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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

EMOJIS

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1 Warm up

Look at these emojis and write what you think they mean and when you would use them. After that
answer the following questions.

1. Compare ideas in pairs or small groups. How many meanings do you agree on?
2. How often do you use these emojis?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using emojis in general?

picture A picture B picture C picture D picture E

picture A:

picture B:

picture C:

picture D:

picture E:

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EMOJIS

2 Reading comprehension

Part A: You are going to read an article about emojis (page three). First, you have a couple of minutes
to skim the text. Then answer the following questions.

1. What is the central question the writer is asking?

2. What three main topics are included in the article?

3. How does the writer answer the central question?

4. Use emojis to write the missing subtitle.

Part B: Complete the gaps in the article with the correct form of the verb in brackets. You may need
to change the word form (for example to a noun or adjective) and in two cases, you need to add a
negative prefix to the word.

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Emojis – enough already?

...
A. They started out in the 1980s as emoticons, little cartoons you could create using your keyboard symbols – just
a bit of fun to add to your messages. In the 1990s, software developer Shigetaka Kurita took these a step further
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when he created 176 icons for a Japanese phone company showing easily (RELATE)
subjects like faces, food and weather. Now, a good thirty years later, there are well over three thousand different
emojis available, and they’ve become a worldwide phenomenon with an independent existence as merchandise
(poo emoji pillow, anyone?) and even a feature film. In 2015, the popular "Face with Tears of Joy" emoji was even
named the Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries. But could we have reached peak emoji? To answer this
question, we need to consider a number of issues.

B. First of all, emojis have a unique ability to reflect wider trends in what is now, for the first time in human history,
a global communication culture. Skin colour is a case in point. The first people icons were yellow, like the
characters in the popular cartoon The Simpsons. This may have been a deliberate attempt to represent characters
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of (DETERMINE) race, and the colour yellow may have been chosen for its
positive and cheerful associations. Some have even suggested that there is a direct line of descent from the iconic
yellow 1960s smiley face to these early representations. However, in 2014 other skin colours were made available
for the first time in response to public demands for greater diversity. These have since been followed by icons
representing disabled and non-binary people, as well as same-sex couples.
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C. Although on the surface this (INCLUDE) seems completely positive, one
commentator has pointed out that the disabled icons were included at the request of technology giant Apple,
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rather than in response to public campaigning. This is a complete (REVERSE)
of the situation in 2016 when Apple changed their realistic gun emoji to a jokey water pistol as a direct result of
pressure from the public. Other providers followed suit in 2018. These examples raise interesting questions about
the relationship between technology companies and users in determining what can be represented in messages
and how.

D. In fact, users have assigned secret meanings to items as innocent-looking as the aubergine or peach to discuss
certain topics that aren’t actually, so to speak, on the menu. The use of what is, in effect, a secret code to refer to
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(SANCTION) topics is, in practice, perhaps more confusing than controversial. Parents
around the world may be shocked to discover what their young people are really talking about (hint – not fruit and
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veg), but, after all, this type of major generation gap centred around technology is a
(RECUR) theme in modern life.

E. And while some are concerned about the content, others complain that the use of emojis is actually leading to a
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(DETERIORATE) in communication skills, especially in professional contexts. Is it
really possible to take someone seriously in a business relationship when their messages are peppered with little
faces? Communication experts draw parallels between emojis in written messages and gestures in speech; both
exist to increase clarity, often by adding emphasis, whether it’s adding a cake emoji to a Happy Birthday message
or a "top" icon to signal a good idea, or even using a hand clap between every word in a message to indicate a
tone of voice or register.

F. And people love emojis. 90% of us use them, and many believe that doing so results in benefits including
making it easier to express ourselves, communicating more successfully across language barriers and increasing
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(EMPATHISE). There continues to be positive engagement with new emojis, as
well as with assigning new meanings to those that already exist. So, have we reached peak emoji? On reflection,
it seems unlikely that something so widely seen as a tool for creating unity, respect and understanding is going to
fade away.

Sources: CNN, Britannica, The Conversation

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3 Language in context

Explain what these phrases in bold from the article mean and answer the last question.

1. Skin colour is a case in point.

2. Some have even suggested that there is a direct line of descent from the iconic yellow 1960s
smiley face to these early representations.

3. Other providers followed suit in 2018.

4. Is it really possible to take someone seriously in a business relationship when their messages are
peppered with little faces?

5. Communication experts draw parallels between emojis in written messages and gestures in speech;
both exist to increase clarity, often by adding emphasis ...

6. Can you find three examples of informal humour or wordplay in the article?

4 Talking point

Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Which new emojis have you welcomed, or would you welcome?

2. Why do you think people asked for the gun emoji to be replaced by a water pistol? To what extent
do you agree with this move?
3. Do you agree that emojis are leading to a decline in people’s communication skills? Why/why not?
4. What guidance do you think workplaces should offer employees about using emojis in company
messaging?
5. Can you think of any other examples of emojis or other technology revealing a generation gap?

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5 Emojis messages

Work in A/B pairs. Look at the correct part of the worksheet.

Student A

Read one half of your messaging dialogue and complete the other half BUT you can only
use emojis. You can draw as many emojis as you want in each box to supply half of the
conversation.

A B

I’m having such a bad day.

Same here. My boss just asked me to stay

late.

I know, I’m very annoyed. I was looking

forward to walking my dog.

Not even a coffee break?

I need a new job!

Compare your dialogues and explain your choice of emojis. How effective are emojis in communicating
ideas?

