Speaking Skills: Talking about computers

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Speaking skills - Talking about computers

Learning goals

Skills: Listening

Language: Computer vocabulary

Language: Giving instructions

Task: Write some step-by-step instructions

Speaking Skills: Talking about computers

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Rich is having some problems on his computer and can't change his Fantasy Football team. He calls Jack for some technical help. focus on being polite and the words and expressions you should use to show politeness.The language focus is on words and phrases we use to talk about computers and giving instructions. Your task is to write some step-by-step instructions for other listeners on the Premier Skills English website. As always, we also have a new football phrase for you to guess. Enjoy!

If the listening was a bit difficult, you can listen again and read the transcript at the same time.

Read and listen.

Speaking Skills - Talking about Computers
Intro:

Rich: ah.... Come on... load! I just can’t get this page to load. I need to change my fantasy football team. The deadline is in one hour! Error, error … computers … I’m going to give Jack a call. He’ll know how to fix it. Yep, I’ll give him a quick call on Skype.

Jack: Hi Rich. How’s it going?

Rich: Good. Well, not that good. I’m having a few problems with my computer I can’t get this page to load. I need to change my fantasy football team. I’ve only got an hour before the deadline!

Jack: Ahhh! I think you should choose Harry Kane as your captain this week.

Rich: Great, but I don’t need help choosing my team, I need some help getting my computer to work. I was wondering if you might be able to help?

Jack: No, problem, I can take a look. What’s not working?

Rich: Every time I try to open the page, it says error.

Jack: Could you send me a screenshot of the error message?

Rich: How do you do that?

Jack: Don’t worry. We can look at that later. Would you mind sharing your screen with me?

Rich: Er … you’re in the UK Jack and I’m in Spain. It might take a long time to get to you.

Jack: You don’t need to send it me physically. We can share screens online … through Skype.

Rich: Ahhh! Sorry, Jack this could be a long call.

Welcome - Talking about computers

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich

Jack: and I’m Jack

Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?

Rich: I’ve been having a few problems with my computer lately so, in this week’s podcast, we’re going to take a look at some of the language we need to discuss our computer and how it works or not works in my case!

Jack: Don’t worry, we’re not going to get too technical. We can’t because Rich would get too confused!

Rich: Very funny. In our practice conversation, we will use lots of nouns connected to computers and you will be able to test your knowledge and understanding of these words in the activities on the page below this podcast.

Jack: But, in the podcast, we’re going to focus on the verbs and phrases that might be more difficult to understand when talking about computers and computer problems.

Rich: At the end of the podcast, your task will be to write some step-by-step instructions about how to do something on your computer using language that you have heard in this podcast.

Jack: Don’t forget, there is more information about the language we use on the page below and activities to help you understand.

Rich: Make sure you listen to the end of the podcast because we have another football phrase for you as well.

Topic Focus

Jack: In this section, we’re going to roleplay a situation where Rich is having a few problems with his computer and I’m going to help him.

Rich: This is a roleplay but it’s actually something I do quite often - call Jack for some technical advice with my computer.

Jack: While you are listening we want you to try to answer two questions.

Rich: The first question is: What problem or problems do I have?

Jack: And the second question is: Do I solve Rich’s problem for him?

Rich: OK. Let’s start.

Roleplay

Jack: OK, Rich. You have a problem with your computer. What exactly is the problem?

Rich: Well, I need to change my fantasy football team. Raheem Sterling is suspended so I want to replace him with Kevin De Bruyne. I’ve only got an hour.

Jack: That’s great, Rich, but I didn’t mean the problems you have with your fantasy football team, I meant what’s the problem with your computer.

Rich: Ahh! Right, yes. I’m trying to look at the Fantasy Football homepage and the page won’t load. I’m just getting a blank screen.

Jack: Is it just Fantasy Football or is it everything? Can you try loading BBC or something?

Rich: That doesn’t work either. Just a blank page.

Jack: Mmm … OK, there are a few things to try before we get too technical. First of all, let’s check to see if your WIFI is on.

Rich: How do I know if it’s on or not?

Jack: OK, have a look in the bottom right corner of your screen. Can you see something that looks like a slice of pizza with some lines through it?

Rich: Er … no slice of pizza

Jack: Is there a little arrow pointing up?

Rich: Yes.

Jack: OK, click on that. You should see the pizza slice now.

Rich: I see it.

Jack: That’s the WIFI icon to say you’re connected. Click on it or hover over it with your mouse. What does it say?

