North and South Korea have installed the first direct telephone link between their two countries since 1953. The only connection since then has been a single line between the two governments. Families have been unable to talk to one another for five decades. The new link is part of preparations for video reunions of families that have been separated since the end of the Korean War. On August 15, the 60^th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule, a few lucky families will get their chance to briefly talk to each other.

The technological revolution happening on the Korean peninsula also includes a fax machine that now connects the two capital cities. However, only top-level government officials are allowed to use it. Receiving faxes from the outside world, the Internet and using mobile phones are all banned by the strict North Korean government. Technological developments also continue with the laying of a fiber-optic cable linking the town of Munsan in South Korea to the North Korean city of Kaesong on Monday (July 25).

WARM-UPS

1. PHONE HISTORY: In pairs / groups, talk about your history with the telephone. Can you remember the first time you used a telephone? What was your family phone like years ago? How important is the phone to you now? Have you given or received any happy or sad news over the phone?

2. QUICK DEBATE: Students A think the telephone is the greatest invention ever. Students B think the car is the greatest invention ever. Change partners often.

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

North Korea / South Korea / telephones / The Korean War / family reunions / videophones / technological revolutions / fax machines / the Internet / broadband

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. TELEPHONE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with telephones. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. MY MOBILE: If you have your mobile phone with you, put it on your desk for your partner(s) to see. Talk about your phones.

6. PHONE SENTENCES: Complete the five sentence starters below. Tell your partner(s) what you wrote and then talk about your sentences.

1. Telephones are ___________________________________________.
2. A telephone is ___________________________________________.
3. Telephoning ___________________________________________.
4. Without a telephone ___________________________________________.
5. With a telephone ___________________________________________.
6. My telephone ___________________________________________.

Change partners and compare what you talked about.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	The first phone link in history was between North and South Korea.	T / F
b.	Just one phone line has connected the two Koreas since 1953.	T / F
c.	Korean families will soon be able to talk to each other by videophone.	T / F
d.	The videophone reunions will be just for a lucky few on one day only.	T / F
e.	There are thousands of fax machines connecting the two Koreas.	T / F
f.	North Korea is an extremely open country.	T / F
g.	Most North Koreans have mobile phones and Internet access.	T / F
h.	One Internet cable will soon connect North and South Korea.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	installed	fortunate
b.	link	tough
c.	separated	joins
d.	lucky	outlawed
e.	chance	fixed up
f.	connects	divided
g.	top-level	advances
h.	banned	opportunity
i.	strict	high ranking
j.	developments	connection

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	direct	for five decades
b.	unable to talk to one another	talk to each other
c.	separated since the	world
d.	the end of Japanese	revolution
e.	get their chance to briefly	telephone link
f.	technological	fiber-optic cable
g.	capital	colonial rule
h.	top-level	end of the Korean War
i.	from the outside	government officials
j.	the laying of a	cities

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the correct spaces.

Koreas joined by first phone link

North and South Korea have _______ the first direct telephone link between their two countries _______ 1953. The only connection since then has been a _______ line between the two governments. Families have been unable to talk to one another for five _______. The new link is _______ of preparations for video reunions of families that have been separated since the _______ of the Korean War. On August 15, the 60th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial _______, a few lucky families will get their chance to _______ talk to each other.		end single briefly installed part rule since decades
The technological _______ happening on the Korean peninsula also includes a fax machine that now _______ the two capital cities. However, only top-level government _______ are allowed to use it. Receiving faxes from the _______ world, the Internet and using mobile phones are all _______ by the strict North Korean government. Technological developments also _______ with the _______ of a fiber-optic cable _______ the town of Munsan in South Korea to the North Korean city of Kaesong on Monday (July 25).		officials laying connects banned linking revolution continue outside

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘phone’ and ‘link’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the gap fill. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “TELEPHONE” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about telephones.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

installed connection decades reunions anniversary lucky

revolution allowed outside banned continue city

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. What did you think when you first read this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
3. What do you think of the separation of the two Koreas?
4. How important is the telephone to you?
5. What must it be like to be cut off from your family for 50 years?
6. What would you say to a family member you hadn’t spoken to for fifty years?
7. Why do you think North Korea has not allowed its people to talk to their family members in South Korea?
8. What would your life be like without a telephone?
9. What do you think of just one fax machine linking the Koreas?
10. What do you think would happen if ordinary North Koreans got Internet access?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What did you think about what you read?
3. Have you ever spoken to anyone via a videophone?
4. What is your opinion of North Korea?
5. Why do you think North Korea is so secretive?
6. How have the Internet and mobile phones changed your life?
7. Does your country ban any technology you’d like to use?
8. When do you think North Koreans will live in an open society?
9. What technological developments would you like to see with mobile phones?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

TECHNOLOGY: Ask your partner(s) questions by choosing a question starter in the first column with a word or phrase in the second column.

Have you ever… What do you think of… Do you… What kind of… Have you heard of… When was the last time… Could you live without… Would you like…

mobile phone Skype e-mails spam phishing the Internet future a higher speed Internet connection videophone telephone answering machine voicemail technology

Change partners and share what you heard from your earlier partner(s).

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Koreas joined by first phone link

North and South Korea have _________ the first direct telephone link between their two countries since 1953. The only _________ since then has been a single line between the two governments. Families have been _________ to talk to one another for five _________. The new link is part of preparations for video reunions of families that have been _________ since the end of the Korean War. On August 15, the 60^th anniversary of the end of Japanese _________ rule, a few lucky families will get their chance to briefly talk to each other.

The technological _________ happening on the Korean peninsula also includes a fax machine that now connects the two capital cities. However, only top-level government officials are _________ to use it. Receiving faxes from the outside world, the Internet and using mobile phones are all _________ by the strict North Korean government. Technological ____________ also continue with the laying of a fiber-optic _________ linking the town of Munsan in South Korea to the North Korean city of Kaesong on Monday (July 25).

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on the relations between North and South Korea. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. FUTURE PHONES: Make a poster showing what mobile phones will be able to do twenty years from now. Show your posters to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all think about similar things?

4. LETTER TO KIM JONG IL: Write a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Explain your thoughts on why he has banned the Internet and mobile phones in his country. Read your letter to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. T

d. T

e. F

f. F

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	installed	fixed up
b.	link	connection
c.	separated	divided
d.	lucky	fortunate
e.	chance	opportunity
f.	connects	joins
g.	top-level	high ranking
h.	banned	outlawed
i.	strict	tough
j.	developments	advances

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	direct	telephone link
b.	unable to talk to one another	for five decades
c.	separated since the	end of the Korean War
d.	the end of Japanese	colonial rule
e.	get their chance to briefly	talk to each other
f.	technological	revolution
g.	capital	cities
h.	top-level	government officials
i.	from the outside	world
j.	the laying of a	fiber-optic cable

GAP FILL:

Koreas joined by first phone link

North and South Korea have installed the first direct telephone link between their two countries since 1953. The only connection since then has been a single line between the two governments. Families have been unable to talk to one another for five decades. The new link is part of preparations for video reunions of families that have been separated since the end of the Korean War. On August 15, the 60^th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule, a few lucky families will get their chance to briefly talk to each other.

The technological revolution happening on the Korean peninsula also includes a fax machine that now connects the two capital cities. However, only top-level government officials are allowed to use it. Receiving faxes from the outside world, the Internet and using mobile phones are all banned by the strict North Korean government. Technological developments also continue with the laying of a fiber-optic cable linking the town of Munsan in South Korea to the North Korean city of Kaesong on Monday (July 25).

TOP