Chat platform Slack to make its pricing higher

admin 2022年8月6日

Intermediate

Business & Economy, Business & Economy - Intermediate

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

Do you use messaging platforms for things other than talking to people? How do you use it if so? If not, what other things can a chat platform do that you can think of?
Do you think people need to use online chat platforms? Why or why not?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

increase /in-KREES/

[verb] – to (make something) become larger in amount or size
Peter’s height increased after drinking the growth enhancer vitamin.

secondly /SEK-uhnd-lee/

[adverb] – used when stating the second of two or more reasons or pieces of information
These are the things that I look for in a friend: Firstly, he should be loyal. Secondly, he should be kind.

lastly /LAST-lee/

[adverb] – used to show when something comes after all the other things in a list
These are the things that I am thankful for: my good house; delicious foods; and lastly, a good family.

chart /CHAHRT/

[noun] – a drawing that shows information in a simple way, often using lines and curves to show amounts
The chart shows the increase in population in the Philippines.

affect /uh-FEKT/

[verb] – to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something
The storm affected the livelihood of the people.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

The chat platform Slack, which is mostly used by companies, is increasing its monthly price and changing the terms of its free plan. This afternoon, the company wrote a blog post about it. It is written there that if you pay for the “Pro” plan per user per month, the price will increase from $8 to $8.75 per user per month. Secondly, if you pay for the yearly “Pro” plan, it will cost you $7.25 per user per month instead of $6.67. Lastly, if you have the free plan, they are changing how messages are saved and for how long. The free Slack was showing the most recent 10,000 messages and 5 GB uploads. But now, it will not depend on how much was sent but on how much time has passed. No matter how many or few messages and files were sent in the last 90 days, Slack will show them all.

The said prices are for users in the U.S., but the costs will go up everywhere else. A chart showing how prices change in other countries can be found on the website of Slack. The company mentioned that the cost changes only affect people on the “Pro” plan. Teams on the Business+ plan or on custom plans will not be affected.

Comprehension questions

I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.

How much is the price increase for the “Pro” plan of the said chat platform?
In which specific country does the price increase of the said chat platform take effect?
Who are the main users of the mentioned chat platform?
What are the changes that the chat platform will make to its free version?
How much is the new price for the yearly “Pro” plan of the said chat platform?

Discussion questions