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Do red and yellow make you happy? Are you sad in a environment with a lot of blue? This is the programme where Neil and Georgina hope to add some colour to your life by discussing how colour can make you feel. And they teach you useful vocabulary too.

This week's question

Do you know what the splitting of white light into its different colours is called?

a) dispersion
b) reflection
c) refraction

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

green with envy
the feeling someone has who wishes they had what someone else has

wavelength
distance between two waves of sound or light that are next to each other

govern
control or influence

sanctuary
peaceful, relaxing or safe place

stimulation
feeling of being excited, interested or enthused by something

pale
colour that lacks intensity

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Georgina
And I'm Georgina.

Neil
This is the programme where we hope to add some colour to your life by talking about an interesting subject and teaching you some useful vocabulary.

Georgina
And colour is what we're talking about today. What's your favourite colour, Neil?

Neil
Oh, I like green - a fresh, bold colour, that reminds me of nature - it can have a calming effect. And you?

Georgina
It's got to be blue - it reminds me of the sea, the sky - and holidays, of course!

Colour - no matter which one we prefer - affects how we feel. And we'll be talking about that soon. But not before I challenge you to answer my quiz question, Georgina - and it's a science question. Do you know what the splitting of white light into its different colours is called? Is it...
a) dispersion
b) reflection, or
c) refraction?

OK, I'll reveal the right answer later on. But now, let's talk more about colour. Colour can represent many different things, depending on where you come from. You can be ' green with envy ' - wishing you had what someone else had.

Georgina
And someone can feel blue - so feel depressed. We choose colours to express ourselves in what we wear or how we decorate our home.

Neil
The BBC Radio 4 programme, You and Yours, has been talking about colour and whether it affects everyone's mood. Karen Haller is a colour psychologist and a colour designer and consultant - she explained how colour affects us...

Karen Haller, colour psychologist and a colour design and consultant
It's the way that we take in the wavelengths of light because colour is wavelengths of light, and it's how that comes in through our eye, and then it goes into the part of our brain called the hypothalamus, which governs our sleeping patterns, our hormones, our behaviours, our appetite - it governs everything and so different colours and different frequencies or different wavelengths of light, we have different responses and different reactions to them.

Neil
Interesting stuff - of course, colour can affect us differently. Seeing red can make one person angry but someone else may just feel energised.

Georgina
Homeware and furnishing manufacturers offer a whole spectrum - or range - of colours to choose to suit everyone's taste, and mood. But during the recent coronavirus pandemic, there was a rise in demand for intense, bright shades and patterns. This was referred to as 'happy design' - design that was meant to help lift our mood.

Neil
Yes, and Karen Haller spoke a bit more about this on the You and Yours programme...

Karen Haller, colour psychologist and a colour design and consultant
In the time when everyone was out and we were all working, and we lived very busy lives, quite often what people wanted - they wanted a quiet sanctuary to come back to, so they had very pale colours or very low chromatic colours in their house - low saturation - because that helped them unwind and helped them relax and to feel very soothed. But what I have found since the first lockdown is a lot of people, because they're not getting that outside stimulation, they're actually putting a lot of brighter colours in their home because they're trying to bring in that feeling that they would have got when they were out - that excitement and that buzz.

It seems that in our normal busy working lives, our homes were peaceful places and somewhere to relax - they were a sanctuary. To create this relaxing space, we use pale colours - ones that lack intensity, like sky blue.

Georgina
Hmmm, perhaps a little too bright for me! It is all about personal taste and the connections we make with the colours we see but it makes sense that brighter colours can certainly lift our mood.

Neil
Now, earlier I asked you, Georgina, do you know what the splitting of white light into its different colours is called? Is it...
a) dispersion
b) reflection, or
c) refraction?

Neil
Sorry Georgina, that's wrong. It is actually called dispersion. Back to school for you - but not before we recap some of today's vocabulary.

A sanctuary can be a peaceful or relaxing place - in some cases it can be a safe place for someone in danger.

Georgina
Stimulation describes the feeling of being excited, interested or enthused by something. And pale describes a colour that lacks intensity, it's not very bright - and for me, they're much better than a bold bright yellow!

Georgina
Don't forget you can hear other 6 Minute English programmes and much more on our website at bbclearningenglish.com - and we're always posting stuff on our social media platforms. Bye for now.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How colour affects us

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How does culture influence the way you feel and show sadness? Neil and Sam will be investigating how the way people express sadness is influenced by their culture, and, as usual, we'll be learning some new, useful vocabulary as well.

This week's question

Which colour is associated with sadness? Is it:

a) yellow?

b) blue? or,

c) brown?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

(to be) down in the dumps
feel miserable and depressed

(to be) fed up
feel unhappy, bored, or tired, especially of something you have been experiencing for a long time

melancholy
intense and thoughtful sadness

grief
strong feeling of sadness, especially caused by someone's death

repressed
unable to show your true feelings and emotions

stiff upper lip
not showing your feelings when you are upset, even though it is difficult not to

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

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

Neil
And I'm Neil. When Helen Russell was three years old, her new-born baby sister died suddenly. Looking back at that sad time, Helen remembers making a big decision - she wanted to be happy. She became a bestselling author and wrote a book called, The Atlas of Happiness. She got married, and even moved to the famously happy city of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Sam
But the sadness Helen felt didn't disappear, and the longer she lived abroad, the more she wondered whether her feelings were somehow connected to being born in England, into a culture where, traditionally, expressing your emotions was discouraged.

Neil
In this programme, we'll be investigating how the way people express sadness is influenced by their culture, and, as usual, we'll be learning some new, useful vocabulary as well.

Sam
But first I have a question for you, Neil. In English there are many idioms which describe being sad, including down in the dumps, meaning that you feel miserable and depressed. Also, emotions are often associated with colours, for example you might go red with anger, or turn green with envy. But which colour is associated with sadness? Is it:

a) yellow?
b) blue? or,
c) brown?

