Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
This podcast is designed to give English students extra practice by discussing events, history, culture and language.
Hello and welcome back. In today’s podcast, we will look at how life was in the past, and how it is today. Life has changed a lot in just a short time, and today you will hear four stories about different aspects of life now and in the past. Let’s begin with communication.
Story 1: Communication
Then:
Many years ago, communication was slow. People wrote letters when they wanted to share news. A letter could take many days, or even weeks, to arrive. Sometimes people waited a long time for an answer. If you wanted to speak to someone in another country, it was not easy. You could use the telephone, but it was very expensive. Many families could not call often.
Now:
Today, communication is fast and simple. We can send a text message in just one second. We can write emails or chat with friends on social media. It costs almost nothing, and you can do it anywhere. If you want to see someone, you can use video calls. You can look at their faces, hear their voices and feel close to them — even if they are far away. The way communication has changed has significantly changed our lives.
In what way did people communicate in the past that was really slow? It’s sometimes called ‘snail mail’ because it is so slow … and snails move slowly.
If you said ‘write letters,’ then you are correct.
Story 2: Travel
Then:
In the past, traveling was slow and difficult. People used horses, bicycles or trains. A trip to another city could take many hours or sometimes days. For many families, travel was rare and only for special reasons. Very few people traveled to other countries. A journey by ship could take weeks, and it was often expensive.
Now:
Today, travel is very different. We can fly on airplanes and arrive in another country in just a few hours. Many families travel for holidays, to see new places, or to visit relatives. Travel is also safer now and more comfortable. We can take fast trains, buses, cars, and planes. For many people, the world feels smaller because it is easier to go from one place to another.
Coach Nandor talked about taking a journey by ship in the past. What exactly is a journey?
It’s just traveling from one place to another – like a trip, but this word is often used to talk about a long trip, like a trip across the sea.
Story 3: Free Time
Then:
In the past, people had less technology, but they often spent more time outside. Children played in the streets, in the park, or in the fields. Families sat together after dinner, talked, or played games. People read books or listened to the radio. Life was simpler, and sometimes quieter.
Now:
Today, we have many kinds of technology for fun. We have smartphones, video games, and streaming TV. But sometimes people spend too much time looking at screens. Children play less outside, and families talk less at the table. Everyone is busy with their phone or their computer. Life is faster, but sometimes we feel more tired or less connected to each other.
What aspect of life was Coach Eunice talking about?
If you said ‘free time,’ you got it.
Story 4: School
Then:
In the past, school was very simple. Children studied with chalkboards, notebooks, and paper books. Teachers wrote on the blackboard with chalk. If students wanted more information, they went to the library and read books. There were no computers in the classroom. Learning was slower, and sometimes students could not find all the answers they wanted.
Now:
Today, school is much more modern. Many children use tablets and laptops in class. Teachers use big screens, projectors, and online videos. Students can search the internet and find information in just a few seconds. They can even study from home with online lessons. Education is more interactive, more visual, and easier to access. For many students, learning today is faster and more exciting.
Coach Megan talked about school today and in the past. Children both in the past and today use notebooks to study, but the word notebook has two meanings. What are they?
If you said a book with many empty pages to do your homework or write notes AND a laptop, then you are right.
Communication, travel, free time and school have all changed a lot. Then, life was often slower and sometimes more difficult. Now, life is faster, more connected and more modern. Change is often positive, but not always. Which story told us how maybe life today isn’t as good as it was in the past in all aspects?
If you said the story about free time, you are right. But we can change this, too!
You’re homework – organize a family meal at the table and tell your VivaLing coach about it. What did you eat? What did you talk about? Would you like to do it again? We’ll be excited to hear about it.