Elon Musk Changes Twitter To X British English Teacher

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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
ELON MUSK
CHANGES
TWITTER TO X
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1 Warm up
Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.
1. Do you regularly use any social networks? If so, which ones?
2. Can you think of any big companies whose names were changed?
3. Why do you think some companies go through such a change? Is it a waste of money?
4. If there was one app that allowed you to do everything, such as pay for items, spend time with
friends and play games, would you use it? Why/why not?
5. Do you think people today spend too much time on social networks?
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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X
2 Vocabulary focus
Part A: Work in pairs or individually and complete the definitions in Group 1 and Group 2.
Group 1
a) legacy (adj.) b) evolve (v) c) fintech (n) d) algorithm (n) e) data collection (n) f) envision (v)
1. develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form
2. imagine what a situation will be like in the future, especially a situation you
intend to work towards
3. computer programs and other technology used to provide banking and
financial services
4. the process of gathering information
5. a set of rules that must be followed by a computer or program when solving

a particular problem
6. used to describe a computer system or product that is no longer available to
buy but is still used because it would be too difficult or expensive to replace
it
Group 2
a) combine (v) b) rebrand (v) c) monetisation (n) d) notch (v) e) cross-sell (v) f) replicate (v)
1. the act or process of earning money from something, especially a business
2. join two or more things or groups together to form a single one
3. achieve something such as a win or a high score or amount of something
4. copy something exactly
5. change the image of a company or an organisation or one of its products or

services, for example by changing its name
6. sell a different extra product to a customer who is already buying a product
from a company
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Part B: Complete the sentences with six words from Part A. You may need to change the form of the
word.
1. My wife is considering her business, as she doesn’t think the name is attracting
customers.
2. Many parts of our daily lives are controlled by .
3. James told me he doesn’t use Facebook as he’s worried about .
4. If you decide to with your company, you might find yourself losing customers.
5. The of popular websites and apps has annoyed many users.
6. My football team nine points out of three games, which we were happy about.
3 Listening for specific information
Listen to the report. Choose the correct answer a, b, c or d.
1. When was X.com founded?
a. 1989 b. 1999 c. 2009 d. 2019
2. What’s the name of the company that owns WeChat?
a. Tencent b. Paytm c. Kakao d. Line
3. When was WeChat founded?
a. 2010 b. 2011 c. 2020 d. 2021
4. What is the number of monthly users on WeChat?
a. 1.3 billion b. 1.5 billion c. 2.5 billion d. over 3 billion
Glossary:
walled garden: an online environment that controls the user’s access to network-based content and
services

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4 Listening for comprehension
Listen to the report again. Answer the questions true (T), false (F) or not given (NG).
1. The website x.com was founded by Elon Musk. →
2. Musk owns a number of Asian companies, such as Tencent. →
3. WeChat allows users to arrange appointments with their doctor. →
4. According to Deidre Bosa, users tend to get locked into ‘everything apps’ due to switching costs
and network effects. →
5. WeChat can be found on more than ninety percent of all smartphones in China. →
6. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have had a public argument over Twitter and other topics. →
7. According to Bosa, one of the reasons that an ‘everything app’ hasn’t appeared in the US is because
of the credit and debit card systems. →
8. Many popular apps in Asia began life as websites on computers. →
5 Reading: general vocabulary
Part A: Match the words in bold with the correct definitions.
1. My wife’s brother has a huge ego. He thinks he’s amazing! (n)
2. There are concerns that some governments are accelerating climate change through their actions.
(v)
3. I became suspicious when I found a large amount of money in my son’s bedroom. (adj.)
4. In my country, viewers are abandoning television in favour of alternatives such as Netflix. (v)
5. One of my recent commissions was a painting of a family pet. (n)
a. an amount of money that is paid to somebody for selling goods and that increases with the amount
of goods that are sold
b. your sense of your own value and importance
c. feeling that somebody has done something wrong, illegal or dishonest, without having any proof
d. leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay
e. happen faster or earlier; make something happen faster or earlier

