VII. Communication and culture / CLIL

Listen and complete the conversations with the expressions in the box. Then practise them in pairs.

1.

Julie: ________ the flower festival is going to be held in our city.

Mai: Really? I love flowers. I went to a flower festival in Da Lat once. It was amazing!

2.

Mai: Hi, ________ so far?

Mark: I've been very busy! I'm working on promoting a charity event. It's a lot of work!

Mai: Sounds very stressful! Have you thought of inviting a famous celebrity?

3.

Linda: ________ ! They look very stylish. Where did you get them?

Mai: Thank you. I saw them advertised on a fashion website and bought them online. I'll send you the link.

Linda: That'd be great. Thanks.

4.

Nam: ________?

Linda: Yeah, it's so beautiful outside! Last week, the weather was awful.

Nam: I know, it was raining all the time. Have you got any plans for the weekend?

Work in pairs. Use the models in 1 to make similar conversations for these situations. One of you is A, the other is B. Use the tips and expressions below to help you.

1. A and B don't know each other. They are at a birthday party of a mutual friend. A starts a conversation with B. They make small talk and discover they are both interested in a career in the media industry.

2. A and B are both members of their school's Media Club. They are not close friends. They meet in the local park by chance. B starts a conversation with A. They make small talk and find out they are both in charge of promoting a school event.

Read the following text and complete the table below.

MASS MEDIA AROUND THE WORLD

There are different types of mass media and some work better than others in different situations. They could be as advanced as digital billboards, or as simple as public loudspeakers.

Digital billboards

Unlike a traditional billboard which can only show one printed image, a digital billboard can change between different messages. Digital billboards are also considered more attractive than traditional ones, and people are more likely to notice them. Moreover, they can also be updated in real time.

Nowadays, digital billboards are common in many big cities around the world. It is hard to imagine places like Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London, or Shibuya in Tokyo without bright light adverts. Although they are growing in popularity, there have been concerns about their impact on the surrounding environment. Global light pollution is increasing each year. The constant light emitted by digital billboards often confuses birds, harms insects, and causes health problems in humans, too.

Public loudspeakers

In the past, public loudspeakers were used during the war to warn people of air attacks. Nowadays, they are still used in parts of Japan, the Philippines, and the US to alert people to natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and tornadoes. In Viet Nam, they are used to communicate important public announcements to residents. However, the noise from a city-wide loudspeaker system can be a problem to some people.