Let’s talk about some technology terms and phrases. As you probably remember, we go through only the most popular topics of IETLS thus there is high chance that you will have to use these words during your exam.
The digital era / the computer age / new media age. It is our time, the time of technology and gadgets, Facebook addiction, and knowledge-based society.
Example : The arrival of the digital era was so rapid that we have not yet managed to cope with all the consequences.
Another 3 words which you are very likely to use in you writing or speaking section on technology are:
Innovation / Breakthrough / Revolution
Innovation is an act of introducing something new. And if we observe rapid dramatic changes, we use revolution. As for technological revolution, it could often be triggered by a breakthrough – an act of making important discoveries.
The internet revolution changed the way that people got and shared information, affecting everything from social relations to the way they work.
Although always with risk, technological breakthroughs promise the most pressing global challenges of our time.
Now let’s discuss some useful word combinations.
Cutting-edge / rocket science / tech-savvy
The adjective cutting-edge basically means the most advanced, the latest. For example, cutting-edge technologies. As for rocket science, it is a slightly less formal expression which means an activity requiring considerable intelligence and ability.
Example : We also work with universities and other experts to ensure that we remain at the cutting edge of technology.
Example : Millennials are tech-savvy, thrifty, and more likely to stream entertainment online than other Americans.
Our next term is Cloud computing. Over the recent decades it has become a buzzword in the IT world. I will explain this term as easily as possible. Cloud computing means that instead of using all the applications physically installed on your computer you can access them over the Internet. They are provided as service by another company. And it applies not only to computer programs, but also to hardware capacity.
Example : The Google Docs service allows users to upload documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to Google’s data servers and serves as an example of cloud computing.
And here’re 2 more words: wireless and mobile. Do they have the same meaning? Yes and no. Sometimes you can use either, but they represent different concepts. Let me explain.
Mobile is a word to describe the nature of devices. A mobile device is one that can be taken anywhere. Usually these devices need a battery to work. But wireless does not mean mobile. Many non-mobile devices can connect to wireless networks as well as mobile devices. I hope you feel the difference.
I have also prepared a list of other useful tech related words and phrases. You probably know most of them. But I encourage you to think whether you normally use them while speaking or writing. Do you feel comfortable with them? If some of them confuse you, come up with several sentences to practice their usage. And remember to return to these words after a while.
- user-friendly – easy to learn, use, understand, or deal with;
- computer literate – able to use computers and related technology efficiently;
- obsolete / outdated – no longer used because something newer exists : replaced by something newer;
- gadget / equipment (a piece of equipment) / appliance / device / hardware
- e-commerce – activities that relate to the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet;
- social media – forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content;
- blogs – a Web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences;
- viral – quickly and widely circulated from one Internet user to another, as in “a viral video”;
- to browse – to use a special program (called a browser) to find and look at information on the Internet;
- to download – to move or copy a file, program, etc., from a usually larger computer system to another computer or device;
- connection – the state when two or more devices are connected through the Internet or a network;
- cyber – of, relating to, or involving computers or computer networks (as the Internet);
- privacy – is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively;
- applications / apps – is a computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user;
- software – the programs that run on a computer and perform certain functions.