🎬 Interactive video — script & questions
SPEAKER 1: Hi Maya! How was your day?
SPEAKER 2: It was good, thanks. I spent most of the afternoon on Instagram.
SPEAKER 1: Really? What did you do on Instagram?
SPEAKER 2: I looked at photos from my friends' holidays. I saw pictures of their trip to Spain. It looked amazing!
SPEAKER 1: That sounds nice. Did you post any photos yourself?
SPEAKER 2: Yes, I posted three photos from my garden. I took them yesterday. My friends liked them a lot.
SPEAKER 1: That's great. How many followers do you have now?
SPEAKER 2: I have about two thousand followers. I got fifty new followers last week!
SPEAKER 1: Wow, that's impressive. Do you use other social media apps?
SPEAKER 2: Yes, I use TikTok as well. I watched some funny videos there last night. I laughed so much!
SPEAKER 1: Did you create any videos?
SPEAKER 2: No, I didn't create any videos. I just watched them. But I want to make some videos soon. My sister made a dance video last month and it was very popular.
SPEAKER 1: You should try! I think you would be good at it.
- What did Maya do on Instagram?
- a) She posted holiday photos
- b) She looked at photos from her friends' holidays
- c) She watched dance videos
- d) She followed new people
- When did Maya take the photos she posted?
- a) Last week
- b) Last night
- c) Yesterday
- d) This morning
- How many followers did Maya get last week?
- a) Twenty followers
- b) Fifty followers
- c) Two thousand followers
- d) One hundred followers
- Did Maya create any TikTok videos last night?
- a) Yes, she created two videos
- b) Yes, she created one dance video
- c) No, she didn't create any videos
- d) She didn't say
- What did Maya's sister do last month?
- a) She posted photos on Instagram
- b) She got fifty new followers
- c) She made a dance video
- d) She watched funny videos
📖 Reading
Last month, Maria got a new phone. She was very excited because her old phone was slow and the camera didn't work well. On the first day, she downloaded ten new apps and spent three hours setting everything up.
Maria loves social media. Every evening, she posts photos of her food, her cat, and her friends. Yesterday, she posted a photo of her breakfast and got fifty likes in just one hour! She also watched some funny videos and shared them with her brother.
Last weekend, something strange happened. Maria was chatting with her friend online when her phone suddenly turned off. The battery was empty! She didn't have a charger with her, so she couldn't use her phone for the rest of the day. At first, she felt worried, but then she went for a walk in the park instead.
"It was actually nice," Maria said later. "I talked to real people and I noticed the trees and the birds. I usually look at my phone all the time, so this was different for me." Now, Maria is going to try one "phone-free" day every week. She thinks it will help her relax and spend more time with her family.
🗣️ Speaking — discussion
Context
- Social media influencers are people with large online followings who share content and recommendations with their audiences.
- Influencers earn money by promoting products, services, and brands to their followers.
- Some influencers started on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube and became very famous and wealthy.
- Young people often follow influencers and are influenced by their lifestyle choices, fashion, and purchases.
- There are debates about whether influencers are honest in their recommendations and whether they have a positive or negative impact on society.
Themes
- Money and Fame — Social media influencers can earn large amounts of money through sponsorships and advertisements, which raises questions about what people value in modern culture.
- Authenticity vs. Performance — Influencers carefully curate their online image, which creates a gap between their real lives and what they show on social media.
- Consumer Influence — Influencers shape what their followers buy, wear, and use, which can impact spending habits and self-esteem, especially among young people.
- Digital Responsibility — Influencers have power over millions of people, so there are questions about their responsibility to be honest and promote healthy behaviors.
Personal Response
- Do you follow any social media influencers? What did you like about their content?
- Have you ever bought something because an influencer recommended it? How did that make you feel?
- What kind of content do you enjoy watching on social media—fashion, fitness, lifestyle, or something else?
Themes & Ideas
- Why do you think people want to follow influencers and copy their style?
- Do you think influencers show their real lives, or do they only show the best parts? Why?
- What problems do you think influencers create for young people?
Critical Thinking
- When an influencer recommends a product, how do you know if they really like it or if they were paid to promote it?
- Is it fair that influencers earn so much money just by posting photos and videos? Why or why not?
- What rules or laws do you think social media companies should create for influencers?
Cultural & Social Topics
- How has social media changed the way young people think about beauty and body image?
- Do you think influencers have a responsibility to teach their followers healthy habits?
- What is the difference between being famous on social media and being famous in traditional media like TV and film?
🎭 Classroom activity
Role-play activity: Divide the class into pairs. One student is an influencer, and the other is a journalist conducting an interview. The journalist asks questions about how the influencer creates content, earns money, and feels about their responsibility to followers. Encourage students to use simple past tense when talking about how they started their careers.
✏️ Questions
- Last night, I ___ (download) a new app to edit my photos before I posted them online.
- She ___ (not/see) my message yesterday, so she didn't reply to my comment.
- ___ you ___ (watch) that funny video on social media last week?
- My phone ___ (break) when I dropped it while I was taking a selfie.
- We ___ (have) a video call with our friends in Japan last Sunday.
- The app ___ (not/work) properly yesterday, so I couldn't upload my story.
- Why was Maria excited about her new phone?
- a) Her old phone was slow and the camera didn't work well
- b) Her friend gave her the phone as a present
- c) She never had a phone before
- d) It was cheaper than her old phone
- How many likes did Maria get on her breakfast photo?
- a) Ten
- b) Fifty
- c) Three
- d) One hundred
- What happened to Maria's phone last weekend?
- a) She lost it in the park
- b) It broke completely
- c) The battery was empty
- d) Someone stole it
- What did Maria do when she couldn't use her phone?
- a) She bought a new charger
- b) She went for a walk in the park
- c) She borrowed her brother's phone
- d) She stayed home and slept
- What does Maria plan to do in the future?
- a) Buy a more expensive phone
- b) Stop using social media forever
- c) Have one phone-free day every week
- d) Delete all her social media apps
- In the text, what does the word "charger" mean?
- a) A device used to give power to a phone's battery
- b) A person who repairs phones
- c) A type of phone case
- d) A fast internet connection