Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Rob.

  • You look tired, Rob.

  • Well, I didn't sleep well last night.  I was tossing and turning all night,  

  • but I couldn't get to sleep.

  • Well, that's a coincidence, as our topic today  is insomnia - the condition some people suffer  

  • from when they find it difficult to  get to sleep when they go to bed.

  • Thankfully I don't really have insomnia,  

  • but every now and again, I find  it difficult to get to sleep.

  • Well, keep listening and we might  have some advice to help with that,  

  • but first, a question: What is the record for the  longest a human has gone without sleep? Is it:

  • A) about seven days?

  • B) about nine days? Or

  • C) about 11 days?

  • What do you think, Rob?

  • All of those seem impossible! So I've got  to go with the shortest - about seven days.

  • Well, if you can stay awake long enough, I'll  let you know at the end of the programme. Dr  

  • Michael Grandner is an expert in all things to  do with sleep. He was interviewed recently on  

  • the BBC radio programme Business DailyHe was asked what his best tip was to  

  • help you get to sleep if you are finding  it difficult. What was his suggestion?

  • And it sounds counter-intuitive,  

  • but trust me I've got decades of data behind this  statement: If you cannot sleep, get out of bed.

  • So Rob, how does he suggest you  help yourself to get to sleep?

  • Well actually, he says that the best  thing to do is to get out of bed!

  • That sounds exactly the opposite  of what you should do, doesn't it?

  • Well, he does say that his  advice is counter-intuitive,  

  • which means exactly that. That it is  the opposite of what you might expect.

  • And he says that this advice is  backed up by decades of research.  

  • A decade is a period of 10  years and when we say decades,  

  • it's a general term for many years, at least 20.  Let's hear that advice again from Dr Grandner.

  • And it sounds counter-intuitive, but trust me  I've got decades of data behind this statement:  

  • If you cannot sleep, get out of bed.

  • So why is getting out of bed good adviceHere's the explanation from Dr Grandner.

  • When you're in bed and you're not asleep and  you do that over, and over, and over again for  

  • extended periods of time, the ability of the bed  to put you to sleep starts getting diluted. Not  

  • only that, it starts getting replaced by thinkingand tossing and turning, and worrying, and doing  

  • all these things. When you're not asleep, get  out of bed. This is probably one of the most  

  • effective ways to prevent chronic insomniaIt's also one of the really effective ways to  

  • treat it. It won't work 100% of the time, but it  will actually work more than most people think.

  • We normally sleep in beds. Beds are  designed to make it easy to sleep,  

  • but if we can't sleep, that makes the bed's impact  

  • weaker. As Dr Grandner says, 'it dilutes  the power of the bed to help us sleep'.

  • When you dilute something, you  make it weaker. For example,  

  • you can dilute the strength of a strong  fruit juice by adding water to it.

  • So if we stay in bed, tossing and turningwhich is the expression we use to describe  

  • moving around in the bed trying to get to sleepwe begin to think of the bed as place where we  

  • don't sleep rather than as a place where we do  sleep. So, get out of bed to break the connection.

  • This he says is a positive way to approach  chronic insomnia. Chronic is an adjective  

  • that is used to describe conditions that are  long-lasting. So we're not talking here about  

  • occasionally not being able to get to sleepbut a condition where it happens every night.

  • Let's hear Dr Grandner again.

  • When you're in bed and you're not asleep and  you do that over, and over, and over again for  

  • extended periods of time, the ability of the bed  to put you to sleep starts getting diluted. Not  

  • only that, it starts getting replaced by thinkingand tossing and turning, and worrying, and doing  

  • all these things. When you're not asleep, get  out of bed. This is probably one of the most  

  • effective ways to prevent chronic insomniaIt's also one of the really effective ways to  

  • treat it. It won't work 100% of the time, but it  will actually work more than most people think.

  • Time to review today's vocabulary, but firstlet's have the answer to the quiz question.  

  • What is the record for the longesthuman has gone without sleep? Is it:

  • A) about seven days?

  • B) about nine days?

  • C) about 11 days?

  • What did you think, Rob?

  • I thought it must be about seven days.

  • Well, I'm afraid you're not right. The answerrather amazingly, is actually just over 11 days.  

  • Extra bonus points for anyone who knew that that  was done in 1964 by someone called Randy Gardner.

  • That's extraordinary. It's difficult to imagine  even going a couple of days without sleep,  

  • but 11! I wonder how long he slept for after that!

  • 14 hours and 40 minutes.

  • You've got all the answers, haven't you?

  • Well when I can't sleep, I get up and read trivia!  

  • And now it's time for the vocabularyToday our topic has been insomnia.

  • This is the word for the condition  of not being able to sleep.  

  • And something that people do when they are  trying to sleep is toss and turn in bed.

  • The opposite of what seems logical  or obvious is counter-intuitive.  

  • It goes against what you might expectSo if you can't sleep, get out of bed.

  • Our next word is diluted.  

  • This is from the verb to dilute which  means 'to make something less strong'.

  • And finally, there was the adjective chronic. This  is an expression for a medical condition that is  

  • long-lasting. So someone who has chronic insomnia  regularly has difficulty getting enough sleep.  

  • It's not just something  that happens now and again.

  • Well, we hope that 6 Minute  English isn't a cure for insomnia,  

  • but I do find listening to podcasts  and spoken radio helps me get to sleep.

  • Well, before we all drop off to sleep from  the comforting tone of your voice, Rob,  

  • it's time for us to say goodbyeThat's it for this programme. For more,  

  • find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and  our Youtube pages, and of course our website:  

  • bbclearningenglish.com, where you can find  all kinds of other programmes and videos  

  • and activities to help you improve your  English. Thank you for joining us, and goodbye.

  • Bye!

  • Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm  Neil. This is the programme where in just  

  • six minutes we discuss an interesting  topic and teach some related English  

  • vocabulary. And joining me to do this is Rob.

  • Helloerr sorry Neil, how long  did you say this programme is?

  • Six minutesit's 6 Minute English, Rob.

  • Right. OK. Sorry, what's your name again?

  • Neil! My name is Neil. Rob, what  has happened to your memory?!

  • Sorry, Neiltoo many things on my mindit's affecting my short-term memory,  

  • but what I can remember is that in this programme  we're talking about improving our memory.