Neil
I think the answer is blue.

Sam
OK, Neil. We'll find out the later in the programme. Around the world, cultures express emotions very differently. In Spain, flamenco performers express their emotions with colourful displays of song and dance, whereas in Japan, crying is considered weak and shameful. To discover more about how British people express their feelings, Helen Russell interviewed, Thomas Dixon, a professor at the Centre for the History of Emotion, for BBC World Service programme, The Documentary:

Professor Thomas Dixon
The word sad, as you will know, Helen, literally means sated or full. So, it's earliest use is in English, it means being literally fed up, being full of something sad or sated means heavy and full. And then of course we have this huge vocabulary of melancholy, sorrow, grief, depression and many, many other terms, and they all mean slightly different things.

Sam
But fed up is just one of many words to describe feelings of sadness, each with a slightly different meaning. One of them is melancholy, a kind of intense and thoughtful sadness. Another is grief - a strong sadness often caused by the death of someone you love.

Neil
In Irish culture, melancholy is expressed artistically in poems or songs. And in other cultures, India for example, grief can be expressed by professional mourners who are paid to cry by the family of the person who has died. In England, however, big public displays of emotion are uncommon.

Sam
But according to Professor Dixon that wasn't always the case. Here he explains to BBC World Service programme, The Documentary, how it was only quite recently, during the time of Queen Victoria and the British Empire, that the English got a reputation for being repressed - unable to show their true feelings and emotions.

Neil
Professor Dixon says the Victorians who ruled the empire had a stiff upper lip. These men believed they were better than everyone else, and that to cry was a sign of weakness. When we cry, our top lip starts to wobble and so this gave rise to the idiom a stiff upper lip, meaning to not show your feelings when you are upset, even though it is difficult not to.

Sam
Fortunately, most Brits are less repressed nowadays, but it's still hard for some people, especially men, to express their feelings. Sometimes drinking alcohol gives people the courage to say what they are feeling, but this is not so healthy and can even increase feelings of depression.

Neil
It's talking to someone about your feelings that can really help, and keep away the blues... and in saying that I think I've answered your question, Sam.

Sam
I asked Neil which colour is often associated with feeling sad.

Neil
And I said it was blue...

Sam
Melancholy is a type of intense and thoughtful sadness; and grief is a strong sadness usually caused by someone's death

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How culture affects sadness

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What ways do you think culture can influence sadness?

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Social media encourages us to give our opinion on a subject without always listening in return - does this mean the art of conversation is being lost? Sam and Neil discuss the topic and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

This week's question

In 2012, a competition in Latvia broke the world record for the longest telephone conversation. How long did this record-breaking conversation last?

a) 24 hours and 4 minutes?
b) 54 hours and 4 minutes?
c) 84 hours and 4 minutes?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

chinwag
a long and pleasant conversation between friends

enriched
improved by having something else added to it

survival instinct
the human instinct to do something in a dangerous situation to stay alive

build bridges
improve relationships between people who are very different or do not like each other

tittle-tattle
talk about other people's lives that is usually unkind, disapproving, or untrue

talk over (someone)
silence or drown out someone by talking more loudly, forcefully, and persistently than them

TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

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

Sam
Recently I met up with an old school friend who I hadn't seen for years. We talked for hours...

Sam
With the rise of Twitter and social media, which encourages us to give our opinion on a subject without always listening in return, some think the art of conversation is being lost. But luckily, there are still millions of us who love to talk, chat, chinwag and chatter away. In fact, in 2012 a competition in Latvia broke the world record for the longest telephone conversation. So, Neil, my question is this: how long did this record-breaking conversation last? Was it:
a) 24 hours and 4 minutes?
b) 54 hours and 4 minutes? or,
c) 84 hours and 4 minutes?

Neil
Hmmm, I'll guess a) 24 hours and 4 minutes, after which they probably fell asleep!

Sam
OK, Neil, I'll reveal the correct answer later in the programme. During a long career, DJ and BBC radio presenter, Nihal Arthanayake, has had conversations with hundreds of people. Now he's used these experiences to write a book entitled, 'Let's Talk: How to Have Better Conversations'. Here Nihal tells another radio presenter, Michael Rosen, of BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth, about the influence of his mother who also loved talking to people in her job as a nurse:

Nihal Arthanayake
Well, it gave me the sense that you are enriched by listening. And this was of course, pre-social media which has of course encouraged us to project - to transmit - more than receive. So it meant that I guess I was conscious of experiences of others, and wanted to try and understand them. Also, partially, Michael, it was a survival instinct because I was a little brown boy in a predominantly white school, a state school in the 1980s.

Sam
Here's Nihal again in conversation with BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth:

Nihal Arthanayake
So conversation can build bridges, and it is proven through history that conversation has, and that conversation can be seen as an art form, and that's one of the things that I want us to understand - it's not just tittle tattle, it's not just shouting at each other on social media, it's not two politicians talking over each other.

Sam
And good conversation involves taking turns, not talking over someone - trying to silence people by talking more loudly, forcefully, and persistently than them.

Neil
Hopefully, Nihal's tips can help us all have better conversations, encounter new ideas and make friends. So, Sam, did you do any of these things when you met up with your old school friend?

Sam
I think so. We both listened to each other, there was no tittle-tattle but a little bit of gossip. Before we knew it a couple of hours had passed - but not as much time as those record-breaking telephone conservations I mentioned earlier.

Neil
Ah yes, in your question you asked how long the world's longest telephone conversation lasted. It guessed it was an incredible 24 hours and 4 minutes... was I right?

