6 Minute English

Are electric rickshaws the solution to urban air pollution? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240606

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How did bubble tea get its bubbles? How was this drink invented? Neil and Beth chat about this.

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240523

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Are secrets always negative? Or can they be positive too? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

[Image: Getty Images]

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240516

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Could bitter foods be better for your health?

(Image: Getty Images)

Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240509

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A lot can happen at the dinner table, and not just eating! Beth and Neil discuss chatting at meal times and teach you some useful vocabulary.

(Image: Getty)

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240502

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Mums-to-be often feel guilty about the food they crave in pregnancy. Georgie and Phil discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary. (Image: Getty)

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240425

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Not a dancer? You might change your mind once you hear the benefits! Beth and Neil discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary. (Image: Getty)

TRANSCRIPT 
Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2023/ep-240418   FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: 
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Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️Learning English for work
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Are nudges good or bad? Beth and Neil discuss this and teach you useful vocabulary.

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240411.

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Could sitting be damaging to our health?

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240404

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Could being the underdog help you succeed?

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240328

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The UK's Equality Act of 2010 guaranteed the rights of disabled people to equal access to education, employment, and services, including music, theatre and the arts. Despite this, it's still difficult for disabled musicians and music fans to perform and see live music. Neil and Georgie introduce you to some ways people are trying to change this, while teaching you some useful vocabulary. (Image: Getty)

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240321

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What makes a library a library? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240314

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TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240307

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Plastics can be difficult to recycle, could a recently discovered enzyme help? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240229

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Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you learn English at bbclearningenglish.com

What do mothers eat after giving birth? Does it depend on which country you are from?

Neil and Beth discuss a project in the Netherlands for helping lonely people.

Should we be worried about our jobs disappearing? Or is the future positive?

Could french menu terms be going out of fashion?

Is it ever OK to be greedy?

How has sugar become such an important part of our diets? Neil and Georgie discuss.

Why do we keep, and love, pets? Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach new vocabulary.

Female farmers in many countries face sexism. Some are finding ways to be fairly treated.

Summer 2023 saw two missions to the Moon. Why are scientists so keen to get there?

Is it time to start living without plastic? Beth and Neil discuss this.

Invasive species are causing problems for nature around the world, so why not eat them?

How did Italian food become famous throughout the world? Find out with Neil and Georgie

What are the risks of social media to teenage health and what can be done about them?

What exactly did navy pilots see in 2004? The US investigates these UFOs now, in 2023.

What happens when an elephant wants to eat your crops? How can you stop it?

Is it OK to eat animals that can feel emotion? Learn vocabulary on this topic.

More and more people are living to 100, but what is the secret of a long life?

Should climate change make us think where to invest our money? Learn useful vocabulary.

Today the medicinal mushroom industry is big business. But are there actually benefits?

Some Australian languages have been saved from extinction. We discuss Barngala's revival.

Some sounds cause some people huge distress. Learn about 'misophonia' here.

Fandom is more than simply being a fan, and now it is developing its own language.

Do men find it harder than women to make close friendships? Neil and Beth discuss.

How can we find space for new solar panels?

What can names tell us about our culture and history?

Heatwaves - can we adapt? 6 Minute English

How can jobs change so that workers are happier?

A growing number around the world are experiencing something called 'eco-anxiety'.

Is there any way we can stop natural disasters being so damaging?

Neil and Beth talk about different ways of apologising.

We hear about a new foraging project and the health benefits of eating wild food.

We talk about whether plants can clean up our mess.

We talk about chatbots and teach you some useful vocabulary along the way.

We are kind to animals. What about plants?

Can sound make your food taste better? Neil and Beth discuss.

Would being lazy have a purpose in life?

Hear how subtitles can help bring TV and movies to life.

Is a style of tourism that respects animals and local communities working well?

Mosquito-borne diseases kill 750,000 annually. Could climate change make it worse?

Listen to an expert on the global food system and learn some vocabulary.

A war correspondent tells his story.

Sam and Neil talk about an essential element for life to thrive.

We discuss some of the reasons why women make up only 26% of the world's politicians.

Beth and Neil discuss the controversial role of museums in the 21st century.

Could your culture influence sadness? We talk about sadness and teach you vocabulary.

Learn about the world of novelty vegetables.

Hear experts talking about jealousy and envy, and learn related vocabulary.

We discuss the role of crowds in modern life

We look at the link between what you eat and how you feel.

The dos and don'ts of trying to discuss science with someone who doesn't believe in it.

Hear the story of a woman who replaced her native Czech for English.

Could there be some truth in the proverb 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'?

Do you leave your work until the last minute? If so, this programme is for you!