  • We are and I think you might find it  quite useful! Storing information is  

  • an important function of our brains  and scientists are always looking  

  • at ways to improve it but also to stop  it deterioratingor becoming worse.

  • Yes, and we all know that memories  – that's the noun word for things we  

  • remember from the pastare nice to have but  also important for remembering who people are,  

  • where things are kept and how things look.

  • Soon we'll be discussing a new idea for improving  your memory but not before I've set today's quiz  

  • question. There are many ways we can improve  our memory but one way is through the type of  

  • food we eat. According to the BBC Food websitewhich type of food supports good memory function?  

  • Is it… a) eggs 

  • b) spinach, or c) bananas?

  • Well, as a kid I was always told that spinach was  

  • good for mePopeye ate it to make  him strongso I'll say b) spinach.

  • Well, I'll have the answer later on. Nowlet's talk more about improving our memory.  

  • Memory is the ability to encode, store and  recall information but a number of factors  

  • can affect people's memory processes including  health, anxiety, mood, stress and tiredness.

  • That's why, for example, if you're taking an exam  it's important to get a good night's sleep and to  

  • keep healthy. But Neil, when you're revising  for an exam, what helps you to remember facts?

  • I tend to write things down again  and again and again and again.

  • Well, that's one way. But people have different  styles to help them remember. According to the  

  • BBC's iWonder guide, there are three different  styles - visual, auditory and kinaesthetic, that's  

  • learning by 'doing' and practising something  over and over again. That sounds like me.

  • But recently, a new study has  come up with a method that  

  • could possibly be the best way to improve  your memory and that's by drawing.  

  • Daryl O'Connor, who's Professor of Psychology  at the University of Leeds, has been speaking  

  • about it on the BBC Radio 4 programme, All  In The Mind. See if you can work out why

  • The authors certainly argue that one  of the things that happens by drawing  

  • these particular objects, that it leads to  this increased contextual representation  

  • of the object in one's mindIt makeslot of intuitive sensethe idea that if  

  • you have encoded something in a greater level  of detail, you're more likely to remember it…  

  • It's much stronger than just  remembering writing down the words.

  • OK, so let's try to explain  that. Drawing something  

  • leads to increased contextual  representation of the object.  

  • When something is contextual, it is in  the situation where it usually exists.

  • So as you draw something you are creating  a picture in your mind about what it is,  

  • how you use it and where it is used. I wonder  if this means artists have good memories

  • Maybe. Daryl O'Connor says that  when you draw you are encoding  

  • something in a greater level of detail, more  than you would by just writing things down.  

  • Encoding is changing information intoform that can be stored and later recalled.

  • That's because as you draw, you're  thinking about different aspects  

  • of the object. He says it makes intuitive  senseintuitive means it is 'based on  

  • feelings rather than facts or proof' - soyou just feel it is the best thing to do.

  • Of course, this is just one more way to  improve your memory. I have also heard  

  • that doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku  can help, especially when you're older.

  • Yes, as we get older we can often have more  difficulty retrieving information from our  

  • memory - and people with Alzheimer's find it  very difficult to encode informationso any  

  • way to keep our memory working is a good  thing. Basically we need brain training!

  • Brain training and eating the right food RobYou might remember that earlier I asked you,  

  • according to the BBC Food website, which type  of food supports good memory function? Is it… 

  • a) eggs b) spinach, or 

  • c) bananas? And Rob, you said

  • I do remember and I said b) spinach.

  • And that is sort of the wrong answer. In fact  they were all correctthey are all examples  

  • of food that can help support good memoryApparently, foods rich in B vitamins are important  

  • as they provide protection for the brain as we  age and support good memory function. I think  

  • it's time to change my diet! Now on to the  vocabulary we looked at in this programme.

  • So today we've been talking about our memory  – we use our memory to remember things  

  • and memories is the noun for  things we remember from the past.

  • Then we discussed a learning  style known as kinaesthetic,  

  • that is learning by 'doing' and  practising something over and over again.

  • We heard from Professor Daryl O'Connor, who  talked about contextual representation - when  

  • something is contextual, you see it in  the situation where it usually exists.

  • Next, we talked about encoding. Thatis  changing information into a form  

  • that can be stored and later recalled.

  • And we mentioned intuitive sensehaving  an intuitive sense means doing something  

  • 'based on feelings rather than facts or proof'  - so, you just feel it is the best thing to do.

  • And finally, we mentioned Alzheimer's  – a disease affecting the brain  

  • that makes it difficult to remember  things and it gets worse as you get older.

  • Well, there are lots of new words to remember  therebut that's all for this programme.

  • Don't forget to visit us on Facebook, Twitter,  

  • Instagram and YouTube and our website  bbclearningenglish.com. Bye for now.

  • Goodbye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English. I'm Rob.

  • And I'm Sam.

  • In this programme, we're talking about biscuits.

  • Really? That's not what I was  toldoh hold on, you're lying.

  • Yes, you're right, Sam. I am  lying simply to demonstrate  

  • our topiclying and how to detect itYou detected my lie very easily, Sam!

  • I could tell by the smirk on your face that  

  • you were telling a fibthat's the  word for a small, inoffensive lie.

  • To be honest, talking about lie  detecting will be much more interesting  

  • than biscuits. But first, let's start  with a question for you to answer.  

  • A competition is held in Cumbria in the UK  every year to find and award the title of  

  • "The Biggest Liar in the World". But which  type of people are not allowed to take part?

  • a) Farmers

  • b) Lawyers

  • c) Estate agents

  • What do you think, Sam?

  • I'd be lying if I said I knewbut  

  • based on personal experience I'd say  estate agentsthey'd find it too easy!

  • Hawell that's your opinion but I'll let you  know if you're right at the end of the programme.  

  • So, lying is something I'm sure a lot of us do  – sometimes to avoid trouble, sometimes to cheat  

  • people, or sometimes just to impress someone –  did you know I can speak seven languages, Sam?

  • That's just a barefaced lie, Rob!  

  • But I can see how easy lying can be, and  that's what neuroscientist Sophie Scott thinks.  

  • Here she is on BBC Radio 4's 'Seriously' podcastexplaining how we sometimes lie just to be nice!