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Student B

Read one half of your messaging dialogue and complete the other half BUT you can only
use emojis. You can draw as many emojis as you want in each box to supply half of the
conversation.

A B

Me too. It’s crazy busy here at work.

Again? That’s the third time this week.

Well, we didn’t even get to have lunch

today.

I grabbed a coffee and a snack, but I only

had 5 minutes.

I need a vacation!

Compare your dialogues and explain your choice of emojis. How effective are emojis in communicating
ideas?

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6 Optional extension/homework

Part A: Look at this infographic and decide if the sentences are true or false.

1. Italians and Germans differed slightly only in the way they used positive emojis.

2. In the US, there was no difference between Spanish speakers and English speakers in terms of
how they used emojis.

3. The French used more than four times as many heart emojis as the average person in the countries
that were surveyed.

Part B: Now, answer the following questions.

1. Can you explain any of these differences?

2. If you come from one of these countries, do you agree? If you don’t come from one of these
countries, create a graphic showing how you think people in your country use emojis.
3. Extra challenge: write three more true/false sentences about this information for a classmate to
try.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

EMOJIS

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This brief activity introduces students to the topic of the lesson. Give everyone a minute to write down a brief
meaning/context for each of these five emojis and then compare ideas in pairs or small groups. Get some feedback
about how much agreement there is. Pose the follow-up questions for the whole class to discuss briefly.
Suggested answers:
picture A: congratulating sb; picture B: agreeing with sb; picture C: flirting with sb; picture D: being mad at sth/sb;
picture E: being a walking time bomb

2. Reading comprehension

Part A:
10 mins.
Students’ initial skim-reading should be timed – 2 minutes, or at most 3. Instruct them to ignore the gaps for now.
They should then cover the article and answer the questions in their own words. You could set up pairs or do this
with the whole class. Finally, they provide their own sub-title for the article – as emojis! They can compare their
ideas in small groups.

1. Have we reached peak emoji? In other words, are emojis as popular as they’re ever going to get, or will we see
their use change in the future, becoming less or even more popular?
2. Sample answer: 1) diversity and representation, 2) who gets to decide what emojis to include and what they
mean, 3) whether emojis have a negative effect on communication skills.
3. The writer thinks emojis will continue to be popular in the future.
4. Student’s own answers
Part B:
15 mins.
This task is the same as the word-formation task on the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam. Most of the verbs will
be familiar, but students can use a dictionary if they need to and working in pairs or small groups will also be
helpful. Monitor and support before you check answers (and pronunciation) with the class. Stressed syllables are
underlined.

1. relatable 2. indeterminate 3. inclusivity 4. reversal

5. unsanctioned 6. recurring 7. deterioration 8. empathy
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/15/tech/emoji-most-popular-study/index.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/emoji
https://theconversation.com/emoji-are-becoming-more-inclusive-but-not-necessarily-more-representative-111388

https://theconversation.com/emoji-arent-ruining-language-theyre-a-natural-substitute-for-gesture-118689

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TEACHER MATERIALS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

EMOJIS

3. Language in context

10 mins.
Noticing useful expressions in a reading or listening text is an excellent way to increase the range of natural
language in advanced students’ repertoires and explaining meaning is also a crucial skill for this level. Call attention
to the five phrases in bold and work with the whole class to elicit what they mean. Then pose the follow-up
question for students to answer.

1. a good example (of how emojis reflect wider trends)

2. a relationship like the one between grandparents, parents and children
3. did the same thing (changed guns to water pistols)
4. include lots of something but in small individual amounts, like pepper in food; note this is most often used as
a passive form but it can also be active
5. describe similarities
6. Paragraph A – (poo emoji pillow, anyone?); paragraph D - ... as innocent-looking as aubergine or peach to
discuss certain topics that aren’t actually, so to speak, on the menu. / (hint – not fruit and veg)

4. Talking point

10 mins.
These questions allow students a chance to respond to some of the issues raised in the lesson. Remind students to
give reasons and examples for their answers and to explore other points of view. Monitor and support as necessary
and round off the stage with feedback and error correction, including pronunciation. An additional question you
could pose is: How much do you think this article has dated since it was written in 2023?

5. Emojis messages

10 mins.
Students explore how well emojis work in communicating ideas by completing messaging dialogues. They will
be working in pairs and each student can see a different half of the same dialogue – make sure they are looking
at the correct part of the worksheet for their A or B role. At first, they work alone to read the dialogue and
respond by drawing emojis – reassure them that they don’t need to draw detailed pictures or colour them in –
just a rough sketch is fine. They can then compare the words and emojis in pairs. Find out how well each set of
emojis corresponded to the written text.
Note: Your students will almost certainly be familiar with a wide range of emojis, but if they need to use their
phones for the inspiration they can. However, don’t let this go on for too long. It would also be fine for them to
invent any emojis they think they need!

6. Optional extension/homework

Part A:
5 mins.
This activity is intended as a filler or cooler if you have time in your lesson, and it also has relevance to IELTS
Writing Task 1. Students could work alone to complete the first activity, which encourages them to examine the
graph in detail. Check the answers as a class.
Source for infographic:
https://www.statista.com/chart/14775/what-words-wont-say/

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EMOJIS

1. F – the slight difference is in the way they use negative emojis

2. F – there are some minor differences
3. T
Part B:
10 mins.
Now, pose the questions for students to discuss in pairs or small groups, followed by class feedback. The extra
challenge would be helpful for students preparing for an IELTS exam, or alternatively, you could assign them a full
task 1 writing based on this infographic for homework but remind them not to interpret the information in this
context – they can only report the main trends.

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