BOX SET: 6 Minute English - 'Coffee ' English mega-class! 30 minutes of new vocabulary!

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

And I'm Catherine.

Catherine, I'm going to start this programme with

a quick test, just for you.

Ooo, I love tests!

Complete this phrase: Wake up and smell the...

Coffee! Coffee, Neil! It's coffee.

I have to say that I love coffee, it's great.

Yeah. OK. So, do you drink much?

Well, just a couple of cups, you know.

Every day?

No, no, every hour!

I love coffee. Don't you like coffee, Neil?

I do - maybe not as much as you!

What's the best thing about it?

It's the smell. It's got to be the smell.

You know, when you open the packet,

it's great, isn't it?

Yes, but it never quite tastes as good

as it smells, does it?

Well no, not really.

It's always a bit disappointing.

I live in hope, another cup,

I think it will be better.

I might change brands actually and

try a different one.

Yeah. OK, you've had quite a lot of coffee

today, haven't you?

Just the usual six cups.

Well, our topic is the smell of

coffee, and coffee is also the subject of

today's question.

The world's biggest producer of coffee is...

Brazil! Brazil!

Yes, yes, but that's not the question.

The question is, Brazil is

the biggest coffee producer, which is the second largest

coffee producing country?

Is it: a) Colombia, b) Vietnam or c) Ethiopia?

Right, so it's not Brazil but I bet it's another

South American country, so I'm going to go for Colombia.

Colombia, is that right?

OK. We'll have the answer later in the programme,

by which time, maybe, the caffeine will have

left your body, Catherine.

Tim Hayward is a coffee shop owner.

He appeared in the BBC Radio 4 programme

The Kitchen Cabinet.

How important does he say the

smell of coffee is?

It's absolutely vital, it's the key thing.

And when you walk in to the coffee shop in the morning

and that smell hits you, you're getting physiological responses.

So how important is it?

I'm feeling a bit calmer now.

Tim Hayward says the smell of coffee is vital.

That means it's very important, it's perhaps

the most important thing.

And he backs this up by saying that

it's the key thing.

Something that's key is essential, it's really important.

And he says that when you experience the smell,

when the smell hits you, you get a physiological response.

This phrase means your body has a reaction to the

smell of coffee.

Perhaps your mouth begins to water in anticipation.

Catherine, when you get a coffee, do you normally have it there

or take it away?

Well, I usually take it away, although if I'm feeling really

in need of a coffee hit, I might have one there

and then get another one and take with me.

Can you describe the container that you are given when you

have a coffee to go?

Yes, it's in a tall paper cup with a lid.

And the lid has a hole in it so that I can

drink that lovely coffee.

Don't you think that's a problem?

I mean, we know how important the smell is, so what's the effect

of the lid on that experience?

The effect of the lid?

Yeah. Well, here's Tim Hayward again talking about coffee

being served with lids.

What baffles me is that how many of the large coffee chains

actually sell a product in a cup that removes the smell.

So, you walk into the coffee shop, you get the smell, but when you

actually take the drink out you are drinking it from something that

is designed to deliver the hot liquid directly

past your tongue but stop any smell coming up to your nose.

That's just weird.

So, what is it he's describing there?

I see, yes. He's talking about the big coffee chains.

A chain is a company that has lots of its stores in

towns and cities sometimes around the world.

I think we can all think of a few well-known coffee chains.

And he says that by putting a lid on take away

cups, you're actually blocking the smell - that smell that is really important to the coffee experience.

Yes, and he says he finds that weird, which is a way of saying he finds it

unusual, thinks it's strange, odd.

So much so that he says it baffles him.

If you are baffled by something, you find it confusing, you can't

really understand it.

Here's Tim Hayward again.

What baffles me is how many of the large coffee chains actually sell a product

in a cup that removes the smell.

So you walk into the coffee shop, you get the

smell, but when you actually take the drink out you are drinking it from

something that is designed to deliver the hot liquid directly past your tongue

but stop any smell coming up to your nose.

That's just weird.

That was coffee shop owner Tim Hayward.

Right, before we have another cup of this week's vocabulary,

let's get the answer to the question.

After Brazil, which country produces most coffee?

Is it: a) Colombia, b) Vietnam, or c) Ethiopia?

Catherine, you said?

I said it was a) Colombia.

Ah, sorry, no extra coffee for you today!

The answer is Vietnam.

And now, on to the vocabulary we looked at.

Take it away, Catherine.

So the first word was vital, which is an adjective that means very important.

And another word with a very similar meaning

was key, meaning essential.

Next we had the phrase physiological responses.

Physiological refers to what our bodies do and a

response is a reaction.

So, a physiological response is a

reaction your body has to something, like the smell of coffee.

Something that baffles you, confuses you, you don't understand it.

You might find something that baffles you to be weird.

This adjective means unusual or strange.

And finally, a chain is a group of shops from the same company with the same name.

Well, that is the end of our programme.

For more from us, check out Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and our App

and of course the website - bbclearningenglish.com.

See you soon. Goodbye.

Bye!

Fancy a coffee? I think you've had too much!

Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English.

I'm Dan and joining me today is Catherine.

