SESSION 16: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK
EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: for further investigation you can have a look at the following pages and blogs:
- http://www.marketingvox.com/cell-phones-key-to-teens-social-lives-47-can-text-with-eyes-closed-041119/ : Mobile Key to Teens´ Social Lives, 47% Can text with Eyes Closed.
- http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3897340.ece The Future of Social Networking: Mobile Phones.
The JAKARTA GLOBE (http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/) have published an article based on a survey made, connecting the Internet, Facebook and Mobile Phones, stating the three of them enhance social life:
Internet, Facebook and Mobile Phones Enhance Social Life: Survey
Contrary to popular belief, the Internet and mobile phones are not isolating people but enhancing their social worlds, according to a US survey.The survey was sparked by a 2006 study by US sociologists who argued technology is advancing a trend seen since 1985 — Americans becoming more socially isolated, their social networks shrinking, and the diversity of their contacts decreasing.But the study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, titled “Social Isolation and New Technology,” found people’s use of mobile phones and the Internet is actually associated with larger and more diverse social networks.“When we examine people’s full personal network... Internet use in general and use of social networking services such as Facebook in particular are associated with more diverse social networks,” the researchers said in a statement.“Our key findings challenge previous research and commonplace fears about the harmful social impact of new technology.”The telephone survey of 2,512 adults, conducted by Princeton Survey Research International in July and August this year, found that since 1985, the extent of social isolation has hardly changed at all.It found 6 percent of the adult population has no one with whom to discuss important matters but this figure is largely unchanged since 1985.The survey, however, did find that people’s “discussion networks” have shrunk about a third in the past 25 years and become less diverse as they contain fewer non-family members.But people who have mobile phones and take part in a variety of Internet activities are associated with larger, more diverse core discussion networks.On average, the size of people’s discussion networks is 12 percent larger among mobile phone users, nine percent larger for those who share photos online, and nine percent bigger for those who use instant messaging.The diversity of people’s core networks tends to be 25 percent larger for mobile phone users, 15 percent larger for basic Internet users, and even larger for frequent Internet users, instant messagers, and those sharing photos online.Internet users were as likely as anyone else to visit their neighbors and take part in local community activities.“Cell phone users, those who use the Internet frequently at work, and bloggers are more likely to belong to a local voluntary association, such as a youth group or a charitable organization,” the study found.“However, we find some evidence that use of social networking services (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) substitutes for some neighborhood involvement.”The researchers said most uses of the Internet and mobile phone have a positive relationship to neighborhood networks, voluntary associations, and use of public spaces.“Our survey results suggest that people’s lives are likely to be enhanced by participation with new communication technologies, rather than by fearing that their use of new technology will send them into a spiral of isolation,” they concluded.
Reuters
After reading more about mobile phones and their use nowadays, what is your personal opinion? Do you think they are a useful gadget? When and why? Under what circumstances?
Try to think of groups of people of different ages and their use of mobiles.
PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:
THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:
FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.
FINAL TASK:
HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.
Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 16, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.Choose one of the following topics:
- 'Mobile Phones have transformed the way we communicate.' Express your opinion.
- Advantages and disadvantages of teenagers having a mobile phone.
First of all, I must say that I do not like talking by phone very much and that I was between the last people to have a mobile phone.
ReplyDeleteI do not think mobile phones have transformed the way we communicate, in my opinion it is very similar to the way we do with common phones. Nevertheless mobile phones have a huge amount of influence in other factors as the place where you can talk and portability. Those factors are very useful, for example with emergencies, because you can phone from nearly everywhere and contact with nearly everyone whenever you want or need.
On the contrary, other new technologies as internet let people communicate in a very different way, not only by talking to but writing, sending photos or music, and expressing their opinions or feelings with other nuances.