  • Often what we mean by lying is someone setting out  to deceive us with their words or their actions  

  • but actually normal conversation probably can  only happen because we don't actually say all  

  • the time exactly what we really think and what  we really mean. And that kind of cooperation  

  • is at the heart, I think, of a lot of social  interactions for humans and I think that's one  

  • of the strong pushes to make conversation polite  and therefore frequently not actually truthful.

  • So Sophie mentions two types of lyingThere's the one when we try to deceive  

  • someoneso that's trying to hide something  by tricking someone to gain an advantage.

  • Hmm, that's like you getting me to pay £10 for  a cinema ticket when actually they were only £5.  

  • That's just dishonest, but there are also what  I like to call white liessmall lies we tell  

  • to avoid upsetting someone. Those are lies  that aren't intended to give you an advantage.

  • Yes, Sophie Scott says we use them in  

  • normal conversationwhen we  don't say what we really mean.

  • So, we want to make conversation polite because  we want to cooperate with each othershe says  

  • cooperation is at the heart. Something that's at  the heart is the most important or essential part.

  • Now telling lies is one thing but how do you  know if we're being lied to? Sometimes there  

  • are telltale signs, such as someone's face  turning red or someone shuffling their feet.

  • But if you really want to know if someone is  lying, maybe we should listen to Richard Wiseman,  

  • a psychologist at the University of HertfordshireHere he is speaking on the 'Seriously' podcast

  • Liars in general say less. They tend to have  a longer what's called response latency,  

  • which is the time between the end of the question  and the beginning of the answer. And there also  

  • tends to be an emotional distance in the lie  – so the words 'me', 'my', 'I' – all those  

  • things tend to drop away in lies and it's much  much harder for liars to control what they're  

  • saying and how they're saying it, so focus your  attention there, you become a better lie detector.

  • Some good advice from Richard Wiseman. So to  detect lies we need to listen out for the response  

  • latency – a term used in psychology to describe  the time taken between a stimulus or question  

  • and a response to it. The bigger the gap,  

  • the more chance there is that someone  is lying. Is that a good summary, Sam?

  • Sort of, Rob. Richard also suggests we  focus onor concentrate onwhat and  

  • how people are saying things too. There's  probably more to it than just that.

  • Well now you know how to detect my lies, Sammaybe honestly is the best policyas they say.  

  • So I'm now going to give you an honest answer to  the question I asked earlier. A competition is  

  • held in Cumbria, in the UK, every year to award  the title of "The Biggest Liar in the World".  

  • But which type of people are  not allowed to take part?

  • a) Farmers

  • b) Lawyers

  • c) Estate agents

  • I guessed c) estate agents.

  • And you are wrong, I'm afraidLawyers, as well as politicians,  

  • are not allowed to enter the competition. It's  claimed "they are judged to be too skilled  

  • at telling porkies" – porkies is an informal  word for 'pork pies' and that rhymes with 'lies'.

  • Fascinating stuff, Rob and that's no lie! But now,  

  • shall we recap some of the  vocabulary we've heard today?

  • Why not? A fib is a small inoffensive lie.

  • A white lie is also a small lietold to avoid upsetting someone.

  • When you deceive someone, you try to hide  something by tricking them to gain an advantage.

  • When something is at the heart  of something, it is the most  

  • important or essential part of it. And we  heard about response latency – a term used in  

  • psychology to describe the time taken between  a stimulus or question and a response to it.

  • OK, thank you, Sam. That's  all from 6 Minute English.  

  • We look forward to your  company next time. Goodbye!

  • Bye everyone!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Georgina.

  • What type of books do you like to read, Georgina?

  • I love reading crime fiction - you  know detective stories by authors  

  • like Ruth Rendell or Agatha Christie.

  • Really? Do you find them relaxing?

  • I wouldn't say relaxing exactly, butget really involved in the storytrying  

  • to work out who the murderer is...  then finding out on the last page.

  • That's interesting because today we'll  be looking at how books can help us  

  • relax and feel more alive during troubled  times. We'll be finding out how reading is  

  • one of the best ways to find relief  from the pressures of modern life.

  • Neil, are you talking about 'Bibliotherapy'?

  • Amazing detective skills, Georgina! Exactly.  'Bibliotherapy' is the prescription of books  

  • as a remedy to sickness. It has been around  since 2013, when the UK charity 'Reading  

  • Agency' published a list of books  that doctors could offer to patients,  

  • tackling topics from depression  to dementia to chronic pain.

  • Since then, 1.2 million readers have  borrowed the scheme's books from libraries.  

  • It's so successful that it's about  to be extended to children as well.

  • I wonder which books have been  most popular over that time?  

  • In fact that's my quiz question for today. What  is the best-selling book of all time? Is it

  • a) Harry Potter and the  Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling 

  • b) A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, or c) Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

  • I'll say a) Harry Potter.

  • OK. Well, we'll find out later if you're right. In  'Bibliotherapy', people meet up to read together.  

  • Professor Philip Davis, who runs these reading  groups, believes they help the participants 'come  

  • more alive'. Here he is speaking to BBC Radio  4's You and Yours about what he's discovered.

  • Above all, that it's not to do with scanning, with  quick reading, when they're reading literature. If  

  • they're just scanning, if you're just  looking for information, you go fast,  

  • it's very easy, it's automatic but when literature  begins to do something more complicated than that  

  • in an area that emotionally you care aboutThe brain begins to work from different parts,  

  • from a different hemisphere and it gets excitedit gets pre-emotionalyou can see the brain  

  • coming to life and it's that life that is  important in terms of these reading groups.

  • One type of reading is scanningreading  quickly in order to find specific information  

  • or skimming the page to get  a general understanding.

  • But the real therapy happens when a group reads  literaturewritten works such as novels,  

  • poems or plays which are thought to have  artistic merit. When group members read  

  • literature their brains get excited and start  working from a different hemisphere – a word  

  • meaning 'half a sphere' – usually half the  Earth or in this case, the human brain.

  • Reading literature in this this way makes  both the left and right hemisphere of  

  • the brain come to life - start to be  activated again after a quiet period.

  • And it's this 'coming to life' that proves  the therapeutic effects of 'Bibliotherapy'.  

  • Here's Professor Davis again explaining how  the benefits of group reading are observed.

  • There are two methods reallyyou can  have ECG where you put electrodes on the  

  • scalp and it measures electricity so that  you can have a print-off of a graph of the  

  • sudden leaps than can happen at particular  moments in reading a poem or short story  

  • or you can go into the scanner, the FMRI, and  there, the blood flow, the oxygen indicates again  

  • changes in the configuration of the  brain as it takes in this new stimulus.