Sam
Well, Neil, I'm afraid that was... the wrong answer. In fact, the record-breaking conversation lasted 54 hours and 4 minutes - about the same as 540 programmes of 6 Minute English!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The art of conversation

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We discuss whether the art of conversation is being lost in the era of social media

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Emojis are part of our daily communication. They've been around for more than 20 years, but are these colourful faces helping to bring people together or contributing to illiteracy? Sam and Neil talk about this topic and teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question

Emojis were invented in 1999 in Japan for the first internet-enabled mobile phones. The name, 'emoji', comes from the combination of two Japanese words, but which words?

a) face and emotion

b) picture and character

c) message and image

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

the grammar police
(informal) people who want to have correct English spelling and grammar written online, and who criticise those who don't follow grammar rules

a jaundiced view (of something)
only seeing the negative side of something because of your own bad experience with it

the dark ages
a time in the past considered not advanced and characterised by a lack of knowledge and progress

dating
spending time with someone you have started a romantic relationship

lucky in love
lucky in finding a romantic partner

it stands to reason (that)
it seems likely to be true (that); it makes sense (that) back to the dark ages
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

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

Neil
And I'm Neil.

Sam
It's nice to see you, Neil, [smiley face], [high five], [fist bump]!

Neil
What's this, Sam? Are you saying hello with... emojis?!

Sam
Yes, I am! In this programme, we're entering the world of emojis - the small characters people use to show emotions in texts and emails. Do you have a favourite emoji, Neil? Mine's the [crying tears of laughter] emoji.

Neil
I like the [smiling face with hearts] one, and with over three thousand emojis to choose from, there's one for every occasion. It's one of the reasons why emojis have become so popular over the last 20 years - they let people put back some of the human emotion that's missing in written texts and emails.

We'll be finding out more about emojis, and learning some related vocabulary, soon... but first I have a question for you, Neil. It's about the word 'emoji' itself, which was invented in 1999 in Japan for the first internet-enabled mobile phones. The name, 'emoji', comes from the combination two Japanese words, but which words? Is the word 'emoji' a combination of:
a) face and emotion?
b) picture and character? or
c) message and image?

Neil
I'll say it's a) face and emotion.

Sam
OK, Neil. We'll find out if your answer gets a [thumbs up] at the end of the programme. When we talk with someone face to face, we use physical gestures like smiling, laughing or nodding to show the other person how we feel. But these gestures get lost in written communication.

Neil
That's where emojis come in - they add feeling and emotion to online messages. But not everyone is an emoji fan. Some people believe that carefully chosen words are the best way of expressing yourself, and that emojis are affecting our ability to put feelings into words.

Sam
Here's cognitive linguist, Professor Vyv Evans, author of a book about the language of emojis, explaining more to BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth.

Professor Vyv Evans
A lot of people, you know, language-mavens, the grammar police and so on, or say... have this sort of jaundiced, prejudiced view about emoji - that it's taking us back to the dark ages of illiteracy - bring back Shakespeare, and stick to the language of Shakespeare and all the rest of it.

But that fundamentally misunderstands the nature of communication. Emoji is important. In fact, it makes us more effective communicators in the digital age.

Vyv Evans describes people who don't approve of emojis as the grammar police - a slang term referring to people who want to see formal language and grammar - what they call 'correct' English - written online. The grammar police criticise modern styles of English and like to correct other people's mistakes in spelling and grammar.

According to Professor Evans, the grammar police have a jaundiced view of emojis - they only see the negative side of them because of their own ideas and experiences.

What's more, they think emojis are taking us back to the dark ages of illiteracy, when most people couldn't read or write. If someone refers to the dark ages, they mean a past time in history considered uncivilised, and characterised by ignorance.

Sam
But luckily for emoji fans, the grammar police are in the minority. Over 6 billion emoji messages are sent around the world every day, with about 70 percent containing emotion-based characters like [smiley face] and [blowing kisses].

Neil
According to Professor Evans, emoji users are more expressive, more effective communicators. So, could that be an advantage for someone looking for love online? That's what Michael Rosen, presenter of BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth, wanted to find out.

Michael Rosen
Is it possible to start a relationship using emoji?

Professor Vyv Evans
Well, there is research that's been conducted by Match.com, the American-based dating site, and what they've found, based on their research, is that the people that use more emojis tend to be lucky in love, they have more success in terms of dating. In the digital age, using emoji makes us more effective communicators...

Michael Rosen
... more expressive ...

Professor Vyv Evans
... more expressive, we're better able to express our emotional selves, and people therefore it stands to reason, if you use more emojis you're gonna get more dates!

For people who are dating, or starting a romantic relationship with someone, it seems that using emojis helps them be lucky in love, an expression meaning lucky in finding a romantic partner.

Emojis let us show our true personality, so, Professor Evans says, it stands to reason - in other words, it seems likely to be true - that emoji users get more dates.

And that's a big [thumbs up] from me! What about your question, Sam? Did my answer get a [thumbs up] too?

Sam
In my question, I asked you which words combine to make up the Japanese word, 'emoji'.

Neil
I guessed it was a) face and emotion.

Sam
Which was [sad face] the wrong answer, I'm afraid. In fact, 'emoji' combines the words for 'picture' and 'character' in Japanese.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt about emojis, starting with the grammar police, people who want correct spelling and grammar online, and criticise those who don't.

If you have a jaundiced view of something, you only see the negative side because of your own bad experience with it.

' The dark ages' describes a period in history characterised by ignorance and a lack of progress.

If you are dating someone, you are spending time with them romantically, which means you are lucky in love, an expression meaning lucky in finding a romantic partner.

And finally, the phrase it stands to reason means that something seems likely to be true, or it makes sense. Once again, our six minutes are up. Bye for now!

Neil
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do emojis make language better?

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Are emojis turning us into lazy writers?