Hey, Catherine.

Hey, Dan.

So, Catherine, do you prefer a brew or a cup of joe in the morning?

Well, if you are referring to whether I prefer

a cup of tea, which we sometimes call ‘a brew’,

or a cup of coffee, sometimes called ‘a cup of joe’,

I prefer my coffee in the morning.

I only drink coffee when I really need to wake up quickly.

And, why are you asking, Dan?

Because it’s part of this 6 Minute English.

Coffee. I see.

So, how do you take it then, Dan?

Well, I’m an instant coffee kind of guy.

And I like mine with a dash of milk.

How about you?

A dash of something is a small amount

of something, especially liquid.

Personally, I prefer freshly-ground coffee beans,

and I like my coffee dark and strong - preferably Colombian or maybe Brazilian.

Wow. A coffee aficionado, eh?

An aficionado is a person who’s very enthusiastic about, or interested in,

a particular subject.

Well, let me test your knowledge with this week’s quiz question.

The specialty coffee, kopi luwak, is made from coffee beans

which have already passed through an animal’s digestive system.

But which animal?

Is it a) an elephant, b) a cat or c) a weasel?

I’m always going to answer b) a cat.

Did you say this coffee actually goes through the animal?

As in, it eats it and then it comes out the other end,

and that’s what we use for the coffee?

Well, yes.

It is actually one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

Anyway, we’ll find out if you’re right or not later on.

So, talking of expensive, do you tend to pay more for your coffee

or are you happy with the cheap as chips stuff?

Cheap as chips means very cheap.

And personally, I do actually like a quality product,

and I am willing to pay a bit more for it.

Would you be willing to pay even more than you already do

if it meant that the farmer who grew the beans was getting a fairer price?

I would because I think that that sort of thing is important.

And you aren’t alone.

There is a growing trend among many Western customers of artisan cafes

to be willing to pay more for ethically produced coffee.

Ethical means morally right.

So, Dan, why is this trend happening at the moment?

Well, it’s probably been going on for a while,

but a new report from the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation

has observed the effect that smarter processing, branding and marketing has had on the farmers

and their communities.

And because of this, coffee drinkers are better able to choose

ethically produced coffee that puts more money

in the hands of the farmers.

But, Dan, do the farmers actually see any of this money?

Well, it’s complicated.

The price of the coffee is relatively cheap

until it's been roasted – or cooked in an oven.

As a result, roasters take most of the profits.

But there is still a difference.

I’ll let Johnathan Josephs, a business reporter for the BBC News, explain.

For a pound of coffee beans that end up in the instants sold in supermarkets,

the roaster can get over four dollars.

But the export price is just $1.45.

The farmer gets most of that.

But when the new wave of socially-aware customer pays a premium for higher standards,

the roaster can get $17.45, but the export price also rises to $5.14.

A premium is an amount that’s more than usual.

So, the farmer makes three-and-a-half times as much money.

Which means a better quality of life for the

farmer, their family and their community.

That’s good news!

I will definitely look for the ethically-produced coffee from now on.

As long as, Dan, it doesn’t come out of some animal!

Yes, actually that reminds me.

Our quiz question.

I asked you which animal the speciality coffee kopi luwak comes from.

Is it a) an elephant, b) a cat or c) a weasel?

And I said a cat.

And you are wrong, I’m afraid.

Kopi luwak comes from a type of weasel.

I’m kind of relieved about that.

Let’s try not to think about it, and have a look at the vocabulary instead.

OK. So, first we had dash.

A dash of something is a small amount of something, usually a liquid.

Where might we talk about a dash of something, Dan?

Well, I like my tea with a dash of milk.

My gin with a dash of tonic, and my soup with a dash of salt.

Then we had aficionado.

An aficionado is someone who is very interested or enthusiastic about a subject.

What are you an aficionado of?

I’m working on becoming a bit of an accordion

aficionado actually, Dan.

Wow, cool!

Yeah! After that, we had as cheap as chips.

If something as cheap as chips,

then it is very cheap indeed.

Like my shoes!

I bought them at a market for next to nothing.

They were as cheap as chips.

Then we had ethical.

Something which is ethical is morally right.

Do you consider yourself to be an ethical person, Catherine?

Well, I try, Dan.

I don’t always get it right, but I do attempt to be.

After that we heard roasted.

Roasted means cooked in an oven.

Like our coffee beans!

And, of course, our very famous English roast.

Finally, we had a premium.

If you pay a premium, you pay more than usual -

usually for a better quality or service.

Can you think of an example?

If you’re going to the cinema, you might pay a premium

to get more comfortable seats.

And that’s the end of this 6 Minute English.

Don’t forget to check out our YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages,

and we’ll see you next time.

Goodbye.

Bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

I'm Sam.

And I'm Neil.

Did you have a cup of coffee

this morning, Neil?

Oh yes, I can't start the

day without my morning cup

of coffee...

or two... or three!

And what do you like about

coffee so much?

Well, that lovely smell

for one thing!

And, of course, it wakes me up

and gets me ready to face the world.

Ah, you mean the caffeine hit - the effect

of caffeine, which is a

natural stimulant, on your

brain, making you feel more awake.

