Twitter Sacks 50% of Staff! (Vocabulary from the News)

Tom Wilkinson

Host and founder of Thinking in English, Tom is committed to providing quality and interesting content to all English learners. Previously a research student at a top Japanese university and with a background in English teaching, political research, and Asian languages, Tom is now working fulltime on bettering Thinking in English!

Elon Musk has said he had “no choice” after sacking around 50% of Twitter’s staff. Musk, who took over Twitter in a $40bn deal, said Twitter was losing money everyday.

The axed employees span the entire globe and all departments. There are now concerns about content moderation on the platform with a reduced level of staff.

Companies have also suspended their advertisements on Twitter, and Elon Musk has announced plans to charge $8 a month for verification.

Here is some useful vocabulary to help you understand Twitter sacking 50% of employees!

Vocabulary From The News!

To sack

To sack /sak/ – dismiss from employment

Twitter owner Elon Musk said he had “no choice” after sacking 50% of the companies employees

To take over

Take over – assume control of something

Musk took over Twitter recently in a $44bn deal

Severance

Severance /ˈsɛv(ə)r(ə)ns/ – dismissal or discharge from employment

Musk defended his decision, claiming all employees were offered 3 months severance pay

Span

Span /span/ – extend across (a period of time or a range of subjects)

The job cuts span the globe and all of Twitter’s departments

Moderation

Moderation /mɒdəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ the action of making something less extreme, intense, or violent

There are concerns that Twitter’s content moderation staff could be reduced

To axe

To axe /aks/ – cut or strike with an axe, especially violently or destructively

Many of the axed employees found out they lost their jobs on Friday

Revenue

Revenue /ˈrɛvənjuː/ – income, especially when of an organization and of a substantial nature

Most of Twitter’s revenue comes from advertising, but major companies are unsure about advertising with Musk in charge

To verify

Verify - vocabulary graphic including meaning and example sentence. Designed by Thinking in English podcast. Credit thinkinginenglish.blog

To verify /ˈvɛrɪfʌɪ/ – make sure or demonstrate that (something) is true, accurate, or justified

Elon Musk plans to increase revenue by charging $8 a month for verified status (and the blue tick)

Who do you think of Elon Musk?

Try using this vocabulary to make some sentences in the comments!

One thought on “Twitter Sacks 50% of Staff! (Vocabulary from the News)”

Anonymous says:

2nd January 2023 at 3:06 pm

thanks for the lesson and your work for the students like me.

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218. Could Putin Really be Arrested? (English Vocabulary Lesson) - Thinking in English

Sign Up for the ENGLISH POETRY COURSE⁠ Use code "thinking" for 10% off the course! Last week, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin. But could Putin ever actually be arrested? Let’s discuss this and more on today’s episode of Thinking in English! My Links Buy Me a Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dashboard JOIN THE CONVERSATION CLUB -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish ENGLISH CLASSES - https://thinkinginenglish.link/ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2023/03/22/218-could-putin-really-be-arrested/ NEW YOUTUBE Channel!!! - https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary Warrant (n) - an official document, signed by a judge or other person in authority, that gives the police permission to search someone's home, arrest a person, or take some other action To allege (v) - to say that someone has done something illegal or wrong without giving proof Deportation (n) - forcing someone to leave a country, especially someone who has no legal right to be there or who has broken the law. To ratify (v) - (especially of governments or organizations) to make an agreement official. To prosecute (v) - to try to prove that a person accused of committing a crime is guilty of that crime. To indoctrinate (v) - to often repeat an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question. Allegation (n) - a statement, made without giving proof, that someone has done something wrong or illegal. Accusation (n) - a statement saying that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thinking-english/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thinking-english/support