Warm-up
Answer a few quick questions before today's lesson about communication.
Listening
Listen to the recording and answer the questions in each part. You can replay the audio as many times as you need — click anywhere on the progress bar to jump to a specific moment. Read the questions in each part first, then submit when you are ready; your answers will be marked together at the end of each part.
Listening — Always Connected
This listening task is split into parts. The audio player stays at the top of the page so you can replay it freely — click anywhere on the progress bar to jump to a specific moment. For each part, read the questions first, then listen and answer. You can change your answers until you click Submit; feedback appears once you submit each part.
Reading
Read the passage on the left, then work through the questions on the right.
Reading — The Double Edge: How Mobile Phones Are Reshaping Human Connection
Read the passage on the left, then answer the questions one by one.
The Double Edge: How Mobile Phones Are Reshaping Human Connection
Mobile phones have fundamentally transformed the way we communicate. Two decades ago, staying in touch required planning ahead and patience; today, instantaneous contact is taken for granted. Yet this revolution raises an uncomfortable question: are we truly more connected, or merely more distracted?
The advantages are undeniable. Mobile technology has democratized communication across geographical boundaries. A teenager in rural Kenya can video-call a friend in London; a business executive can manage international teams from a coffee shop; elderly relatives separated by continents can see each other's faces daily. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phones became lifelines, enabling remote work and allowing families to maintain relationships when physical proximity was impossible. Without this technology, social isolation would have been catastrophic.
However, the darker side of mobile communication deserves equal scrutiny. Recent studies show that heavy smartphone users report higher levels of anxiety and loneliness, paradoxically the opposite of what constant connectivity should produce. Face-to-face conversation—with its nuances of tone, body language, and genuine presence—is being replaced by fragmented text exchanges and performative social media posts. Young people increasingly struggle with in-person communication skills, having relied on screens rather than direct interaction during critical developmental years. Moreover, the addictive design of messaging apps and social platforms means many users cannot distinguish between genuine connection and the illusion of it.
If mobile phones became obsolete tomorrow, society would undoubtedly suffer. Conversely, if we continue using them without conscious limits and digital literacy education, we risk creating generations disconnected from authentic human interaction. The challenge, therefore, is neither to celebrate nor condemn mobile technology, but to use it intentionally. We must establish norms around digital boundaries, teach younger users to recognize addictive design patterns, and reclaim time for face-to-face dialogue. Mobile phones are not inherently good or bad—their impact depends entirely on how we choose to deploy them.
Vocabulary Practice
Practise the 12 key vocabulary items from this lesson through three exercises.
Vocabulary Practice — Mobile Phones
Work through all three parts. Each part uses the same vocabulary in a different way.
Writing Task
Your school magazine has launched a new debate series. Readers are invited to submit short articles responding to the question: 'Have mobile phones improved or damaged the way we communicate?' The editor is looking for engaging, opinion-led pieces that speak directly to your peers. Your article will be published online and in print next month.
You should address:
- Open with an engaging hook—question, statement, or relatable scenario
- Argue a clear position using at least one conditional or modal verb
- Support your view with specific, realistic examples of phone communication
- Address the reader directly (you, we) to build connection with your audience
- End with a memorable line that invites reflection or action
Speaking
Speaking task. Read the instructions, then complete the task.
Teacher Guide
Practise with
- assureverb
to tell someone something positive to make them feel less worried or doubtful
- browseverb
Look at or search through something casually without reading or studying it carefully.
- counselnoun
advice or guidance given by someone with knowledge or experience, especially legal advice
- cuenoun
a signal or sign that tells someone when to do something
- interactionnoun
communication or involvement with something
- lose your train of thoughtidiom
to forget what you were saying or thinking
- memonoun
a short written message within an organisation
- referencenoun
A mention or source of information; a person who can confirm your qualities or work.
- transcriptnoun
a written or printed record of words spoken in a conversation, lecture, or legal proceeding
- whoeverpronoun
any person or the one who