We discuss if there is an evolutionary reason why we're attracted to bad news.

What's the least amount of exercise you should do to stay healthy?

Hear about the software engineer who became 'friends' with his computer.

Does the size of your carbon footprint depend on where in the world you were born?

We discuss buffet meals and the history behind them and teach related vocabulary.

We discuss the art of songwriting – combining lyrics and music to make a hit song.

According to the UN, one third of the food we grow is thrown away. How can we stop this?

We look at the role of 3D printers in medicine, and teach you some related vocabulary.

What can opinion polls really tell us?

Could some ideas to deal with climate change actually damage the environment?

Meet a singer-songwriter who used music to express her feelings of falling in love.

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

Hear about the workers who built the World Cup stadiums

We discuss two different types of weather manipulation.

Is designing a food flavour a dark art? We talk about the people who make flavours.

Some parents are complaining that some Halloween costumes are too scary.

We discuss how extreme weather events are affecting our mental health.

How to adapt dishes from other countries? We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.

We talk about Mozart, Jimi Hendrix and teach you vocabulary.

We discuss inflation and economics and teach related vocabulary.

We discuss language that gets used for dating online and new language that is emerging.

We discuss the advantages of the design of the human body, and teach you vocabulary too.

Hear about two people who dared to follow their dreams and are happy to have done so.

Are emojis turning us into lazy writers?

Hear about women who are using social media to change attitudes to beauty

Hear about the career-killing tasks that are holding women back in the workplace

How do you connect the unconnected?

Covid-19, The Black Death ... We discuss what happens when deadly diseases go global.

We talk about some new expressions that have been introduced to English through the media

From monster killers of the sea to endangered species - we talk sharks and vocabulary.

We discuss the impact of climate change on today's wildlife.

We discuss the tastes of our childhood and teach new vocabulary.

Modern scientists are under pressure from critics motivated by political views.

Learn about the invention of the atomic bomb

Rob and Sam discuss some of the problems Pacific islanders face and teach vocabulary.

What is the relationship between translation, technology and the human brain?

We talk about a very British tradition involving Queen Elizabeth II

Can you imagine being able to ‘taste’ every word that you hear?

What’s up and what’s down for astronauts who are floating in zero gravity?

VR is helping people overcome phobias and even tackling more serious problems.

Great or awful? How do people rate office working? We talk about it and teach vocabulary.

Deep convictions and a sense of humour - we talk about a man who helped end apartheid.

We talk about an extreme environment, and teach you vocabulary along the way.

We talk about an art that started with ancient Greek philosophers

It's not all about tea - Britons like coffee too. Learn vocabulary to talk about it.

Which one you are may be linked more to your birthplace and age than attitude.

We discuss one of her most famous characters and teach you related vocabulary.

Neil and Sam discuss our fascination with the 'Red Planet' and teach you related vocab.

Shouldn't we take laughter more seriously? We discuss and teach related vocabulary.

Neil and Sam discuss the benefits of kindness and teach you related vocabulary.

Neil and Sam discuss eating insects and teach you related vocabulary.

We talk about the positive side of boredom and teach you related vocabulary.

Life in a place where people work longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else.

Life in a place where people work longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else.

Artificial snow, coronavirus and controversy surround the Beijing Games starting soon.

We discuss how microbes matter when it comes to food, and teach some related vocabulary.

Learn about how languages get invented

We discuss how things like the metaverse and AI might influence how we live.

We discuss whether plants can 'remember' stressful situations, such as droughts or pests.

We talk about the maths formulas that are increasingly part of our lives.

Could diamonds help to prevent a climate catastrophe? That's what we discuss.

How can we make video conferences feel more natural? That's what Sam and Neil talk about.

Would you like to borrow a person for a half-hour candid conversation?

How safe is a nuclear plant in a world of climate extremes? Listen to Neil and Sam.

Georgina and Rob talk about memory and teach you vocabulary along the way.

We talk about a famous video game character from the 80s.

Is it right for companies selling unhealthy products to sponsor sporting events?

We talk about the music of Wiley and Stormy, and teach you related vocabulary.

We talk about tipping: the act of giving extra money to someone that has served you well.

Sam and Neil talk about the influential German leader and teach you related vocabulary.

Could AI be used to help fight against climate change?

Why don't people talk more about this aspect of women's lives?

Bitcoin: is it an investment option for ordinary people?

Neil and Sam talk about a woman's effort to keep her language alive.

What are 'non-fungible tokens'? That's what Neil and Sam talk about in this programme.

Will Robots ever be able to think or dream? Could they fall in love or create art?

Learn more about these furry flying mammals with Neil and Sam.

