English Lessons that Speak. Self-access learning and development. Lesson B1. QT

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	Information technology (IT) has become an essential part of our lives.
	We use computers, mobile phones and the Internet to do everything from on-line shopping and banking to learning a language!
	Vocabulary and Pronunciation


Listen to the words below.
Each word is connected with using computers and mobile phones. Each word has the part you say loudest (the main word stress) in bold. Practise them until they sound right.
	Press	Functions
	Select	Voicemail
	Text message	Delete
	Insert	Erase
	Search	Scroll
	Menu	Enter
	Save

The word 'select' is a verb (something you do).
The word 'voicemail' is a noun (something you have).

Decide which words in the list are verbs and which are nouns.

Click 'Answers ' to see if you were right!

	What's your mobile number?
	Listen to these two friends talking to each other on their mobile phones. (Joe's mobile phone rings . . . .)
Joe:	Hi Lucca, how are you doing?
Lucca:	How did you know it was me?
Joe:	Because your name comes up on my phone of course! I programmed in your number when you called me on Sunday.
Lucca:	Oh yes, I forgot. I don't really know all the phone's functions yet. You had the honour of being my first call yesterday. They're pretty easy to use though aren't they? They have the same principles as a computer. You just select from the menu and then scroll up or down for what you want.
Joe:	Yeah, it doesn't take long to get used to and of course once you've got one you never want to be without it! I've put in my own ringing tone using the composer function. Have you got yours insured?
Lucca:	Well, I hope that it's covered with my house contents insurance - I'll check that this week. What network are you with?
Joe:	Blue. Who are you with?
Lucca:	Speakup. It's a shame we're not on the same because I think it's more expensive to phone a different network.
Joe:	Yes it is, but I don't think it really makes that much difference. Do you get free minutes?
Lucca:	Yes, 200 off peak per month. Is that good?
Joe:	Yes, it's better than mine, I only get 150 minutes. Don't forget that it's usually cheaper to text because you can only send short messages.
Lucca:	What do you mean?
Joe:	Send a text message rather than speaking direct. Just select messages and then type in what you want to say and send it.
Lucca:	Okay, I'll send you one and you can send me one back. Let's do it now . . .

	Pronunciation: useful informal phrases.
	When we are speaking, we use lots of informal expressions.
	Here are some everyday phrases from the phone conversation.
	Listen to them carefully and practise them until they sound right.
	Try to copy the rhythm of the phrases by using the main word or sentence stresses in THIS colour.
		How are you doing?
		They're pretty easy to use.
		It doesn't take long to get used to.
		I'll check.
		It's a shame...
		It's better than mine.
		Don't forget.
		Let's do it now.

Use some of the phrases to complete this short conversation.

George: You know,_____(1)______ you can't come tonight. Are you sure you have to work late?

Emma: Yes, my computer crashed yesterday when we had a power cut and I lost the report I was working on. I had to start all over again this morning. Your computer _____(2)______ because it has an automatic back up power system.

George: Well, ____(3)_____to pick me up later on - I'll give you a ring from my mobile. Have you got my number?

Emma: ____(4)_____ . . . yes I've got it. Okay, speak to you later.

Click 'Answers ' to see if you were right!

Interview with a dot-com millionaire

**Listen to this radio interview with Hilary Stanton, a 27-year old business woman.**
Interviewer:	Hilary, thank you for coming onto the 'Tomorrow' programme. I understand that last year you made your first million with your IT company?
Hilary:	Yes that's correct. I set up a small software company with some university friends five years ago and haven't looked back since.
Interviewer:	You can tell us a bit more about your company later. First I'd like to ask you what developments in IT you see happening over the next couple of decades.
Hilary:	Well, you can see most future developments already now in some form or other. People forget that the driving force behind the IT revolution and economy is not the Internet, but innovation - our ability to turn new ideas into businesses, jobs and products.
Interviewer:	Yes that's an interesting point. Could you give us some examples of developments that have already started?
Hilary:	Well, an obvious one is the way computers, fax and phones are becoming more and more integrated into one physical unit. We already have WAP phones and M-Services that can surf the net, email, page and fax. Then there's the digital revolution. Soon CD's will be redundant, and the entire music and film industries will shift from physical CDs tapes and videos to digital formats. The other main change will be the application of software to other aspects of our daily lives, for example smart cards. Information stored on these will have a massive impact on things such as driving cars and paying for goods. Again, these things are already with us really.
Interviewer:	What effects do you think these developments will have on our environment?
Hilary:	Oh, definitely positive effects. For example, the car of 2020 will be controlled by software and driven on intelligent roads. This will mean that the car itself can be lighter and much more fuel-efficient. Also, with the digital revolution, we won't have to use so many raw materials. Work is going on now in developing computer screens based on organic, water-soluble materials. I can see a time when all information will be transmitted in some type of organic form, rather than using the materials and resources we need now to build IT hardware.
Interviewer:	Well, you've certainly given us something to think about! Now let's hear about your own company . . . .

