The Impact Of Digital Technology On The Icelandic Language - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
The impact of digital technology on the Icelandic language
The Icelandic language
- has approximately 31 speakers
- has a 32 that is still growing
- has not changed a lot over the last thousand years
- has its own words for computer-based concepts, such as web browser and 33
Young speakers
- are big users of digital technology, such as 34
- are becoming 35 very quickly
- are having discussions using only English while they are in the 36 at school
- are better able to identify the content of a 37 in English than Icelandic
Technology and internet companies
- write very little in Icelandic because of the small number of speakers and because of how complicated its 38 is
The Icelandic government
- has set up a fund to support the production of more digital content in the language
- believes that Icelandic has a secure future
- is worried that young Icelanders may lose their 39 as Icelanders
- is worried about the consequences of children not being 40 in either Icelandic or English
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | 321,000 | In order to illustrate its effect, I’m going to focus on the Icelandic language, which is spoken by around 321,000 people, most of whom live in Iceland – an island in the North Atlantic Ocean. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about the Icelandic language and mentions that it is spoken by approximately 321,000 people who mostly live in Iceland, which is an island located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Answer Explanation: The answer indicates that Icelandic has approximately 321,000 speakers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer matches the specific number of speakers mentioned in the excerpt, which is around 321,000 people who speak Icelandic. |
| Q32 | vocabulary | In fact, the vocabulary of Icelandic is continually increasing because when speakers need a new word for something, they tend to create one, rather than borrowing from another language. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Icelandic speakers create new words for things they don't have a word for instead of borrowing words from other languages. Answer Explanation: The answer 'vocabulary' refers to the collection of words that a language has, and this fits with the idea that Icelandic speakers continuously add new words to their language. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the excerpt as it highlights the process of new word creation in Icelandic, which directly relates to the development and expansion of the language's vocabulary over time. |
| Q33 | podcast | Then there’s an Icelandic word for podcast – which is too hard to pronounce! And so on. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that there is an Icelandic word for podcast, but it is considered difficult to pronounce. Answer Explanation: The answer 'podcast' refers to a type of digital content that young speakers in Iceland are familiar with. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'podcast' because the excerpt specifically talks about an Icelandic word related to digital technology, which is considered challenging to pronounce. |
| Q34 | smartphones | Think about smartphones. They didn’t even exist until comparatively recently, but today young people use them all the time to read books, watch TV or films, play games, listen to music, and so on. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about a device called smartphones that are used by young people for various activities like reading books, watching TV or films, playing games, listening to music, and more. Answer Explanation: The answer 'smartphones' refers to a type of device that young people use frequently for different activities. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'smartphones' because the excerpt specifically mentions how young people use them for various purposes, aligning with the usage of smartphones for different activities in daily life as described in the answer. |
| Q35 | bilingual | Obviously, this is a good thing in many respects because it promotes their bilingual skills, but the extent of the influence of English in the virtual world is staggering and it’s all happening really fast. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about how using English alongside Icelandic online can help young people improve their ability to speak two languages. This is beneficial because being bilingual is a valuable skill. Answer Explanation: The answer 'bilingual' means being able to speak two languages. In this context, it refers to young Icelanders using both Icelandic and English, especially in digital settings. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'bilingual' because the excerpt mentions the influence of English in the virtual world, highlighting the bilingual skills of young Icelanders who are exposed to both Icelandic and English online. This aligns with the concept of bilingualism, where individuals can communicate effectively in two languages. |
| Q36 | playground | teachers have found that playground conversations in Icelandic secondary schools can be conducted entirely in English | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that teachers have noticed that conversations on the playground in Icelandic secondary schools are happening only in English. Answer Explanation: The answer 'playground' refers to the area outside where students play during school breaks. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'playground' because it directly relates to the setting mentioned in the excerpt, which is the school playground where students are having conversations in English instead of Icelandic. |
| Q37 | picture | while teachers of much younger children have reported situations where their classes find it easier to say what is in a picture using English, rather than Icelandic. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about situations in which young children find it easier to describe what they see in a picture using English instead of Icelandic. Answer Explanation: The answer 'picture' refers to the visual representation of something. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'picture' because it corresponds to the context in the excerpt where children find it easier to express themselves in English when describing images, such as in pictures. |
