Lily asks
How has technology changed the way you keep in touch with people?
How to build your answer
Reflect: four moves, about a minute.
- 1ThenHow things used to be.
- 2What changedThe moment or the reason.
- 3What you learnedOne honest line.
- 4NowHow you see it today.
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
Oh, completely. When I was a kid, we had one phone in the hallway, and if you wanted to talk to a friend, you had to ring their house and hope their mum wasn't in a bad mood. Now I just text people all day. Little things, like a photo of my lunch, or a quick, are you still coming tonight? It's so much easier to check in with people without making a big deal of it. Video calls are great too, especially with my friend Hannah, who moved to Australia. The only downside is that I sometimes forget to actually call. Texting feels like enough, but it isn't really, is it? So I'm trying to pick up the phone more, especially with my nan.
Phrases to borrow
check in (with someone)
/ˈtʃek ɪn (wɪð ˈsʌmwʌn)/
contact someone briefly to see how they are
I'll check in with you after the meeting.
the only downside is ...
/ði ˈəʊnli ˈdaʊnsaɪd ɪz/
the one bad thing about something good
I love my flat. The only downside is the noise.
pick up the phone
/pɪk ʌp ðə fəʊn/
call someone, or answer a call
Why don't you just pick up the phone and ask her?
Natural
Lily's voice note
It's changed completely. When I was a kid, we had one phone in the hallway, so to talk to a friend, you had to ring their house and hope their mum was in a good mood. Now I text people all day, little things like a photo of my lunch, or are you still coming tonight? It's an easy way to stay up to date with everyone. Video calls are great too, especially with my friend Hannah, who moved to Australia. Without them, we'd probably have drifted apart. But texting can feel like enough, when it isn't really. So I'm trying to make the effort and actually call people more, especially my nan. She loves a proper chat on the phone.
Phrases to borrow
stay up to date (with something)
/ˈsteɪ ʌp tə ˈdeɪt (wɪð ˈsʌmθɪŋ)/
keep knowing the latest news or information
I read the news to stay up to date.
drift apart
/drɪft əˈpɑːt/
slowly become less close to someone
We were best friends at school, but we drifted apart.
make the effort
/meɪk ði ˈefət/
try hard to do something, even if it's not easy
He always makes the effort to remember birthdays.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Massively. Growing up, we had one phone in the hallway. If you wanted to talk to a friend, you rang their house and prayed their mum wasn't in a bad mood. Now I text people all day: a photo of my lunch, a quick, are you still coming tonight? It's a world away from that hallway phone, and it helps me stay in the loop without even trying. Video calls with my friend Hannah, who moved to Australia, have been a real godsend. The catch is that texting can feel like enough, when it really isn't. Technology keeps the door open, but you still have to walk through it. So I'm trying to pick up the phone more, especially with my nan.
Phrases to borrow
a world away from something
/ə wɜːld əˈweɪ frəm ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
completely different from something
My quiet village is a world away from London.
stay in the loop
/steɪ ɪn ðə luːp/
keep getting information about what is happening
Add me to the group so I can stay in the loop.
a godsend
/ə ˈɡɒdsend/
something very helpful that arrives when you really need it
The extra day off was a real godsend.
keep the door open
/kiːp ðə dɔː ˈəʊpən/
keep a chance or connection possible
Let's keep the door open for working together again.
Your turn: answer Lily
How has technology changed the way you keep in touch with people?
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Everyday technology
stay up to date (with something)
keep knowing the latest news or information
“I read the news to stay up to date.”
heytardy