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The coronavirus pandemic has forced millions of people worldwide to get used to meeting others only through a computer screen. But how can we make these meetings feel more natural? That's what Neil and Sam discuss, as they teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question

Erica Dhawan may be a communications expert now, but growing up in Pennsylvania she was a shy and quiet schoolgirl. So how did Erica beat her shyness and become the confident communicator she is today? Did she...

a) attend public speaking classes?

b) copy the body language of the cool kids at school?

c) raised her hand to answer the teacher's questions, even if she didn't know the answer?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

body language
communication though the movements and gestures of your body, rather than with words

eye contact
two people look at each other's eyes at the same time

brainstorming
discussing suggestions with a group of people to come up new ideas or solve problems

to process
to understand information by thinking about it and reflecting on it carefully

in unison
happening together and at the same time

water cooler effect
informal conversations and chats between people in their office or workplace (US)

Transcript
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript
Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Neil
But during the Covid pandemic, everyday meetings with work colleagues, teachers and friends, and 6 Minute English recording - all moved online.

Sam
Video meetings using software like Zoom and Skype became the normal way to communicate with family and friends. And whatever happens with Covid in the future, it seems they're here to stay.

Neil
In this programme, we'll be asking: how has body language changed in the world of online video meetings?

Sam
We'll meet the person who wrote the rulebook for clear communication in the digital age - Erica Dhawan, author of a new book, 'Digital Body Language'.

Neil
But before that, I have a question for you, Sam, and it's about Erica Dhawan. She may be a communications expert now, but growing up in Pennsylvania she was a shy and quiet schoolgirl. So how did Erica beat her shyness and become the confident communicator she is today? Did she:

a) attend public speaking classes?,

b) copy the body language of the cool kids at school? or,

c) raised her hand to answer the teacher's questions, even if she didn't know the answer?

Neil
OK, Sam. We'll reveal the correct answer later in the programme.

Neil
Unfortunately, using a web camera to make eye contact is almost impossible in online meetings and this often creates a kind of 'distancing' effect.

Sam
Erica Dhawan makes several suggestions to help with this. See if you can hear the final suggestion she makes to Michael Rosen as part of BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth.

Erica Dhawan
And last but not least, slow down. Remember when it was completely normal to have a one-minute pause in a room with one another because we knew when we're thinking and brainstorming. If we don't hear someone speak on video, we ask them if they're on mute. Practise what I call the five-second rule - wait five seconds before speaking to make sure that individuals have time to process the ideas, especially if there may be technology or accessibility issues.

Slowing down gives us time to process newinformation - to understand it by thinking carefully and reflecting on it.

Neil
Erica compares online body language to learning a new language - it takes practice, especially when it comes to smiling and laughing, something Michael Rosen finds hard to do in video meetings.

Sam
Listen to him discussing this problem with Erica Dhawan for BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth.

Michael Rosen
Do you think it's killing off people laughing and smiling in the way we do when we're altogether in the live situation?
Erica Dhawan
I would say that it is much less likely that we laugh and smile on camera for a few reasons. Number one, laughing is often done in unison where we can quickly pick up the energy of someone smiling or laughingand feed off of that and laugh ourselves. When it comes to screen delays, the fact that it's not natural to see our own camera - being distracted by that - we are much less likely to laugh and smile. One of the ways we can overcome this is by creating intentional moments in our meetings for the water cooler effect.

Neil
Yes, if someone starts laughing it makes me laugh too.

Sam
She also thinks it's important to make time for employees to chat informally about things unrelated to work - their weekend plans or last night's TV show.

Neil
Erica Dhawan seems very comfortable communicating online, but she's had lots of time to practice since her schooldays.

Sam
Ah yes, Neil, in your quiz question you asked how Erica conquered her shyness at school. I guessed that she raised her hand to answer the teacher's questions.

Neil
It was a good guess, Sam, but the correct answer is b - she copied the body language of her cool teenage classmates, so probably lots of rolled eyes and slouching!

Sam
Neil is looking at his watch, which is body language that tells me our six minutes are up!

Neil
Goodbye for now!

Sam
Goodbye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Body language online

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How can we make video conferences feel more natural?

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In this programme, Neil and Sam will be looking at an idea to add a label showing the carbon footprint of a product, and talking about some vocabulary used around this subject.

This week's question

According to the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, how many tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person annually could be reduced by living car-free?

a) Around 1 tonne
b) Around 2 tonnes
c) Around 3 tonnes

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

footprinting
(informal) measuring the carbon footprint of something

caught on
become popular or fashionable

informed decisions based on good and accurate information

responsible
trusted or reliable

from farm to fork
the processes involved from agricultural production to consumption

Transcript
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript
Sam
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Sam.

Neil
And I'm Neil.

Sam
That's a tasty chocolate bar you're munching on there, Neil.

Neil
Tasty but maybe not healthy.

Sam
But at least on the wrapper there's a label to tell you about its sugar, fat and calorie content.

Neil
Yes, the little coloured guide on the wrapper allows consumers to compare the healthiness of different things.

Sam
Well, in this programme, we'll be looking at an idea to add a label showing the carbon footprint of a product, and talking about some vocabulary used around this subject.

Yes - but as normal, we still have a question for you to answer first. I think we all agree we want to reduce our carbon footprint somehow - but according to the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, how many tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person annually could be reduced by living car-free? Is it...
a) Around 1 tonne,
b) Around 2 tonnes, or
c) Around 3 tonnes?

Neil
I'm sure living without a car would reduce CO2, so I'll say c) around 3 tonnes.

Sam
OK, Neil, we'll find out if that's right at the end of the programme. But let's talk more about carbon labelling. Listing the carbon dioxide emissions of a product on the packaging may encourage us to make greener choices.

Sam
Until now. The idea now seems to have returned, and it's something the BBC World Service programme The Climate Question has been looking into. They've been speaking to business leaders about adding labelling to their products.

Neil
Such as Marc Engel, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Unilever. Let's hear why he thinks the idea is growing in popularity...

Marc Engel, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Unilever
What we are seeing is Generation Z and Millennials, are much much more willing to make choices, informed choices, about responsible products and brands, so that's also why we're also doing it. At the end of the day, we're doing it because we believe that this is what consumers will ask from business - this is not something that we made up ourselves.

