📕 Part 1: Apps 2.0

Rory, tell us, what apps do you use?

Well, until recently, it was just the banking ones. But now there's, well, it's almost always the messenger or messaging ones, because I have to stay in touch with my friends and colleagues while I work from home. Plus, a lot of my friends are in different countries, and actually a lot of the people that I teach as well, to be honest with you. So it's useful this way.

Which apps are popular in your country?

Oh, honestly, you'd have to ask an expert. I have no idea. But if I were to guess I would say any of the social media ones like Instagram or Tiktok. You always hear about them in the news.

Do you want to make an app of your own in the future?

Well, I think it would be fun to learn, but I'm a little overburdened just now with all the other things I have to do like work in university. So I think it'll have to take a back seat. Plus, I don't have a clue what I would make an app for.

What kinds of apps will you use in the future?

Well, I'm not a fortune teller, though, I'd imagine I'll keep on using messenger apps, though they might change, will always need to communicate. I doubt I'll use any of the gaming ones since I don't think they're a productive use of my time. If I became a fully qualified teacher in Scotland, though, I definitely need this more specialized app that helps teachers make their plans. It's really useful. And it also doesn't give you any of those pesky notifications. So that's quite good too.

How much time do you usually spend on these apps?

Off the top of my head, I couldn't tell you. But if I looked at the analytics behind it with my phone, then it's probably more hours than I really should.

Thank you, Rory, for your answers! -

So apps, applications. Make sure you say apps. Apps. So Rory uses the messenger or messaging apps. Why didn't you give us examples? So which ones are you using? WhatsApp? Instagram?

Telegram! I like Telegram.

Telegram! Yes, yeah. I use telegram to chat with Rory's friends, because I don't have my own friends. So I chat to Rory's friends. Pasha, if you're listening, hello, and warm hugs. Hello, Pasha! So this is a super warm hello to Pasha. I promised Pasha that I would say hello to him on this podcast. So yay. So telegram. What about Facebook? Instagram? Tik-Tok? R :I don't know. I don't have Tik-Tok. I do not, down with the applications. Just WhatsApp, Messenger. Maybe Facebook Messenger, Telegram and Instagram. That's about it.

So if you Google the most popular apps, in 2021, like Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat.

Yeah, people keep asking me if I have Snapchat, and I'm just like, no, I have a life, I have work to do. Do your job, would you?

Yeah, also no people have like the Tik-Tok and Zoom, for example...

They should just do their jobs.

Yeah, Google, also YouTube, you know? Yeah, Viber, maybe?

Viber? Who uses Viber???

Oh, boy. And then which ones are popular in your country? And then Rory surely goes, honestly, you would have to ask an expert. Right? And Rory doesn't consider himself to be an app expert.

I don't. And actually, that's a good answer that you could use for anything like you'd have to ask an expert, I'm not sure.

And then our favorite one. I have no idea, but if I were to guess I'd say that. So it's true for any question. Again, for example, what... I don't know. Will planetariums be popular in the future, Rory?

I think. Honestly, you'd have to ask an expert, I have no idea. But if I were to guess then probably.

Yeah. There we go. And also, like you can give examples. Any of the social media apps like Instagram or Tiktok. So we are giving examples with this like, thing. And an interesting question, like, do you want to make your own app? So I can make my own app? Can I develop my own app or create my own app?

What a weird question to ask...

It is, isn't it? But I think people enjoy all this technology these days. And even teachers like if you have some business, you might want to develop your own app, or even some podcasters. Podcasters.

Use your words.

Even podcasters, they develop their own apps, because it's just convenient.

I think it's crazy.

No, but it's quite popular. But okay, let's think about Rory app.

Can we not?

If you want to make your own app, come on, you can call it like a Rory app, and you open it and you see what you ate for breakfast, when you got up today, you know. All your plans, for example, in this app, everything, all Rory's life in one app.

That's a very strange thing. Why would anyone want that? Like they could make up an app for their own lives? And there probably are lifestyle apps out there, now that think about it.

Oh, boy, dear listener, would you like to have a Rory's app? You know, you just go to Google Play Store, App Store and you type Rory app. And there you go, you can download all Rory's life.