A conversation about computers

**Listen to these friends in a bar, talking about their computers.**
Dimitris:	Can I see your new mobile phone?
Sue:	Sure, here it is.
Dimitris:	Isn't it small! It's the smallest one I've ever seen.
Sue:	Yes, but it's got a big enough memory to surf the Internet.
Kate:	Can I have a look at your phone Sue?
Sue:	Sure.
Kate:	It's very small isn't it? Too small for a WAP phone.
Dimitris:	A What?
Kate:	You know, Wireless Application Protocol, W.A.P. - mobile phones you can use on the Internet.
Sue:	Yes, but I can link mine to my palmtop, which has a bigger screen than a WAP phone - let me show you. I'll put my palmtop here and the mobile phone next to it. Now I'll dial up to the Internet . . . . there, I've logged onto a website.
Dimitris:	I'm thinking of buying my own computer to use at home. What would you recommend? What kind of things should I be looking for in a new machine?
Kate:	I've just bought a new one. I hope you're not going to recommend anything I should have asked for but didn't, Sue!
Sue:	Well, at the very least you want a Multimedia DVD-Ram computer.
Dimitris:	I'll try to remember that! All I know at the moment is that I want a CD Rom drive, floppy disc drive, sound card and speakers.
Sue:	You haven't mentioned hard disc and RAM.
Dimitris:	What does RAM stand for?
Sue:	Random Access Memory. It's the bit of memory the computer uses to do all its calculations and data handling. I would recommend at least 100Megabytes. Kate, have you got a CD-RAM or CD-ROM drive? You know, can you save data to your CD, or can you only read data from it?
Kate:	No, I can't write to my CD.
Sue:	Oh well, it's not essential, but if I were buying a new computer today I would get one with a DVD that can both read and write. DVDs are a superior form of CD. The discs are fairly cheap these days and they hold an enormous amount of data, including sound and video - much more data than a Zip drive.
Kate:	I haven't got a Zip drive either.
Dimitris:	What's a Zip drive?
Sue:	It's like a super floppy disc that can hold a hundred times more data than an ordinary floppy - the computer can read and write to it very fast.
Antonio:	Here you are folks! Here's your beer Sue and the same drinks as last time for everybody else. What have I missed?
Kate:	We're talking about computers.
Antonio:	What about them? I sell them. Come into my shop tomorrow and I can show you the latest hardware.
Dimitris:	And that's another thing that's confusing - the difference between hardware and software!
Antonio:	Come and see me tomorrow and all will be explained. Now drink up you guys. Cheers!"

Note that CD, ROM, RAM, DVD and WAP are all in capital letters because each letter stands for a word. CD=Compact Disc, ROM=Read Only Memory, RAM=Random Access Memory, DVD=Digital Video Disc and WAP=Wireless Application Protocol.
Zip, on the other hand, is a trade name and only the first letter is a capital.

Vocabulary and Pronunciation

	Listen again to these words from the interview and conversation. Practise them until they sound right.
		software
		integrated
		digital revolution
		smart cards
		mobile phone
		WAP phone
		megabyte
		Zip drive
		DVD
		CD-ROM
		CD-RAM
		palmtop
		Multimedia

A Formal Lecture: IT Issues

Listen to this introduction for a series of formal lectures on IT, given by Dr. Smith, to a group of first year university students.

Dr. Smith

Good morning.

Information technology and in particular the Internet, has swept the globe over the last decade. For most of us, our daily lives are very different from those of 10 years ago and the speed and availability of information and communication has in many ways enhanced our standard of living. However, it is all too easy to assume that such technology has only advantages and to neglect the many difficult and potentially dangerous uses that such new advances offer.

In this series of lectures, I am going to examine such issues. The first of these will be the way in which the Internet can be exploited by individuals or groups. I am thinking here of things such as terrorism and other illegal activities. Connected with this area is the wider one of freedom and reliability of information. Currently, we often do not know the author of information or how accurate it is. There is an important question here also of just how much freedom of information there should be on the Internet, that is, issues of censorship and information control.