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Part B: Work in pairs and try to write down the definition for the words in bold. Ensure you correctly
identify the part of speech for each item.
1. Some websites require users to upload passport photos for verification purposes.
2. The government-owned rail company has something of a monopoly in my country.
3. It was a bizarre situation – due to an unlikely sequence of events, a monkey escaped from the zoo
and ended up getting onto a bus.
4. When Susan told my boss about my plans to get married, a detail I intended to keep private, I felt
betrayed.
5. The idea of a cashless world is a controversial one.
6. Although we are not religious, we felt compelled to remove our hats when entering the church.
Discuss these questions in pairs.
1. When you receive a call from an unknown number, do you usually feel suspicious?
2. Do you find online verification checks annoying, or are they necessary for security?
3. Can you think of any disadvantages of a cashless society?
4. Do you know anybody who has a huge ego?
5. Should governments be responsible for preventing monopolies?
6. Do you think that the rise of AI will make it harder for artists to earn commissions?

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6 Reading for general understanding
You are going to read a text about people’s opinions on the Twitter rebranding story. Scan the text
quickly and match the profession with the correct speaker. One profession cannot be matched to any
of the four speakers, and should be marked with an X.
Graham Juana Nils Denise
artist
shop assistant
baker
student
customer service
worker
7 Reading comprehension
Read the article again. For each question, choose the answer you believe best suits the speaker.
1. How does Graham feel about Twitter since Musk took over the company?
a. He thinks that some of his decisions have been strange, but in general, the changes have been
positive.
b. He thinks that it’s gone downhill.
c. He thinks that Musk has made it harder for people to use Twitter at work.
2. What does Juana think TikTok is good for?
a. Learning about things, such as new recipes.
b. Meeting new friends.
c. Sharing memes and short videos.

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3. At which point did Nils feel that "enough was enough" and leave Twitter?
a. When Musk started charging people for blue ticks.
b. When Musk took over the company.
c. When his newsfeed became full of random people he didn’t know.
4. Why is Denise in favour of an "everything app"?
a. She thinks an "everything app" would make it easier to make friends online.
b. She thinks that there are far too many apps already.
c. She believes that it would allow her to find customers all over the world.
Does ‘X’ mark the spot?

Four people share their opinions on Twitter’s rebranding
1. Graham, 41
X? Just X? What an odd name! I’ve been using Twitter for over a decade, and it’s definitely gone downhill since Musk
took over. Many of my friends have quit, and this rebranding scandal is just the latest of many bizarre decisions the new
CEO has taken. I think it may well be the last straw, in fact. I’m looking into alternatives, such as Microsoft’s Threads,
but I don’t like that it’s only available on mobile phones. Twitter can be used on desktop computers, which means I can
use it at work without my boss becoming suspicious, and as I work in customer service, I can even use it on calls. That’s
the thing, I suppose – there are plenty of phone-only apps, but Twitter was the main space for people of my age group
to network together. It feels like that’s being taken away by a man with a huge ego who just wants to own everything.
2. Juana, 19
Some of my older friends still use Twitter, but I never saw the appeal. Most of us grew up with TikTok, which is perfect
for sharing short videos and memes. I don’t know why Elon Musk has decided to change the name of Twitter, but I feel
like he wants to appeal to younger people. What worries me is that, if TikTok is banned and this new X app becomes
the "everything app" that Musk wants it to be, we could end up being compelled to use it, even if we don’t want to. In
my business studies classes at university, we recently looked at monopolies. I think that choice is important in life, and
there should be hundreds of apps for people to choose from for each situation, rather than one dominant "choice" that
everyone ends up using because there are no other options. As for those without smartphones, won’t they be left behind?
The whole thing will end up accelerating our rush towards a cashless society.
3. Nils, 31
As an artist, I used to use Instagram instead of Twitter, but a friend persuaded me to try the "bird app" as it is – or was
– known. At first, I found it annoying to use, but when I realised that the trick was to post a minimum of seven tweets a
day, I started getting lots of followers and views, some of which led to commissions. I mainly followed other artists that
I liked, but, after Musk took over, I noticed that my newsfeed was full of tweets from random people that I didn’t know,
and that adverts for products I had no interest in were being pushed relentlessly. When he started charging people for
verification, I decided that enough was enough. I reactivated my Instagram account, and moved over to Threads when
it launched. People are much nicer here, so I won’t be returning to Twitter, or X, or whatever it changes into next month.
4. Denise, 57

