Definitions

Part 1-style questions

Examiner: Do you enjoy using technology?
Well … I wouldn’t call myself a techie or a computer buff but I enjoy using computers … I’d like to find out more about how they work … when my computer crashes I never know what to do.

Do you use the Internet for your studies?
Yes … I’d be lost without it … I do lots of video conferencing to practise speaking and social media like Facebook is a good way to meet up with other students … and I download podcasts that teach English vocabulary and grammar.

Do you have your own computer?
Yes … I have a Macbook Pro … I use it all the time … for word processing browsing websites and catching up with TV programmes I’ve missed.

Part 2 - Cue card

Describe an item of technology you have that is very important.
You should say:

I don’t have many gadgets … just a computer … a laptop and my mobile phone … but I’ll talk about my computer as it’s so useful … it’s funny really … 2 years ago I was still learning to use computers … how to use email … send attachments how to access websites … then I decided to do a digital editing course for video and photography … and so I bought the laptop when I started the course … my husband had a desktop PC but it was very slow so I decided to upgrade to a powerful one because we do a lot of video editing on the course … it’s a high-spec laptop … very fast … the latest operating system … it boots up really quickly and it’s fun to use so it makes working a pleasure … I’ve become a competent computer user now … if I didn’t have it I daresay I’d have to spend more time at college using their computers … but on the positive side I suppose I’d read a lot more if I didn’t have it … I probably waste a lot of time surfing the web … but hopefully I won’t have to be without it …

Part 3-style questions

What do you think are the important things people need to learn when they start using computers?
Well … there are things like how to use the Internet … how to enter a web address … how to navigate websites … that kind of thing but it’s also important to know how to back up your files in case your computer crashes … and all about Internet security.

What kind of technological developments have made the biggest impact on our lives?
In my lifetime it has to be the Internet of course but I also think wifi has made a huge difference to how we interact with the Internet … wireless networks at home and public wifi hotspots mean we can go online easily … access our mail … log into our work intranet and basically be connected wherever we are.

Do computers make it much easier to study?
Definitely yes … researching information is much easier with the Internet .. you can bookmark webpages for future reference and writing essays is much easier … being able to cut and paste sections of text means you can experiment with organisation … so yes … compared to years ago when you had a pile of books on your desk and a pen and paper … it’s now much easier.