Neil
That all makes sense, and it's why Unilever recently announced it's committed to putting carbon footprint information on 70,000 products. The Climate Question programme also spoke to Dr Zaina Gadema-Cooke - an expert in supply chain management at Northumbria University. What does she call measuring a product's carbon footprint?

Sam
It's all food for thought - something to think seriously about.

Sam
Ah yes, I asked you - according to the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, how many tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person annually could be reduced by living car-free?

Neil
And I said around 3 tonnes.

Sam
Which was actually, a bit too much. Research found living car-free reduces a person's annual CO2 production by an average of 2.04 tonnes.

Neil
Anyway, let's briefly recap some of the vocabulary we've mentioned today.

When something has caught on it means it has become popular or fashionable. And, making informed choices means making decisions based on good and accurate information.

Sam
We're out of time now, but thanks for listening. Bye for now.

Neil
Goodbye.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do consumers care about carbon footprint?

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Companies are considering using carbon labelling the same way as they use nutrition information

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / High-vis fashion

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Building rapport with others

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Compassion fatigue

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The suffering brought about by the coronavirus pandemic seems to be making people tired of feeling sorry for others and themselves. This is what is called 'compassion fatigue'. Are we being dehumanised? Is our compassion for others finite? After more than a year, have we reached our limit?

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Some people are too busy texting to talk. With the huge rise of mobile phones in recent decades, communicating by text has become more and more popular. Neil and Georgina talk about why people often choose to text, instead of talk to the people in their lives.

This week's question

Young people are often the biggest users of mobile phones, but in a 2016 study, what percentage of British teenagers said they would prefer to send a text rather than speak to someone, even if they were in the same room? Is it...

a) 9 percent?

b) 49 percent?

c) 99 percent?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

intonation
musical way someone's voice rises and falls when speaking; vocal changes which often effect the meaning of what is said

intention
idea or plan of something you are going to do

phrase
small group of words often with a particular meaning

in person
actually physically present or face to face, instead of via email, telephone or text

get annoyed
become angry, upset or irritated

minefield / treading on mines
situation full of hidden problems and dangers where people need to act carefully

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

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

Georgina
And I'm Georgina

Neil
Can I ask you something, Georgina...?

Neil
Georgina? I said, I want to ask you something... are you listening to me?!

Georgina
Mm-hmm, just a second, Neil, I'm texting a friend...

Neil
Ah, has this ever happened you? Someone too busy texting to talk. With the huge rise of mobile phones in recent decades, communicating by text has become more and more popular and scenes like this have become increasingly common.

Georgina
...and send! There, all done! Now, what were you saying, Neil?

Neil
In this programme, we'll be investigating why people often choose to text, instead of talk to the people in their lives. We'll be asking whether this popular form of communication is changing how we interact with each other.

Georgina
And, of course, we'll be learning some related vocabulary as well. Now, Neil, what did you want to ask me?

Neil
My quiz question, Georgina, which is this. Young people are often the biggest users of mobile phones, but in a 2016 study, what percentage of British teenagers said they would prefer to send a text rather than speak to someone, even if they were in the same room? Is it:

a) 9 percent?,
b) 49 percent?, or,
c) 99 percent?

Georgina
That sounds pretty shocking! I can't believe 99 percent of teenagers said that, so I'll guess b) 49 percent.

Neil
OK, Georgina. We'll find out later if that's right. In one way, the popularity of texting, sometimes called 'talking with thumbs', is understandable - people like to be in control of what they say.

Georgina
But this low-risk way of hiding behind a screen may come at a cost, as neuroscientist, Professor Sophie Scott, explained to Sandra Kanthal, for BBC World Service programme, The Why Factor:

Sophie Scott
So if I say a phrase like, 'Oh shut up!' - has a different meaning than, 'Oh shut up!' There's an emotional thing there but also a strong kind of intonation: one's sort of funny, one's just aggressive. Written down it's just aggressive - 'Shut up!' - and you can't soften that. [...] We always speak with melody and intonation to our voice and we'll change our meaning depending on that. You take that channel of information out of communication you lose another way that sense is being conveyed.

Georgina
Intonation, how a word is said, often changes the meaning of words and phrases - small groups of words people use to say something particular.

Georgina
And it's not just the speaker's intention that we miss. A whole range of extra information is conveyed through speech, from the speaker's age and gender to the region they're from.

Neil
Poet, Gary Turk, believes that we lose something uniquely human when we stop talking. And there are practical problems involved with texting too, as he explains to BBC World Service's, The Why Factor:

Gary Turk
If you speak to someone in person and they don't respond right away, that would be rude. But you might be speaking to someone in person and someone texts you... and it would be ruder for you then to stop that conversation and speak to the person over text... yet the person on the other side of the text is getting annoyed - you haven't responded right way - it's like we're constantly now creating these situations using our phones that allow us to like tread on mines - no matter what you do, we're going to disappoint people because we're trying to communicate in so many different ways. Do you prioritise the person on the phone? Would you prioritise the person you're speaking to? Who do you disappoint first? You're going to disappoint somebody.

Georgina
Gary thinks that despite its convenience, texting creates situations where we have to tread on mines, another way of saying that something is a minefield, meaning a situation full of hidden problems and dangers, where people need to take care.

Neil
Yes, it's easy to get annoyed when someone ignores you to text their friend...

Georgina
Oh, you're not still upset about that are you, Neil?

Neil
Ha, it's like those teenagers in my quiz question! Remember I asked you how many teenagers said they'd prefer to text someone, even if they were in the same room.

Georgina
I guessed it was b) 49 percent.

Neil
Which was... the correct answer! I'm glad you were listening, Georgina, and not texting!

Georgina
Ha ha! In this programme we've been discussing ways in which texting differs from talking with someone in person - or face to face.

