Computers

The subject of this week’s lesson is computers.

The nineteenth-century British mathematician and philosopher Charles Babbage is credited with having drawn up the first ever designs for a machine capable of operating as a rudimentary form of computer. He was born on 26th December 1791.

Level

Pre-intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level A2-B1 and above)

Student's Worksheet PDF (76K) DOC (135K)
Teacher's Notes PDF (76K) DOC (18K)
Glossary PDF (77K) DOC (28K)

Related Websites

Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4780000/newsid_4786500/4786565.stm

A BBC Newsround forum (2006) asking ‘How important is your computer to you?’ Aimed primarily at children and younger teenagers. Appropriate for pre-intermediate level.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/technology_launch.shtml

From the BBC Radio 4 website, this shows the results of a survey that asked people what they regarded as the most important technological innovation since 1800. The computer came in fourth place, with the bicycle far ahead in first. Intermediate level and above.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2000/dot_life/1488567.stm

Another BBC article (2001), published on the twentieth anniversary of the launch by IBM of the one of the first ever ‘personal computers’. The piece is followed by comments from various people on the impact personal computers (and the internet) have had on their lives. Some of the comments would be accessible to pre-intermediate level.