The Reading / Listening - TV News - Level 4

Young people are watching less TV news. A regulatory broadcasting body in the UK said this is no surprise as young people are addicted to smartphones. They prefer YouTube videos and games to TV news. A newspaper reported that the young "are more likely to get their day's news about the world from social media or by reading graffiti in bus stations" than by watching TV. The average 16-24-year-old watches live TV news for just two minutes a day.

Research into the news-viewing habits of British people shows that youth are using social media as their news source. People are making more posts on Facebook and Twitter about the news compared to last year. The regulatory body said presenting news stories in a less complicated way might attract more young people to watch TV news. Some people suggested this would be "dumbing down content for young audiences".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    TV News - Level 5 or  TV News - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jul/24/young-people-uk-abandon-tv-news-almost-entirely-ofcom
  • https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/157914/uk-news-consumption-2019-report.pdf
  • https://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2019/07/young-people-have-given-up-on-the-tv-news/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A regulatory broadcasting
  2. people are addicted
  3. They prefer YouTube videos
  4. the young are more
  5. get their day's news
  6. reading
  7. The average
  8. for just
  1. 16-24-year-old
  2. and games to TV
  3. graffiti
  4. two minutes a day
  5. to smartphones
  6. body
  7. about the world
  8. likely

Paragraph 2

  1. Research into the news-
  2. using social media as their
  3. compared
  4. regulatory
  5. presenting news stories in a less
  6. attract more young people to
  7. Some people suggested this
  8. dumbing down content
  1. complicated way
  2. would be
  3. viewing habits
  4. for young audiences
  5. news source
  6. body
  7. to last year
  8. watch TV

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Young people are watching (1) ___________________. A regulatory broadcasting body in the UK said this (2) ___________________ as young people (3) ___________________ smartphones. They prefer YouTube videos and games to TV news. A newspaper reported that the young "are more likely to get their (4) ___________________ the world from social media or (5) ___________________ in bus stations" than by watching TV. The average 16-24-year-old watches live TV news (6) ___________________ minutes a day.

Research into the (7) ___________________ of British people shows that youth are using social media as (8) ___________________. People are making more posts on Facebook and Twitter about (9) ___________________ to last year. The regulatory body said presenting news stories (10) ___________________ complicated way might attract more young people to watch TV news. Some people (11) ___________________ be "dumbing down content (12) ___________________ ".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

YoungpeoplearewatchinglessTVnews.Aregulatorybroadcastingbod
yintheUKsaidthisisnosurpriseasyoungpeopleareaddictedtosmartph
ones.TheypreferYouTubevideosandgamestoTVnews.Anewspaperre
portedthattheyoung"aremorelikelytogettheirday'snewsaboutthewo
rldfromsocialmediaorbyreadinggraffitiinbusstations"thanbywatchin
gTV.Theaverage16-24-year-oldwatchesliveTVnewsforjusttwominu
tesaday.Researchintothenews-viewinghabitsofBritishpeopleshow
sthatyouthareusingsocialmediaastheirnewssource.Peoplearemakin
gmorepostsonFacebookandTwitteraboutthenewscomparedtolastye
ar.Theregulatorybodysaidpresentingnewsstoriesinalesscomplicate
dwaymightattractmoreyoungpeopletowatchTVnews.Somepeoplesu
ggestedthiswouldbe"dumbingdowncontentforyoungaudiences".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

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

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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