WRITING EXERCISE EXERCISE: Your foreign friend goes to work overseas for a few years. She/he would like to keep in touch with her/his grandparents and asks your opinion about teaching the grandparents how to use the computer. Write her/him an e-mail (ca. 200 words) and mention the following: • the advantages and disadvantages of electronic communication (e-mail, Skype) • how (where, from whom) these elderly people could learn the use of modern electronic devices (mobile telephone, computer) • in your opinion what age group uses / does not use the computer usually (why) • the disadvantages (if there are any) of not using the modern electronic devices Dear Serena, I've received your mail about teaching your grandparents the use of computer and Skype or e-mail and I think it could work. You know my idea about the use of electronic communication: I think it's a new kind of communication that allow us to keep in touch even if we are far; on the contrary, it's only a virtual way of talking so you can't really feel the presence of your grandparents, looking their eyes, touching their hands. You need to consider also that it isn't easy for them, to learn the use of PC due to their age. The best thing is probably to ask someone staying with them at begin just for help them when they have some problems. Another way to make it easier, it could be open skype automatically when they turn on the computer, so they should only chat. What I mean is that when you're old it's difficult to learn something new, and young people or adults, and not old people, usually use the computer. They don't like tecnology too much and they think it's too hard to make it work; we can understand them because for us it looks really easy but when they were younger, like us, they didn't know any tecnological devices such as telephone or computer! Surely it's a disadvantages because they could find interesting the web and, why not, even social networks! Imagine your grandmother looking your photos on Facebook... how can you explain to her who is the girl that was with you yesterday? Think about it :) Best Wishes, Claudio I HOPE THERE IS SOMEONE THAT CAN CHECK IT! I WILL MADE A B2 TEST! LET ME KNOW IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS, IN YOUR OPINION, ENOUGH TO PASS IT Thanks a lot!