  • The benefits of reading literature with  others can be felt by group members  

  • as they begin to feel more alive and able  to cope with life's ups and downs. But they  

  • can also be measured scientifically  by recording brain wave activity.

  • This can be done by carefully  attaching metal wires called  

  • electrodes to the reader's scalp –  the skin under the hair on the head.

  • Brain activity is then measured by giving the  reader a stimulussomething that encourages  

  • activity in people. In this caseit could be a poem or novel to read.

  • Or something really stimulating  – like a detective story!

  • Or a work of literaturewhich  reminds me of today's quiz question.  

  • I asked you to name the most popular  book of all time, and you said

  • a) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

  • which is definitely the most popular book in  the 21st Century. But number one of all time,  

  • selling over 500 million copies is c) CervantesDon Quixote. And there's even a detective in it!

  • Today, we've been discussing the therapeutic  effects of meeting up with others in a  

  • reading group to read literaturewriting of  artistic value, such as stories and poetry.

  • In contrast to scanningreading quickly to  find factsreading groups use literature  

  • as a stimulus - something that  encourages activity in people.

  • Reading stimulates both the left and right  hemispheresthe two halves of the brain,  

  • and increases emotional activity  

  • which can be measured on the scalpthe  skin under the hair on a reader's head.

  • All of which helps people dealing with trauma  

  • to come to lifefeel active and  more alive after a quiet period.

  • Right, that's it – I'm off to the library!

  • If only you couldThanks for listening and  remember you can find many more stimulating  

  • topics and vocabulary here at 6 Minute  English on BBC Learning English. Bye for now.

  • Bye!

  • Hello, this is 6 Minute English. I'm Sam.

  • And I'm Rob.

  • Are good at complaining, Rob?

  • Of course not. I'm British! I never complain,  

  • even when I get terrible serviceIt's just too embarrassing.

  • Well, you might be in a minority now as  it seems we British are complaining more  

  • than we used to. We'll look at this topiclittle more after this week's quiz question.  

  • The oldest recorded complaint is on a stone tablet  in the British Museum. It's nearly 4000 years old.  

  • What was the complaint about?

  • a) An incorrect number of goats that were  delivered after being bought at market 

  • b) The quality of copper  bars that were supplied, or 

  • c) The non-payment of a bill for a banquet

  • What do you think, Rob?

  • I'm just going to guess at the goats. Someone  bought a load of goats and fewer were delivered  

  • than were bought. That sounds  good, but it's just a guess.

  • OK. Well, I will reveal the answer later in the  programme, and don't complain if you get it wrong!  

  • You and Yours is a BBC radio  programme about consumer affairs.  

  • On a recent programme they discussed the topic of  complaining and customer service with Giles Hawke  

  • from an organisation called the  Institute of Customer Service.  

  • He talks about different sectors. A sector is  a particular area of business. Which sectors  

  • does he say have most problems when it comes  to keeping the complaining customer satisfied?

  • The sectors that probably have more problems  than the UK average are public services,  

  • telecommunications, transport and service  sector. And there are probably some inherent  

  • challenges within those sectors - they may  have more impact on a day-to-day basis.  

  • Those sectors which are performing welltravel  is performing well, retail is performing well,  

  • leisure appears to be performing well.

  • So, which sectors are not  keeping the customer satisfied?

  • He says that public services, telecoms, transport  and the service sector have most problems.

  • And he says that these sectors may have  inherent challenges. What does he mean by that?

  • Well, some sectors, by their nature, are more  complicated and more likely to cause problems  

  • for customers. Public services, for exampleoften don't have enough money or enough staff.  

  • Telecommunications systems, such  as your internet connection,  

  • are very complicated and sometimes go  wrong. Bad weather can affect transport,  

  • and so on. So an inherent problem is a problem  that is part of the nature of the thing itself.

  • So, those sectors are not performing well. We  usually think of the word perform when we are  

  • talking about actors or musicians, but in  a business sense to perform well or badly  

  • means to be successful or notand, according to Giles Hawke,  

  • travel and retail are performing  well in terms of customer service.

  • Giles Hawke goes on to talk about how  people are actually making their complaints,  

  • but are modern methods taking over from  the traditional letter or phone call?

  • We still see over 58% of complaints are  made by phone or by letter so, you know,  

  • the more traditional methods of making a complaint  are still dominant, but we are seeing social media  

  • rise, although it's still a very small part of  how people complain and it tends to be used as  

  • an escalation point if people aren't getting  what they want dealt with in the first instance.

  • So, are people using modern  methods more than traditional ones?

  • Actually, no. He says that phoning or  writing a letter are still dominant.  

  • This means they are still the main, most  used methods for making a complaint.

  • Where people are turning to social media is  if their complaint is not dealt with. To deal  

  • with something means to sort it, to fix itand  if you complain and it's not dealt with, then,  

  • he says, people turn to social  media as a form of escalation.

  • When you escalate a complaintyou take it to a higher level.  

  • Putting your complaint on social media means  that a lot more people are going to see it  

  • and it might encourage a company  to deal with the complaint.

  • Right, well before we receive any complaintslet's review today's vocabulary after the  

  • answer to the question which was about a  4000-year-old complaint. Was the complaint about:

  • a) An incorrect number of goats that were  delivered after being bought at market

  • b) The quality of copper  bars that were supplied, or 

  • c) The non-payment of a bill for a banquet.

  • Rob, what did you say?

  • I went for a). I went for the goats.

  • Sorry! It was actually a complaint about  the quality of copper ingots or bars  

  • that were supplied. If you knew thatvery well done. If you guessed right,  

  • also, very well done. No  shame to get that one wrong.

  • And no complaints from me!

  • OK. Right, now vocabulary. We had sectors,which  are particular areas of business in the economy.

  • Something that is inherent is  a natural part of something.  

  • It's usually used to describe a problem or  risk that is an unavoidable part of something.

  • How successful a company is can be  describe as how well it's performing.  

  • And if something is dominant, it means  it is the strongest or most used.

  • And if a company doesn't deal with, or try  to fix a problem, the customer might take  

  • the complaint to the next level on social  media, which would mean an escalation.

