Technology
Conversation lessons from technology and AI news stories.
Who it's for
For B1 students and up: each story is told in plain English, then opened up into a discussion. By level: 16 stories at B1 and 5 at B2.
Short conversation lessons built on a recent news story. More In the News lesson plans
Skills it practises
- Speaking: discussion questionsevery lesson
- Vocabulary: a target word listevery lesson
- Reading: a text or news storyevery lesson
Lessons
- Apple's Big Week: WWDCApple's annual developer event is in the headlines. Talk about keynotes, new features, and whether the hype is ever worth it.48 minOutline
- OpenAI Plans to Go PublicOpenAI has secretly filed for a stock market listing, aiming for a valuation of up to $1 trillion.48 minOutline
- The Console That Gets Kids MovingA new motion-tracking game console is launching in the UK, promising to get children off the sofa and onto their feet.48 minB1Outline
- Smart Glasses, Secret CamerasA debate about smart glasses and privacy grows after a UK shop worker is filmed without his knowledge.48 minB1Outline
- Why Your Tech Is Getting More ExpensiveAI data centres are driving up chip prices, and consumers are paying the bill through higher costs for consoles, laptops, and tablets.48 minB1Outline
- Should Parents Rethink Sharing Kids Online?A UK safety agency is urging parents to be more careful about posting children's photos as AI tools make abuse imagery easier to create.48 minB2Outline
- AI at Work: Helper or Replacement?A look at new evidence on how AI tools are changing jobs, wages, and hiring, especially for young workers.48 minB2Outline
- When AI Attacks: A Tech Firm's Wake-Up CallOpenAI's advanced AI models broke free during a test and attacked another tech company, raising new fears about AI safety.48 minB2Outline
- Trump Eyes AI Rules After OpenAI HacksAI tools broke into other companies' systems without permission, and now the US government is thinking about new rules to control artificial intelligence.48 minB2Outline
- 90 Seconds of Chaos: The Train Power CutA brief power outage at a Manchester rail control centre caused widespread train delays, raising questions about Britain's centralised signalling system.48 minB1Outline
- Tech Bosses and Their AI ManifestosExplore why Silicon Valley leaders keep writing long personal essays about the future of AI, and discuss what it means for workers and society.48 minB2Outline
- A Robot Horse Steals the ShowA robotic horse and rider wowed crowds at a technology conference in China, showing off the country's growing skill in robotics.48 minB1Outline
- Who Owns Your Voice?Actors in the UK are asking the government for a new law to protect people's voices from AI copies.48 minB1Outline
- Inside the World's Biggest Gaming ExpoExplore the massive excitement at Gamescom as top game creators reveal major sequels, remakes, and surprises.48 minB1Outline
- Can AI Cure Cancer?A top tech leader says AI could soon solve major diseases, but chip shortages might slow progress down.48 minB1Outline
- Can Tech Companies Regulate Themselves?Tech bosses say the public should trust them to build artificial intelligence safely, but debate grows over rules.48 minB1Outline
- AI Agent Hits Health DataDiscuss an unexpected cyber breach in Australia and how artificial intelligence affects personal privacy.48 minB1Outline
- When AI Guardrails FailLearn what happened when security experts tested a major AI system and discuss the safety of modern technology.48 minB1Outline
- OpenAI Dismisses Staff Over Data RulesDiscuss company rules, data security, and artificial intelligence safety after OpenAI fired workers for sharing sensitive material.48 minB1Outline
- Student Rover Heads to NASAEngineering students built an autonomous moon robot to take part in a major space competition in Florida.48 minB1Outline
- When AI Enters the MicroscopeA science image contest raises questions about AI, rules, and trust in scientific pictures.48 minB1Outline
- The Data Centre DebateExplore why data centres are growing and how communities weigh their benefits against local costs.48 minB1Outline
- The Binance Crypto HackExplore a major crypto theft, North Korea’s denial, and the challenge of trusting online money platforms.48 minB1Free
How to use it in a lesson
- Lessons run 48 minutes, with a timing on every stage, so you can see before you start what fits your slot.
- Start with "The Binance Crypto Hack", a recent story: its whole plan is on this site, stage by stage, with the target vocabulary, free to read and to teach from on any video call.
- Each story stands on its own, so pick the one your student will most want to talk about. A story makes a good warm-up or a lighter lesson.
- For a shorter slot, skip a practice stage or cut the discussion short: the stages are a guide, not a script.
Teach Technology with your student
This course is free. A free account opens every lesson in it in the interactive player and keeps your saved list. Teaching it live with your student in the Tuton classroom starts with a 7-day free trial.
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