Speaking topic 13.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? With the help of modern
technology, students nowadays can learn more and better than before. Support your
argument with specific reasons and examples.

Vocabulary for topic 13

1. Access to the Internet – Able to connect to the Internet

2. Advances in technology – Progressive forward movement in technology
3. Back up your files – To save your data to another device
4. Become rapidly obsolete – Quickly become out of date
5. Computer literate – Adequate knowledge of a computer
6. Control remotely – To control technology from a distance
7. Downloading from the Internet – Take data off one computer to another via the
Internet
8. Electronic Funds Transfer – EFT Payment via the Internet
9. Emerging technology – Brand new machines and software
10. Glued to the screen – Unable or unwilling to leave the digital device
11. Hacking into the network – To gain illegal access to the computer
12. Internet access – The ability to enter the Internet
13. Internet of Things – A network connecting machines in a location so that they can
be remotely controlled
14. Internet-enabled – Machines or appliances that have Internet access
15. Keep a hard copy – Keep a paper copy
16. Labour saving device – An appliance that saves work
17. Not rocket science – It is not very difficult
18. Online piracy – The downloading of licenced media without payment
19. Re-install the programs – To put computer programs back onto the computer
20. Shop online – Shop via the Internet
21. Shut down – Turn the computer off
22. Social media networks – Online platforms for communication between people and
organisations
23. State of the art technology – The best technology available
24. Surfing the web – To move from one site to another on the Internet
25. To click on an icon – To use the mouse to click on the pictures to get into
programs
26. To crash – To stop working suddenly
27. To Log in – To sign onto the computer
28. To upgrade your computer system – To get a larger, quicker or more modern
computer
29. Wireless hotspots – A location where the Internet is available
30. to access websites/email: to locate
31. to back up files: to make a copy of files in case of a computer problem
32. to boot up: to start a computer
33. to bookmark a webpage: to mark a webpage for future reference
34. to browse websites: to look at websites
 35. a computer buff: an expert computer user
36. to crash: to suddenly stop working
37. to cut and paste: to move text or images from one place in a document to another
place
38. a desktop PC: a computer that isn’t portable and remains in situ on a desk
39. digital editing: to edit digital materials like audio or video files
40. download (podcasts): to save a copy of a file from the internet to your own device
41. to enter a web address: to type the address of a website into the address bar of
your browser
42. a gadget: a technological tool like a mobile phone or camera
43. to go online: to start using the Internet
44. high-spec (laptop): powerful computer with top quality components
45. Internet security: Internet safety
46. intranet: a network of connected computers within an organisation that is not
accessible by unauthorised visitors
47. to navigate a website: to find your way around a website
48. operating system: the software that tells the computer how to work
49. send an attachment: send an email with an accompanying file
50. social media: media used to interact with other people such as Facebook or
Twitter
51. to surf the web: to look at a series of websites one after the other
52. a techie: somebody who has an interest in technology
53. to upgrade: to obtain a more powerful or feature-rich computer or
54. video conferencing: to see and hear people from different locations using the
Internet
55. wireless hotspot: a public place where you can access the Internet
56. wireless network: a network where users can access the Internet without the use of
fixed cables
57. word processing; producing written texts on a computer

Following are some sample answers for you to develop your speech, but remember that
you have to develop the ideas more by adding and inventing some interesting key points
to prolong your talk to at least 4 minutes. Remember to record your talk and send to
my email: tranha87dn@gmail.com. I’ll check your emails and give some feedback to
you tonight.

One sample answer:

Technology became our hero with respect to us; it improved our daily life in many
fields. The most important range in which the technology had a great grace in
progressing and benefiting the people in the whole world was the education.
Nowadays the education becomes easier than before due to the development
that changed our world to the best. In my consideration, technology is an efficient
way that upgrades the way of receiving and acquiring wide information’s.

First of all, with existing of internet earning any information is much easier than
before. Internet includes billion of educational links that saved a lot of time and
efforts on the students. In the past, if the students had a project about specific
culture, they had to go to library and spend many hours in searching for required
book. After this big potential they found a little amount of the inputs that didn’t
even cover the whole project. Today, all these hard days disappeared because
after one click many links will appear in their computer screen filled with sufficient
data about any subject with less time.

Second, invention of the television simplified the education path for the students.
Many educational channels contributed in growth of their thinking. These
channels simplified any idea to make it clear for their audience by showing many
videos, so the students will have a visual and audio proved about specific project.
For instance, a lot of people spoke about the reasons of the any crack in the
building and how we fixed it. With respect to the student this subject is
ambiguous, but after watching for example national geographic channel all these
misunderstanding became clear.

Finally, computer made the studying of the student softer than before. Any
research or project needs a lot of references and backgrounds to finish it. Before
invention of the computer device the students backed to more than one heavy
book to take some sentences from this book and another from that book, so that
cost them many time and effort. While, by using a computer these a huge
amount of information can store easily and they can find it by one bottom. With
computer the project will finish with less time and effort.

To sum up, technology was and still facilities the learning of the student by an
efficient way. It became easily for them to access on any information about any
subject with less effort and time.