Mobile phones

1. Do you think you’re addicted to new technology and gadgets?

2. Do you think we rely too much on technology in our everyday lives now?

3. What comes to mind when you hear the words ‘mobile telephone’?

4. What was life like before mobile telephones came along?

5. What would your life be like without your mobile telephone?

6. Are you happy with the mobile telephone you have now? Why (not)?

7. What are your favourite functions on mobile telephones?

8. Do you think mobile telephones are dangerous in any way?

9. How often do you use your mobile?

10. What do you think of people who use their mobile telephone while driving?

11. What would you do if your date spent more time on his/her mobile telephone than he/she spent talking to you?

12. Do young people use mobile telephones too much?

13. Do you think schools should ban mobile phones?

14. From what age do you think children should have a mobile phone?

15. Are you worried about brain damage from using mobile phones?

16. How do you feel if you leave the house without your mobile phone?

Task 12. You are going to read the article which is called MOBILE PHONES IN CLASS LOWER TEST SCORES, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

bad news / new research / texting / social media / university students / test scores /

challenges / keeping students working / important work / absent / losing battles

Task 13. Read the statements and define whether they are true or false. Then read the article and compare your answers to its plot.

1. There is good news for students who like using mobile phones in class. T / F

2. Research showed that using social media increased test scores. T / F

3. Researchers looked at the tests of 1,450 American students. T / F

4. Students who turned off their phones did better in tests. T / F

5. One of a teacher's biggest challenges is to keep students working. T / F

6. The article says it is common for students to be physically absent. T / F

7. A researcher said teachers are fighting a losing battle in the classroom. T / F

8. A study found test scores were 6% higher when phones were banned. T / F

Mobile phones in class lower test scores

There is bad news for students who like to use their mobile phones while they study. New research shows that students do not learn very well when they are texting and checking their social media accounts. The research is called: "Mobile Phones in the Classroom: Examining the Effects of Texting, Twitter, and Message Content on Student Learning". Researchers looked at 145 American university students in the classroom. Some of the students used their mobile phones during class, while the others had their phones switched off. The head researcher, Dr Jeffrey Kuznekoff, said students who did not use their mobile phones while the teacher was talking got higher scores on tests they took at the end of the class. Kuznekoff said that one of the biggest challenges teachers have in the classroom is the non-stop battle of keeping students working. He said many students felt they needed to be online and checking messages even when they had important work to do in class. The researchers said it is very common for students to be physically present in class, but mentally absent because they are using their mobiles. Kuznekoff said teachers were fighting a "losing battle" because students were more interested in social media than learning. The London School of Economics did a study in England and found that test scores increased by six per cent after mobile phones were banned in class.

Task 14. Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. new a. turned

2 texting b. usual

3. examining c. fresh

4. switched d. marks

5. scores e. went up

6. non-stop f. messaging

7. common g. prohibited

8. battle h. looking at

9. increased i. fight

10. banned j. endless

Task 15. Match the phrases.

1. bad news for students who like to use a. stop battle

2 students do not learn b. media accounts

3. social c. but mentally absent

4. used their mobile phones d. end of the class

5. tests they took at the e. challenges

6. one of the biggest f. their mobile phones

7. the non- g. by six per cent

8. be physically present in class, h. "losing battle"

9. fighting a i. very well

10. test scores increased j. during class

Task 16. Choose the correct variant.

1) There is bad news for students who like to use their mobile phones ______

a. while their study

b. while they study

c. whale they study

d. will they study

2) New research shows that students do not learn very well when ______

a. they are text in

b. they were texting

c. they are texting

d. they are text thing

3) Researchers looked at 145 American university students ______

a. in the classes room

b. in the class rooms

c. in the classy room

d. in the classroo

m4) Some of the students used their mobile ______

a. phones doing class

b. phones during class

c. phones daring class

d. phones due ring class

5) Students got higher scores on tests they took at the ______

a. ends of the class

b. ending of the class

c. ended of the class

d. end of the class

6) One of the biggest challenges teachers have in the classroom is ______

a. the non-stop battles

b. the non-stop battled

c. the non-stop battler

d. the non-stop battle

7) Checking messages even when they had important work ______

a. to do in class

b. to doing class

c. to do win class

d. too do in class

8) The researchers said it is very common for students to ______ in class

a. be physically presence

b. be physically present

c. be physically presented

d. be physically presenting

9) Students were more interested in social media ______

a. that learning

b. their learning

c. than learning

d. than learn in

Task 17. Look in your dictionary to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'mobile' and 'phone'.

Mobile

Phone

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.

• Ask your partner / group your questions.

Task 18. Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

bad well called 145 off end

biggest needed common present losing six

Task 19. Discuss the questions.

1. What did you think when you read the headline?

2. What springs to mind when you hear the word 'study'?

3. What do you think about what you read?

4. In what ways do mobile phones help you learn English?

5. Is it better for students to not use mobile phones in class?

6. Why do students need to be online during class?

7. What can schools do to stop students using social media in class?

8. Is learning in classrooms better today than it was 50 years ago?

9. Would it be easy for you to be offline for 24 hours?

10. How important is it for you to check your messages online?

11. How "absent" are students if they are on social media in class?

12. How can teachers get students to learn using mobile phones?

13. Is it a good idea for schools to ban mobile phones in class?