Real Easy English: Talking about technology
Learning Easy English
Deep Dive
What is the main topic of this podcast episode?
The main topic is discussing technology and how people use it in their daily lives.
How often does Neil use technology?
Neil uses technology every day, many times a day, including checking his phone frequently and using a Bluetooth speaker.
What is Beth's favorite piece of technology?
Beth's favorite piece of technology is a smoothie maker, which she uses often when working from home.
What new technology does Beth want to get?
Beth wants to get a new, high-quality camera, as her current one is about 10 years old.
Are Beth and Neil tech-savvy?
Neither Beth nor Neil consider themselves tech-savvy. They both feel comfortable using technology only after practicing and getting used to it.
What language structures are introduced in this episode?
The episode introduces the present simple tense for habitual actions (e.g., 'I use my phone way too much') and the present continuous tense for actions happening at the moment (e.g., 'Neil, you are still checking the football scores!').
Shownotes Transcript
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Save up to 40% your first year with promo code NEWS. Visit lifelock.com. Terms apply. Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in Easy English to help you learn. I'm Beth. And I'm Neil. Remember, you can read along with this podcast on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Hi Neil, how are you?
Neil, are you checking your phone? We're recording. Sorry, Beth. Yes, I'm just looking at my phone. I'm just checking the football scores. Finished now. OK, good. Well, today we're talking all about technology. Yes, and technology is what we call new things that we use to make life easier, like phones, computers and the internet.
We'll talk about new technology and how much we use it. OK, great. Well, let's get started. Now, Neil, you just said, I'm checking my phone. That is the present continuous and you said it because you were checking the scores or checking your phone right then, right at that moment.
But I have a question for you in the present simple, which is how often do you use technology? So I use technology every day, many times every day. I check my phone a lot. I use a...
Bluetooth speaker. I sometimes play games with my son on his video console. OK, so you use some technology. I do, yes. How about you, Beth?
I read quite a lot on a tablet. So I do read some books, but I tend to use technology to read. And I have been learning Spanish or I'm learning Spanish at the moment using an app on my phone. So I'm using technology for that a little bit. And what's your favourite piece of technology that makes your life easy?
Well, I use a smoothie maker all the time. So especially when I'm working from home, I chuck any old fruit and vegetables in there and make a smoothie. What about you?
So I've got a bread maker. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. And so I put all of the ingredients together and in the morning we have lovely fresh bread. Nice. Would you say that you are tech savvy? Are you good at using new technology? No, not at all. Eventually I learned the technology, but I never really get excited about new technology until lots of other people are already using it.
Yeah, I feel the same. I only really feel comfortable using technology when I have practised and got used to it. Yeah. So, Beth, is there any new piece of technology that you would like to get that you don't have at the moment? Well...
I used to have a really good camera, but it's now about 10 years old. So I think that technology's moved on quite a bit since then. So I'd quite like to get a really good new camera. But the cameras on phones are quite good these days. But it's always nice to have something really good for when you go on holiday and that sort of thing. Let's recap some of the language we heard during the conversation.
We had technology – new scientific things that make our life easier, such as smartphones and computers. Tech-savvy – good at using technology. We learned to use the present simple to talk about our technology habits – things we always do. For example, I use my phone way too much.
And we learnt to use the present continuous to talk about things we're doing at this moment in time. For example, Neil, you are still checking the football scores! I am. Sorry, Beth, but only because my home team is beating yours at football. Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.
That's it for this episode. If you want more Easy English, try our video series, the London to Edinburgh Challenge. All episodes are available now on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Next time on Real Easy English, we'll talk about our hobbies. Bye for now! Bye!
There are so many ways to learn with BBC Learning English. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Discover our podcasts. And find all the latest Learning English content on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Yoga is more than just exercise. It's the spiritual practice that millions swear by.
And in 2017, Miranda, a university tutor from London, joins a yoga school that promises profound transformation. It felt a really safe and welcoming space. After the yoga classes, I felt amazing. But soon, that calm, welcoming atmosphere leads to something far darker, a journey that leads to allegations of grooming, trafficking and exploitation across international borders.
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