Students at Media City’s University Technical College took part in a project where they had to stop using their smartphones. Instead, they used simple Nokia phones. This project was organized by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize to see how young people use their smartphones. The students could only make calls and send text messages during this time.

The students had different experiences without their smartphones. Some liked being free from social media and constant notifications. Others found it hard because the basic phones didn’t have many features. This project shows how much young people rely on their smartphones.

This project happened when people are talking more about smartphone addiction. It gave students a chance to think about how they use their phones. While smartphones are great for communication and information, it’s important not to depend on them too much. Finding a balance is key to using smartphones in a healthy way.

Original news source: College students on life without a smartphone (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of actions or activities related to smartphone use (e.g. texting, taking a selfie, scrolling through social media). One student from each group will act out the action without using any words, and the rest of the group will try to guess what it is. The group that guesses the most actions correctly wins.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Have the students form pairs or small groups. Ask them to discuss and share their opinions on the following question: “Do you think young people rely too much on smartphones? Why or why not?” After discussing, have each group choose a spokesperson to present their opinions to the class. Encourage them to provide reasons and examples to support their opinions.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words related to the article (e.g. smartphone, addiction, communication, balance). One student from each team will come to the front of the class and draw a picture to represent one of the words. The rest of the team must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down several keywords from the article on separate index cards (e.g. smartphones, project, addiction, balance). Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class. Their team members must describe the keyword on the card without using the actual word. The student at the front must guess the keyword within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students discuss and make predictions about the future of smartphone use. Encourage them to think about how smartphones might evolve and how people’s reliance on them might change. After discussing, have each group choose a spokesperson to share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the students have to stop using for the project?
2. What kind of phones did the students use instead?
3. How did some of the students feel without their smartphones?
4. Why did some students find it hard without their smartphones?
5. What did this project show about young people and their smartphones?
6. Why did this project happen?
7. What is important when using smartphones in a healthy way?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Students at (1)______ City’s University Technical College took part in a project where they had to stop (2)______ their smartphones. Instead, they used simple Nokia phones. This project was organized by BBC Radio 5 (3)______ and BBC Bitesize to see how young people use their smartphones. The (4)______ could only make (5)______ and send text messages during this time.

The students had different experiences without their smartphones. Some liked being (6)______ from social media and constant notifications. Others found it hard because the basic phones didn’t (7)______ many features. This (8)______ shows how much young people rely on their (9)______.

This project happened when people are talking more about smartphone addiction. It gave students a chance to think about how they use their phones. While smartphones are great for (10)______ and (11)______, it’s (12)______ not to depend on them too much. Finding a balance is key to using smartphones in a healthy way.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a smartphone?
2. How would you feel if you had to stop using your smartphone for a while?
3. Do you like using social media on your smartphone? Why or why not?
4. What features do you think are important to have on a phone?
5. How do you think young people use their smartphones?
6. Do you think it’s important to find a balance when using smartphones? Why or why not?
7. What are some ways you can use a smartphone for communication?
8. How do you feel when you get notifications on your phone?
9. What are some other ways you can get information besides using a smartphone?
10. Do you think people can become addicted to their smartphones? Why or why not?
11. How do you think you would feel if you had to use a basic phone without many features?
12. What are some activities you can do instead of using your smartphone?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. project
2. organized
3. experiences
4. notifications
5. rely
6. addiction
7. communication
8. information
9. balance
10. healthy
11. features
12. depend

Meanings:
(A) Things that happen to you or things you do
(B) Talking or sharing ideas with others
(C) A task or activity that people work on together
(D) A strong need to do something all the time
(E) To need something to work or survive
(F) Being well and not sick
(G) Having the right amount of different things
(H) To trust or need something or someone
(I) Alerts or messages that pop up on your phone
(J) Facts or details about something
(K) Planned and arranged
(L) Special parts or qualities of something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What project did the students at Media City’s University Technical College take part in?
(a) A project to use their smartphones more
(b) A project to stop using their smartphones
(c) A project to buy new smartphones
(d) A project to learn about smartphones

2. Who organized the project?
(a) BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize
(b) The students themselves
(c) The school principal
(d) The government

3. What could the students do with the simple Nokia phones?
(a) Use social media and play games
(b) Make calls and send text messages
(c) Take photos and watch videos
(d) Use apps and browse the internet

