The Reading / Listening - Translation - Level 5

New technology could transform language learning and communication. Apple says its AirPods Pro 3 earbuds can translate foreign languages in real time. In addition, conversations will automatically appear on the screens of users' devices. This could have major consequences for the language teaching industry. Instant translation could stop people from spending time and money on learning other languages. The technology is another example of how AI is changing jobs. Many teachers are worried about how real-time translation might affect their future.

Apple said its earbuds would help people communicate "seamlessly". It added the buds would overcome language barriers. The Live Translation feature will help us "across select languages when messaging or speaking". This is an example of science fiction becoming science fact. For decades, writers have written about real-time language translation tools. In the novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" there was a fictional "Babel fish". This was put in the ear to translate languages. The Japanese manga character Doraemon used a special jelly to translate any language.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Translation - Level 4 or  Translation - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/new-apple-intelligence-features-are-available-today/
  • https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20251001-how-real-time-translation-could-transform-travel
  • https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/airpods-pro-3-can-live-translate-conversations-in-your-ear/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. technology could transform
  2. conversations will automatically
  3. This could have major
  4. the language teaching
  5. spending time
  6. another example of how AI
  7. Many teachers are
  8. real-time translation might
  1. worried
  2. industry
  3. affect their future
  4. consequences
  5. is changing jobs
  6. appear
  7. language learning
  8. and money

Paragraph 2

  1. help people communicate
  2. the buds would overcome
  3. help us across select
  4. when messaging
  5. science fiction becoming
  6. real-time language translation
  7. put in the ear to
  8. The Japanese manga
  1. science fact
  2. languages
  3. character Doraemon
  4. "seamlessly"
  5. translate languages
  6. or speaking
  7. language barriers
  8. tools

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

New (1) ________________________________________________ language learning and communication. Apple says its AirPods Pro 3 earbuds can translate foreign languages in real time. In addition, conversations will (2) ________________________________________________ the screens of users' devices. This could (3) ________________________________________________ for the language teaching industry. Instant translation could stop people (4) ________________________________________________ and money on learning other languages. The technology is (5) ________________________________________________ how AI is changing jobs. Many teachers are worried about how real-time translation (6) ________________________________________________ future.

Apple said (7) ________________________________________________ help people communicate "seamlessly". It added the buds would (8) ________________________________________________. The Live Translation feature will help us "across select languages when (9) ________________________________________________". This is an example of science fiction (10) ______________________________________________. For decades, writers have written about real-time language translation tools. In the novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" there (11) ________________________________________________ "Babel fish". This was put in the ear to translate languages. The Japanese manga character Doraemon used a (12) ________________________________________________ translate any language.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Newtechnologycouldtransformlanguagelearningandcommunication
.ApplesaysitsAirPodsPro3earbudscantranslateforeignlanguagesinre
altime.Inaddition,conversationswillautomaticallyappearonthescree
nsofusers'devices.Thiscouldhavemajorconsequencesforthelanguag
eteachingindustry.Instanttranslationcouldstoppeoplefromspending
timeandmoneyonlearningotherlanguages.Thetechnologyisanother
exampleofhowAIischangingjobs.Manyteachersareworriedaboutho
wreal-timetranslationmightaffecttheirfuture.Applesaiditsearbudsw
ouldhelppeoplecommunicate"seamlessly".Itaddedthebudswouldov
ercomelanguagebarriers.TheLiveTranslationfeaturewillhelpus"acro
ssselectlanguageswhenmessagingorspeaking".Thisisanexampleofs
ciencefictionbecomingsciencefact.Fordecades,writershavewrittena
boutreal-timelanguagetranslationtools.Inthenovel"TheHitchhike
r'sGuidetotheGalaxy"therewasafictional"Babelfish".Thiswasputinth
eeartotranslatelanguages.TheJapanesemangacharacterDoraemon
usedaspecialjellytotranslateanylanguage.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You