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

The Reading / Listening - Level 6

For the first time on Twitter, people will be able to send messages that are longer than 140 characters. While tweets will still be restricted to the 140-character limit, Direct Messages (DMs) will be capped at 10,000 characters. These are the personal communications sent from one person to another. Twitter's Product Manager Sachin Agarwal blogged about the change. He wrote: "You can now chat on and on in a single Direct Message and likely still have some characters left over." He added: "While Twitter is largely a public experience, 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 users will experience the change over the next few weeks as Twitter rolls out the new system worldwide on a country-by-country basis. The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted Twitter needed to do better to keep up with its social networking competitors. Twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rival Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Sites like Facebook and WhatsApp have spent a lot of money on making their messaging services more user-friendly. Twitter has had a similar focus throughout this year. It recently allowed group DMs and allowed people to accept private messages from people even if they do not follow them.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 4 or Level 5

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 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. TWITTER: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about Twitter. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

the first time / messages / restricted / limit / blogged / experience / conversations / the next few weeks / worldwide / networking / rival / messaging / recently / follow

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. SOCIAL NETWORKS: What are the good an bad things about them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Good	Bad
Privacy
Chat
Family
Time
Communication
News

4. COMMUNICATION: Students A strongly believe it is better to communicate via social networks; Students B strongly believe face-to-face is better. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

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

See a sample

5. WEBSITES: Rank these with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• Twitter

• Facebook

• Google

• News

• Sports

• Cooking

• Weather

• eBay

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

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	There will soon be no character limit on Twitter Direct Messages.	T / F
b.	Tweets will still have a 140-character limit.	T / F
c.	Twitter's CEO blogged about being able to chat and chat.	T / F
d.	A product manager said tweets are for sparking conversations.	T / F
e.	The new system will roll out across the world in the coming weeks.	T / F
f.	Twitter's co-founder said the website needed to do more.	T / F
g.	There is no such thing as group DMs on Twitter.	T / F
h.	You cannot DM someone on Twitter unless they follow you.	T / F

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

1.	restricted	a.	mainly
2.	left over	b.	presently
3.	largely	c.	occurring
4.	spark	d.	launches
5.	happening	e.	rivals
6.	rolls out	f.	limited
7.	competitors	g.	permitted
8.	currently	h.	remaining
9.	throughout	i.	ignite
10.	allowed	j.	all through

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	restricted to the	a.	conversation
2.	personal	b.	friendly
3.	still have some characters	c.	in your world
4.	spark a	d.	few weeks
5.	what's happening	e.	140-character limit
6.	over the next	f.	to keep up
7.	on a country-by-country	g.	left over
8.	Twitter needed to do better	h.	this year
9.	making their messaging services more user-	i.	communications
10.	a similar focus throughout	j.	basis

GAP FILL

For the first time on Twitter, people will be (1) ____________ to send messages that are longer than 140 characters. While tweets will still be restricted to the 140-character (2) ____________, Direct Messages (DMs) will be capped at 10,000 characters. These are the personal communications sent from one person to (3) ____________. Twitter's Product Manager Sachin Agarwal blogged about the (4) ____________. He wrote: "You can now chat on and on in a single Direct Message and likely still have some characters (5) ____________ over." He added: "While Twitter is (6) ____________ a public experience, Direct Messages let you have private conversations....Tweets…are an (7) ____________ for you to spark a conversation about what's (8) ____________ in your world."

another
able
left
opportunity
limit
happening
change
largely

Twitter users will (9) ____________ the change over the next few weeks as Twitter rolls out the new system worldwide on a country-by-country (10) ____________. The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted Twitter needed to do better to (11) ____________ up with its social networking competitors. Twitter (12) ____________ has about 300 million global users while (13) ____________ Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Sites like Facebook and WhatsApp have spent a lot of money on (14) ____________ their messaging services more user-friendly. Twitter has had a similar (15) ____________ throughout this year. It recently allowed group DMs and allowed people to (16) ____________ private messages from people even if they do not follow them.