Neil
And that's all we have time for in this programme, but remember you can find more useful vocabulary, trending topics and help with your language learning here at BBC Learning English. We also have an app that you can download for free from the app stores and of course we are all over social media. Bye for now!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do we choose to text instead of talk?

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Hear how texting has become more popular than talking

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In an era of fake news, where even a president of the United States is accused of spreading misinformation, could it be that we are living through a crisis in trust? Neil and Rob discuss the meaning of trust and teach you the honest truth about topical vocabulary.

This week's question

The American financier Bernie Madoff become infamous as 'the biggest swindler in history'. In 2009 he was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his part in the Ponzi scam, but how much did he defraud from investors? That's my quiz question. Was it...?

a) 6.5 million dollars

b) 65 million dollars

c) 65 billion dollars

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

trustworthiness
quality of being able to be trusted as honest and reliable

gullible
easy to deceive because you trust and believe people too easily

trust to luck
believe that things will happen for the best

indiscriminately
done is a random way that does not show care or judgement, usually with harmful results

competence
the ability to do something well, in a satisfactory or effective way

reliability
quality to being trusted to do what you say you will, all the time

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

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

NeilMore recently, the American financier Bernie Madoff become infamous as 'the biggest swindler in history'. In 2009 he was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his part in the Ponzi scam, but how much did he defraud from investors? That's my quiz question. Was it:
a) 6.5 million dollars?,
b) 65 million dollars? or
c) 65 billion dollars?

NeilWell, not according to philosopher, Onora O'Neill. Here he is speaking to David Edmonds, presenter of the BBC World Service programme, The Big Idea:

NeilSo, if indiscriminately trusting people is such a bad idea, how do we avoid it? How can we tell who is trustworthy and who is not? Here's BBC World Service's The Big Idea presenter, David Edmonds, asking Onora O'Neill to give some details:

Competence means the ability to do something well. You would trust a car mechanic to fix your broken car engine, but you wouldn't go to them for dental work - they're not competent to remove your tooth like a dentist is.

RobAnd you wouldn't trust your dentist to fix your broken down car, either! Onora O'Neill also mentions reliability - being trustworthy because you behave well all the time and keep all the promises you make.

NeilBut in fact it was c) 65 billion dollars - a lot of money to give to such an untrustworthy man!

RobBut luckily there are many trustworthy people around and we can spot them using three criteria: honesty, in other words not lying; competence; and reliability.

Competence means an ability to do something well, in the correct and effective way.

RobAnd reliability means being honest and competent, all the time, not just being honest sometimes or reliable in some actions but not others.

Rob Bye bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is this the era of distrust?

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What is trust? And who should we place our trust in?

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Lots of people are planning to buy no new clothes this year, favouring second-hand or making do with what they already have. However, sales at online fast fashion sites, trade is going well. Could you give up buying new clothes for a year? Would you do it over concerns with the environment? Georgina and Neil discuss this fashion and environment and teach you some useful items of vocabulary.

This week's question

Do you know how many items of clothing were sent to landfill in the UK in 2017? Was it...

a) 23 million items

b) 234 million items

c) 2.3 billion items

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

outsourced
given to another company to do, often because that company has the skills to do it or it can be done cheaper

undercuts
if a company undercuts another, it charges less to do a job than its competitor

stems from (something)
caused by or a result of something

illogical
unreasonable - not sensible, more driven by emotions than practical reason

backlash
strong negative reaction to what is happening

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Neil
And I'm Neil.

Neil
This is something known as fast fashion - it's popular, it might make us feel good, but it's not great for the environment.

You're certainly not a fashion victim, Neil! But first, let's test your knowledge of fast fashion with a question. Do you know how many items of clothing were sent to landfill in the UK in 2017? Was it...
a) 23 million items,
b) 234 million items or
c) 2.3 billion items
What do you think, Neil?

Neil
I'm sure it's lots, but not billions, so I'm going to say 23 million items.

Georgina
I shall tell you if you're right at the end of the programme. Let's talk more about fast fashion, which is being blamed for contributing to global warming.

Neil
And discarded clothes - that means ones that are thrown away - are also piling up in landfill sites, and fibre fragments are flowing into the sea when clothes are washed.

Georgina
It's not great - and I've heard the average time someone wears something is just seven! So why is this, and what is driving our desire to keep buying more clothes?

Neil
I think we should hear from fashion journalist Lauren Bravo, who's been speaking on the BBC Radio 4 programme, You and Yours. She explained that clothes today are relatively cheaper than those from her parents' days...

Lauren Bravo, fashion journalist
A lot of clothing production got outsourced - offshored over to the developing world, so countries like Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and China
are now responsible for making the vast bulk of all the clothes that are sold in the UK. And with that, we've seen what we call 'chasing the cheapest needle' around the world, so the fashion industry constantly looking to undercut competitors, and with that clothes getting cheaper and cheaper and cheaper.

Right, so clothes - in the developed world at least - have become cheaper because they are produced in developing countries. These are countries which are trying to become more advanced economically and socially.

So production is outsourced - that means work usually done in one company is given to another company to do, often because that company has the skills to do it. And in the case of fashion production, it can be done cheaper by another company based in a developing country.

Lauren used an interesting expression 'chasing the cheapest needle' - so the fashion industry is always looking to find the company which can make clothes cheaper - a company that can undercut another one means they can do the same job cheaper.

Neil
Therefore the price of clothes gets cheaper for us.

Georgina
OK, so it might be good to be able to buy cheaper clothes. But why do we have to buy more - and only wear items a few times?

Neil
It's all about our obsession with shopping and fashion. It's something Lauren Bravo goes on to explain on the You and Yours radio programme. See if you can hear what she blames for this obsession...

Lauren Bravo, fashion journalist
Buying new things has almost become a trend in itself for certain generations. I think that feeling that you can't be seen in the same thing twice, it really stems from social media, particularly. And quite often people are buying those outfits to take a photo to put on Instagram. It sounds illogical, but I think when all of your friends are doing it there is this invisible pressure there.

