Twitter ends 140-character Direct Message limit

Twitter ends 140-character Direct Message limit (15th August, 2015)

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Twitter users can now send Direct Messages that are longer than 140 characters. They can now be up to 10,000 characters. Tweets are still limited to 140 characters. A Twitter manager blogged about the change. He wrote: "You can now chat on and on in a single Direct Message." He added: "Direct Messages let you have private conversations....Tweets…are an opportunity for you to spark a conversation about what's happening in your world."

Twitter will make the changes soon on a country-by-country basis. Twitter's co-founder said it must do more to keep up with its competitors. Twitter has about 300 million users while rival Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Facebook spends a lot of money on making its site more user-friendly. Twitter has been doing this too. It recently started group DMs. People can also accept private messages, even from people they do not follow.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2489456,00.asp
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3195532/Finally-Twitter-gets-rid-restrictive-140-character-limit-direct-messages.html
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/twitter-lifts-140-character-message-6242093

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	Twitter users can now	a.	private conversations
2.	They can now	b.	in your world
3.	Tweets are still limited	c.	be up to 10,000
4.	A Twitter manager blogged	d.	to 140 characters
5.	You can now chat on and	e.	conversation
6.	let you have	f.	send Direct Messages
7.	what's happening	g.	about the change
8.	spark a	h.	on

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	on a country-by-country	a.	300 million users
2.	it must do more to keep	b.	doing this too
3.	Twitter has about	c.	friendly
4.	Facebook spends	d.	do not follow
5.	making its site more user-	e.	up
6.	Twitter has been	f.	basis
7.	People can also	g.	a lot of money
8.	even from people they	h.	accept private messages

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Twitter (1) ___________________ Direct Messages that are longer than 140 characters. They can (2) ___________________ 10,000 characters. Tweets are (3) ___________________ 140 characters. A Twitter manager blogged about the change. He wrote: "You can (4) ___________________ in a single Direct Message." He added: "Direct Messages let you have private conversations....Tweets… (5) ___________________ for you to spark a conversation about (6) ___________________ your world."

Twitter will make the changes (7) ___________________-by-country basis. Twitter's co-founder said it must do (8) ___________________ with its competitors. Twitter has about 300 million (9) ___________________ Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Facebook (10) ___________________ money on making its site (11) ___________________. Twitter has been doing this too. It recently started group DMs. People can also accept private messages, even from people (12) ___________________.

TWITTER SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Twitter in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about Twitter for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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