4. How did some students feel without their smartphones?
(a) Felt bored and lonely
(b) Missed their smartphones a lot
(c) Liked being free from social media and constant notifications
(d) Found it hard to make calls and send text messages

5. What does this project show about young people?
(a) They don’t use smartphones at all
(b) They prefer using basic phones
(c) They don’t like social media
(d) They rely on their smartphones a lot

6. What are people talking more about these days?
(a) Television addiction
(b) Computer addiction
(c) Video game addiction
(d) Smartphone addiction

7. What is important when using smartphones?
(a) Finding a balance
(b) Using them all the time
(c) Depending on them too much
(d) Ignoring notifications

8. Who should use smartphones in a healthy way?
(a) Only young people
(b) Only adults
(c) Everyone
(d) No one

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Other students struggled because the basic phones didn’t offer many features.
2. Some students enjoyed not using their smartphones because they were free from social media and constant notifications.
3. The project was organized by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize.
4. The students could only make calls and send text messages during the assignment.
5. They used basic Nokia phones instead of their smartphones.
6. It is important to find a balance and not depend too much on smartphones.
7. Students at a technical college had to stop using their smartphones for a project.
8. This project illustrates how little young people depend on their smartphones.
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 did the students at Media City’s University Technical College have to do for the project?
2. How did the students feel about not using their smartphones?
3. Why is this project important?
4. What are some of the benefits of using smartphones?
5. Why is it important to find a balance when using smartphones?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the students have to stop using for the project?
They had to stop using their smartphones.

2. What kind of phones did the students use instead?
They used simple Nokia phones.

3. How did some of the students feel without their smartphones?
Some of the students liked being free from social media and constant notifications.

4. Why did some students find it hard without their smartphones?
Some students found it hard because the basic phones didn’t have many features.

5. What did this project show about young people and their smartphones?
This project showed that young people rely on their smartphones a lot.

6. Why did this project happen?
This project happened to see how young people use their smartphones and to raise awareness about smartphone addiction.

7. What is important when using smartphones in a healthy way?
It is important to find a balance and not depend on smartphones too much.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Media
(2) using
(3) Live
(4) students
(5) calls
(6) free
(7) have
(8) project
(9) smartphones
(10) communication
(11) information
(12) important
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. project
Answer: (C) A task or activity that people work on together

2. organized
Answer: (K) Planned and arranged

3. experiences
Answer: (A) Things that happen to you or things you do

4. notifications
Answer: (I) Alerts or messages that pop up on your phone

5. rely
Answer: (H) To trust or need something or someone

6. addiction
Answer: (D) A strong need to do something all the time

7. communication
Answer: (B) Talking or sharing ideas with others

8. information
Answer: (J) Facts or details about something

9. balance
Answer: (G) Having the right amount of different things

10. healthy
Answer: (F) Being well and not sick

11. features
Answer: (L) Special parts or qualities of something

12. depend
Answer: (E) To need something to work or survive
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What project did the students at Media City’s University Technical College take part in?
Answer: (b) A project to stop using their smartphones

2. Who organized the project?
Answer: (a) BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize

3. What could the students do with the simple Nokia phones?
Answer: (b) Make calls and send text messages

4. How did some students feel without their smartphones?
Answer: (c) Liked being free from social media and constant notifications

5. What does this project show about young people?
Answer: (d) They rely on their smartphones a lot

6. What are people talking more about these days?
Answer: (d) Smartphone addiction

7. What is important when using smartphones?
Answer: (a) Finding a balance

8. Who should use smartphones in a healthy way?
Answer: (c) Everyone
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Other students struggled because the basic phones didn’t offer many features. (Answer: False)
2. Some students enjoyed not using their smartphones because they were free from social media and constant notifications. (Answer: True)
3. The project was organized by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize. (Answer: True)
4. The students could only make calls and send text messages during the assignment. (Answer: False)
5. They used basic Nokia phones instead of their smartphones. (Answer: False)
6. It is important to find a balance and not depend too much on smartphones. (Answer: True)
7. Students at a technical college had to stop using their smartphones for a project. (Answer: True)
8. This project illustrates how little young people depend on their smartphones. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