[Link].
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Exercise 2
Read the article about four people (A–D) who use digital technology to help them learn English. Then
answer Question 9 (a)–(j).
Using digital technology to learn English
A Li Wong
I love my English classes. My teacher is really good at varying what we do, so no two lessons
are ever the same. We use lots of technology, in nearly every lesson, and for homework too. For
example, last week he sent us a news article and we had to record a short summary of it, saying
what we thought about it. We all posted our recordings, then had to comment on a few that other
people had done. Everyone gets so much more involved doing that sort of thing than they would if
we were just discussing an article in class. We all prefer writing on a computer as well. Writing by
hand feels really awkward! Sometimes I’m tempted to write in my language then go online to get
an English version, but I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not always accurate. It’s good to be able
to check the meaning of individual words though.
B Hans Schneider
I’ve just started an online course which is for people who need to use English in their job. The first
unit was great, and I’m determined to finish it though nearly everyone I know who’s tried learning
English online says that it’s easy to lose motivation and give up. The best thing about this online
course is that it’s totally free, like lots of other sites I use. Sometimes there’s a fee to access part
of a site, or if you progress to a certain level, but I can’t understand why people would hand over
money, as there’s so much to choose from out there. Some sites are fun to use – if you need to
learn a list of verbs, for example, you can copy them into various sites which then create matching
activities for you, or let you make your own sample sentences to put the words in context. I tend
to use a website to look up new words on my laptop – it’s instant, always up-to-date, and you can
check pronunciation too.
C Elif Yildirim
When I started learning English, we didn’t use technology at all. Now we use it all the time! We can
translate language really quickly, and there are all sorts of other sites and programs that are free
to use. Some people definitely prefer doing everything with computers, but for some I think that
stops them focusing on what they’re supposed to be learning, especially if it all involves games or
competitions. Having said that, our teacher got us to try one site when we were learning some new
phrases, and it couldn’t have been more effective. I told my sister how good it was and she’s using
it now too. Another site that I had initial doubts about helps you to correct mistakes in your written
work. You type in a text or paragraph, then it highlights anything that needs changing – different
colours for different types of mistakes. I regularly use it now.
D Marc Durand
I’ve got a few apps on my phone which I like using when I’ve got a few spare minutes. Most of
them involve quizzes and games of some sort, which motivates me. Our teacher often gets us to
use them for homework – we make up revision activities and have to send them to each other to
work on in class. That’s always fun to do! She also encouraged a few of us to sign up for a course
delivered online to help us with academic writing. The first few lessons were really good, but I was
too busy and kept on getting distracted by other things, so I just never quite got around to finishing
it. Sometimes our teacher bans all technology from the classroom. I don’t think that reflects real
life, so I’m not so keen on those lessons. What’s the point, for example, of looking up words in
paper dictionaries?
© UCLES 2019 0510/23/M/J/19
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9 For each person, write the correct letter A, B, C or D on the line.
Which person…
(a) mentions various benefits of checking words online? .......... [1]
(b) mentions recommending a website to someone else? .......... [1]
(c) says they enjoy creating tasks for classmates to do? .......... [1]
(d) suggests that technology can distract learners? .......... [1]
(e) thinks that group activities are more motivating online? .......... [1]
(f) explains why they were unable to complete an online course? .......... [1]
(g) says that a tool to improve writing was more useful than expected? .......... [1]
(h) believes that every lesson should include some digital learning? .......... [1]
(i) admits that translating online is less than ideal? .......... [1]
(j) says that there’s no need to pay for online resources? .......... [1]
[Total: 10]
© UCLES 2019 0510/23/M/J/19 [Turn over