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I use Twitter for work, and I actually think the rebranding is a great idea. I’m also in favour of an "everything app" as
there are far too many applications already! Being able to just log in to one website, and use it for all my online purposes,
would save a lot of time. I know that a lot of people have abandoned Twitter in recent years, but my little business has
grown a lot thanks to my interactions with other users. Previously, I was able to sell a few cakes a month in my village,
but now I’m sending them all over the country, and it’s all thanks to Twitter. Sorry, I mean X! I’ve also made a few good
friends and had some enjoyable conversations over the years. I just hope that X succeeds, and that Musk sticks to his
guns! I understand that some former uses may feel betrayed, or might object to the changes, but evolution is a part of
life, isn’t it?
8 Post-reading: expressions and phrases
Using the text above for reference, complete the definitions of the expressions and phrases below by
filling in the gaps with the correct words from the list.
a) gain control b) bad events c) get worse

e) start doing g) refuse to change h) examine
1. go downhill (idiom): in health, quality, etc.
2. take over (pv): of a business, a company, etc., especially by buying

shares
3. the last/final straw (idiom): the last in a series of , etc. that makes
it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer
4. look into: something
5. move on (to something) (pv): or discussing something new
6. stick to your guns (idiom): your mind about something even when
other people are trying to persuade you that you are wrong
9 Talking point
In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.
1. Do you prefer the name ‘X’ or ‘Twitter’?

2. Why do you think that Elon Musk decided to rebrand Twitter to X?
3. Do you think Musk will succeed in turning Twitter/X into an "everything app"? Why/why not?
4. Have social networks had a mostly positive or mostly negative effect on society?
5. If you still use Twitter/X, is there anything that would persuade you to stop using it? If so, what?
6. Why do you think people tend to stay on a social network, despite changes they may consider to
be negative?

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10 Extended activity: studying the transcript