  • Thank you, Rob. That's all fromMinute English this time. Do join  

  • us again soon and don't forget  to check us out online. Bye bye!

  • Bye!

  • Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Rob

  • And I'm Georgina.

  • Now, Georgina, how resilient are you?

  • Resilient? You mean able to  cope with difficult situations.  

  • I have a pile of work to do today, but I'm  remaining calm and not getting stressed.

  • That's good, you are showing  resilience. And today we're  

  • discussing whether we're born with  resilience or we have to learn it.

  • OK, Rob. But first I expect you're going  to ask me a questionbring it on!

  • OK. Resilience is also a word used in science  to describe the characteristic of a substance  

  • or object. But what does it mean? a) That it's is very tough or hard

  • b) That it can return to its  original shape after being bent

  • c) It can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly.

  • I have a feeling it means b) an object that  returns to its original shape after being bent.

  • OK, I'll let you know if you were  correct at the end of the programme.  

  • But let's talk more about human  resilience. There are many  

  • self-help books and motivational speakers all  promising us we can learn to be resilient.

  • Well, it is a useful trait to have,  

  • and it's something that can help you  deal with many difficult situations  

  • from coping with the pressures of work  to handling the death of a loved one.

  • And it's more than just telling someone  to 'toughen up' or 'get a grip',  

  • as Dr David Westley knows. He is Head  of Psychology at Middlesex University  

  • and talked about levels of resilience on the  BBC World Service programme, The Why Factor.

  • First of all, there's our social  supports, our communities, our families,  

  • the people who are important to us, the  organisations we work for, so one way we  

  • can look at resilience is to measure that –  the amount of social support available to us.  

  • Another way to think about resilience is to think  about how we think about the situations we are in.  

  • So, for example, one way to look at that would  be just to look at how optimistic people are  

  • as a guide to how resilient they might be when  times get tough. And then a third level that  

  • we can look at for resilience is a biological  level - how well we can soothe ourselves, calm  

  • ourselves down, how well we can actually regulate  our own nervous systems at times of distress.

  • Right, so Dr Westley describes social  supportsthe people around us who we  

  • can talk to and support us and generally  make us feel better. I think he's saying,  

  • with more support we feel more resilient.

  • It's interesting to note that a resilient  person isn't necessarily someone quiet,  

  • who doesn't make a fuss and gets on with  things. Some experts think it's people  

  • who ask for help and use this social support  network who are acting in a more resilient way.

  • It's a good point. And another level of resilience  is how optimistic someone is. Being optimistic  

  • means having positive thoughts about the  future and believing things will turn out well.  

  • A positive mind means you can deal with situations  that, at first, look tough. Another level Dr  

  • Westley mentioned was our biological level  - how our bodies cope in times of distress.  

  • Distress is the feeling you get when  you are worried or upset by something.

  • So, when we're distressed, a resilient  person is able to soothe his or her body  

  • and regulate his or her nervous  system, which helps them stay calm.

  • But, Rob, the big question is, are we  born with resilience or can we learn it?  

  • Experts speaking on The Why Factor programme  tended to think it could be learned.

  • Yes, one of them is Ann Masten, a professor at  the University of Minnesota. From her studies,  

  • she found it was something  that we learn when we need to.

  • Ann Masten talks about how some  of the children she studied  

  • manifest resilience from the start. When something  manifests, it shows clearly and is easy to notice.  

  • They remain resilient despite adversity – a  difficult time in their life they've had to face.

  • Rob Other children, what she calls  

  • the late bloomers, started off less resilientstruggled with adversity, but turned their lives  

  • around by becoming more resilient. Maybe we can  learn resilience from a having a bad experience?

  • Well, one thing Ann went on to  say was that families and friends  

  • can be a great support and help with resilience.  

  • Those that were 'late bloomers' only connected  with adults and mentors later in life.

  • Yes, she says that teachers or parents are  role models in how to handle adversity. And  

  • children are watching; they're learning from  the adults around them by seeing how they react  

  • when they get challenged by something. Time  now to find out how resilient you are when you  

  • discover the correct answer to the question  I asked earlier. I said that 'resilience'  

  • is also a word used in science to describe  the characteristic of a substance or object.  

  • But what does it mean? Is it... a) It is very tough or hard

  • b) It can return to its  original shape after being bent

  • c) It can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly. And what did you say, Georgina?

  • I said it was b) It can return to  its original shape after being bent.

  • And you are right - well done! Bamboo isgood example of a resilient materialyou  

  • can bend it, it doesn't break and  returns to its original shape.

  • Thanks for the science lesson, Rob. Now we need  to recap the vocabulary we've mentioned today

  • Yes, we've talked about being resilient, an  adjective that describes someone's ability  

  • to cope with difficult situationsWhen you do this you show resilience.

  • Someone who is optimistic has positive  thoughts about the future and believes  

  • things will turn out well.

  • Distress is the feeling you get when  you are worried or upset by something.

  • When something manifests itself, it  shows clearly and is easy to notice.  

  • And adversity is a difficult time in  somebody's life that they have had to face.

  • And that brings us to the end of  this discussion about resilience.  

  • Please join us again next time. Bye bye.

  • Bye.

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Georgina.

  • Today we're focussing on the  topic of mental health at work.

  • Yes, it's an issue that can be difficult to  see. If someone has an injury, like a broken  

  • leg or a serious medical issue, it's obviousand we can understand what's happening. With  

  • mental health issues, though, there's no physical  sign and people who are experiencing difficulties  

  • maybe don't get the same understanding  as people who have medical problems.

  • It's a topic that has been  getting more publicity recently,  

  • particularly as members of the British royal  family have been talking about it. Also, awareness  

  • is raised through events such as World Mental  Health Day. And that is the topic of today's quiz.  

  • World Mental Health Day is held every year on  October 10th. It aims to raise awareness of  

  • mental health issues and their effects on people's  lives. In what year was it first held? Was it...

  • A: 1992 B: 2002 

  • C: 2012

  • What do you think, Georgina?

  • I don't know – I think it will be older than 2012,  

  • but as old as 1992? I don't  know. I'm going to go with 2002

  • OK. I'll have the answer later in the  programme and we'll see if you're right.  

  • Mental health problems are very difficult  personally for those who suffer from them,  

  • and they also have an impact on businessesPaul Farmer is head of the mental health  

  • awareness charity Mind. He spoke on the BBC World  Service Business Daily programme about this.  

