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The Telephone: Voices Across the Wire

Episode of the series Amazing Inventions

CEFR: A1, A2, B1

In this episode

Illustrated slideshow (57 images)
Glossary
Comprehension quiz (45 questions)
Cultural notes

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Extract: the first 30 seconds of the episode. The full episode lasts 3 min 31 s.

Level

The episode

Nine words down a wire. A teacher of deaf children in Boston wanted to send a voice, not beeps, down a wire; in March 1876 his assistant heard the words "Mr Watson, come here" from the next room.

Episode worksheets (2)

Student sheet In your teacher account
Teacher sheet In your teacher account

Teaching guide

Objective & content

This documentary episode presents the invention of the telephone. It follows Alexander Graham Bell, a teacher of deaf students in Boston, and his assistant Thomas Watson, up to the first words spoken by telephone on 10 March 1876: "Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you." The script contrasts the telegraph, which only sends short sounds, with a machine that changes a voice into electricity, and explains it with two paper cups and a string. The language focus is the present simple, with there is / there are, can for ability and imperatives, plus vocabulary on inventions and famous people. The skills are listening comprehension and vocabulary building.

Materials & prerequisites

Student sheet and teacher sheet (HTML and PDF, in `printables/`).
Prerequisites: the present simple of be and common verbs, and can / cannot.

Curriculum alignment

Tagged c3-child-and-wider-environment: cycle 3 (6e). The episode targets CEFR level A1-.

Possible adaptations

Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.

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