The e-Book

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Chatting
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Chatting Doesn’t Make You Happy (7th March, 2010)

Having a serious conversation with a friend can make you happier, but gossiping and general chat can make you less happy. This is what researchers found in a recent study. They investigated the types of conversations happy and unhappy people had. The research team, from the University of Arizona, reported that unhappier people talked about unimportant things and small talk. The happiest people in the tests had twice as many deep and meaningful conversations. They had a third fewer conversations about non-serious topics.

Advertisements

This is an interesting study, but I’m not sure if it will change our behaviour. Everyone loves to chat – it’s one of the best things in life. If this is true, maybe people will think more about their topics of conversation. But would it be fun? Chatting about nothing is great fun. Most people also like gossip. I think if everyone started having deep conversations life would be too serious. Would it be OK to have a meaningful conversation about football? I’m very happy when I talk about sport – that makes me really happy.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Having a	a.	in a recent study
2	what researchers found	b.	topics
3.	small	c.	fewer conversations
4.	twice	d.	talk
5.	a third	e.	serious conversation
6.	non-serious	f.	as many

Paragraph 2

1.	This is an	a.	be too serious
2	change	b.	things in life
3.	one of the best	c.	about nothing
4.	Chatting	d.	interesting study
5.	life would	e.	really happy
6.	that makes me	f.	our behaviour

LISTENING GAP FILL

Having a serious conversation ___________________ make you happier, but gossiping ___________________ make you less happy. This is what researchers ___________________ study. They investigated the types of conversations happy and unhappy people had. The research team, from the University of Arizona, ___________________ people talked about unimportant things and small talk. The happiest people in the ___________________ many deep and meaningful conversations. They ___________________ conversations about non-serious topics.

This is an interesting study, but I’m not sure ___________________ behaviour. Everyone loves to chat – it’s ___________________ things in life. If this is true, maybe people will think more about their topics of conversation. But would it be fun? Chatting about ___________________. Most people also like gossip. I think if everyone ___________________ conversations, life would be too serious. Would ___________________ a meaningful conversation about football? I’m very happy when I talk about sport ___________________ happy.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Having a (1) ____ conversation with a friend can make you happier, but gossiping and general chat can make you less happy. This is what researchers found in a recent (2) ____. They investigated the types of conversations happy and unhappy people had. The research team, from the University of Arizona, reported that unhappier people talked about unimportant things and (3) ____ talk. The happiest people in the tests had (4) ____ as many deep and meaningful conversations. They had a third (5) ____ conversations about non-serious topics.

This is an interesting study, but I’m not (6) ____ if it will change our behaviour. Everyone loves to chat – it’s one of the best things in life. If this is (7) ____, maybe people will think more about their topics of conversation. But would it be fun? Chatting about nothing is great (8) ____. Most people also like gossip. I think if everyone started having deep conversations, life would be (9) ____ serious. Would it be OK to have a meaningful conversation about football? I’m very happy when I talk about sport – that (10) ____ me really happy.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	seriously	(b)	series	(c)	serious
2.	(a)	study	(b)	research	(c)	exams
3.	(a)	tiny	(b)	small	(c)	little
4.	(a)	twice	(b)	two	(c)	double
5.	(a)	less	(b)	little	(c)	fewer
6.	(a)	surely	(b)	sure	(c)	surest
7.	(a)	true	(b)	truth	(c)	truly
8.	(a)	funny	(b)	fun	(c)	funniest
9.	(a)	to	(b)	so	(c)	too
10.	(a)	takes	(b)	does	(c)	makes

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a iseusro conversation
2.	agerlen chat
3.	This is what rrehsreesca found
4.	unimportant nihtgs
5.	etiwc as many
6.	a rthid fewer conversations
Paragraph 2
7.	an interesting tyusd
8.	Everyone veols to chat
9.	oscipt of conversation
10.	people also like goipss
11.	talk about osprt
12.	yarell happy

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	as many deep and meaningful conversations. They had a third fewer conversations about non-serious topics.
( )	This is an interesting study, but I’m not sure if it will change our behaviour. Everyone loves to chat – it’s one
( )	and unhappy people had. The research team, from the University of Arizona, reported that unhappier
( )	deep conversations, life would be too serious. Would it be OK to have a meaningful conversation
( )	about football? I’m very happy when I talk about sport – that makes me really happy.
( )	you less happy. This is what researchers found in a recent study. They investigated the types of conversations happy
( )	it be fun? Chatting about nothing is great fun. Most people also like gossip. I think if everyone started having
( 1 )	Having a serious conversation with a friend can make you happier, but gossiping and general chat can make
( )	of the best things in life. If this is true, maybe people will think more about their topics of conversation. But would
( )	people talked about unimportant things and small talk. The happiest people in the tests had twice

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	friend a with conversation serious a Having.
2.	a in found researchers What study recent.
3.	had Conversations and people happy unhappy.
4.	conversations meaningful and deep many as Twice.
5.	if change sure will behaviour not it our I’m.
6.	I’m if change sure will behaviour not it our.
7.	in of life the best It’s things one.
8.	more Think conversation of topics their about.
9.	about is fun Chatting nothing great.
10.	talk very about happy sport when I I’m.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about chatting for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. CHATTING: Search the Internet and find more information about chatting. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about chatting. Include imaginary interviews with one person who hates chatting and another who loves it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a gossip. Ask him/her three questions about gossiping. Give him/her three of your opinions on gossip. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Chatting (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)