  • How much does he says it  costs businesses in the UK?

  • We know that the cost of failing to address  mental health in business is colossal. In the UK,  

  • it costs between 33 and 42 billion pounds a yearabout $50 billion dollars, and round about 300,000  

  • people fall out of work every year asresult of poor mental health. So that's a  

  • huge cost to workplaces and to individualsBehind those numbers, though, are the lives of  

  • talented, able, contributors who  often just slide away from the  

  • workplace because they don't get the right  help and support for their mental health.

  • What figures did Paul Farmer give there?

  • He gave the figure of about between 33 and £42  billionwhich is about $50 billion dollars.

  • That's a lot of money!

  • It isin fact he called it colossal. This  adjective means hugereally, really big.  

  • This is the cost to business he says of  failing to address the mental health issue.

  • Failing to address means ignoring  or not dealing with the problems.  

  • It leads to staff leaving work, and  he says these people are contributors,  

  • they give something to the business in  terms of their skill and experience.

  • And because of mental health issueswhich could be addressed but aren't,  

  • those contributors are being lost to the  business. So it costs companies more money  

  • to recruit and train new staff, and you can't  always replace the experience that is lost.

  • Let's listen again.

  • We know that the cost of failing to address  mental health in business is colossal. In the UK,  

  • it costs between 33 and 42 billion pounds a yearabout $50 billion dollars, and round about 300,000  

  • people fall out of work every year asresult of poor mental health. So that's a  

  • huge cost to workplaces and to individualsBehind those numbers, though, are the lives of  

  • talented, able, contributors who  often just slide away from the  

  • workplace because they don't get the right  help and support for their mental health.

  • In recent years it seems as if there has been  more understanding of mental health issues,  

  • not just in the workplace but in  society as a whole. Geoff McDonald  

  • is a campaigner for the organisation  Minds at Work. He also spoke on the  

  • Business Daily programme about one way  that things were getting a little better.

  • I think what's really changed  is people telling their stories,  

  • and the more stories that we tell  it kind of begins to normalise this.  

  • Every single story that we tell is like  sending a lifeboat out into the ocean  

  • and the millions and millions of people who are  suffering in silence, do you know what they do?  

  • They cling on to that lifeboat and they realise  they're not alone and they might just be normal.

  • So, because more people are talking about  this issue, it begins to normalise it.  

  • This means it becomes 'normal'.  It's not unusual, strange or hidden.

  • There are people who suffer in silencethey keep  to themselves and hide their problems from others,  

  • but because there is more  publicity about this topic,  

  • they can begin to feel that they are not alone  and they don't have to suffer in silence.

  • People sharing their stories  are like lifeboats for those who  

  • do suffer in silence. In this metaphor  they can cling onto the lifeboats.

  • Right, we're going to another look  at today's vocabulary, but first  

  • let's have the answer to today's quiz. When was  the first World Mental Health Day? Was it...

  • A: 1992 

  • B: 2002 C: 2012

  • Georgina, what did you say?

  • I thought 2002.

  • It was actually earlier - 1992.  Now, a review of our vocabulary.

  • Failing to address is a phrase that means ignoring  a problem or not trying to help with a problem.

  • Something colossal is very, very big.

  • A contributor is someone  who has something to give,  

  • who is a positive benefit  to, in this case, a business.

  • Then we have the verb to normalisemeaning to make something normal.

  • Someone who suffers in silence, doesn't talk about  their problems and may hide them from others.

  • And finally, if you cling on to somethingyou hold on to it tightly, you don't want to  

  • let it go. And that's all from us from this  programme. We look forward to your company  

  • again soon. In the meantime find us online, on  social media and on the BBC Learning English app.

  • Bye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Sam

  • And I'm Rob.

  • In this programme, we'll be  talking about disagreeing.

  • No, we won't!

  • I think we will, Rob. We're discussing  the following: 'Is it good to disagree?'

  • I know, but I feel better for having that little  

  • disagreementso that proves  it is good to disagree!

  • Well, I hate to disagree, but I think we  

  • should explore this subject a little  further first in the next six minutes

  • Err, shouldn't that be five minutes?

  • Rob, you are being pedanticfocussing too  much on the small details or formal rules.  

  • Maybe we should agree to disagree and move onto  the quiz question I like to set you every week.

  • Yes, a good idea.

  • OK. So, do you know which spiritual  leader is famous for saying  

  • Disagreement is something normal”? Is it… a) Pope Francis 

  • b) The Dalai Lama, or c) Ravi Shankar

  • That's tricky so I'll haveguess and say b) the Dalai Lama.

  • OK, I'll let you know if that was  correct at the end of the programme.  

  • But whoever said 'disagreement  is something normal' is probably  

  • right. I'm sure we all disagree with  someone about somethingdon't we, Rob?

  • Nojust joking! Of course disagreeing is normal –  it would be boring if we agreed about everything.  

  • However, I guess agreement, on some  things, may have prevented a few wars.

  • Indeed, but it is a fascinating subject and it's  something the BBC Radio 4 programme 'A Guide to  

  • Disagreeing Better' looked at. I think we should  hear about how NOT to disagree first. This is  

  • couples' therapist, author and speaker Esther  Perel, who knows a thing or two about that...

  • In a battle, you position yourself inhierarchy - one is on top of the other,  

  • and then there is arguing that comes withcontempt in which it's not just that I don't  

  • accept your point of view, is that, I actually  really think you're a lesser human being.

  • Right, so Esther explains that bad disagreement  is a battleone person tries to take a higher  

  • position in the hierarchy. A hierarchy is a way of  organising people according to their importance.

  • So, a disagreement doesn't go well if one person  thinks they're more important than someone else.  

  • And according to Esther, things also  don't go well if someone has contempt,  

  • which is a dislike or lack of  respect for someone or something.

  • And contempt in a bad disagreement can be  more than just not liking somebody's point  

  • of viewtheir perspective on somethingit  could be thinking someone is a lesser human being.

  • Ouch! That's not nice. Let's think more now about  

  • good disagreement. The BBC podcast Seriously  has listed some tips for disagreeing better,  

  • including not aiming for the middle ground  – another way of saying 'compromising'.

