Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
There are many ways to get local and world news. Some people read newspapers, watch TV, or listen to the radio. Others use social media like Twitter to keep up-to-date about what’s happening. It may seem hard to believe, but it’s possible to stay well-informed just from reading social media.
Twitter is also a good way to catch up with your favorite musicians or actors. Celebrities often share personal stories with their fans with a simple “tweet.” Some fans are able to have a conversation with a movie star, even if it is only 140 characters long.
Rafael is a fan of Twitter, but Brian thinks it’s a waste of time. Find out more in today’s English lesson about social media.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Rafael: Social media… Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube.
Brian: Next you’re going to say Twitter is really good.
Rafael: How did you know that? You read my mind.
Brian: Twitter is a waste of time. You literally just type in a hashtag and some saying, and then that becomes popular.
Rafael: Are you talking about those amateur tweets that are unedited?
Brian: Yeah. In fact, I’ve never seen a professional tweet.
Rafael: Here’s what I really like about Twitter. Like you said, you won’t see a professional tweet. But if you don’t read a lot of news sources, you can still be well-informed just by reading Twitter all day.
Brian: But there’s nothing to verify if it’s true or not. You still have to check it with an actual news source. I just think it’s a waste of time. Why don’t people talk to each other face to face, as opposed to typing in a hashtag?
Rafael: OK, man, I see your point. But let’s agree to disagree. I’m a Twitter guy. You’re not a Twitter guy.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Direct vs. Reported Speech" from this lesson
Quizzes
Lesson MP3
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Discussion
Rafael uses Twitter to keep up-to-date with the news. He thinks the social media website is a great way to get information. Even though a lot of the users are amateur, Rafael feels that people can still get news from non-professionals.
Brian has a problem with how unedited Twitter can be. Posts on Twitter don’t need to be verified before they are put on the website. Brian tells Rafael that he doesn’t understand why people use a hashtag instead of going to a real news source.
Do you use Twitter to read about the news? Is Twitter useful to you?
Comments
Afghanistan |
Taiwan |
Chile |
Dominican Republic |
Bahrain |
Brazil |
Argentina |
Pakistan |
United Arab Emirates |
Hungary |
Saudi Arabia |
Brazil |
Peru |
Ethiopia |
Azerbaijan |
Iran, Islamic Republic Of |
Iran, Islamic Republic Of |
Belarus |
Germany |
China |