currently
experience
making
keep
accept
basis
focus
rival

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	While tweets will still be restricted to the ______
	a. 140-character limits b. 140-character limitation c. 140-character limited d. 140-character limit
2)	These are the personal communications sent from one ______
	a. person to the other b. person to others c. person to the others d. person to another
3)	chat on and on in a single Direct Message and likely still have some ______
	a. characters right over b. characters bereft over c. characters left over d. characters leftovers
4)	While Twitter is largely a public experience, Direct Messages let you ______
	a. have privately conversations b. have private conversations c. have privacy conversations d. have privet conversations
5)	an opportunity for you to spark a conversation about what's happening ______
	a. in your world b. on your world c. at your world d. by your world
6)	users will experience the change over the next few weeks as Twitter ______ system
	a. rolls out the new b. roll shout the new c. rolls up the new d. rolls in the new
7)	The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted Twitter needed ______ keep up
	a. to do better too b. to do better two c. to do better through d. to do better to
8)	Twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rival Facebook has ______
	a. more than 14 billion b. more than 1.14 billion c. more than 1.4 billion d. more than 14 million
9)	spent a lot of money on making their messaging services ______
	a. more users-friendly b. more user-friendly c. more usage-friendly d. more used-friendly
10)	It recently allowed group DMs and allowed people to accept ______
	a. private message b. private messages c. private messaged d. private messaging

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

For the first time on Twitter, people (1) ___________________ send messages that are longer than 140 characters. While tweets will still be restricted to the (2) ___________________, Direct Messages (DMs) will be capped at 10,000 characters. These are the personal communications sent from one (3) ___________________. Twitter's Product Manager Sachin Agarwal blogged about the change. He wrote: "You (4) _________________ in a single Direct Message and likely still have some characters left over." He added: "While Twitter (5) ___________________ experience, Direct Messages let you have private conversations....Tweets…are an opportunity (6) ___________________ conversation about what's happening in your world."

Twitter users will experience the (7) ___________________ next few weeks as Twitter (8) ___________________ system worldwide on a country-by-country basis. The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted Twitter needed to do better (9) ___________________ its social networking competitors. Twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rival Facebook (10) ___________________ 1.4 billion. Sites like Facebook and WhatsApp have spent a lot of money (11) ___________________ messaging services more user-friendly. Twitter has had a similar focus throughout this year. It recently allowed group DMs and allowed people to accept private messages from people (12) ___________________ not follow them.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	What will the character limit be on tweets?
2.	What will the character limit be on Direct Messages?
3.	What is Sachin Agarwal's job?
4.	What kind of experience did Sachin Agarwal say Twitter was?
5.	What did Sachin Agarwal say Twitter could spark?
6.	When will Twitter roll out the new changes?
7.	How will Twitter roll out the changes worldwide?
8.	How many followers does Twitter have?
9.	Which other site is mentioned spending money besides Facebook?
10.	When did Twitter allow group DMs?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	What will the character limit be on tweets?	6.	When will Twitter roll out the new changes?
	a) 10,000 b) 140 c) depends on the price d) there isn't one		a) over the next few weeks b) 2017 c) from tomorrow d) it hasn't decided
2.	What will the character limit be on Direct Messages?	7.	How will Twitter roll out the changes worldwide?
	a) depends on the price b) there isn't one c) 140 d) 10,000		a) online b) slowly c) on a country-by-country basis d) first come first served
3.	What is Sachin Agarwal's job?	8.	How many followers does Twitter have?
	a) CEO b) chief bean counter c) product manager d) webmaster		a) 300 million b) 400 million c) 1.4 billion d) 14 million
4.	What kind of experience did Sachin Agarwal say Twitter was?	9.	Which other site is mentioned spending money besides Facebook?
	a) a public one b) a fulfilling one c) an online one d) a friendly one		a) YouTube b) MySpace c) SnapChat d) WhatsApp
5.	What did Sachin Agarwal say Twitter could spark?	10.	When did Twitter allow group DMs?
	a) fires b) conversation c) news d) fights		a) 2011 b) 2012 c) recently d) from the beginning

ROLE PLAY

Role A – Twitter

You think Twitter is the best site. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sites aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least interesting of these (and why): Google, news sites or weather sites.

Role B – Google

You think Google is the best site. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sites aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least interesting of these (and why): Twitter, news sites or weather sites.

Role C – News

You think news sites are the best sites. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sites aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least interesting of these (and why): Google, Twitter or weather sites.

