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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

DUMBPHONES

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1 Warm up

In pairs, answer the following questions.

1. What type of phone do you have?

2. What do you like about it?
3. Is there anything you do not like about it?
4. How much time do you spend on your phone each day? What do you mainly use it for?
5. Do you think you spend too much time on your phone? Why/why not?
6. When you need to get another phone, what type will you get? Why?

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

DUMBPHONES

2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. dumb (adj.) a. a folder where new emails arrive

2. follow (v) b. not connected to the Internet

3. live-tweet (v) c. not very clever

4. history (n) d. regularly receive updates and information about the

activities of someone on social media
5. inbox (n) e. a record of all the websites you have visited

6. podcaster (n) f. send messages about an event on Twitter while the

event is happening
7. offline (adj.) g. someone who records audio entertainment and uploads
it to the Internet

Part B: Now write the vocabulary from Part A in the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may
have to change the form of the words.

1. My parents said they sent me an email but I don’t see anything in my . I wonder
if they used the right address?

2. I couldn’t watch the match last night, but a friend of mine was it, so I kept up with
it.

3. There’s a guy me on Instagram, but I don’t know who he is. I think I might block
him.

4. I’ve found a really good who does these shows about history. It’s really detailed
and interesting. I’ll send you the name of it if you like?

5. If I’m using a public computer, I always clear my after I’ve finished surfing.

6. I’m leaving my phone at home and going away for the weekend and taking a book. I can’t wait to
be for a while and not have to deal with emails and texts.

7. I shouldn’t have spent so much money on clothes this weekend. That was a really
mistake to make. Now I don’t have enough for food!

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

DUMBPHONES

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. How often do you check your inbox every day?

2. Who is your favorite podcaster? If you don’t listen to podcasts, why not?
3. How much time do you spend offline each day? How do you feel during that time?
4. When was the last time you did something really dumb? What happened?

3 Listening for gist

Listen to three people talking about a dumbphone: a basic mobile phone with no Internet connection.
Decide which speaker would agree with the following sentences, Speaker 1, Speaker 2 or Speaker 3.

1. "I would like to have a dumbphone." - Speaker

2. "I’m not sure if I want a dumbphone." - Speaker

3. "I do not want a dumbphone." - Speaker

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DUMBPHONES

4 Listening comprehension
Complete the following table by putting a tick in the correct box.

Who... Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Speaker 3

a. uses their phone

for work?

b. likes to eat out?

c. worries about the

information websites
have about users?

d. enjoys listening to
podcasts?

e. is active on social
media?

f. doesn’t like carrying

their phone charger
everywhere?

g. likes to be in regular
contact with friends?

h. enjoys time away

from the Internet?

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DUMBPHONES

5 Scanning for details

Quickly read the article on page 6 and match the numbers to their meanings.

1 150 3 3310 50 75 8 89

a. the percentage increase in Internet searches for ‘dumbphones’ since 2018

b. the number of dumbphones sold in 2021 (in billions)