  • It also suggests speaking truthfullylistening intentlythat means giving  

  • all your attention to what's  being said - and aiming for  

  • empathy. But not feeling at the end of  a disagreement that you have to agree!

  • I agree - and I'm sure former British  politician Douglas Alexander would too.  

  • He presented the programme 'A  Guide to Disagreeing Better'  

  • and explained why he thought  disagreeing is a good thing

  • A couple of decades I spent  as an elected politician  

  • convinced me that disagreement is  necessary if society is to progress  

  • and a society that values civility over justice  and truth would simply be a recipe for stagnation.  

  • But honest conversations involve listening  intently as well as speaking truthfully.

  • The thoughts of Douglas Alexander therewho, through his work as a politician,  

  • is convinced that disagreement is a good thing.  

  • He says we shouldn't just follow the values  of civilitythat means polite behaviour.  

  • It's important to challenge and question thoughts  and ideasnot just be polite and accept them!

  • Yes, and if we don't challenge things and  search for truth and justice, he feels it  

  • would lead to stagnationstaying the same and  not developing. The verb form is 'to stagnate'.

  • But, he does say that when we discuss  things and disagree we must be honest,  

  • listen to the other person intently, and speak  

  • truthfully. But I would add that this  should be done politely and with respect.

  • Well, Sam, I've been listening to you intently,  

  • and if I'm honest, I think it's about time  you gave me the answer to today's question.

  • We can agree on that, Rob! So, earlier I asked you  if you knew which spiritual leader is famous for  

  • sayingDisagreement is something normal”? Is it… a) Pope Francis 

  • b) The Dalai Lama, or c) Ravi Shankar

  • And, Rob, what did you say?

  • I said it's b) The Dalai Lama.

  • And you were right - well done!  

  • Now, if you'll agree, could we recap some of the  vocabulary we've discussed in this programme?

  • Of course. First of all, I was accused of being  

  • pedantic - focussing too much on  the small details or formal rules.  

  • Then we mentioned hierarchy - this is a way of  organising people according to their importance.

  • Contempt is a dislike or lack of  respect for something or someone.

  • A point of view describes someone's perspective on  

  • something. Your point of view might  be different from my point of view.

  • Indeed. And we also mentioned  civility, which means polite behaviour.

  • And stagnation means staying the same  and not developing. Would you agree, Sam?

  • You are right, Roband that brings us to  the end of our discussion about disagreeing!  

  • Don't forget you can find lots more  learning English materials on our website  

  • at bbclearningenglish.com, on social media and on  our app. Please join us again next time. Bye bye.

  • Goodbye.

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English I'm Rob.

  • And I'm Neil.

  • Do you ever experience anxiety, Neil?

  • Anxiety?

  • Yes, you know, a feeling of being really  worried or nervous without any real reason.

  • Well not really, but I know for some  people it can be quite a serious problem.

  • Well anxiety may be a result of natural selection.

  • Natural selection? You meanthe principle behind evolution?

  • Yes. The idea that life on this  planet has developed as a result  

  • of random changes in biology over many many years.

  • So why have anxiety, that seems like a negative  rather than a positive thing to develop?

  • Well, we'll find out more in  this programme, but before we do,  

  • a quiz. Charles Darwin is famous for  describing evolution by natural selection.  

  • What was the name of the ship he travelled  on when he made his discoveries? Was it

  • a) HMS Beagle b) HMS Badger, or 

  • c) HMS Bear? What do you think, Neil?

  • Well I'm pretty sure I know this one, so I'm  not going to give away the answer just yet.

  • Well, you can let me know at the end of  the programme, before I give the answer.  

  • Right, Dr Randolph Nesse is a doctor and  psychologist. He has written a lot about how  

  • evolution has an impact on our mental conditionparticularly anxiety. Recently he spoke on BBC  

  • Radio 4's 'Start the Week' programme about this  topic. Listen out for the answer to this question.  

  • How long did he treat patients at  the University of Michigan for?

  • Natural selection has shaped all  organisms to have special states  

  • to cope with certain kinds  of circumstances. I treated  

  • patients with anxiety disorders for 40  years at the University of Michigan.  

  • It was only half way through that I started  realising that anxiety is there for a good reason.

  • So Neil, how long did he treat patients  for at the University of Michigan?

  • He says that he did that for 40  years, but it was only after about  

  • 20 years or so that he realised that we  suffer from anxiety for a good reason.

  • We'll find out that reason shortly but first  he said that natural selection has shaped all  

  • organisms. This means that we are the result of  natural selection. It has made us what we are.

  • And it has made us able to  cope with different situations.  

  • To cope with means being able to deal withbeing able to manage a difficult situation.

  • And anxiety, if it's not too great, isway of dealing with particular situations.  

  • Let's hear from Dr Nesse again.

  • Natural selection has shaped all  organisms to have special states  

  • to cope with certain kinds  of circumstances. I treated  

  • patients with anxiety disorders for 40  years at the University of Michigan.  

  • It was only half way through that I started  realising that anxiety is there for a good reason.

  • So why is anxiety a necessary thing, why is  it something that, within reason, is not a bad  

  • emotion. Here's Dr Nesse talking about his  patients who suffer from too much anxiety.

  • What you're having is a normal kind of emergency  response which is great in life-threatening  

  • situations but for you it's a false alarm likesmoke detector going off when you burn the toast.  

  • And after that many of my patients  said – 'Oh, that makes perfect sense,  

  • I think I won't need your help after all, doctor'.

  • So what is anxiety?

  • Well, it's your body reacting to danger, like an  emergency response, a warning. In really dangerous  

  • situations, which could harm you or even kill  you, which Dr Nesse describes as life-threatening  

  • situations, it's a useful response to warn  you to take action or to prepare for action.

  • But some people experience anxiety  when there is no real danger.  

  • It's a false alarm, like when you burn the  toast and the smoke detector alarm starts  

  • or as he says, goes off! And he says that some  patients can feel less worried after that,  

  • when they realise anxiety is a natural  thing Let's hear from Dr Nesse again.

  • What you're having is a normal kind of emergency  response which is great in life-threatening  

  • situations but for you it's a false alarm likesmoke detector going off when you burn the toast.  

  • And after that many of my patients  said – 'Oh, that makes perfect sense,  

  • I think I won't need your help after all, doctor'.