In pairs, study the transcript below and find expressions and phrases that mean the same as the
following:
1. get or do something before somebody else can →
2. a clear change or difference between two things →
3. present a plan for the future clearly and carefully →
4. in which you can buy or do everything you want in one place →
Newsreader: All right, Elon Musk, rebranding Twitter to X this morning, he says no more birds,
Sara. It’s all part of his larger ambition to create an everything app that combines
messaging social networks and payments. That’s the focus of today’s Tech Check
with our Deirdre Bosa. Deirdre?
Deirdre Frank, this is something that Elon Musk has envisioned since 1999 when he founded
Bosa: X dot com, and it was then that he laid out his vision for one stop everything store for
all financial needs.
Deirdre In the following decades, however, Asian companies and users, they have beat him to
Bosa: the punch. The best and most popular example is Tencent’s WeChat. Now, it began
in 2011 as a simple messaging and photo sharing app. From there, it moved into
payments, games, shopping, even a place to book your doctor’s appointments.
Deirdre Ultimately, it notched 1.3 billion monthly users who had very little reason to ever
Bosa: leave this app. It became an ecosystem in and of itself, and that’s what companies
here have been trying to replicate.
Deirdre From there, the possibilities, monetisation, data collection, they expand: network
Bosa: effects, switching costs, those lock in users, sellers and advertisers. A walled garden is
created where the app’s algorithm personalises and is able to cross-sell to each user.
Deirdre Elsewhere in Asia super apps, they have taken off as well. You’ve got South Korea’s
Bosa: Kakao, it’s by more than 90% of all smartphone users in the country. There’s Line in
Japan, Grab in Southeast Asia, Paytm in India, which leads of course to the question:
why we haven’t had one of these in America, despite ambitions from the likes of not
just Elon Musk, but Mark Zuckerberg and other tech leaders?
Deirdre A big reason is that our Internet and payment systems have evolved very differently.
Bosa: The US legacy credit and debit card infrastructure has actually slowed fintech
adoption here, and the absence of that in Asia cleared the way for mobile systems
like WeChat Pay and Alipay also, which is a largely free system.
Deirdre Many Asian internet companies that were also built after the mobile shift. So guys,
Bosa: they were mobile native and they built within existing apps, many of our internet
companies, they were built on PCs and then created more narrow mobile versions.
Deirdre So, it also leads to the question, can Elon Musk be successful here? It’s night and day
Bosa: between what led to super apps, and there’s a reason why they work in Asia and they
don’t work here.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
Transcripts
3. Listening for specific information
Newsreader: All right, Elon Musk, rebranding Twitter to X this morning, he says no more birds,
Sara. It’s all part of his larger ambition to create an everything app that combines
messaging social networks and payments. That’s the focus of today’s Tech Check
with our Deirdre Bosa. Deirdre?
Deirdre Bosa: Frank, this is something that Elon Musk has envisioned since 1999 when he founded
X dot com, and it was then that he laid out his vision for one stop everything store for
all financial needs.
Deirdre Bosa: In the following decades, however, Asian companies and users, they have beat him to
the punch. The best and most popular example is Tencent’s WeChat. Now, it began
in 2011 as a simple messaging and photo sharing app. From there, it moved into
payments, games, shopping, even a place to book your doctor’s appointments.
Deirdre Bosa: Ultimately, it notched 1.3 billion monthly users who had very little reason to ever
leave this app. It became an ecosystem in and of itself, and that’s what companies
here have been trying to replicate.
Deirdre Bosa: From there, the possibilities, monetisation, data collection, they expand: network
effects, switching costs, those lock in users, sellers and advertisers. A walled garden is
created where the app’s algorithm personalises and is able to cross-sell to each user.
Deirdre Bosa: Elsewhere in Asia super apps, they have taken off as well. You’ve got South Korea’s
Kakao, it’s by more than 90% of all smartphone users in the country. There’s Line in
Japan, Grab in Southeast Asia, Paytm in India, which leads of course to the question:
why we haven’t had one of these in America, despite ambitions from the likes of not
just Elon Musk, but Mark Zuckerberg and other tech leaders?
Deirdre Bosa: A big reason is that our Internet and payment systems have evolved very differently.
The US legacy credit and debit card infrastructure has actually slowed fintech
adoption here, and the absence of that in Asia cleared the way for mobile systems
like WeChat Pay and Alipay also, which is a largely free system.
Deirdre Bosa: Many Asian internet companies that were also built after the mobile shift. So guys,
they were mobile native and they built within existing apps, many of our internet
companies, they were built on PCs and then created more narrow mobile versions.
Deirdre Bosa: So, it also leads to the question, can Elon Musk be successful here? It’s night and day
between what led to super apps, and there’s a reason why they work in Asia and they
don’t work here.
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Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
Tell the students they will be listening to a report about Elon Musk’s decision to change the name of Twitter to X,
and reading an article offering the opinions of four people on the news story. The discussion activity is suitable
for pairs or small groups.
2. Vocabulary focus
10 mins.
Ask students to match the words with the correct definitions. For the second part, students should fill in the gaps
in the sentences in pairs or individually. Ensure students know how to pronounce target vocabulary.
Part A
Group 1
1. b) evolve (v) 2. f) envision (v) 3. c) fintech (n)

4. e) data collection (n) 5. d) algorithm (n) 6. a) legacy (adj.)
Group 2
1. c) monetisation (n) 2. a) combine (v) 3. d) notch (v)

4. f) replicate (v) 5. b) rebrand (v) 6. e) cross-sell (v)
Part B
1. rebranding 2. algorithms 3. data collection

4. cross-sell 5. monetisation 6. notched
3. Listening for specific information
5 mins.
Individually or in pairs, ask students to listen to the report and match the items they hear mentioned with the
correct answer.
Source: www.reutersconnect.com
1. b. 2. a. 3. b. 4. a.
4. Listening for comprehension
5 mins.
Students should answer the questions true, false or not given.
1. True.
2. False. Tencent is a company whose success with WeChat Musk seems keen to replicate.
3. True. Among other things, users can book appointments.
4. True.
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5. False. The report mentions the South Korean app Kakao, which is found in more than ninety percent of
smartphones in the country.
6. Not given. Although both businessmen are mentioned, their public disagreement isn’t referenced in the report.
7. True.
8. False. Many American online companies were built on PCs before being turned into mobile phone apps.
5. Reading: general vocabulary
10 mins.
Students should match the words in bold with the correct definitions. Ensure students know how to pronounce
target vocabulary.
Part A
1. → b. 2. → e.
3. → c. 4. → d.
5. → a.
Part B
1. (n) the act of showing or checking that something is true or accurate

