Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a type of computer technology that is starting to be used a lot in accounting. It can do simple jobs like putting together documents, making content, and finding information quickly. These are jobs that usually the newer accountants do. But, some people are worried that because AI can do these jobs, there might not be as many jobs for people, especially since some jobs are already being done by people in other countries. New accountants will have to be good at talking and working with clients.

Because AI is becoming more important in accounting, the way accountants learn their job is changing. Accountants will need to know how to use and manage AI software and how to work well with other people. Some companies that check other companies’ money are teaching their workers about data science. This is so they can be better at finding mistakes or things that don’t look right when they look at a lot of information. AI can make checking a company’s money better by finding risks and helping with making decisions.

Even though AI can do a lot of good things for accounting, some people are watching closely because there have been some big mistakes in the past. AI can help accountants do their job better by doing the boring work for them. This lets the accountants spend more time thinking about the more important parts of their job. In the end, AI could make accounting work better and make sure the quality of checking a company’s money is really good.

Original news source: Could AI take the grind out of accountancy? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down a list of words related to the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat or bowl. Divide the students into two teams. Each team takes turns sending one member to pick a word and act it out without speaking while their team tries to guess the word. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Each pair will read the article individually and then take turns summarizing the main points to their partner. After both have shared, they will work together to create a concise summary of the article. Encourage the use of their own words and understanding.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Prepare a list of statements related to the article. Divide the class into small groups and give each group the list of statements. They must discuss each statement and decide whether they agree or disagree. After the discussion, each group will present their opinions and the reasons behind their choices to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of key vocabulary words from the article. Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a vocabulary word and ask them to draw a picture that represents the word. The other pair must guess the word based on the drawing. Encourage the use of gestures and other non-verbal communication to help with the guessing.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students discuss and make predictions about how AI will continue to impact the field of accounting in the future. They should consider both the positive and negative aspects discussed in the article. Each group will then present their predictions to the class and discuss their reasoning.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is artificial intelligence?
2. What are some simple jobs that AI can do in accounting?
3. Why are some people worried about AI in accounting?
4. How is the way accountants learn their job changing because of AI?
5. Why are some companies teaching their workers about data science?
6. How can AI help accountants do their job better?
7. What could be the result of using AI in accounting?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a type of (1)______ technology that is (2)______ to be used a lot in accounting. It can do (3)______ jobs like putting together documents, making content, and finding information quickly. These are jobs that usually the newer accountants do. But, some people are worried that because AI can do these jobs, there might not be as many jobs for people, especially since some jobs are already being done by people in other (4)______. New accountants will have to be (5)______ at talking and working with (6)______.

Because AI is becoming more important in accounting, the way accountants learn their job is changing. Accountants will need to know how to use and manage AI software and how to work well with other people. Some companies that check other companies’ money are teaching their (7)______ about data science. This is so they can be better at finding mistakes or things that don’t look right when they look at a lot of information. AI can make (8)______ a company’s money better by finding risks and helping with (9)______ decisions.

Even though AI can do a lot of good things for accounting, some people are watching closely because there have been some big mistakes in the past. AI can help accountants do their job better by doing the (10)______ work for them. This lets the accountants spend more time thinking about the more (11)______ parts of their job. In the end, AI could make accounting work better and make (12)______ the quality of checking a company’s money is really good.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is artificial intelligence?
2. How would you feel if a computer could do your job for you?
3. Do you think AI is a good thing for accounting? Why or why not?
4. What are some simple jobs that AI can do in accounting?
5. How do you think AI can help accountants do their job better?
6. Do you like the idea of AI managing money? Why or why not?
7. What do you think are the important parts of an accountant’s job?
8. How do you think AI can make checking a company’s money better?
9. Do you think learning about data science is important for accountants? Why or why not?
10. How do you think AI can help with making decisions in accounting?
11. What are some risks or mistakes that AI might make in accounting?
12. How do you think AI could make accounting work better?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. artificial intelligence
2. accounting
3. documents
4. content
5. software
6. clients
7. data science
8. risks
9. decisions
10. quality
11. mistakes
12. boring

Meanings:
(A) Studying information and statistics to learn from them
(B) Papers that have important information
(C) Errors or wrong actions
(D) The stuff that is written, like stories or information
(E) Programs that tell computers what to do
(F) Keeping track of money for businesses or people
(G) How good or bad something is
(H) Chances that something bad might happen
(I) A smart computer system that can do tasks that usually need human thinking
(J) Choices made after thinking
(K) People or companies that use the services of a professional
(L) Not interesting, making you feel tired
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is AI?
(a) A type of animal
(b) A type of food
(c) A type of computer technology
(d) A type of car

2. What are some simple jobs that AI can do in accounting?
(a) Putting together documents, making content, and finding information quickly
(b) Cooking meals, cleaning houses, and walking dogs
(c) Playing sports, painting pictures, and singing songs
(d) Writing books, solving math problems, and building houses

3. Why are some people worried about AI in accounting?
(a) They think there might not be as many jobs for people
(b) They think AI is too expensive
(c) They think AI is too complicated to use
(d) They think AI is not useful in accounting

4. How is the way accountants learn their job changing because of AI?
(a) They need to know how to play musical instruments
(b) They need to know how to speak different languages
(c) They need to know how to use and manage AI software
(d) They need to know how to paint pictures