Rich: Internet access - connected - secured.

Jack: So, you’re connected. Mmm. Could you press F5 on your keyboard and see if anything changes? F5 refreshes your page - it loads it again.

Rich: No nothing. Still a blank page.

Jack: Let’s try something else.

…

Rich: OK, what should I try now?

Jack: Which browser are you using?

Rich: Browser?

Jack: Which web browser. Are you using Google Chrome?

Rich: Err … internet explorer …

Jack: Really? Try opening another one. Open Google Chrome and see if that works.

Rich: I don’t think I have Google Chrome.

Jack: Oh really? OK, you’re going to have to install it then.

Rich: How do I install it?

Jack: You need to download it. Just type download Google Chrome and follow the instructions.

Rich: OK, I see it.

Jack: Call me back when you’ve got it, alright?

…

Rich: Hi, again. I can see a little google picture on my screen.

Jack: That’s a desktop icon. It’s a shortcut that will take you where you want to go. Click on it and see if Chrome opens.

Rich: Still a blank screen. Nothing.

Jack: Really? Could you try turning your computer off and on?

Rich: OK, I’ll call you back.

…

Rich: Everything’s working now. Thanks Jack! I’m using Chrome and looking at the Fantasy Football homepage. I can change my team now. These computers - they have a mind of their own!

Jack: They really don’t, Rich. At least you can change your fantasy football team now. Remember I’d go for Harry Kane as captain this week and get Sterling out of your team he’s suspended remember!

Rich: I’ve got 15 minutes until the deadline. Speak later.

…

Jack: Earlier, we asked you two questions. What problem does Rich have and Do I solve Rich’s computer problem?

Rich: Can you answer those questions now? …

Jack: The answers are: Rich’s problem was accessing the internet and Did I solve Rich’s problem? Well, maybe. I helped but I’m not sure the solution was directly because of me!

Language Focus

Jack: When we are helping someone do something on the computer or wherever we usually have to give them instructions. When we give instructions we often use the imperative. The imperative is the infinitive without ‘to’. I said: ‘click on that or this’ or ‘hover over that’ in the conversation.

Rich: We use the imperative for all types of instructions. A coach giving instructions to his players will use the imperative a lot. The coach would use verbs like ‘run’, ‘shoot’, ‘pass’ and ‘tackle’.

Jack: It’s very useful. We could tell people how to make a cake using verbs like ‘use’, ‘mix’, ‘pour’ and ‘heat’.

Rich: Or how to change a tyre on a car using verbs like ‘put’, ‘raise’, ‘take off’ and ‘put on’.

Jack: Another thing you might have noticed was how we link the different instructions together. Earlier I said ‘first of all let’s see if your WIFI is on’ but you can also say things like ‘the first thing you do is’, ‘firstly’ or ‘to start with’.

Rich: To link different steps together we can use linking words like: ‘next’, ‘then’ ‘after this’. We might say ‘firstly’ at the beginning but we don’t usually say ‘secondly’ or ‘thirdly’ it doesn’t sound very natural. It’s better to say something like ‘then what you do is’ or ‘when you’ve done this you ...’.

Jack: We don’t always just use the imperative when giving instructions. We use lots of polite questions too. You might have noticed me asking Rich a few of these earlier.

Rich: Jack said ‘Could you press F5 on your keyboard?’ and ‘Could you try turning your computer off and on?’.

Jack: Imperatives can be a bit rude sometimes because they are orders. So, we often change the order into a request by adding a modal verb like in the examples above.

Rich: If you wanted to be even more polite, you could have said ‘Would you mind pressing F5 on your keyboard?’ or ‘Would you be so kind as to turn your computer on and off?’

Jack: Yes, I could have said that but I don’t think it was necessary. That was too formal. If you want to learn more about being polite in English take a look at last week’s podcast. There is a link on the side of this page.

Rich: In this week’s podcast we’ve been looking at the language of computers and giving instructions. There are some activities below to help you with this.

Jack: And this week’s task is to give us some instructions about how to do something on a computer. It could be how to copy and paste something, how to take a screenshot, how to add an attachment to an email. Anything really.

Rich: The important thing is to use some of the language we’ve used in this podcast. We want you to write some step-by-step instructions for other listeners.

Jack: And we want you to look at other listeners instructions and follow them on your computer or laptop. Let other listeners know if you can follow their instructions or not.

