Are the machines taking over?

You are going to 

• discuss our relationship with technology
• listen to a BBC radio clip about automation and do a comprehension activity
• look at the future continuous

1) Discuss

• How many machines, devices and gadgets do you use every day?
• What is artificial intelligence?
• What is automation?
• How many automated processes or tasks can you think of?
• When can you hear an automated voice?
• Do you prefer to pay at a self-service check-outs or a normal one when you go shopping?
• Do you think automation is a good thing?
• Do you think machines will replace human workers?
• Are machines getting smarter?
• What relationship will humans have with machines and technology in the future?
• Will we be living and working with robots in the future?

2) Listen.
Listen to this clip from BBC Radio 4's "Today" on "The rise of automated machines." 
A) Take notes.What do you learn about the following?

• The number of self-service check-outs in Britain
• The earliest automated machine
• The importance of automation to business
• Intelligent machines

listen to ‘The rise of automated machines’ on Audioboo

B) Listen again and do the quiz.

Printable worksheet here




3) Discuss
How will we be living in the future?
Practise the Future Continuous
Look at the presentation and discuss the pictures.

Future Continuous from David Mainwood

4) Discuss

• How do you see the future? Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
• Do you think the widespread use of technology has risks for humanity?
• Should we be careful about how technology is affecting our lives?
• Do you agree that in the future "The machines replacing humans might end up being better at being human that we are"?
• Do you think machines will replace humanity or radically transform us? 

 5) Write
Choose one

• We live in an age of technological revolution. How is technology affecting our lives today and should we be fearful of the effects it will have on life in the future?

• We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in businesses, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits? Use specific details and examples in your answer (IELTS).

 



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What is charm?

You are going to

• listen to a discussion about "charm"
• talk about being charming and being polite
• look at adjectives to describe personality / character

1) Discuss

• What is "charm"?
  
• In what jobs do you need to be charming?
• Can both women and men be charming?
• Are people less charming than they used to be?
• What are the origins of the word?
• Are charm and charisma the same thing?
• Can charm be learnt?

2) Listen
Author and critic Stephen Bayley has said the UK is becoming less charming. In this discussion from Radio 4's Today program he debates the subject along with columnist Rowan Pelling.
1) Listen to the clip. How many of the questions above are answered?

Useful vocabulary
You will hear these words. Do you know what they mean?

commodity, acquire, manipulative, sinister, "glass ceiling", detrimental, deprecating, tag, ooze, attribute, disparage, charisma, Machiavellian

listen to ‘Are we becoming less charming?’ on Audioboo

https://audioboo.fm/boos/1988206-are-we-becoming-less-charming


2) Listen again and do the quiz


Printable version here





3) Vocabulary
A) Look at these adjectives

• Do you know what they mean?
• How many are positive ways to describe someone?
• How many are negative?
• How many would you associate with someone who was "charming"

Highlight below to see the positive words
=  appealing, attractive, bewitching, captivating, charismatic, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, glamorous, magnetic, seductive, spellbinding, exciting, hypnotizing, interesting, pleasant


B) Write
Think of some people you know. Describe them in a sentence. Use the adjectives in the list. Say why he / she is appealing, engaging, glamorous etc




4) Discuss
Look at the postcard
What does it tell you about being polite in English?

• Do you think being polite or having good manners is the same as being charming?
• Are being charming and having good manners important?
• Why are we polite to each other?
• In what situations is it important to be polite or charming?
• Are you likely to be more impressed by someone who is polite or charming?
• In what ways do you show politeness or respect in your language?
• Does politeness change according to language and culture?
• How do we show politeness in English? What words or expressions do we use?

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Talking about Music - Why do we listen to music?

You are going to

• discuss music and use vocabulary to describe music
• listen to a discussion about the role music plays in our lives and do some comprehension activities

1) Discuss
Do you listen to music?

• What music do you like?
• Is music important in your life?
• Do you like to listen to music quietly or do you prefer to "crank it out" (play it loud)
• Does listening to old music transport you back to when you were younger?
• What is the role of music in our lives? Why do we listen to music?

2) Discuss
Vocabulary
In one minute how many words connected with music can you think of?
Think of these categories

• Musical instruments - guitar, cello...
• Kinds of music - classical, dance...
• Words to describe music - fast, melodic, jazzy...
• Feelings to describe listening to music - How does it make you feel? - happy, energetic, relaxed...

3) Discuss
Vocabulary for describing music / musicians / singers
Look at these words to describe music.

• How many were in your list?
• Do you understand them all?
• Think of some singers / groups / songs / kinds of music. In your opinion which adjectives describe the music / singer / song best? eg I think ______ is depressing / catchy / funky...

A racket (n.) Amazing Avant garde Awful Awesome Beautiful Bluesy Boring Catchy Commercial

Depressing Fast Funky Gentle Gorgeous Heavy Hypnotic Jazzy Makes you want to cry / dance / sing Melodic

Noisy Modern Old-fashioned Passionate Peaceful Popular Pretty Relaxing Repetitive Rocking Sad

Slow Soft Soulful Soulless Spiritual Stunning Swinging Traditional Tuneless Uplifting Violent

4) Discuss
Music in our lives
Look at these sentences. 
How many do you agree with?

1. All human beings are born musical.
2. Music can take us back to bad times in our lives
3. Music has a useful psychological effect.
4. Music makes you feel more positive about bad experiences
5. Music plays an important part in our lives even before we are born
6. Music transports people back to their formative years.
7. People often listen to music to make themselves sad.
8. People often say the best music was made during their adolescence.
9. Playing music loud at night helps children to sleep.
10. Singing and learning a musical instrument improves hearing.

5) Listen
You are going to listen to psychologist Victoria Williamson discussing the role of music from BBC Radio 4's "Today"
Put the sentences above in the order you hear them (see interactive exercise1 below).




http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01tclqw



1) Drag and drop the sentences on the right to put them in the order you hear them in the radio clip.

2) Listen again and do the comprehension quiz

6) Write
Answer. Why do we listen to music?
Use the ideas in the radio interview to help you.





7) Practise
Try the Interactive Crossword.
Click on a number in the crossword to see the clue and type the answer in the space.




Printable worksheets here
Activities
Crossword with answers




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My favourite kinds of music
Finally, for anyone who is interested I have a blog where I write about my favourite kinds of music here stranger than known