Role D – Weather

You think weather sites are the best sites. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sites aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least interesting of these (and why): Google, news sites or Twitter.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'direct' and 'message'.

direct

message

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

able
capped
another
single
largely
spark

few
basis
keep
rival
focus
accept

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.

TWITTER DISCUSSION

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

1)	What did you think when you read the headline?
2)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'Twitter'?
3)	What do you think of Twitter?
4)	How important is social networking to you?
5)	What are the good and bad things about social networking?
6)	What do you think of Twitter's 140-character limit?
7)	How does Twitter compare to other social networking sites?
8)	Will the 10,000 characters on DMs get Twitter more users?
9)	Do people spend too long on social networks?
10)	Do people need social networks to spark conversations?

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

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

11)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12)	What was life like before social networks?
13)	What should all social network websites provide?
14)	What do you think of ads on social networks?
15)	How important is Twitter for providing real-time world news?
16)	Why does Facebook have so many more users than Twitter?
17)	How would your life change if social networks ended?
18)	Can you say what you want in 140 characters?
19)	Which do you prefer, face-to-face chats or online chats?
20)	What questions would you like to ask Twitter's CEO?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

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

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

For the first time on Twitter, people will be able to send messages that are longer than 140 characters. (1) ____ tweets will still be restricted (2) ____ the 140-character limit, Direct Messages (DMs) will be capped at 10,000 characters. These are the personal communications sent from one person to (3) ____. Twitter's Product Manager Sachin Agarwal blogged about the change. He wrote: "You can now chat on and (4) ____ in a single Direct Message and likely still have some characters left (5) ____." He added: "While Twitter is largely a public experience, Direct Messages let you have private conversations....Tweets…are an opportunity for you to (6) ____ a conversation about what's happening in your world."

Twitter users will experience the change over the next few weeks (7) ____ Twitter rolls out the new system worldwide on a country-by-country (8) ____. The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted Twitter needed to do better to keep (9) ____ with its social networking competitors. Twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rival Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Sites (10) ____ Facebook and WhatsApp have spent a lot of money on making their messaging services more (11) ____-friendly. Twitter has had a similar focus throughout this year. It recently allowed group DMs and allowed people to accept private messages from people even if they do not follow (12) ____.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	When	(b)	Whenever	(c)	While	(d)	Whichever
2.	(a)	to	(b)	at	(c)	of	(d)	on
3.	(a)	another	(b)	the others	(c)	other	(d)	each other
4.	(a)	on	(b)	up	(c)	over	(d)	round
5.	(a)	in	(b)	out	(c)	under	(d)	over
6.	(a)	speck	(b)	speak	(c)	spoke	(d)	spark
7.	(a)	as	(b)	was	(c)	has	(d)	ease
8.	(a)	braces	(b)	bases	(c)	basics	(d)	basis
9.	(a)	up	(b)	out	(c)	on	(d)	in
10.	(a)	similar	(b)	like	(c)	same	(d)	resemble
11.	(a)	usage	(b)	user	(c)	used	(d)	using
12.	(a)	them	(b)	us	(c)	they	(d)	everyone

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	tweets will still be rstireetcd
2.	acpped at 10,000 characters
3.	personal csmmiiucantnoo
4.	largely a public rceeexpeni
5.	an opyutrpoitn for you
6.	spark a entiosanvorc
Paragraph 2
7.	rolls out the new tmsyse
8.	eidttamd Twitter needed to do better
9.	social networking ooecttisrmp
10.	asmgnsegi services
11.	tohruuogth this year
12.	etaccp private messages

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	to another. Twitter's Product Manager Sachin Agarwal blogged about the change. He wrote: "You can now chat on
( )	than 140 characters. While tweets will still be restricted to the 140-character limit, Direct Messages (DMs) will be capped
( )	people to accept private messages from people even if they do not follow them.
( )	users while rival Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Sites like Facebook and WhatsApp have spent a lot
( )	do better to keep up with its social networking competitors. Twitter currently has about 300 million global
( )	at 10,000 characters. These are the personal communications sent from one person
( )	focus throughout this year. It recently allowed group DMs and allowed
( )	and on in a single Direct Message and likely still have some characters left over." He added: "While Twitter is largely
( )	of money on making their messaging services more user-friendly. Twitter has had a similar
( )	a public experience, Direct Messages let you have private conversations....Tweets…are an opportunity
( )	worldwide on a country-by-country basis. The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted Twitter needed to
( )	for you to spark a conversation about what's happening in your world."
( )	Twitter users will experience the change over the next few weeks as Twitter rolls out the new system
( 1 )	For the first time on Twitter, people will be able to send messages that are longer

