Idioms & Expressions:
buyer’s remorse (noun; refers to the regret you feel after buying something that you wish you hadn’t)
After I bought the book, I realized I didn’t like it that much, and I had buyer’s remorse.
product placement (noun; this is when companies pay to put their products into movies or TV shows)
All the characters in the movie drank Sprite due to product placement.
dependent on (to be “dependent on” something means that you cannot function normally without it)
every waking hour (an expression that means you do something very frequently throughout the day)
Our generation has become thoroughly dependent on technology. Many young people spend nearly every waking hour online.
obsolete (adjective; describes something old or out of date)
cutting edge / state of the art / second-to-none (adjective; that describe technology that is the newest or the latest)
The iPhone 7 is obsolete now that the cutting-edge iPhone 8 is out.
The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Part I: Group Discussion
- What do you think about the transportation in your city?
I currently live in Hanoi, and the transportation is not that great – there are only really buses, taxis and motorbikes that can be used to get around. But they are building a metro line, which will help in the future.
- How often do you see advertisements?
I don’t see ads very often because I don’t really watch TV and I also have an Adblocker on my Internet browser. So I rarely see an ad.
- How do you feel about them?
I think they’re pretty annoying, and I find them even more annoying than most people because I’m no longer accustomed to seeing them all the time.
- Have you ever wanted to buy anything from the ads on TV?
Sure, I usually want to see the movies that are advertised or buy a meal that looks delicious. But those are really the only products that tempt me.
Part II: Individual Presentations
Describe an application you have recently used and found very useful. Please say:
What is it?
What did you use it for?
Why did you find it useful?
I use the Strava app pretty frequently. It’s a fitness app that tracks your motions via your smartphone and lets you know how fast you’re going and how far you’ve gone. I used it when I go on runs and bike rides. I think it’s pretty cool because you can see how you’ve improved at certain parts of the course that you like to take. Also, your friends can see your progress and what workouts you’ve done, and they can leave comments to inspire (or tease) you.
Part III: Class Discussion
- Do young and older people use the same applications?
I think so, in general. Most people use social media apps or they play the same games.
- What is the most popular application in your country?
I would say that the Facebook app is the most popular app in the world. Almost everyone has Facebook on their phones and they use it constantly – much more than any other app.
- Do you think the Internet is important? Why do you think so?
The Internet is important because it connects us all and has eliminated a lot of inconveniences that used to slow us down and make our lives more stressful. It’s hard to overstate how much it has changed our day to day lives over the past decade or so.
- Who benefits from it mostly?
Well I think anyone who goes online draws benefits from it. Going online helps you connect, get smarter, run a business, or do anything you want.
- Does the Internet make our lives easier?
I think it absolutely does, but maybe it makes our lives too easy. We can become dependent on technology and if the Internet goes down, then we won’t know what to do with ourselves.