The smallest app ever created.

Yeah, we used to talk about Rory's museum and yeah, now we can talk about an app. Anyway, language wise, can I say make an app, create an app, develop an app? What do I do with an app?

Well, you develop or you create an app, don't you? You know, build an app too, now that I think about it.

And you can say like, well, it's not my thing, really. I'm a little overburdened, just now. If you are a little overburdened, what is it?

It just means you have lots to do. And if you're overburdened, then certain things might have to take a backseat. And that just means they're of a lower priority.

Yeah. So it's not my thing. I'm a little overburdened right now. Or you can say, I'm ??? at the moment. I have a lot of things to do. So I think I'll have to take a backseat. So no, I'm not gonna make my own app. And also, you can say, I don't have a clue what I would make an app for. So an app for what?

Yeah, I don't, like it's so strange. Most apps are just about communicating things to people, aren't they? Or keeping track of things. But if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to send them to me on Instagram.

Yeah, we can develop our own app. Like IELTS Speaking for Success app, for example, where we'll have all our episodes, we have all our vocabulary, we have a chat, a chat to chat to people. So that would be nice. If the examiner asks you questions about the future. So what kinds of apps will we use in the future? You say, well, I am not a fortune teller. But make sure you use polite intonation.

Well, it's just a very quick one. It's just like, well, I'm not a fortune teller, though, I'd imagine... And then keep going. I would imagine.

I'll keep on using messenger apps. So I'll keep on using, yeah? Keep on doing something, or I'll continue using, or I'll use. Yeah, I'm sure I'll use them. And, yeah, kind of, you can talk about messenger apps, you can give examples, like WhatsApp, Viber, Snapchat.

Viber... I still can't get over that suggestion.

No, Viber, because I checked what popular apps we have in Russia. And Viber was I think, in the first 10 apps, which are popular in Russia. Viber. Can you imagine that? Dear listener, have you ever heard about Viber? Kind of like, Viber, wow. And actually some people do use Viber. Yep. They kind of maybe Rory, they send you messages on Viber. But you can't read them because you don't have Viber on your phone?

Or there's only like 10 people in the world that use Viber.

Okay. Yeah. And then Rory said, that, okay, I doubt I'll use any of the gaming apps. So gaming apps, because I don't think they're a productive use of time. As we know, Rory is a busy bee. So he has to take a backseat on gaming apps as well.

But that's a good one for talking about the future, just in general. I doubt I'll blah, blah, blah. In addition to that, there's also I doubt there or I don't think they're a productive use of time, just for saying that you're not interested in something. I don't think that's a productive use of time.

And then could you comment on the phrase, off the top of my head?

It just means like, in the moment, right now, when I think about it briefly or for a short period of time. Off the top of my head, maybe. Off the top of my head, probably too much. So it's like good for giving vague answers, because you haven't thought about it that much.

Yep, yep. And then like, I don't know how much time I should look at the analytics. Yeah. So we call this analytics, statistics. Where you have the time spent on the apps, on the apps or in the apps, which preposition should I use?

On, on apps.

Yeah, you spend time on the apps. You spend time online on the internet, so it's always on Sweet. I wish we had our own app, to be honest with you. It's nice to be like, IELTS Speaking for Success. Download for free. Hey! That would be cool.

No, it sounds like a lot of work.

You're not the one who's going to do it. Some other smart people are going to do it.

That sounds like a lot of work for them.

For you or for them?

For everybody.

All right. So, no apps. No IELTS Speaking for Success app. We don't want to do that. So yeah. But, dear listener, I'm gonna pay somebody and create a Rory app! Alright? Just give me some time. It will appear on Google App Store, Apple App Store! Rory app!

On a more appropriate note, join us again next time where we'll describe something that we can't live without. I could definitely live without that. Well, app on my phone, for sure. Bye!

We're sending you hugs and love. Bye! - Make sure to subscribe to our social media to see some of the “behind the scenes” stuff: Our Instagram: bit.ly/instagramswi Our Telegram: bit.ly/telegramswi