Another major issue which is currently being examined by courts all over the world is the issue of copyright, particularly in the case of the music, film and other art and media industries. Finally, the issue I will examine in my last lecture will be that of the control of the IT industry itself, of the ownership of hardware and software and of the lack availability of technology to poorer sections of the global society.

Language Style: formal and informal

The style of the speaking sections in all the lessons have different standards of formality. As you go through each lesson, think about how formal or informal the style of each section is.

The two conversations in lesson 1 between friends are very informal, and so the speakers use many informal expressions such as 'how are you doing?'

The radio interview is more formal, and the speakers use some informal words and expressions, such as 'I haven't looked back since' and some more formal vocabulary, such as '.. the application of software'.

The speaker in the lecture introduction speaks very formally, as it is a formal situation. She uses phrases and words such as: 'Another major issue which is currently being examined . . '

	Below are some words and phrases from lesson B1. Listen to them and put them into two groups; informal and formal style.
		Can I see your new mobile?
		What does RAM stand for?
		However
		Currently
		It's like a floppy disc.
		What effect will these developments have on our environment?
		Okay, speak to you later.
		The issue I will examine . . .
		Cheers!

Click 'Answers ' to see if you were right!

Speaking and Writing

	Punctuation and intonation
	When we are writing we use written punctuation but when speaking, we use intonation and pauses.
	In all the lessons, you are listening to people speak and also reading their words at the same time, so we use punctuation to represent the pattern and intonation of the speech. Notice and practise how we raise and lower our voice and pause during and at the end of sentences. Use the written punctuation to help you.

Punctuation	Effect on Speech
, Comma	pause.
- Hypen	pause.
; Semi-colon	pause.
: Colon	pause.
. Full stop	a longer pause and usually falling intonation.
? Question mark	usually (not always) a rise then fall in intonation.
! Exclamation mark	a louder voice used for emphasis or enthusiasm.

In writing we use the hyphen (-) to join two words together.
For example, 'water-soluble' and 'CD-ROM'.

Listen to these sentences from the lesson.
Practise the pauses and intonation. Use the written punctuation to help you.

Yes it is, but I don't think it makes much difference. Do you get free minutes?

It can hold a hundred times more data than an ordinary floppy; the computer can read and write to it very fast.

How are you doing?

What do you mean?

Is that good?

And that's another thing that's confusing - the difference between hardware and software!

Answers

Answers to 'Which words are verbs and which words are nouns?'

   Verbs    Nouns
     Press      Functions

     Select      Voicemail

     Delete      Text message

     Insert      Menu

     Erase

     Search

     Scroll

     Enter

     Save

Click

BACK

to get back to where you were in the lesson.

Answers to short conversation:

1.	"it's a shame"	You know, it's a shame you can't come tonight.
2.	"is better than mine"	Your computer is better than mine because it has an automatic back up power system.
3.	"don't forget"	Well, don't forget to pick me up later on - I'll give you a ring from my mobile.
4.	"I'll check"	I'll check. . . yes I've got it.

Click BACK to get back to where you were in the lesson.

Answers to informal and formal style:

Informal		Formal
Can I see your new mobile?		However.
What does RAM stand for?		Currently.
It's like a floppy disc.		What effect will these developments have on our environment?
Okay, speak to you later.		The issue I will examine . . .
Cheers!

Click

BACK

to get back to where you were in the lesson.

Ta i l p i e c e
By speaking you learn to speak.

Course B
End of Lesson B1

(Play the Song)

Link to Introduction
Links to other Lessons in Course B : * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Remember - you can go back to any lesson as many times as you like.
© Copyright of Speaking English.com Limited, 2001.
Speaking English Theme Song B Godfrey/Copyright Control.

George:	You know,_____(1)______ you can't come tonight. Are you sure you have to work late?
Emma:	Yes, my computer crashed yesterday when we had a power cut and I lost the report I was working on. I had to start all over again this morning. Your computer _____(2)______ because it has an automatic back up power system.
George:	Well, ____(3)_____to pick me up later on - I'll give you a ring from my mobile. Have you got my number?
Emma:	____(4)_____ . . . yes I've got it. Okay, speak to you later.

	Listen to these sentences from the lesson. Practise the pauses and intonation. Use the written punctuation to help you.
		Yes it is, but I don't think it makes much difference. Do you get free minutes?
		It can hold a hundred times more data than an ordinary floppy; the computer can read and write to it very fast.
		How are you doing?
		What do you mean?
		Is that good?
		And that's another thing that's confusing - the difference between hardware and software!

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