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	that characters are longer Send than messages 140 .
2.	restricted be still will Tweets limit character - 140 the to .
3.	one Personal person communications to sent another from .
4.	now single on chat You Direct in on can Message a and .
5.	conversation Tweets are an opportunity for you to spark a .
6.	experience over few will change next Users the the weeks .
7.	Twitter . worldwide system new the out rolls
8.	with its social networking competitors Do better to keep up .
9.	about users has global currently million Twitter 300 .
10.	a throughout had focus year has similar this Twitter .

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

For the first time on Twitter, people / persons will be able to send messages that are longer than 140 characters. While / When tweets will still be restrictive / restricted to the 140-character limit, Direct Messages (DMs) will be capped / clapped at 10,000 characters. These are the personal communications sent from one person to other / another. Twitter's Product Manager Sachin Agarwal blogged about the amend / change. He wrote: "You can now chat on and in / on in a single Direct Message and likely still have some characters left over / under." He added: "While Twitter is largely a public experience, Direct Messages let / allow you have private conversations....Tweets…are an opportunity for you to spark / speak a conversation about what's happening in your world."

Twitter users will experience the change over / above the next few weeks as Twitter rolls in / out the new system worldwide on a country-by-country basics / basis. The site's co-founder Jack Dorsey recently / recent admitted Twitter needed to do better to keep up / out with its social networking competitors. Twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rivalry / rival Facebook has more than 1.4 billion. Sites like Facebook and WhatsApp have spent a lot of money on manufacturing / making their messaging services more user-friendly. Twitter has had a similarity / similar focus throughout this year. It recently allowed collect / group DMs and allowed people to acceptance / accept private messages from people even if they do not follow them.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

F_r th_ f_rst t_m_ _n Tw_tt_r, p__pl_ w_ll b_ _bl_ t_ s_nd m_ss_g_s th_t _r_ l_ng_r th_n 140 ch_r_ct_rs. Wh_l_ tw__ts w_ll st_ll b_ r_str_ct_d t_ th_ 140-ch_r_ct_r l_m_t, D_r_ct M_ss_g_s (DMs) w_ll b_ c_pp_d _t 10,000 ch_r_ct_rs. Th_s_ _r_ th_ p_rs_n_l c_mm_n_c_t__ns s_nt fr_m _n_ p_rs_n t_ _n_th_r. Tw_tt_r's Pr_d_ct M_n_g_r S_ch_n _g_rw_l bl_gg_d _b__t th_ ch_ng_. H_ wr_t_: "Y__ c_n n_w ch_t _n _nd _n _n _ s_ngl_ D_r_ct M_ss_g_ _nd l_k_ly st_ll h_v_ s_m_ ch_r_ct_rs l_ft _v_r." H_ _dd_d: "Wh_l_ Tw_tt_r _s l_rg_ly _ p_bl_c _xp_r__nc_, D_r_ct M_ss_g_s l_t y__ h_v_ pr_v_t_ c_nv_rs_t__ns....Tw__ts…_r_ _n _pp_rt_n_ty f_r y__ t_ sp_rk _ c_nv_rs_t__n _b__t wh_t's h_pp_n_ng _n y__r w_rld."