Some extreme weather events are puzzling scientists.

Can spending hours online affect the new generation's mental health?

Just like humans, chimps live in social groups, have leaders and a desire for power.

What's behind counting people in a country? Neil and Sam talk about the census.

Are you afraid of maths? Neil and Sam talk about numbers and teach you vocabulary.

We discuss if artificial intelligence could replace human doctors and nurses.

How actors are made to feel more comfortable when filming intimate scenes.

Contact sports can be dangerous. The truth about the effects on players is coming out.

How does the founder of the web giant Amazon think? Listen to the programme to find out.

We talk about the history of swimming and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

Learn the language of going to the toilet.

We talk about Michael Collins, who orbited the Moon in the command module Columbia.

Neil and Georgina add some colour to your life by discussing how colour can make you feel

Is there a stigma attached to not wanting to work the 9-to-5 shift?

Hypnotism has always fascinated us, but can anyone be hypnotised?

Conservationists are working on an artificial breeding programme to preserve the species.

Shouldn't we stop throwing things away and start fixing them?

We discuss four styles of communication and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

We talk about food superstitions and teach you vocabulary along the way.

How the famous piece of rock became the key to decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Has the pandemic made people tired of feeling sorry for others and themselves?

Why do people decide to be alone for long periods of time?

We talk about different animals which can reproduce without having sex.

We talk about different variations on the concept of mermaids.

Neil and Georgina discuss noise and whether it is bad for our health.

Can the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases work together?

Hear about why being naked in nature might be good for you.

Rob and Neil talk about the origins and the language of this humble snack.

Neil and Georgina discuss where the English language we use today really comes from.

Hear all about the Skylab astronauts’ disagreement with mission control.

Hear about digital technology which helps blind people improve their lives.

Hear about what small things you can do to feel happier about life.

Rob and Georgina talk about how to create a happy place.

Over a year on since the first outbreak, what have we learnt? We talk about the pandemic.

Neil and Georgina discuss singing and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

Rob and Georgina talk about the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing.

Rob and Georgina talk about percentages and teach you some English vocabulary.

Rob and Georgina discuss medical research and teach you related vocabulary.

Hear about storytelling and how it helps us to connect and communicate.

Is learning languages good for head, heart and soul?

Neil and Rob talk about comfort food and what actually makes us eat it.

We discuss where the attitudes behind fat-shaming come from.

Hear about coronavirus and how it isn’t that bad compared to historical pandemics

We talk about trees and how they can communicate and help each other.

We discuss how these sea creatures could help us solve the problem of plastic pollution.

Communicating by text has become more and more popular. Neil and Georgina talk about it.

Neil and Rob talk about loneliness and how some people prefer their own company.

We discuss people's attitude to being on time and why some people are always late.

We talk about online fraud and teach you some useful vocabulary along the way.

Many scientists are wondering whether it’s now too late to stop global warming.

Neil and Georgina take a nostalgic look back at the 1980s and the birth of the Walkman.

Hear about projects to create liveable underwater habitats and learn new vocabulary.

Rob and Sam discuss plans in the US to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks on election day.

Hear Jane Goodall talk about the deep connections between humans and the great apes.

Neil and Sam talk about the subject and teach you vocabulary along the way.

Neil and Sam discuss the post-Covid job landscape and teach you vocabulary along the way.

Grandmothers are being trained to provide therapy to people in their community.

The number of bees is declining at an alarming rate, with serious consequences for us.

We discuss what to do when you are confronted with someone who spreads falsehoods.

In this programme, we’ll be finding out all about blood and teaching you some vocabulary.

Rob and Neil discuss the future of our cities and teach you useful vocabulary.

In an era of fake news, could it be that we are living through a crisis in trust?

Can companies operate better without managers? We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.

Neil and Georgina talk about Covid-19 and teach you related vocabulary.

Find out how growing plants in space might help develop better crops.

Neil and Sam discuss how sport is giving hope to young people leading the toughest lives.

Companies are rushing to install technology to make offices safer. Neil and Sam discuss.

Can wearing masks in public help prevent the spread of coronavirus? Rob and Sam discuss.

Rob and Sam discuss the new generation's desire to make the world a better place.

Neil and Sam talk about being a saver in a consumer culture and teach you vocabulary.

Takeaway apps are changing food culture. We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.

Sam and Georgina talk about the movement and teach you related vocabulary.

We talk about the over-reliance on recycling rather than reducing the use of plastics

How can books help us relax and feel more alive during troubled times?

Neil and Georgina talk about how electrical systems differ from country to country.

Rob and Neil discuss some of the advantages and drawbacks of going online