2. (n) a situation in which a company or organisation is the only one in an area of business or activity and has
complete control of it
3. (adj.) very strange or unusual
4. (v) hurt somebody who trusts you by lying to or about them or telling their secrets to other people
5. (adj.) done or working without using cash
6. (v) force someone to do something or make someone feel as if this is the case
For the discussion activity, students can complete the task in pairs or groups.
6. Reading for general understanding
5 mins.
Ask students to skim through the text quickly to match the professions to the correct speakers. You may want to
do this as a strictly-timed exercise.
1) artist → Nils
2) shop assistant → Not given
3) baker → Denise
4) student → Juana
5) customer service worker → Graham
7. Reading comprehension
5 mins.
Students should complete the task individually or in pairs. Ask students to choose the answer that most accurately
reflects the question.
1. b. 2. c. 3. a. 4. b.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230731-why-twitters-rebrand-to-x-feels-shocking-to-users
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/29/will-rebranding-twitter-give-elon-musk-the-x-factor-
i-wouldnt-bank-on-it
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/07/15/elon-musk-tweets-train-artificial-intelligence-bot/
https://www.reutersconnect.com
8. Post-reading: expressions and phrases
5 mins.
Ask students to complete the definitions of the target vocabulary items with the correct words from the list. For
Part B, they should complete the sentences with the correct expressions.
1. c) get worse 2. a) gain control

3. b) bad events 4. h) examine
5. e) start doing 6. g) refuse to change
9. Talking point
10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.
10. Extended activity: studying the transcript
At least 10 mins.
In pairs, students should look at the transcript below and find expressions that mean the same as the phrases in
each question. You may wish to elicit correct answers from the class.
1. beat him to the punch 2. night and day

3. laid out his vision 4. one stop
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you regularly use any social networks? If so, which ones?

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ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X

1. develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form

5. a set of rules that must be followed by a computer or program when solving

1. the act or process of earning money from something, especially a business

2. join two or more things or groups together to form a single one

3. achieve something such as a win or a high score or amount of something

4. copy something exactly

5. change the image of a company or an organisation or one of its products or

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ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X

2. Many parts of our daily lives are controlled by .

3. James told me he doesn’t use Facebook as he’s worried about .

5. The of popular websites and apps has annoyed many users.

3 Listening for specific information

Listen to the report. Choose the correct answer a, b, c or d.

1. When was X.com founded?

a. 1989 b. 1999 c. 2009 d. 2019

2. What’s the name of the company that owns WeChat?

a. Tencent b. Paytm c. Kakao d. Line

3. When was WeChat founded?

a. 2010 b. 2011 c. 2020 d. 2021

4. What is the number of monthly users on WeChat?

a. 1.3 billion b. 1.5 billion c. 2.5 billion d. over 3 billion

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ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X

4 Listening for comprehension

1. The website x.com was founded by Elon Musk. →

2. Musk owns a number of Asian companies, such as Tencent. →

3. WeChat allows users to arrange appointments with their doctor. →

8. Many popular apps in Asia began life as websites on computers. →

5 Reading: general vocabulary

Part A: Match the words in bold with the correct deﬁnitions.

1. My wife’s brother has a huge ego. He thinks he’s amazing! (n)

5. One of my recent commissions was a painting of a family pet. (n)

b. your sense of your own value and importance

d. leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay

e. happen faster or earlier; make something happen faster or earlier

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ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X

2. The government-owned rail company has something of a monopoly in my country.

5. The idea of a cashless world is a controversial one.

Discuss these questions in pairs.

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ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X

6 Reading for general understanding

Graham Juana Nils Denise

2. What does Juana think TikTok is good for?

a. Learning about things, such as new recipes.

b. Meeting new friends.

c. Sharing memes and short videos.

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ELON MUSK CHANGES TWITTER TO X

a. When Musk started charging people for blue ticks.

b. When Musk took over the company.