Dear students,
This week we´re going to deal with technology .
Answer the question for yourself.
This week we´re going to deal with technology .
Answer the question for yourself.
- What kind of professions will disappear in the next 10-15 years and which ones will become more common?
- Do you think that on balance more jobs will be created or lost because of technology?
Open the link above and do the exercises 2, 3 and 4.
LISTENING: TED TALK- AUDIO
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👉READING: Learn More About Robots
Read the following extract about robots and Complete the gaps with a suitable word from the table below. You may need to change the grammar form of the words.
utilize household incapable creep like drastic menial
capable revolution confinement key unlike likely
Since their introduction into the economy, robots have played (1)______ roles in manufacturing and agriculture. Robots are programmed to complete repetitive, (2)_______ tasks and are highly efficient. Robots can work virtually nonstop, (3)________ human workers who need costly job perks like health benefits, time to eat and sleep, and most of all, wages. In the past, robots have been largely (4)_________ to the manufacturing industry, but lately robots have been (5)____________ into new industries and aspects of human life. You may even have a robot in your home! Millions of (6)_________ across the world have robots that vacuum the floor. Robots are not just being used for petty tasks like home cleaning, but are even (7)__________ in scientific labs to carry out monotonous yet precise tasks, such as micropipetting. Thanks to (8)_________ advancements in software engineering, robots are now (9)_________of completing much more complex tasks, and soon, they may completely (10)__________ the workplace by superseding millions of human workers.
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DISCUSSION:
Think about the following points:
Do you think that technology steals people’s jobs?
In what type of job might a human be happy to have a robot take over some tasks?
Who might be affected positively and negatively by the addition of robots in the workforce?
If robots take on some tasks currently performed by humans, how might the humans' jobs change?
How can we change the education to prepare new generations for automation?
👉 Send a comment giving your opinion about one of the questions above.
👉Optional writing or recorded monologue : To what extent do you agree with the statement below?
"We’ve become slaves to machines, which breed laziness and contribute to a sedentary life".
Write an opinion composition giving reasons for your answer and including any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge. Make sure that you use advanced vocabulary and grammar. Also, use connectors to give cohesion and coherence to your writing.
You should write 220- 250 words. Remember that extension is part of the task.
10 comments:
If robots take on some tasks currently performed by humans, how might the humans' jobs change?
It's obvious that, nowadays, machines are changing the laboral world.
Sectors like industry have already noticed how robots have replaced humans in some of the posts.
I believe that this situation is going to increase, it will be inevitable. For that reasson, I think that humans' jobs are going to change in order to find their space. New works will be related with the machines, their design, reparation...
Do you think that technology steals people’s jobs?
Of course technology steals some people's job, usually the most tedious ones. But it generates many other different jobs. Somebody has to design, perform and maintain that technology. Besides, it help us to develop new areas of knowledge that involve many new professions. From my point of view, there is a balance between stolen jobs and created jobs. The point is that the people who lost their job because of technology, usually have no possibilities to retrain for working with the new technology.
Robots are one of the best inventions of the human activity. However, it is important to know that most of the job can be develop by robots in the future. And why? Because of their efficient and speed on doing thinks. For a company, for example, it is more effective to produce more material in less time and also, one robot maybe can carry out the work of some people.
So, it is possible that in the future most of the jobs that we know this days, can perform by robots. Nonetheless, as the video said, humans are going to be essential for some jobs because robots can not afford new situations without practice before.
In what type of job might a human be happy to have a robot take over some task?
I think that all along over the history, humans have been continuosly trying to make up machines in order to make some kind of jobs easier. As example, washingmachine, vaccun cleaner, microoven, dishwasher, etc. In a nutshell, menial task at home, for instance. But not oonly in household work but also in manofacturing or in agriculture sector with machines as tractors, harvesters, etc. On the other hand, machines have helped as in our everyday as computers that help us work quicklier and more eficient.
If we bear in mind all these changes, we can realise that machines or robots have made humans happier and more successfull.
How can we change the education to prepare new generations for automation?
From my point of view, current education system is far out-of-date, it had to be changed at least a hundred years ago. Now we must to prepare the youngsters for the future, it is our duty to get them familiarised with technology and to teach them that it is a tool that will make their lives easier. I would recommend to include new courses in elementary school in which children could learn how to write a code or how to create robots so that their curiosity and interest increase. Also it is essential to break down stereotypes, stop saying that some jobs are exclusive for girls or boys or for brilliant people, I think everyone can achieve their goals regardless the genre or the grades, all it matters is motivation and support.
In what type of job might a human be happy to have a robot take over some tasks?
In my view, there are some jobs in which robots can help humans to work easier, for instance carrying heavy pieces of iron, measuring distances more accuracy or even writing repetitive little sentences. Considering these kind of advantages, technology is performing some works, making them quicklier and less hard. On the other hand, some workers have sadly been replaced by machines, for example in car industry.
Regarding to my job, as a Chemist, robots help me to work, just analyzing samples in a quickly and accurate way, and hopefully, they can never substitute us, because each day we have to do things in a non predictable way.
"Do you think that technology steals people’s jobs?"
In my view, I wouldn't use the word "steal", because I reckon that the current situation is so complex that requires a specific terminology. There is nobody stealing us our jobs. We are in the middle of a transition to a new world. Evidently, human kind has a problem with the technological breakthroughs that are changing not only our way to work but also our way of thinking work. Along History, people has defined them selves by their job. Everybody needed a job to be. But nowadays we have to change that though, because there are not enough jobs for everybody. It's an important philosophical and economic question that we have to bear in mind in the next years.
- In what type of job might a human be happy to have a robot take over some tasks?
Personally I think that most of people would be happy with to have a robot take over some tasks but honestly it wouldn't always be necessary. In my view there are some jobs that having a robot would be more than grateful. Is the case of cleaning employees (because sometimes all what they clean is in a regrettable condition due to the lack of education of other people) or builders (when they have to make a big physical effort which can be dangerous for their health). I am sure that most of us would be happy about having a robot take over some of our tasks, but sincerelly, in my case, I am not very interested.
"Who might be affected positively and negatively by the addition of robots in the workforce?"
In my opinion I think that in terms of workforce, robots affect and will affect negatively and positively to those who work in manufacturing factories mostly, that kind of jobs that can be done by machines or robots in an easy and fast way and and, in the other side it can be the same for that kind of jobs that can be complemented with worker-driven robots, making it easier for the worker, being faster and producing more this way.
I don't think that even though there are robots capable of doing tasks or jobs like carrying a tray, or attend a store or reception of any kind, the majority of the population is preapred or wants to be attended in this way.
Will machines be able to replace humans?
New technologies and especially robots have been developing over time, but I don´t think they are capable of replacing us. From my point of view, robots can do many functions and jobs because they are much quickler tan us, for example, in a factory, a robot can be programmed to do some people's work or complement that work, they can also do the household chores, working with computers ... but in my opinion some jobs can´t be replaced by them. Regarding to my future job, as a primary teacher, robots may stand up in front of the children and explain the lesson but they will never had emotions that are so important when you are working with children.
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