FlexiLingoCELPIP Vocabulary: Technology & Media (with CEFR Levels & Examples)
Technology and media come up constantly in CELPIP Speaking and Writing. Here is the exact word list — graded by CEFR level, with definitions, examples, and collocations — to talk about them with confidence.
1Why technology & media vocabulary matters for CELPIP
Technology and media are everywhere on the CELPIP test, because they are everywhere in Canadian life. Smartphones, the internet, social media, and digital devices appear in Speaking prompts, Writing tasks, and Listening conversations alike — and the test rewards you for talking about them precisely, not vaguely.
In Speaking, Task 7 ("Express Opinions") often gives you a technology topic — for example, "Do smartphones help or harm students?" You have to take a position and defend it in 90 seconds. In Writing, you might write an email complaining that a device you bought is faulty, or respond to a survey about screen-time limits in schools. In every case, the difference between a Level 7 and a Level 9 is largely the words you reach for.
A learner who only knows "phone," "computer," and "good" will repeat themselves and stall. A learner who can say "device," "go online," "update the software," and "artificial intelligence" sounds natural, controlled, and ready. This guide gives you that vocabulary — organized by CEFR level so you always know what is foundational and what will lift your band.
CELPIP doesn't test obscure tech jargon. It tests whether you can discuss everyday technology — phones, the internet, apps, social media — clearly and accurately. Master the common words and their collocations, and you cover the vast majority of tech prompts.
2How to learn it the smart way
Memorizing a flat list of words rarely helps on test day. Vocabulary sticks — and becomes usable under pressure — when you learn it the right way. Here is the approach that works for CELPIP.
Don't try to memorize all 24 words below in one sitting. Take one CEFR band per study session, say each example sentence aloud, then write one sentence of your own using the word. Three short sessions beat one long cram.
3Essential technology words (A1–A2)
These are the foundation. They are common, high-frequency, and appear in almost every technology prompt. If any of these still feels effortful, start here before anything else — fluency at this level is what frees your attention for the harder words.
An electronic machine that can store, organize and find information, do processes with numbers and other data, and control other machines. Example: a home computer
An international computer network connecting other networks and computers that allows people to share information around the world. Example: to surf/browse/access the internet
Onto the internet; using the internet or other computer network. Example: Many children would rather go online than watch television.
A set of pages on the internet, where a company or an organization, or an individual person, puts information. Example: For current prices please visit our website.
To share or exchange information, news, ideas, feelings, etc. Example: We only communicate by email.
Facts or information, especially when examined and used to find out things or to make decisions. Example: We collected publicly available data over a 10-day period.
An object or a piece of equipment that has been designed to do a particular job. Example: a tracking/recording/listening device
Using a system of receiving and sending information as a series of the numbers one and zero, showing that an electronic signal is there or is not there. Example: a digital camera
Data that is downloaded from another computer system. Example: A staggering 99.8% of digital music downloads are to mobile handsets.
The main ways that large numbers of people receive information and entertainment, that is television, radio, newspapers and the internet. Example: the national/international media
A complicated system of roads, lines, tubes, nerves, etc. that are connected to each other and operate together. Example: a rail/road/canal network
The flat surface at the front of a television, computer, or other electronic device, on which you see pictures or information. Example: a computer screen
Connected with activities in which people meet each other for pleasure. Example: She has a busy social life.
Scientific knowledge used in practical ways in industry, for example in designing new machines. Example: science and technology
A person or thing that uses something. Example: road users
Notice that "online" is an adverb ("go online") while "website" is a noun ("visit a website"). Mixing these up is one of the most common errors — we cover it in the mistakes section below.
4Core technology words (B1)
These B1 words let you move from naming things to talking about how you use them. They show up constantly when you describe an app, report a problem, or explain how a device works — exactly the situations CELPIP puts you in.
A formal (often written) request for something, such as a job, permission to do something or a place at a college or university. Example: a planning/patent/visa application
A machine that can perform a complicated series of tasks by itself. Example: These cars are built by robots.
The programs used by a computer for doing particular jobs. Example: management/editing software
A report or broadcast that gives the most recent information about something; a new version of something containing the most recent information. Example: They will send you regular updates by email.
In everyday Canadian English, "application" is very often shortened to "app" when talking about phones — "download an app," "a banking app." The full word "application" still appears in formal or written contexts, which is exactly where CELPIP Writing places it.
5Advanced technology words (B2–C1)
These are the words that lift a strong answer into a high-band one. Used naturally and in the right place, they signal range and control to the examiner. Don't force them in — but when a smartphone, AI, or media topic appears, reaching for one of these makes you sound genuinely fluent.
Made or produced to copy something natural; not real. Example: an artificial limb/flower/sweetener/fertilizer
To send out programmes on television or radio. Example: The concert will be broadcast live (= at the same time as it takes place) tomorrow evening.
The introduction of new things, ideas or ways of doing something. Example: an age of technological innovation
A series of letters, numbers, etc. that you must type into a computer or computer system in order to be able to use it. Example: Enter a username and password to get into the system.
Made to appear to exist by the use of computer software, for example on the internet. Example: a system to help programmers create virtual environments
"Artificial" pairs with "intelligence" to give you "artificial intelligence" (AI) — one of the most useful collocations for modern CELPIP technology prompts. We list it in the collocations section next.
6Technology collocations & phrases
Single words get you only so far. Native speakers think in word partnerships — and CELPIP scoring rewards them. These are the natural technology collocations you will use again and again. Learn each as one chunk, not as separate words.
To copy an application from a store onto your phone or device. Example: I downloaded an app to track my spending.
To install the newest version of a program so it works better or more safely. Example: You should update the software to fix the bug.
To connect to and start using the internet. Example: Most students go online to do their research.