Can you work out this week’s football phrase?

Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us this week?

Jack: Yes, I have, but first, last week’s football phrase. The phrase was transfer window. The transfer window is closed. Clubs can’t sign any new players until January.

Rich: I’m pretty happy with Liverpool’s transfer business this summer!

Jack: Well done to Elghoul and Khaldoun83 from Algeria, RafaelRC from Brazil, Emir from Bosnia, Liubomyr and Violinka from Ukraine, Ahmed Adam from Sudan and Kwesimanifest from Ghana. You all got the right answer.

Rich: What’s this week’s football phrase?

Jack: This week’s football phrase is *********** *****. The *********** ***** is a point in the Premier League season where there are no Premier League matches because many players are away playing for their countries in international tournaments or friendlies.

Rich: I’m always a bit disappointed when the *********** ***** arrives as it means Liverpool aren’t playing.

Jack: Don’t worry Rich. It’s only a week. Maybe you can fix your computer this weekend instead?

Rich: Good idea. Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below.

Jack: And don’t forget to listen to our new round-up show called ‘This Week’. All the action from Matchweek 3 is on the Premier Skills homepage now.

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football!

How much did you understand?

In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words in bold?

Raheem Sterling is suspended so I want to replace him with Kevin De Bruyne.

Could you send me a screenshot of the error message?

There were a few more tricky words in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words.

Activity 1: In this activity, try to match the words and phrases to their definitions. All of the words were in this week's podcast.

Rich needs to change his fantasy football team. Do you play fantasy football?

Computers - Nouns

In this week's podcast, Jack and Rich spoke a lot about computers. First of all, let's look at some of the hardware (the physical parts of a computer) and some other common nouns we may need to use when talking about computers. Take a look at these phrases from the podcast. Do you know what the nouns in bold mean?

Could you press F5 on your keyboard and see if anything changes?

That's the WIFI icon to say you're connected. Click on it or hover over it with your mouse.

Take a look at the following activity and see how well you know common nouns that are used in connection with computers. If you're not sure, listen to the podcast again because Jack and Rich used all of the words.

Activity 2: In this activity, complete the sentences using the correct noun from the podcast.

Computers - Verbs

Sometimes, you might know all the nouns but it can be still difficult to describe a problem. This is usually because you know the objects (the nouns) but you don't know which verb to use. Take a look at these phrases from the podcast. Do you know what the verbs in bold mean?

F5 refreshes your page. It loads the page again.

You'll have to download Google Chrome to install it on your computer.

Activity 3: In this activity, complete the sentences using the correct verb from the podcast.

Do you think it might be time for Rich to change his computer?

Giving Instructions

In the podcast, Jack gave some instructions to Rich to help him on his computer. When we give instructions we often use the imperative. The imperative form is made by using the infinitive of the verb (the infinitive without 'to'). Here is an example from the podcast:

Click on it or hover over it with your mouse.

If we want to be more polite we usually add a modal verb such as 'could' to make the command (imperative) into a request. For example:

Could you press F5 on your keyboard?

When giving a series of instructions it's more natural in speech and writing to join the different instructions together with linking words. Look at the example below:

There are many different linking words that can be used to describe a sequence of instructions. Three simple, but commonly used ones are 'next', 'after this' and 'then'.

If you want to practise this more, read this advice about how to prepare for a football match and try to complete the sentences with the right word:

Activity 4: When giving instructions or advice, we often use the imperative and we use simple linking words to put different steps together. In this activity, read the advice and put the verbs and linking words in the correct gaps in the text.

What do you use a computer for?

Step-by-step instructions

In the podcast, Jack gave Rich some instructions to check his internet connection. We want you to give other listeners some step-by-step instructions to follow on a computer. Your task is to write between two and six instructions. The instructions should be a task about computers so other listeners can follow them after they finish listening to the podcast. Try to use some of the expressions we used in the podcast.

Some possible ideas:

How to take and share a screenshot
How to add an attachment to an email
How to record a video for social media
How to make a GIF
How to make my computer run faster

Write your instructions in the comments section below and respond to other listeners instructions, too.

What do you think?

In this week’s podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about the language of computers.

Do you ever have problems with computers? Have you ever helped anyone with a computer problem?

Do you listen to this podcast on a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone? Why?

Look at the task above and write your step-by-step instructions.

Remember to write your guess at this week's football phrase, too!

If you want us to correct your English, just write 'correct me' at the beginning of your comment.