The specific part of maturita topic 19 (Media and communication), at B2 level: how people communicate electronically at work and in private, and the basic rules of good web design.
Ways of electronic communication
| Way | Typical use | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| formal and work communication, attachments | permanent record, the receiver can answer later | slow for quick questions, spam and phishing | |
| instant messaging (WhatsApp, Messenger, Signal) | quick private messages, group chats | fast, cheap, photos and voice messages | interrupts work, misunderstandings |
| team chat (Slack, Microsoft Teams) | communication in companies and schools | channels for topics, file sharing, integration with other tools | too many notifications |
| video calls (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) | meetings, online lessons, job interviews | face-to-face contact at a distance | “Zoom fatigue”, technical problems |
| social networks | sharing with friends or the public | reaching many people | privacy, fake news |
| forums, comments | discussions, help with problems (Stack Overflow, Reddit) | knowledge of many people | trolls, unreliable answers |
| SMS and phone calls | urgent things, two-factor codes | work without the internet / immediate | cost, no record (calls) |
Writing a professional email
- A clear subject line: Request for a meeting – project X.
- A suitable greeting: Dear Mr Smith / Dear Sir or Madam (formal), Hi Tom (informal).
- A short opening: I am writing to ask about…
- The main message in short paragraphs; one email = one topic.
- A polite closing and sign-off: I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards / Best regards, your name and contact details (signature).
- Check spelling and attachments before you click “send”; use CC (copy) and BCC (hidden copy) carefully.
Security
Watch out for phishing – fake emails or messages that try to make you click a link or give your password or card number. Typical signs are urgency (“Your account will be blocked!”), mistakes, a strange sender address and unexpected attachments. Use end-to-end encrypted apps for private communication and never share passwords.
Rules for designing webpages
Content and structure
- Know your target audience and the aim of the website.
- Put the most important information at the top; users scan pages rather than read them.
- Use headings, short paragraphs and lists; write simply.
- Make the navigation clear and the same on every page; the logo should lead to the home page.
- Every page needs a clear call to action – what should the user do next (buy, contact, sign up)?
Design
- Keep it simple – white space is not wasted space.
- Use a limited colour scheme (two or three main colours) and good contrast between text and background.
- Use at most two fonts, readable on screens and big enough (at least 16 px for body text).
- Keep the layout consistent – the same style of buttons, menus and headings.
- Use high-quality, optimised images with alt text.
Technical rules
- Responsive design – the page must work on mobile phones, tablets and computers; today most people browse on phones (mobile first).
- Speed – compress images, minimise code; slow pages lose visitors.
- Accessibility – the site should also be usable by people with disabilities: alt text for images, keyboard navigation, sufficient contrast, correct HTML structure (WCAG guidelines).
- Valid code – HTML for structure, CSS for appearance, JavaScript for behaviour, kept separate.
- SEO – a meaningful title and description, headings and clean URLs help search engines.
- Security and law – HTTPS, a cookie consent banner and a privacy policy (GDPR).
- Test the site in different browsers and on different devices.
Key vocabulary
| English | Česky |
|---|---|
| attachment | příloha |
| instant messaging | rychlé zprávy, chat |
| notification | oznámení, upozornění |
| video call | videohovor |
| face-to-face | osobně, tváří v tvář |
| subject line | předmět (e-mailu) |
| greeting / sign-off | oslovení / závěrečný pozdrav |
| signature | podpis |
| phishing | phishing, podvodný e-mail |
| end-to-end encryption | koncové šifrování |
| target audience | cílová skupina |
| to scan a page | zběžně projít stránku |
| heading | nadpis |
| navigation / menu | navigace / nabídka |
| call to action | výzva k akci |
| white space | prázdné místo |
| colour scheme | barevné schéma |
| layout | rozvržení |
| alt text | alternativní text |
| responsive design | responzivní design |
| accessibility | přístupnost |
| disability | postižení |
| to compress | komprimovat |
| search engine | vyhledávač |
| cookie consent banner | lišta se souhlasem s cookies |
| privacy policy | zásady ochrany osobních údajů |
Useful phrases
- For work I’d rather use email, because…, whereas for friends…
- The biggest danger of electronic communication is…
- A good website should be…
- One of the most common mistakes is…
- If I were designing a website for…, I would…
Questions the examiner may ask
Try to answer each question in two or three sentences, then click on the hint to compare.
| Question | Hint |
|---|---|
| What ways of electronic communication do you use and why? | email, messaging, team chat, video calls, social networks – purpose, pros, cons |
| How do you write a formal email? | subject line, greeting, opening, short paragraphs, closing, sign-off, signature |
| What is phishing and how can you recognise it? | fake message to steal data – urgency, mistakes, strange sender, links, attachments |
| What makes a website easy to use? | clear structure and navigation, important things first, simple design, speed, mobile friendly |
| What is responsive design and why is it important? | page adapts to the screen; most people browse on phones |
| What is web accessibility? | usable for people with disabilities – alt text, contrast, keyboard, correct HTML |
| Has electronic communication made people closer or more distant? | own opinion – link to topic 19 |