Websites and apps where people share content and connect with others. Example: She spends too much time on social media.
Computer systems that can perform tasks that normally need human intelligence. Example: Artificial intelligence is changing how we work.
To type the secret series of letters and numbers that lets you into an account or system. Example: You have to enter a password to log in.
To look at different websites without a fixed goal. Example: I like to browse the internet before bed.
An electronic tool such as a phone, tablet, or computer. Example: Schools now expect every child to have a digital device.
Collocations are the fastest way to sound natural. Saying "update the software" or "go online" instantly reads as fluent; saying "make new the software" or "enter to the internet" instantly reads as a learner. Memorize the partnership, not just the word.
7Using technology vocabulary in CELPIP Speaking
Speaking Task 7 asks you to express and defend an opinion, often on a technology topic. Take a clear position, support it with two reasons, and weave in precise vocabulary. Here is a short model answer for the prompt "Do smartphones help or harm students?"
"In my opinion, smartphones help students more than they harm them. First, students can go online to research almost any topic in seconds, and they can download an app to organize their homework or learn a new language. Second, smartphones make it easy to communicate with teachers and classmates about projects. Of course, social media can be a distraction, but I think that's a question of self-control, not the device itself. Overall, when used well, a smartphone is a powerful digital tool for learning."
Notice how the model recycles words from this guide — go online, download an app, communicate, social media, digital, device. You don't need rare vocabulary; you need common words used accurately and joined with clear linking phrases like "First," "Second," and "Overall."
8Using technology vocabulary in CELPIP Writing
Writing tasks put technology in two common shapes: an email about a faulty device, and a survey response about something like screen-time limits. Both reward clear, accurate vocabulary in a controlled register. Here is a short model for each.
"Dear Customer Service, I am writing about a tablet I bought from your website last week. Unfortunately, the device will not turn on, and the screen stays black even after I charge it fully. I have already tried to update the software, but the problem continues. I would like either a replacement or a full refund. Could you please let me know the next steps? Thank you for your help."
"I support setting screen-time limits for students at school. In my view, spending too long looking at a screen makes it harder to focus, and many students go online for entertainment rather than study. A reasonable limit would encourage them to use technology as a learning tool instead of a distraction. That said, the rule should still allow students to use a digital device when a teacher asks them to."
In Writing, register matters as much as vocabulary. The email stays polite and formal ("I am writing about," "Could you please"); the survey response stays balanced and reasoned. The same technology words fit both — what changes is the tone.
9Common mistakes
These are the errors that quietly cost points on technology topics. Fix them and your accuracy score climbs, because examiners notice precision.
10How to remember this vocabulary
Knowing a word once isn't the same as owning it. Use this simple routine to move these words from a list into your active, test-ready vocabulary.
Aim for active recall, not passive recognition. You don't need to recognize 500 tech words — you need around 30 common words and collocations that you can produce instantly, accurately, and out loud.
11How FlexiLingo helps you master CELPIP vocabulary
FlexiLingo is built to take vocabulary from a list to a skill — using real Canadian content and a review system that makes words stick, so you walk into the test ready to use them.
Every word is tagged with its CEFR level, so you build a solid A1–A2 foundation before reaching for the B2–C1 words that lift your band.
Save words with the full sentence they appear in, straight from authentic Canadian articles and audio — so you learn how each word actually behaves.
The words you save come back for review at the optimal moment, moving them from short-term recognition into instant, test-ready recall.
FlexiLingo flags natural word partnerships like "update the software" and "go online," so you learn the chunks that make you sound fluent.
Practise CELPIP-style Speaking and Writing tasks and recycle your new vocabulary out loud and on the page, exactly as the test demands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Far fewer than people think. You don't need hundreds of tech terms — you need about 25 to 35 common words and collocations that you can use accurately and instantly. The A1–A2 foundation in this guide (computer, internet, online, device, data, media, screen) plus a handful of B1–C1 words (software, update, artificial intelligence, virtual) and the key collocations (go online, download an app, update the software, social media) cover the large majority of technology prompts. Depth and accuracy beat a huge but shaky list.
CELPIP doesn't report a CEFR score, but the levels are a practical learning tool. They tell you what to master first: the A1–A2 words must be automatic before the B2–C1 words can help you. Reaching for an advanced word while the basics are still effortful usually leads to errors. Build the foundation, then layer the higher-level vocabulary on top to add range — that progression is exactly what raises your band.
The internet is the entire global network that connects computers worldwide — it's the whole system. A website is just one set of pages on that network, run by a company, organization, or person. So you "go on the internet" or "browse the internet" (the whole thing), but you "visit a website" or "go to a website" (one specific place). Saying "I searched on a website" when you mean the internet in general is a very common slip — and an easy accuracy point to win.
Collocations are the fixed word partnerships native speakers use without thinking — "update the software," "go online," "social media," "artificial intelligence." CELPIP scoring rewards natural, idiomatic language, and using the right partner word instantly signals fluency. The opposite is just as true: a wrong pairing like "make new the software" or "enter to the internet" instantly marks you as a learner, even if every individual word is correct. Learning the chunk, not just the word, is one of the fastest ways to raise your band.
Use active recall and spaced repetition. Learn each word in a themed group with its example sentence, say the sentence aloud, and write one original sentence of your own. Then review the word after a day, three days, and a week — reviewing just before you'd forget is what builds long-term memory. Most importantly, reuse the words across real Speaking and Writing practice. Repeated production, not rereading, is what makes a word automatic when the timer is running.
Master CELPIP vocabulary the smart way
Use FlexiLingo to learn words in real Canadian context, see their CEFR level, save collocations, and review everything until it sticks — so the right word is there when the test timer starts.