APIETechnology and Social Media: Vocabulary and Pronunciation
Technology and social media
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Technology & Social Media
Master 10 essential B2 vocabulary items to analyze how algorithms capture attention, how feeds create distraction, and how to protect digital privacy.
Teacher Guide
Allocate 5 minutes to review the thematic tables, 8 minutes for interactive practice, and 7 minutes for individual shadowing. Verify natural collocations during output.
Learner Guide
Study the memory tips and word families first. Complete the 16 exercises, then hit the microphone to match the rhythm and intonation of the audio models.
Core Vocabulary Matrix
Theme 1: How Apps Work
4 Terms| Word | Meaning | Collocations | Word Forms | Example | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| algorithm | A set of rules apps use to decide what content to show you. | adjust the algorithm, complex algorithm | – | "The video app adjusted its algorithm to display more educational posts." | Think of a recipe: step-by-step rules the app follows in the background. |
| notification | An automated alert on your screen telling you about new activity. | push notification, mute notifications | notify (v) | "I silenced every push notification to focus on my writing project." | It forces you to notice something new that happens. |
| profile | A personal digital page showing your identity and shared media. | public profile, update your profile | – | "He switched his profile to private before uploading family holiday photos." | A side portrait sketch: an outline that displays your identity. |
| scroll | To slide text or pictures up or down across a screen. | endless scroll, scroll through a feed | – | "It is easy to scroll through your feed for two hours without realizing it." | Picture an ancient royal paper scroll unrolling endlessly down. |
Theme 2: Effects
3 Terms| Word | Meaning | Collocations | Word Forms | Example | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| distraction | Something that takes your attention away from what you are doing. | constant distraction, source of distraction | distract (v), distracting (adj) | "Vibrating phones are a major distraction during university seminars." | Dis-track: it knocks your concentration off its track. |
| addictive | So enjoyable or stimulating that it becomes very hard to stop. | highly addictive, addictive behavior | addict (n), addiction (n) | "Short video clips are designed to be addictive through fast dopamine loops." | You constantly want to add more minutes to your screen time. |
| influence | The power to change how someone thinks, feels, or makes choices. | undue influence, heavily influence | influential (adj) | "Creators influence purchasing decisions among teenage shoppers." | Like a liquid fluid flowing in: ideas entering your mindset smoothly. |
Theme 3: Control
3 Terms| Word | Meaning | Collocations | Word Forms | Example | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| privacy | The right to keep personal details and data protected from others. | privacy settings, breach of privacy | private (adj) | "Read the terms carefully to ensure your privacy is respected by the developer." | Keep your personal life in your own private eyes only. |
| monitor | To observe, check, or record information carefully over time. | monitor screen time, closely monitor | – | "Parents use built-in tools to monitor how many hours teens spend online." | A security monitor keeping a quiet, continuous watch on screens. |
| restrict | To limit the size, amount, or freedom of something. | restrict access, severe restriction | restriction (n), restricted (adj) | "New platform policies restrict targeted advertising aimed at minors." | Imagine strict ropes tied tightly around access doors. |
Interactive Practice
16 questions targeting natural collocations, nuance, and word families.
Choose the Natural Partner
Select the verb or modifier that collocates most naturally with the highlighted noun.
1. Which action collocates naturally with "an algorithm" to change how it filters posts?
2. What type of "notification" pops up instantly on your phone's lock screen?
3. When you make your social media "profile" viewable only by friends, you set it to:
4. Which configuration menu allows you to decide who views your data?
Fill in the Blank
Complete the everyday workplace dialogue. Use the exact words from the bank.
Sam: "I opened the app just to check one message, but I ended up staying to [ 5 ] endlessly through my feed."
Mia: "Short-form clips are dangerously [ 6 ] because the algorithm serves exactly what grabs you."
Sam: "It turned into a huge [ 7 ] and completely ruined my revision timetable."
Mia: "That's why I installed a digital wellbeing widget to [ 8 ] my daily device activity."
Pick the Best Word
All options are grammatically possible, but only one is the natural, idiomatic choice in tech contexts.
9. Health specialists suggest that parents regularly ______ screen usage to prevent fatigue.
10. Popular bloggers hold the power to strongly ______ customer attitudes toward fashion brands.
11. Schools often implement strict network firewalls to ______ access to gaming portals.
12. Digital rights advocates fight to defend personal ______ in an age of mass data collection.
Change the Word Form
Transform the prompt word into the required derivative form to fit the sentence context.
13. The messaging app promised to ______ users whenever a suspicious login occurs. (Base word: NOTIFICATION → Verb)
14. Pop-up banners while studying are exceptionally ______ for students. (Base word: DISTRACTION → Adjective)
15. Constant checking of notifications can develop into an unhealthy psychological ______. (Base word: ADDICTIVE → Noun)
16. Content creators who publish honest reviews become highly ______ among modern buyers. (Base word: INFLUENCE → Adjective)
Pronunciation & Shadowing Studio
Listen to the native model, shadow the intonation, and record your voice.
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____Tip: Take a short breath at the vertical bar indicator.
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____Tip: Keep a steady cadence through the two chunks.
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____Stress on the 1st syllable. Voice drops cleanly on the remaining syllables.
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____Stress on the 2nd syllable: start with a relaxed schwa /ə/, then punch the 'DIC'.
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