Adult Speaking Class, level 2: Maintain radio silence.

1st March 2021

Tonight’s class will focus on the town of Green Bank, Virginia (which is a southern state in the USA). Green Bank is a very small town. The population in 2019, according to Wikipedia, was 182 yet it has become famous as the town without Wi-Fi. Wireless internet is banned and mobile phones (cell phones USA) are unable to make or receive calls, nor can they send texts. The reason …

Telescopes can be used for light or for sound. The above picture shows the radio telescope, which is 485ft tall, at Green Bank. It listens out for sounds from space. You may hear electromagnetic radiation in the class video.

Light and sound travel in waves. A star will emit light waves but electromagnetic radiation can also travel by radio waves. Giant telescopes are situated in areas with low light pollution while radio telescopes need to be in areas without Wi-Fi or mobile telephone, which can cause interference. You may have experienced this on an airplane when you are told to switch off phones during take-off and landing.

If you wish to learn more about Green Bank, here’s a link to a lengthy article from the Washingtonian: https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/01/04/the-town-without-wi-fi/

And so to work … as a warm up, get a partner or a small group and ask each other the following questions. Remember to encourage each other to speak in longer sentences and give reasons.

Could you live in a town with no Wi-Fi ?

What would you miss most if you had no phone or Wi-Fi ?

How important is your mobile phone to you … why ?

How often do you use Facebook ? Is it essential or fun ?

Do you think you spend too much time on social media ?

If you are with friends and your phone rings, or you get an alert, do you ignore it or stop talking to your friends ?

How to build sentences: explain your answers … ‘because‘ // such as … //

Tell me your experience: ‘For me, mobiles phones are …’ // ‘I couldn’t live without Wi-Fi because …’ // ‘I rely on …’

New vocabulary: essential // imperative // convenient //

It would be like losing an arm // a vital part of my life // I control my Wi-Fi use, it doesn’t control me // prohibitively expensive // I would lose my mind !