Georgina
She describes the social pressure of needing to be seen wearing new clothes on Instagram. And the availability of cheap clothes means it's possible to post new images of yourself wearing new clothes very regularly.

Yes, and for once, I will be on trend! And it could reduce the amount of clothes sent to landfill that you mentioned earlier.

Yes, I asked if you knew how many items of clothing were sent to landfill in the UK in 2017? Was it...
a) 23 million items,
b) 234 million items or
c) 2.3 billion items
What did you say, Neil?

Neil
I said a) 23 million items.

Georgina
And you were wrong. It's actually 234 million items - that's according to the Enviro Audit Committee. It also found that 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions is released by the global fashion industry.

Neil
Well, we're clearly throwing away too many clothes but perhaps we can recycle some of the vocabulary we've mentioned today?

I think we can, starting with pledging - that means publicly promising to do something. You can make a pledge to do something.

And if one company undercuts another, it charges less to do a job than its competitor.

Georgina
And that brings us to the end of our discussion about fast fashion! Please join us again next time. Bye.

Neil Bye.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could you give up fast fashion?

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Cheap production of clothes is being blamed for contributing to global warming.

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Do you have a tattoo? If not, have you ever felt tempted to have one? Some tattoos can be very artistic and elaborate and are ways some people found to express their creativity and make them unique. But tattoos can last a long time and... what do you do if you feel your ink no longer represents how you feel about yourself? Sam and Rob discuss body art and teach you some vocabulary.

This week's question

According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand. Do you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos? Is it...

a) 80%?

b) 90%? Or

c) 100%?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

parlour
name for a shop or room where certain businesses carry out their trade - such as a tattoo parlour, a massage parlour or an ice cream parlour

creative person
someone who uses imagination and experiments with new ideas

express yourself
show outwardly how you feel and what you're thinking

big business
activity that is currently popular and making lots of money

fashionable
popular at a particular time

dilute
make something less strong or less valuable

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Rob
Hello. This is 6 Minute English, and I'm Rob.

Rob
Now, Sam, we're going to be talking about tattoos. Are you a fan?

Sam
Of tattoos? Well, I don't have one, but they can be quite impressive works of art.

Rob
Well, I'm not that keen on tattoos - I mean, who wants things drawn on their body?!

Sam
It sounds like you need some convincing, Rob! Maybe our discussion today will change your mind.

Rob
Maybe. But as you're a fan of them, here's a question for you to answer. According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand. Do you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos? Is it...

a) 80%?

b) 90%? Or

c) 100%?

What do you think, Sam?

Sam
Well, it's got to be 100% if he is the most tattooed man, surely?

Rob
Not necessarily, but, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme. Now let's talk more about tattoos. I know many people have them. Sometimes it's a picture of an animal, like a small gecko, sometimes it's words like 'I love you' or the name of a loved one. And then there are the huge designs spread across someone's back, chest or arm - like footballer David Beckham has.

Sam
OK, you need some convincing, so let's hear from Lucie Parfitt, YouTuber and tattoo fan. Here she is speaking on the BBC's Smart Consumer podcast...

Lucie Parfitt, YouTuber
I'm quite a creative person and ever since I first discovered tattoos, I thought it was a really cool way of expressing yourself. I'm quite a visual person as well, so for me it really, like, just looked really cool and it made me think more about my own, like, personality and how I could express that in creative waysRight, so, Lucie describes herself as a creative person. When you're creative you imaginative and like to experiment with new ideas.

Rob
OK, so some people express themselves through singing or wearing particular clothing, but here she's expressing herself through the images on her skin. But what happens if you want change what you want to express?

Sam
Well, then it's time for a new tattoo!

Sam
Not you yet, Rob! But it has certainly become a trend in recent years and it's something tattoo artist Lee Clements has noticed. Also speaking on the BBC's Smart Consumer podcast, he explains why he thinks that is....

Sam
And one of the down sides - the negative things - about just having one to be fashionable is it dilutes the individuality of having one. Dilute means to 'make something less strong or less valuable'.

Rob
Well, I'm not going to get one anytime soon - except maybe a big six on my arm to remind me that we only have 6 minutes for this programme so I'd better reveal the answer to the question I asked you earlier. According to Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand. Did you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos?

Rob
Well done, Sam. That is correct. He has held the certified record since 2006 of being 100% tattooed. This includes tattoos inside his eyelids, mouth and ears.

Sam
Wow! I wonder who gets to see those!

Sam
That's the name for a shop or room where certain businesses carry out their trade - such as a tattoo parlour, a massage parlour or an ice cream parlour.

And something that is fashionable is popular. And when something becomes popular it can dilute its value or uniqueness - so it becomes less strong or less valuable.

Rob
OK, thank you, Sam. That's all for now but there's plenty more on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. If you can't remember the address, why not tattoo it on your arm?! You can also find us on social media and on our app. Goodbye for now!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is it a good idea to have a tattoo?

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Are you prepared to be the canvas for a painting that might last forever?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Vampire shoppers

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Shopping online in the middle of the night is becoming popular but, is it always a good idea?

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Do you know when someone is lying to you? Are all lies bad? Could they be a way to preserve society? Sam and Rob discuss the social benefits of lying and teach you some vocabulary. Honestly.

This week's question

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

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

fib
small inoffensive lie

white lie
small lie, told to avoid upsetting someone

deceive
try to hide something by tricking people to gain an advantage

at the heart
most important or essential part

response latency
a term used in psychology to describe the time taken between a stimulus or question and a response to it

porkies
informal word for 'lies'

Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript

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

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

Sam
Really? That's not what I was told... oh hold on, you're lying.

Rob
Yes, you're right, Sam. I am lying simply to demonstrate our topic - lying and how to detect it. You detected my lie very easily, Sam!

Sam
I could tell by the smirk on your face that you were telling a fib - that's the word for a small, inoffensive lie.

