English Every Day - iPhone's 10th Anniversary

Your Daily English Programme #3

On June 29, 2017, Apple celebrated iPhone's tenth anniversary, a decade of unprecedented technological innovation. Ten years before, Steve Jobs unveiled the company's then newly-manufactured mobile phone that would revolutionize the industry for years to come.

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Format: quick-n-easy 1-2-3

Category: reading & listening (Upper-Intermediate/Advanced B2/C1)

Topic: iPhone's 10th Anniversary; Technological Innovations)

Objectives: By the end of this post,

you will have read part of an advanced article on the topic of technology,

have listened to part of a spoken presentation of a technology device,

can use your knowledge/vocabulary to write/speak about the topic

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Read & Think

Time Magazine has taken a closer look at Apple's revolution and its implications 10 years after:

Question: According to the writer, what are iPhone's greatest achievements 10 years later? (hint: there are at least 3 ;)

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The iPhone’s Greatest Achievements 10 Years Later

• Lisa Eadicicco @lisaeadicicco

June 29, 2017

From Siri's debut on the iPhone 4s to the first large-screen model

Apple’s indelible first iPhone went on sale 10 years ago on June 29, changing how we relate to our phones forever. It established the parameters for what a modern smartphone ought to be, ushering in an era since defined by ubiquitous touchscreens and libraries of easily obtained apps.

It’s also undergone dramatic design upheavals since 2007. It’s easy to forget that the original model didn’t have an App Store. Its touchscreen was a mere 3.5-inches with 480-by-320 pixel resolution — tiny compared to the roomy, high-resolution displays we take for granted today. But today’s iPhones didn’t get there overnight...

Continue reading here

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Watch & Listen

Below is a video of Steve Jobs' introducing the Apple iPhone in 2007. Watch only the first 3 minutes and Try to Answer This: What was in the original design of the iPhone that attracted so many people at the time?

Let's Practice

Ready to Write? Type (in the comments section) your answer to ONE of the questions below, and our moderators on the blog will help you with your English:

1. Do you have an iPhone? What do you think distinguishes it from other mobile phone brands?

2. Do you have other brand cell phones? Do you think the company that produces your phone does a better job?

3. Have you recently switched phone brands? You are in a unique position to tell us about the change(s) that you have experienced.

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Congratulations! You have reached the end of this lesson. Want to practice the vocabulary in this unit? Go here.

For Teachers: If you'd like to use this content in your lessons, download the pdf document with "links" to the original Time Magazine article and the video.

English Every Day - Day 2: Dating App Pays

Your Daily English Programme #2

Welcome back Engrammers! Today's pick is a short reading (Intermediate B2) about issues young people encounter when dating via dating apps. By the end this quick-n-easy lesson, you will have learned vocabulary & expressions specific to dating and will have read and understood a short, authentic article on the topic. So, let's dive in :)

Think Before You Read

1. Do you know what a dating app is for? Do you know how they work? Have you ever experimented with one?
(If you've never used one, see this short, super funny Smosh video)

2. If two people decide to date after having met on a dating app:

Who do you think should pay the bill on the first date(s)? The man? The person who swiped right first? Or the person who swiped to match? Or should they split the bill?

You see: "Who should foot the bill" has created huge controversy around dating app dates!

Time to Read

Question: What is this writer's solution to the bill payment problem for dating apps? Read & find out.

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Hey Tinder, here’s how you solve the ‘who pays for the date’ problem

by Carissa Lintao — 6 hours ago in Apps

Dating apps are great for landing hot dates, but who should pay for it?

According to Cosmopolitan, 25-percent of women say their partner should always pick up the bill and 40-percent think that going halfsies is the safest play. But 80-percent of guys believe that they need to pay for every date during the relationship.

Deciding who pays for the date leaves everyone confused and anxious about grabbing the check, but there is a way to end this problem.

Every dating app needs a coin-flip feature that decides who pays for the date. This virtual coin would resolve the never-ending debates and painful conversations about how chivalry is dead. 

Continue reading here

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Let's Practice!

Ready for a quick comprehension check? Our very short test should help you do just that.

No time to take the test? No worries! We've put only the vocabulary on one list for you to review.

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Congratulations! You've reached the end of today's episode of English Every Day. We hope you enjoyed it and it helped you and your friends take your English proficiency one step further.

Click here for a quick listening lesson or subscribe to our e-mail service (on the main blog page) to receive posts right in your inbox.

New Feature for Teachers: You can now download this lesson in full with a link to the proper article.

Did you notice? If you move your cursor over the underlined words, you can see their meaning.

English Every Day: Day One (A2-B1 Level)

Pre-production Series: Day One

Welcome to our first installment in the series: English Every Day. Here, you will learn (or consolidate) new words and expressions and practice your English skills with us in 3 quick-n-easy steps.

We have deliberately chosen a cartoon that is short, amusing and weird: PSYCHIC POWERS! We hope you will enjoy it.

Think Before You Watch

Try and answer these questions in full English sentences (you can use the 'comments section' below to type in your answers ;)

1. Do you know anyone who claims they are psychic, telepathic, or clairvoyant?
2. Do you believe that people can have psychic powers? Why (not)?

Watch and Listen

Watch & Listen: Can you tell what happens at the end of the video? (Write your answers in the comments :)

Time to Practice!

Now watch or listen again. Can you find out what the missing words or expressions are in the script below?

Milkman: Hey! (1)-------- see something cool? Watch me make your milk disappear, with my (2)--------- powers! Friend: No way! Milkman: (3)-------- ten bucks. Friend: Alright! You’re on. Milkman: Watch this! [trying hard] Damn! Why (4)---------- my powers working?! [looks around] [ chuckles] Milkman to another friend: Hey, Billy! I (5)----------- ten bucks I can make your milk carton disappear!

Wanna compare your answers? Here we go (don't look at the answers before you're done ;)
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Answer	Explanation
wanna /ˈwɒnə/	This is a short, spoken form of ‘want to’. Notice that ‘Do you’ has also been omitted in the question: (Do you) want to …? This is an informal way to address friends.
psychic	Remember that 'p' is silent and that both 'ch' /ʧ/ & 'c' here sound /k/, therefore: /ˈsaɪ-kɪk/
bet you	Notice that he doesn’t say ‘bet you’ but rather ‘betcha’: this is because in informal, spoken English, when ‘t’ comes to ‘y’, the sounds mix and become ‘ch’/ʧ/ as in ‘chair’. Also ‘you’ /juː/ becomes more like ‘ye’ /jə/
aren’t	Once again, you see that in fast, spoken English, the ‘t’ at the end of ‘aren’t’ is dropped, that is ‘not pronounced’
bet you	And again!

Did you notice? If you are seeing this post on a computer screen, you can actually move your mouse over the underlined words in the text to see the definition. You're welcome! :)

Wanna practice more until you're confident? Go here.

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