Tw_tt_r _s_rs w_ll _xp_r__nc_ th_ ch_ng_ _v_r th_ n_xt f_w w__ks _s Tw_tt_r r_lls __t th_ n_w syst_m w_rldw_d_ _n _ c__ntry-by-c__ntry b_s_s. Th_ s_t_'s c_-f__nd_r J_ck D_rs_y r_c_ntly _dm_tt_d Tw_tt_r n__d_d t_ d_ b_tt_r t_ k__p _p w_th _ts s_c__l n_tw_rk_ng c_mp_t_t_rs. Tw_tt_r c_rr_ntly h_s _b__t 300 m_ll__n gl_b_l _s_rs wh_l_ r_v_l F_c_b__k h_s m_r_ th_n 1.4 b_ll__n. S_t_s l_k_ F_c_b__k _nd Wh_ts_pp h_v_ sp_nt _ l_t _f m_n_y _n m_k_ng th__r m_ss_g_ng s_rv_c_s m_r_ _s_r-fr__ndly. Tw_tt_r h_s h_d _ s_m_l_r f_c_s thr__gh__t th_s y__r. _t r_c_ntly _ll_w_d gr__p DMs _nd _ll_w_d p__pl_ t_ _cc_pt pr_v_t_ m_ss_g_s fr_m p__pl_ _v_n _f th_y d_ n_t f_ll_w th_m.

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

for the first time on twitter people will be able to send messages that are longer than 140 characters while tweets will still be restricted to the 140-character limit direct messages (dms) will be capped at 10000 characters these are the personal communications sent from one person to another twitter's product manager sachin agarwal blogged about the change he wrote "you can now chat on and on in a single direct message and likely still have some characters left over" he added "while twitter is largely a public experience direct messages let you have private conversationstweets…are an opportunity for you to spark a conversation about what's happening in your world"

twitter users will experience the change over the next few weeks as twitter rolls out the new system worldwide on a country-by-country basis the site's co-founder jack dorsey recently admitted twitter needed to do better to keep up with its social networking competitors twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rival facebook has more than 14 billion sites like facebook and whatsapp have spent a lot of money on making their messaging services more user-friendly twitter has had a similar focus throughout this year it recently allowed group dms and allowed people to accept private messages from people even if they do not follow them

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ForthefirsttimeonTwitter,peoplewillbeabletosendmessagesthatarel
ongerthan140characters.Whiletweetswillstillberestrictedtothe140-
characterlimit,DirectMessages(DMs)willbecappedat10,000characte
rs.Thesearethepersonalcommunicationssentfromonepersontoanot
her.Twitter'sProductManagerSachinAgarwalbloggedaboutthechang
e.Hewrote:"YoucannowchatonandoninasingleDirectMessageandlik
elystillhavesomecharactersleftover."Headded:"WhileTwitterislargel
yapublicexperience,DirectMessagesletyouhaveprivateconversation
s....Tweets…areanopportunityforyoutosparkaconversationaboutwh
at'shappeninginyourworld."Twitteruserswillexperiencethechangeo
verthenextfewweeksasTwitterrollsoutthenewsystemworldwideonac
ountry-by-countrybasis.Thesite'sco-founderJackDorseyrecentlya
dmittedTwitterneededtodobettertokeepupwithitssocialnetworkingc
ompetitors.Twittercurrentlyhasabout300millionglobaluserswhileriv
alFacebookhasmorethan1.4billion.SiteslikeFacebookandWhatsApp
havespentalotofmoneyonmakingtheirmessagingservicesmoreuser-
friendly.Twitterhashadasimilarfocusthroughoutthisyear.Itrecentlya
llowedgroupDMsandallowedpeopletoacceptprivatemessagesfromp
eopleeveniftheydonotfollowthem.

FREE WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

What are the pros and cons of social networks? Which is your favourite? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________________

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 out more about Twitter. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. SOCIAL NETWORKS: Make a poster about social networks. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. TWITTER: Write a magazine article about Twitter. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against it.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to a social network expert. Ask him/her three questions about social networking. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to get people to talk face-to-face more. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

T

c

F

d

T

e

T

f

T

g

F

h

F

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	restricted	a.	limited
2	left over	b.	remaining
3.	largely	c.	mainly
4.	spark	d.	ignite
5.	happening	e.	occurring
6.	rolls out	f.	launches
7.	competitors	g.	rivals
8.	currently	h.	presently
9.	throughout	i.	all through
10.	allowed	j.	permitted

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	140
2.	10,000
3.	Product manager
4.	A public one
5.	Conversation
6.	Over the next few weeks
7.	On a country-by-country basis
8.	300 million
9.	WhatsApp
10.	Recently

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

b

2.

d

3.

c

4.

a

5.

b

6.

a

7.

c

8.

a

9.

d

10.

c

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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