Rob
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?

Sam
I'd be lying if I said I knew - but based on personal experience I'd say estate agents - they'd find it too easy!

Rob
Ha - well 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?

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' podcast, explaining how we sometimes lie just to be nice!

Rob
So Sophie mentions two types of lying. There's the one when we try to deceive someone - so that's trying to hide something by tricking someone to gain an advantage.

Sam
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 lies - small lies we tell to avoid upsetting someone. Those are lies that aren't intended to give you an advantage.

Rob
Yes, Sophie Scott says we use them in normal conversation - when we don't say what we really mean.

Rob
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.

Sam
But if you really want to know if someone is lying, maybe we should listen to Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire. Here he is speaking on the 'Seriously' podcast...

Sam
Sort of, Rob. Richard also suggests we focus on - or concentrate on - what and how people are saying things too. There's probably more to it than just that.

Rob
Well now you know how to detect my lies, Sam, maybe honestly is the best policy - as 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

Sam
I guessed c) estate agents.

Sam
Fascinating stuff, Rob and that's no lie! But now, shall we recap some of the vocabulary we've heard today?

Sam
A white lie is also a small lie, told to avoid upsetting someone.

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

Rob
OK, thank you, Sam. That's all from 6 Minute English. We look forward to your company next time. Goodbye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you tell when someone is lying?

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Do you know when someone is lying to you? Are all lies bad? Could they be a way to preserve society? Sam and Rob discuss the social benefits of lying and teach you some vocabulary. Honestly. A competition is held in Cumbria in the UK every year to find and award the title of "The Biggest Liar in the World".

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Which cooking oil is the best?

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Are some cooking oils better for your health than others?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should we eat less rice?

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Is it possible to grow rice in a more eco-friendly way?

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Could bitter foods be better for your health? Beth and Phil discuss this and teach you some useful new vocabulary.

This week's question

How many different basic flavours can humans taste?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

microbiome
the collection of microorganisms found in a specific part of the body

suppress
stop something from happening or operating

tastebuds
flavour receptors found on the tongue and in the mouth

undesirable trait
an unwanted negative characteristic

mainstream
something that the majority of people would use or like

a degree of
a small but significant amount of something
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

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

Beth
And I'm Beth. Phil, I'm going to start this episode with grapefruit - I've got some here - do you want some?

Phil
Er, I'm not that keen on grapefruit - they're too bitter for me.

Beth
Oh, that's a shame, because this episode is all about bitter food. It has actually been linked to a number of health benefits. So maybe you should take my grapefruit.

Phil
I might not like it that much, but in this programme, we'll be finding out how bitter foods can benefit our health. And, of course, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary.

Beth
That should give you a taste of what's coming up, but before that, if you want to learn vocabulary to talk about world events - search for our News Review podcast - we look at vocabulary about a major news story every week. But, back to this episode - I have a question for you, Phil. How many different basic flavours can humans taste? Is it:

Phil
Hmmm, I can think of bitter, sweet, salty and sour - so I'm going to go with four. I think we can taste 4 basic flavours.

Beth
OK, Phil, I'll reveal the correct answer later. Leyla Kazim presents 'The Food Programme' on BBC Radio 4. Here she is talking about some of the possible benefits of bitter food.

Leyla Kazim
New research has found a remarkable link between bitter foods and our health. It seems they have an incredible ability to interact with our gut microbiome, suppress feelings of hunger, control glucose release and even counter chronic inflammation in the body. Could bitter be the answer at the tip of our tastebuds?

Bitter foods can interact with our gut microbiome. A microbiome is a collection of microorganisms that can be found in a particular part of the body. It includes fungi, bacteria and viruses. Microorganisms in our gut play an important role in the digestive process - they are our gut microbiome.

If we suppress something then we stop it from happening or operating. We heard that bitter foods can suppress hunger feelings. This means that they stop people feeling hungry. If we try to suppress a feeling, we are trying to stop it.

Leyla asks if bitter foods are the answer at the tip of our tastebuds. Normally we'd say that something that we can't quite remember is on tip of our tongue. Here we have tastebuds, which are the receptors on our tongue and inside our mouths that can detect flavours, like bitterness.

Phil
So, it seems that bitter foods could be very beneficial, but they are not always the easiest foods to love. In BBC Radio 4's 'The Food Programme', presenter Leyla Kazim spoke to chef Alexina Anatole, who points out that we might be consuming more bitter food than we realise:

Alexina Anatole
I think it's a real perception issue with it. I think people are exposed to bitters way more than they think they are, but there's this perception of bitter and negativity, both in terms of emotions and food, right? Bitterness is generally an undesirable trait, but there are so many very very mainstream bitter things.

Leyla Kazim
Such as?

Alexina says that many people see bitterness as an undesirable trait. A trait is a characteristic, so an undesirable trait is a characteristic that people don't want. We often see bitterness as a bad thing. We also often use undesirable traits to refer to negative aspects of people's personalities.

Alexina points out that there are a number of mainstream things that have a bitter flavour. If something is mainstream, then it means it's ordinary and part of what most people consume - she listed chocolate and coffee as mainstream things.

The other mainstream thing mentioned was alcohol - we heard that it has a degree of bitterness. If something has a degree of something, then it has at least a small, but noticeable amount of it.

Phil
OK, now I think it's time to hear to the answer to your question.

Beth
Right, I asked how many basic flavours humans can taste.

Phil
And I guessed it was four.

Beth
Which, unfortunately was not the right answer. The answer is in fact five. The flavour that you missed is umami, which comes from a Japanese word and refers to a savoury flavour often found in grilled meats or broths.

Beth
And finally, a degree of something is a small, but noticeable amount of something. Once again, our six minutes are up! Remember to join us again next time for more topical discussion and useful vocabulary, here at 6 Minute English. Goodbye for now!

Phil
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Bitter food, better health?

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Could bitter foods be better for your health?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sonic seasoning