| Q38 | grammar | The other drawback of Icelandic is the grammar, which is significantly more complex than in most languages. At the moment, the tech giants are simply not interested in tackling this. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Icelandic has a difficult grammar compared to other languages. This complexity is a problem for technology companies who do not want to deal with it. Answer Explanation: The answer points to the complex rules of how words are put together in Icelandic, known as grammar. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'grammar' because it directly connects to the complexity of the Icelandic language's rules for forming sentences. The text mentions that tech companies find Icelandic grammar challenging, which supports the relevance of this answer. |
| Q39 | identity | When you consider how much of the past is tied up in a language, will young Icelanders lose their sense of their own identity? | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about how important language is in knowing who you are and where you come from. It asks if young Icelanders might forget their own identity if they stop using their language. Answer Explanation: The answer 'identity' means who a person is, including their culture, background, and language. It shows that language helps people understand themselves. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'identity' because the transcript expresses concern that young Icelanders may lose their sense of who they are as Icelanders if they do not use the Icelandic language. |
| Q40 | fluent | If children are learning two languages through different routes, neither of which they are fully fluent in, will they be able to express themselves properly? | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is talking about how children might struggle to express themselves effectively if they are not fully fluent in either of the two languages they are learning. Answer Explanation: The answer "fluent" refers to being very proficient or skilled in a language. In this context, it means being able to communicate effectively and confidently in a language. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer matches the context of the excerpt where the concern is raised about children's ability to express themselves properly if they are not fully proficient in the languages they are learning. Being fluent in a language is crucial for clear communication and effective expression. |
Transcript
Right, everyone, let’s make a start. Over the past few sessions, we’ve been considering the reasons why some world languages are in decline, and today I’m going to introduce another factor that affects languages, and the speakers of those languages, and that’s technology and, in particular, digital technology. In order to illustrate its effect, I’m going to focus on the Icelandic language, which is spoken by around 321,000 people, most of whom live in Iceland – an island in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The problem for this language is not the number of speakers – even though this number is small. Nor is it about losing words to other languages, such as English. In fact, the vocabulary of Icelandic is continually increasing because when speakers need a new word for something, they tend to create one, rather than borrowing from another language. All this makes Icelandic quite a special language – it’s changed very little in the past millennium, yet it can handle twenty-first-century concepts related to the use of computers and digital technology. Take, for example, the word for web browser … this is vafri in Icelandic, which comes from the verb ‘to wander’. I can’t think of a more appropriate term because that’s exactly what you do mentally when you browse the internet. Then there’s an Icelandic word for podcast – which is too hard to pronounce! And so on.
Icelandic, then, is alive and growing, but – and it’s a big but – young Icelanders spend a great deal of time in the digital world and this world is predominantly English. Think about smartphones. They didn’t even exist until comparatively recently, but today young people use them all the time to read books, watch TV or films, play games, listen to music, and so on. Obviously, this is a good thing in many respects because it promotes their bilingual skills, but the extent of the influence of English in the virtual world is staggering and it’s all happening really fast.
For their parents and grandparents, the change is less concerning because they already have their native-speaker skills in Icelandic. But for young speakers – well, the outcome is a little troubling. For example, teachers have found that playground conversations in Icelandic secondary schools can be conducted entirely in English, while teachers of much younger children have reported situations where their classes find it easier to say what is in a picture using English, rather than Icelandic. The very real and worrying consequence of all this is that the young generation in Iceland is at risk of losing its mother tongue.
—————————
Of course, this is happening to other European languages too, but while internet companies might be willing to offer, say, French options in their systems, it’s much harder for them to justify the expense of doing the same for a language that has a population the size of a French town, such as Nice. The other drawback of Icelandic is the grammar, which is significantly more complex than in most languages. At the moment, the tech giants are simply not interested in tackling this.
So, what is the Icelandic government doing about this? Well, large sums of money are being allocated to a language technology fund that it is hoped will lead to the development of Icelandic sourced apps and other social media and digital systems, but clearly this is going to be an uphill struggle.
On the positive side, they know that Icelandic is still the official language of education and government. It has survived for well over a thousand years and the experts predict that its future in this nation state is sound and will continue to be so. However, there’s no doubt that it’s becoming an inevitable second choice in young people’s lives.
This raises important questions. When you consider how much of the past is tied up in a language, will young Icelanders lose their sense of their own identity? Another issue that concerns the government of Iceland is this. If children are learning two languages through different routes, neither of which they are fully fluent in, will they be able to express themselves properly?