  • Time now to review today's vocabulary, but first,  

  • let's have the answer to the quiz  question. What was the name of the ship  

  • Charles Darwin travelled on when he made  his discoveries about evolution? Was it

  • a) HMS Beagle b) HMS Badger, or 

  • c) HMS Bear? What do you think, Neil?

  • Well, I'm pretty sure it's HMS Beagle.

  • Well, you are right. Charles Darwin  travelled on HMS Beagle. Congratulations  

  • if you also knew that. Now, on with today's  vocabulary. We were talking about anxiety,  

  • a feeling of being worried or scared, a  feeling that something isn't quite right.

  • Dr Nesse suggests that anxiety isresult of natural selection. This is  

  • the principle of evolution whereby random  changes in the biology of a living thing  

  • can make it more likely to survive  in a particular environment.

  • These changes shape the living thing. They  make it what it is. They help it to cope with  

  • different situations. Which means that they  help it manage or deal with those situations.

  • A life-threatening situation  is a very dangerous situation  

  • which could cause serious injury or even death.

  • And finally there was the phrasal verb to  go off. For example, if an alarm goes off,  

  • it means that is starts making a loud noise as  a warning. Right, before any alarms start to go  

  • off here, we need to wrap up. That's all from us  today, do join us again next time. Until then,  

  • you can find us online, on social media and on our  app. Look out for bbclearningenglish. Bye for now.

  • Goodbye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English, I'm Sam.

  • And I'm Neil.

  • Do you like sad music, Neil?

  • Well, when I was younger and ifhad a break-up with a girlfriend  

  • I would listen to sad songssongs which reflected my mood.

  • And do you still listen to those songs now?

  • Not so much, but I do still like them.

  • Well, it seems as if there might be  a biological reason why some of us  

  • do like sad songs. We'll look at this topiclittle more after this week's quiz question,  

  • which is about music videos. The music video has  been around for a while, but in what year was  

  • MTV, the first dedicated music video  channel, launched in the US? Was it

  • A: 1981, B:  

  • 1982, or C: 1983?

  • Well

  • What do you think, Neil?

  • I'm going to guess. Is it the early 1980s?

  • Well, yes. Care to be more specific?

  • WellWell, it was a long time ago – I was  just a small boy. I'm going to go for 1982.

  • OK, I'll have answer later in the programme. But  first, more about sad songs. Professor David Huron  

  • from Ohio State University has conducted research  in this area and he discussed it recently on a BBC  

  • World Service radio programme - The Why FactorHe was looking at why some people like sad music  

  • and other people really don't like it all, as  he says they just can't stand it. He believes  

  • it's to do with a hormone. A hormone is a natural  chemical in our bodies which can have an effect  

  • on various systems and also emotions. Listen  out for the name of the hormone he mentions.

  • One of the things that we were interested in was  'what's the difference between people who listen  

  • to sad music and who love it, and people who  listen to sad music and who just can't stand it'.  

  • In our research, it started pointing  towards a hormone called prolactin.  

  • Now, prolactin, as you might have  guessed from the name, is associated with  

  • 'lactation' from breast-feeding. When people  cry, they also release prolactin. And,  

  • there are circumstances in which prolactin  seems to have this comforting effect.

  • So which hormone did he mention?

  • He talked about the hormone called  prolactin which he said was connected to  

  • lactation. This is the production of  milk by mammals to feed their young.

  • What he noted was that this hormone can be  released when people cry and in some cases  

  • this hormone has a comforting  effect. When something is comforting,  

  • it makes you feel better, it calms  your emotions. Let's listen again.

  • One of the things that we were interested in was  'what's the difference between people who listen  

  • to sad music and who love it, and people who  listen to sad music and who just can't stand it.  

  • In our research, it started pointing  towards a hormone called prolactin.  

  • Now, prolactin, as you might have  guessed from the name, is associated with  

  • 'lactation' from breast-feeding. When  people cry, they also release prolactin.  

  • And, there are circumstances in which  prolactin seems to have this comforting effect.

  • So, what conclusions did he make about  this hormone and how it might be working?  

  • Professor Huron explains.

  • So the thought was that, perhaps what's  going on is that the people who are enjoying  

  • listening to sad music are receiving some  sort of excess of prolactin, and people who  

  • are listening to sad music and they just find it  incredibly sad and unhelpful and they just don't  

  • want to listen to it, maybe they're not getting  enough prolactin when they listen to the music.

  • So what is happening? Or as Professor  Huron said, what's going on?

  • Well, it seems quite simple, though I'm sure  it's very complicated. People who like sad  

  • music are maybe getting too much prolactin or more  than is normalhe describes this as an excess  

  • of prolactin. And maybe people who don't  like sad music aren't getting enough.

  • So, the idea is that prolactin is a hormone which  we find comforting. If our bodies release it when  

  • we hear sad music, it gives us a good feeling –  but if prolactin isn't released or there isn't  

  • enough of it, we just find the sad music  sad and it doesn't help to cheer us up.

  • I guess so, but you know emotions are  funny things - it's weird to think that  

  • our feelings are caused by different natural  chemicals that run around the body. Absolutely!  

  • OK, we're going to take another look  at today's vocabulary but first,  

  • the answer to this week's quiz. The  music video has been around for a while,  

  • but in what year was MTV, the first dedicated  music video channel, launched in the US? Was it

  • A: 1981, 

  • B: 1982, or C: 1983?

  • And Neil, you said

  • I said it was definitely the early 80s.

  • Well, you're not wrong therebut which year exactly?

  • '82?

  • Ah well, you'll need to dig out a sad song to make  you feel better now because the answer was 1981.

  • Oh dear, I can feel my prolactin  levels dropping already!

  • I'm sure you can't! But  let's move on to vocabulary.  

  • If you can't stand something, it  means you really don't like it.

  • A hormone is one of the body's natural chemicals.

  • And the hormone prolactin  is connected with lactation,  

  • which is the production of milk by mammals.

  • Something that is comforting  makes you feel better emotionally.

  • The phrase what's going on has a very  similar meaning to 'what's happening'.

  • And an excess of something is 'too much or  a more than normal amount of that thing'.

  • Well, before you have an excess of our companywe should wrap up. Thanks for listening and we  

  • hope you'll join us again soon. As ever, don't  forget that you can find more from the BBC  

  • Learning English team online, across social  media and on our very own app! Bye for now!

  • Goodbye!

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it