Listening Strategies for ELL Students: It is the iPad

50-minute English Lesson

Listening strategies for ELL students, like this one, help ESL students improve their listening skills. In this story, we talk about the iPad, Apple’s awesome tablet.

Listening Strategies for ELL Students iPad story
The iPad is oh so thin

Read the story

Listening Strategies for ELL Students: the iPad

Here’s a question. Which Apple product sold a million units in 28 days? Not the iPhone. It was the iPad, a tablet with a touch screen but no phone. From 2010 to 2015, Apple sold 250 million of these machines.

Many people think Steve Jobs created the iPad. Not true. The history of the tablet at Apple goes back to 1987, long before Steve worked there.

In 1996, Apple made its first tablet. It was called the Newton Message Pad. It didn’t do very much. When Steve returned to Apple in 1998, he stopped the Newton. Many people thought he was going to make a tablet. Apple surprised everyone with the iPod in 2001.

iPhone was next. Apple made a Smartphone before a tablet. Part of the problem was the iPad’s large touch screen. It needed special software and microchips that did not exist at that time.

The first iPhone was for sale in 2007. One year later, Apple decided to produce a tablet. The software and microchips were ready, but there was a question.

What was the iPad? Was it a big iPhone or something completely different, something between a phone and a laptop? Many people wondered which option Apple would choose. In 2010, the iPad was for sale. Apple sold 300,000 in the first week.

Quite quickly, it proved to be a major financial success. It also changed the world. People began reading online and bought fewer newspapers and magazines. Sales of laptops dropped.

The iPad was a game-changer. Its beautiful design mixed with an easy to use operating system changed the way people work, read and play.

Listen without reading

Listening Strategies for ELL Students: iPad story

Audio

Here is the listening file for this lesson.

Listening level: 2
Audio file: 2:29 min
Story length: 259 words

Listening Strategies for ELL Students iPad history and Apple
A beautiful, functional machine
[quiz-cat id=”7878″]

English listening lesson: Gap Fill

Listen again to the ESL story and fill in the blanks.

Here’s a __________ . Which Apple product sold a __________ units in 28 days? Not the iPhone. It was the iPad, a tablet with a __________ screen but no phone. From 2010 to 2015, Apple sold __________ million of these machines.

Many people think Steve Jobs __________ the iPad. Not true. The history of the tablet at Apple goes back to __________ , long before Steve worked there.

In __________ , Apple made its first tablet. It was called the Newton Message __________ . It didn’t do very much. When Steve returned to Apple in __________ , he stopped the Newton. Many people thought he was going to make a tablet. Apple __________ everyone with the iPod in 2001.

iPhone was next. Apple made a Smartphone before a tablet. Part of the __________ was the iPad’s large touch screen. It needed __________ software and microchips that did not __________ at that time.

The first iPhone was for sale in __________ . One year later, Apple decided to produce a tablet. The software and microchips were __________ , but there was a question.

What was the iPad? Was it a big iPhone or something __________ different, something between a phone and a laptop? Many people wondered which __________ Apple would choose. In __________ , the iPad was for sale. Apple sold __________ in the first week.

Quite __________ , it proved to be a major __________ success. It also changed the world. People began __________ online and bought __________ newspapers and magazines. Sales of laptops dropped.

The iPad was a game-changer. Its __________ design mixed with an easy to use __________ system changed the way people work, read and __________ .

ESL discussion questions

Talk about the Listening strategies for ELL students story.

  1. What kind of story is this?
  2. Summarize the evolution of the iPad.
  3. Inventions often start with a problem. What was the problem in this story?
  4. What are the pros and cons of a tablet?
  5. Have tablets changed the way we work, play, or study?
  6. Which one is better, a latop or tablet?

Synonym match

MATCH THE WORD OR PHRASE ON THE LEFT WITH THE CORRECT SYNONYM.

1. screen
2. software
3. major 
4. dropped
5. stopped 
a. substantial
b. display
c. decreased
d. terminated
e. operating system

ESL listening activity: anagrams

MOVE THE LETTERS. MAKE A WORD FROM THE ESL Listening STORY.

  1. TPPALO
  2. AISNGEMZA
  3. TEBLAT
  4. ETEUDRRN
  5. MPCCHRSOII
  6. NDGISE

Writing practice

Write the five sentences. Put the words in the correct order.

  1. in / Apple / sold / the / first / week / 300000
  2. much / very / do / It / didn’t
  3. decided / Apple / tablet / produce / a / year / later / One / to
  4. to / Apple / machines / of / 2015 / 250 / sold / 2010 / million / From / these
  5. newspapers / magazines / began / People / online / reading / bought / and / fewer / and

Another ESL listening story

Try another free listening strategies for ELL students story. Listen and learn about a famous inventor. His name was Tesla.

Watch a video and take notes

Did you like this English Listening Practice story about the iPad? Watch the video – it’s a TV commercial for the iPad – and take notes about what you see and hear.

  1. Watch the video.
  2. Take notes.
  3. Make a list with at least seven facts.

Get the worksheet

ESL Listening materials

Want to print out these ESL listening activities for new language learners? Click to download the PDF worksheet.

Click to see the answers for this listening strategies for ELL students lesson about the iPad.

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