5. What are some things that accountants need to be good at because of AI?
(a) Singing and dancing
(b) Cooking and cleaning
(c) Playing sports and solving puzzles
(d) Talking and working with clients

6. What are some ways that AI can help accountants do their job better?
(a) By making their job more difficult
(b) By taking over their job completely
(c) By making their job less important
(d) By doing the boring work for them

7. Why are some people watching AI closely in accounting?
(a) Because AI is too slow and unreliable
(b) Because there have been some big mistakes in the past
(c) Because AI is too expensive to use
(d) Because AI is not useful in accounting

8. How could AI make accounting work better?
(a) By making the job of accountants more difficult
(b) By making sure the quality of checking a company’s money is really good
(c) By taking over the job completely
(d) By making the job less important

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. AI can do simple tasks like making documents, creating content, and finding information quickly.
2. In the end, AI could worsen the quality of checking a company’s money and make accounting work worse.
3. AI can help accountants by doing the boring work for them, which lets them focus on the more important parts of their job.
4. Artificial intelligence is a type of computer technology that is being used more and more in accounting.
5. New accountants will not need to be good at talking and working with clients because AI can do the simpler tasks.
6. Some people are relieved that AI might create more jobs for accountants, especially since some jobs are not being done by people in other countries.
7. Accountants now need to learn how to use and manage AI software and work well with other people.
8. Some companies are neglecting their workers’ education about data science so they can be worse at finding mistakes or things that don’t look right in a lot of information.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is artificial intelligence (AI) and how is it being used in accounting?
2. What are some simple jobs that AI can do in accounting?
3. Why are some people worried about the use of AI in accounting?
4. How is the way accountants learn their job changing because of AI?
5. How can AI help accountants do their job better?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is a type of computer technology that can do tasks like putting together documents, making content, and finding information quickly.

2. What are some simple jobs that AI can do in accounting?
AI can do simple jobs like putting together documents, making content, and finding information quickly.

3. Why are some people worried about AI in accounting?
Some people are worried that AI might take away jobs from people, especially since some jobs are already being done by people in other countries.

4. How is the way accountants learn their job changing because of AI?
Accountants now need to learn how to use and manage AI software and how to work well with other people.

5. Why are some companies teaching their workers about data science?
Some companies are teaching their workers about data science so they can be better at finding mistakes or things that don’t look right when they look at a lot of information.

6. How can AI help accountants do their job better?
AI can help accountants by doing the boring work for them, which allows accountants to spend more time thinking about the more important parts of their job.

7. What could be the result of using AI in accounting?
The result of using AI in accounting could be that accounting work becomes better and the quality of checking a company’s money improves.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) computer
(2) starting
(3) simple
(4) countries
(5) good
(6) clients
(7) workers
(8) checking
(9) making
(10) boring
(11) important
(12) sure
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. artificial intelligence
Answer: (I) A smart computer system that can do tasks that usually need human thinking

2. accounting
Answer: (F) Keeping track of money for businesses or people

3. documents
Answer: (B) Papers that have important information

4. content
Answer: (D) The stuff that is written, like stories or information

5. software
Answer: (E) Programs that tell computers what to do

6. clients
Answer: (K) People or companies that use the services of a professional

7. data science
Answer: (A) Studying information and statistics to learn from them

8. risks
Answer: (H) Chances that something bad might happen

9. decisions
Answer: (J) Choices made after thinking

10. quality
Answer: (G) How good or bad something is

11. mistakes
Answer: (C) Errors or wrong actions

12. boring
Answer: (L) Not interesting, making you feel tired
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is AI?
Answer: (c) A type of computer technology

2. What are some simple jobs that AI can do in accounting?
Answer: (a) Putting together documents, making content, and finding information quickly

3. Why are some people worried about AI in accounting?
Answer: (a) They think there might not be as many jobs for people

4. How is the way accountants learn their job changing because of AI?
Answer: (c) They need to know how to use and manage AI software

5. What are some things that accountants need to be good at because of AI?
Answer: (d) Talking and working with clients

6. What are some ways that AI can help accountants do their job better?
Answer: (d) By doing the boring work for them

7. Why are some people watching AI closely in accounting?
Answer: (b) Because there have been some big mistakes in the past

8. How could AI make accounting work better?
Answer: (b) By making sure the quality of checking a company’s money is really good
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. AI can do simple tasks like making documents, creating content, and finding information quickly. (Answer: True)
2. In the end, AI could worsen the quality of checking a company’s money and make accounting work worse. (Answer: False)
3. AI can help accountants by doing the boring work for them, which lets them focus on the more important parts of their job. (Answer: True)
4. Artificial intelligence is a type of computer technology that is being used more and more in accounting. (Answer: True)
5. New accountants will not need to be good at talking and working with clients because AI can do the simpler tasks. (Answer: False)
6. Some people are relieved that AI might create more jobs for accountants, especially since some jobs are not being done by people in other countries. (Answer: False)
7. Accountants now need to learn how to use and manage AI software and work well with other people. (Answer: True)
8. Some companies are neglecting their workers’ education about data science so they can be worse at finding mistakes or things that don’t look right in a lot of information. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