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The English we speak.

From BBC learning English.

com.

Hello. See Learning English. English.

Hello and welcome to the English we speak with me, Faye, and me Neil.

Er Neil, can you stop playing around on that computer and concentrate? In this programme we have a new word connected to the worlds of technology and work.

It's used to describe a kind of worker who provides an essential service for the smooth

running of all things web-based, a micro worker.

A micro worker? Isn't that someone who makes microwave ovens? No, Neil, though it does have the same

prefix, micro. Ah yes and the word micro, used as a prefix, indicates that something is

small. But we're not talking about small workers,

we're talking about small digital tasks

that computers can't do on their own.

Neil, stop typing.

Sorry. These might be things like drawing around a digital image of a face to help train

artificial intelligence systems to recognize people.

That's right. Micro workers perform simple repetitive

digital tasks that help improve algorithms. Let's hear some examples.

Since the recession, lots of people who lost their jobs have earned cash as

micro workers. Some of the biggest tech giants have used micro workers to help develop their systems.

...