Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
The internet! The internet changed the world so much. It is an entirely different world than real life. We can tell stories to people across the planet. Our family can see what we’re doing instantly on social media. Instead of walking to a movie theater, we can now enjoy movies on the computer.
Yes, the internet is magical. Sadly, there are still many bad things about it. Since people have anonymity, they feel like they can say whatever they feel like. They have the audacity to say blasphemous things. Sometimes, they will use hate speech. These people might be low key in real life, but on the internet, they air out their bad thoughts.
Romeo is confused about why people have online identities. Listen as he and Dominique discuss in today’s English lesson.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Romeo: I just have to get this out there, I hope you’re OK with talking about this. But I’m… a little bothered that people have the audacity to feel like they can be other people on social media. And… I think it’s kind of blasphemous. Like, I understand the anonymity. You know, wanting to be low key and have a low profile. But if you’re pretending to be someone else, then it’s not like you’re hiding behind a different pseudonym. It’s almost like you’re just… faking it.
Dominique: Are you talking about having different online identities?
Romeo: Yeah. I’m talking about people who… they do all this, um… like, hate speech and then they don’t want to own up to it, so they pretend to be someone they’re not.
Dominique: But people feel like they can’t be themselves in real life, so they air everything out online.
Romeo: Like an alter ego?
Dominique: Yeah, exactly.
Romeo: Hm. Yeahhh, I don’t know. I mean, I just feel like it’s better to be up front.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Reflexive Pronouns" from this lesson
Quizzes
Lesson MP3
The iTEP® test
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Discussion
Romeo has a lot to say about online identities. He hopes Dominique is OK with him sharing his feelings. He is feeling bothered by how rude people act on the internet. He thinks people act blasphemous on social media. They say cruel things without thinking about it. He understands why people might feel hidden on the internet… but he doesn’t understand why people would lie about who they are.
Dominique asks him if he’s talking about people using fake online identities. Romeo says he is. He’s talking about people who use hate speech and don’t want to own up to it, so they pretend to be someone else. Dominique says it’s because people don’t feel like they can say what they think in real life.
Do you feel like you have a different identity on the internet? Should people own up to the mean things they say?