write your opinions for homework and show them to your teacher.

a) Have you ever used Twitter? Why (not)?

b) Do you want to try it? Why (not)?

c) Do you think that Twitter has a promising future? Why (not)?

d) Do you think people are becoming slaves to technology? Why (not)?

e) Can you imagine life without technology? Why (not)?

 

ANSWERS TO TASK 5: a) it is a social networking system b) it only uses text, and each message is limited to 140 characters c) some people use Twitter in the same way as a blog d) A bird, because “tweet” is the sound a bird makes

e) Twitter is replacing “chat” as the most important means of communication on internet  f) We don’t know!