c. the cost in British pounds of Eva’s phone

d. the model number of the popular Nokia phone

e. the cost in British pounds of the Light Phone

f. the percentage increase in Light Phone sales during 2021

g. the percentage of Light Phone customers who use it as their main phone

h. the number of books Eva has read recently

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
DUMBPHONES
It’s smart to be dumb
The rise of the dumbphone
A. ‘Before this, I lost so much time on my smartphone
each day,’ says Eva. ‘First, there’s social media which
obviously can consume large amounts of your day if
you’re not careful. But there’s the way it’s always
there as a distraction. If I’m watching a movie, I’m
looking at my phone to find out what other films
these actors have been in. If I’m eating, I’m looking
at what recipes I can use, or where the best place
to order food is. Even just being out for a walk and
taking pictures. Before you know it, you’ve spent
20 minutes, not looking at the view around you, but
editing your photograph on your phone! It’s crazy.’
B. Eva has recently adopted a ‘dumbphone’ – a device
that allows calls, texting and some basic photography,
but that has no Internet connection and no apps
- essentially what phones were before they went
‘smart’. Eva is not alone. Since 2018, Internet
searches for dumbphones have increased by 89%. In
2019, 400 million were sold; last year, it was one
billion. For Eva, part of the appeal was the low
price. Her phone cost just £8 and to add to that,
she doesn’t have to worry about having to pay for
data each month. For many though, the nostalgia of
it is a huge attraction. A lot of people had one as
their first mobile phone and having one now creates
that connection to simpler times. In 2017, Nokia
relaunched its 3310 model which first came on to
the market in 2000. It is still one of the best-
selling mobile phones of all time. Although they don’t
Sources: BBC, The Light Phone
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offer the range of functions that the latest Android
or iPhone has, when it comes to the length of the
battery life and durability, dumbphones can compete.
C. An American company, Light Phone, has created a
high-end model. Its users can use it to listen to music
and podcasts using wireless headphones, but there’s
no social media, Internet search or email. At £75,
it’s more expensive than other dumbphones, but this
didn’t stop Light Phone’s sales from increasing by
150% in 2021. The phone was created for people
who wanted to stop using their smartphones while
they were on holiday or over the weekend. Yet 50%
of customers now use it as their main mobile device.
D. Eva admits there are elements of the smartphone she
misses. ‘I have to do a lot more planning before I leave
the house these days,’ she says. ‘I have to look up
the times of the train I’m catching, and I’ve bought a
pocket map book so I can find my way around parts
of the city I don’t know. I used to just navigate my
way around using Google Maps. Now I sometimes go
to a coffee shop to work out my route. I’ve also had
to buy an alarm clock,’ she laughs. ‘But it’s a small
price to pay. On the plus side, I’m much calmer these
days. I’m not overcome with information all the time
and I find I can concentrate a lot more on what I’m
doing. I’ve already read three books this month, and
I’m listening during conversations a lot more. Now
my phone is dumber, I feel a lot smarter.’
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DUMBPHONES

6 Reading comprehension

Read the article on page 6 and decide if the following sentences are true (T), false (F) or not given
(NG).

1. When Eva watches films she gives them her full attention.

2. Dumbphones have become more popular than smartphones in recent years.

3. A lot of people like the way dumbphones remind them of when they were younger.

4. Although dumbphones are cheaper, smartphones are still better than them in all other ways.

5. You can use the Light Phone to post photographs on Instagram.

6. Eva needs to think more carefully about what she is going to do before she goes out now.

7. Eva buys coffee quite regularly.

8. Eva is less stressed nowadays.

7 Scanning for vocabulary

Quickly read through the article on page 6 and find words which mean the same as the following.

1. (n, para. A): something which stops you from focusing on what you should be
focusing on
2. (v, para. B): begin using a particular item

3. (n, para. B): the reason why you would like something

4. (n, para. B): the feeling of remembering something in a happy way

5. (v, para. B): present a product to the public again, sometimes because there
is a new feature
6. (n, para. B): the ability to last for a long time without breaking

7. (adj., para. C): good quality and expensive

8. (adj., para. D): having too much of something

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

DUMBPHONES

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What do you think about a dumbphone? Would you want to have one? Why/why not?
2. Which of the people in the listening section did you agree with most? Why?
3. What would you change about smartphones if you could?
4. Do you think dumbphones will continue to become more popular? Why/why not?
5. Would you want to buy a Light Phone? Why/why not?
6. What do you think smartphones will be like ten years from now?

9 Extended activity/Homework

Write a description of your ideal phone. Consider the following questions:

1. What do you want to use it for?

2. What will it look like?
3. What will it be able to do?
4. How much will it cost?
5. What kind of people would buy it?
6. Why would it be better than other phones?

You should:

• Write at least 150 words

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation

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