Listen&Learn: The QWERTY Keyboard
Posted by: Jaksyn PeacockPre-listening vocabulary
- typewriter: a device that types words directly on paper
- jam: to get stuck and be unable to move
- telegraph: a device that communicates using Morse code
- efficient: able to accomplish a task quickly and easily
- modify: to make changes to something
- muscle memory: the ability of the body to remember how to do something
- adapt: to gain skills that are useful for a new situation
Listening activity
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Gapfill exercise
Comprehension questions
See answers below
- Sholes designed the QWERTY keyboard for
a. typewriters
b. early computers
c. touch screens - The purpose of the QWERTY layout is
a. to stop keys from jamming
b. to help telegraph operators translate Morse code
c. unknown and still debated - It is difficult to modify the standard keyboard because
a. it is the most efficient layout for typing in English
b. it works very well with modern technology
c. it is the layout that most people have developed muscle memory for
Discussion/essay questions
- How fast do you type? Do you think you could adapt to a new type of keyboard?
- The popularity of QWERTY keyboards has caused some people to be concerned that the traditional writing systems of character-based languages may be lost. Why do you think this is? Is there a solution?
Transcript
The standard layout for an English keyboard spells out “QWERTY” at the top. American inventor Christopher Sholes created this keyboard in 1868 for typewriters. The purpose of the QWERTY layout is unknown. One theory is that Sholes designed it to slow typists down so that keys would not jam. Another is that it helped telegraph operators translate Morse code easily. However, it is not the most efficient layout for typing words. Many inventors have tried to modify the standard keyboard, but this is difficult. People rely on muscle memory when they type, and it is hard to adapt to a keyboard with a different arrangement of letters. As the world becomes more dependent on technology, QWERTY keyboards have become common even in countries with languages that use characters instead of letters.
Answers to comprehension questions
1a 2c 3c
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5 comments
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English Club Indonesia says:
I have a typing speed of 65 WPM. I love the QWERTY keyboard. It will be hard for me to adapt to another keyboard layout. Even in countries with character-written languages, the QWERTY keyboard is also popular. There is a concern that character-based languages may be lost because of this. I like the idea of having one universal set of letters in the world. The world would be easier to connect if we only spoke and used one standardized language. However, it is also saddening to see the loss of character-based languages.
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Abnar says:
Thank you so much for interesting and useful texts.
They help me to listen and read and also give me more information about many different subjects.
Thanks again -
Joseph GLON says:
every time i can i come on your site because your texts are short and very well written
so we can understand the purpose correctly
and learn something very real and concrete
A wink from France -
David Martín says:
Currently, I type around 90 characteres / minute, but I typed 280 characters / minute.
To adapt myself to another kind of keyboard would be tricky because I have in my memory the QWERTY, so I’d need classes to learn about how to use the new keyboard.
QWERTY only have characters of the Western alphabets, so for example you can’t type Japanese characters. I don’t know if there’s a solution for it, but adding new characters to the keyboard isn’t the solution because it already has many characters.
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Cristina Guaita Pardo says:
I will be very glad to continue learning English with you. Thank you for so many free resources to boost our English level. ;)