|
|
 
|
| |
"Technobabble"
Activity type: Information-gap puzzle
Time: 15–20 minutes
Preparation:  Click here to download the activity sheets. Print them out. Photocopy "Student A" sheets for half of the class and "Student B" sheets for the other half.
Procedure: Have students form pairs. Within each pair, give one partner a student A and the other partner a student B sheet. "Student A" has the even-numbered idioms and the definitions for the odd-numbered idioms. "Student B" has the odd-numbered idioms and the definitions for the even-numbered idioms. Explain that the task is to match the idioms and their definitions. Write the following two models on the board as a guide:
What's the idiom that means . . . ?
What does . . . mean?
When all the pairs have finished this part of the activity, go over the answers. Next have them work together to complete the sentences with the correct idioms. Make sure they understand that it will sometimes be necessary to adapt the idiom either by changing or omitting the form of the verb or by using a different adjective or pronoun.
Option: Set up a contest where the pair that uses the most idioms properly in grammatically correct sentences wins.
Correct answers:
- Internet junkie – someone who is addicted to being on the Internet
|
- dot-com millionaire – someone who has made a lot of money by working on the Internet, usually by starting a website
|
- surf the net – to browse through the Internet
|
- garbage in, garbage out – the quality of the output from a computer program is dependent on the quality of the data that goes into it
|
- computer bug – a fault or defect in a system that negatively affects the hardware or software
|
- technobabble – complicated language used by people in technology fields, usually to seem educated or superior
|
- glued to the computer – your attention is completely on the computer and you cannot stop
|
- computer nerd – someone who finds computers completely engrossing
|
- state-of-the-art – the latest technological advancement in a field
|
- techie – a shortened version of the term "computer technician"
|
- Philip is such a computer nerd because he would rather spend time on the computer than with friends.
- Marty became a dot-com millionaire last year when he sold his website for $20 million.
- We are going to have to call the computer techie again to fix this mainframe problem.
- George needed six hours to track down the computer bug that was disrupting his program.
- We are very proud of our new, micro, state-of-the-art cell phone.
- We surfed the net to find our vacation in France and saved a lot of money!
- The technobabble the computer programmer used was completely incomprehensible to me.
- The new computer system does not work very well, but it's not surprising because the programming was not very good. Garbage in, garbage out!
- I'm worried about John becoming an Internet junkie. He's always on the Internet. It's like a drug to him!
- That new computer game must be good because John has been glued to the computer for hours!
|
|