Do you think, maybe, you're...

addicted to coffee?

It's not just me, Sam.

Have you seen how busy coffee shops

are nowadays?!

Full of people enjoying delicious coffee

from all around the world!

Well, it wasn't always like that, Neil.

The first coffee to reach Britain in the

17th century took months to arrive by sea.

It was made by boiling raw coffee beans,

and apparently tasted awful!

In this programme, we'll be

looking into the history of coffee in Britain, and

as usual, we'll be learning

some related vocabulary too.

But before that, I have a question for you.

The earliest coffee to

arrive in Britain took its

name from the port in

Yemen it was shipped from.

So, what was it called?

Was it: a) Cappuccino,

b) Mocha or c) Latte?

I'll say b) Mocha.

OK. I'll reveal the answer later in the programme.

Britain's love affair with

coffee started with the

opening of London's first

coffee shop in 1652.

People loved the effect -

coffee made them more

talkative and brighter, it

kept them awake for longer,

and the drink became more and more popular.

Within a decade, over eighty new

coffee shops had opened in

the City of London alone.

By the 1800s, though, tea

had replaced coffee as the

most fashionable drink,

partly because it was drunk by Queen Victoria.

Listen as Judith Hawley, an expert on

18th century literature,

takes up the story with BBC

Radio 4 programme, In Our Time.

It became more of a working-class drink.

So, there were coffee

shacks and carts like these sort of little

street cars that you get still in London,

and you get all over New York,

that is a cheap, quick drinks to perk you up.

And the Temperance Movement sponsored

coffee taverns to try to wean

working men off going to the pub for lunch.

So, it moved.

It declined seriously and has

never fully recovered even

in the current coffee boom.

In the 17th century, there was

a coffee boom - an increase in its popularity.

One of the reasons was that coffee

perks you up - gives you more

energy and makes you more active.

Drinking coffee was also

supported by a social group

called the Temperance Movement,

who campaigned to make alcohol illegal.

They used coffee to

wean men off alcohol - make

them gradually stop using

something they had become addicted to.

Coffee changed British society

and continues to do so today.

Here's Professor Judith Hawley

again, talking to BBC Radio 4's,

In Our Time, about the situation today.

I think if we look at the way

coffee consumption is going

today it seems to me to set out

two quite radical alternatives for the world.

One is the world of corporate coffee, the

coffee chains existing on a low wage economy.

So, you have that kind of mass coffee market

on the one hand. On the other hand,

you have these microlot

estates, Fairtrade coffee, the

sort of hipster coffee which

is as varied and as

interesting as fine wines and

is made in an artisanal way.

Many customers today are

turning away from large coffee

chains like Starbucks, in

search of a more responsibly

sourced cup of coffee.

One example of this is

Fairtrade, an ethical standards

scheme which guarantees a

fair price for coffee producers

in South America, Africa and Asia.

Another recent development is

the use of microlots - small plots

of land which grow specialised

coffee beans prized for their

high quality and unique flavour.

Fairtrade and microlot coffee

are part of a shift in focus

towards quality, artisanal

coffee - coffee made by hand,

in the traditional way by skilled growers.

It's artisanal coffee that's often

sold in smaller, independent

coffee shops preferred by trendy hipsters.

So, coffee in Britain has come

a long way from the days it

travelled for months by sea

from faraway places like

Ethiopia and Java - which

reminds me, Sam, what was the

answer to your question.

I asked Neil which city gave

its name to the first coffee to arrive in Britain

in the 1600s.

I guessed it was b) Mocha,

which happens to be my favourite drink.

Well, you guessed right

because that was the correct answer!

You certainly know your coffee, Neil.

Right, let's recap the

vocabulary we've used in

this programme on the

history of coffee, a drink

which can perk you up -

give you more energy

and make you feel awake.

Many people drink coffee

for the caffeine hit - the way caffeine, which is

contained in coffee, stimulates

your body and mind.

The effect can be so strong you might

have to wean yourself

off it - gradually stop using

something which is bad for you.

Fairtrade coffee refers to a

scheme which ensures that coffee

farmers receive a fair price

for growing their product,

while a microlot is a small

plot of land specialising in

coffee beans of a very high

quality or unique flavour.

Finally, artisanal describes

something made by artisans -

skilled workers who make things

by hand in a traditional way.

Once again, our six minutes up.

I'm off to get myself a hot seamy mocha.

Bye for now!

Goodbye!

Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English.

I'm Neil.

And I'm Rob.

Now, Rob, we've talked before on this

programme about our love of coffee.

Oh yes, indeed.

I couldn't function without it. But have you ever thought

about the environmental consequences

of all those disposable coffee cups?

Oh yes, indeed.

I always carry a reusable cup with me so

I don't have to throw one away.

So, if a disposable cup is one

you throw away, a reusable one

is one that you can use again and again.

Yes, there is a big problem

with disposable cups in that many

of them can't be recycled,

so, there is a lot of waste for something

we only use for a short time.

What are the big coffee shop chains

doing about this problem?

We'll find out a little bit more shortly, but first,

a quiz for you.

Which country drinks the most coffee per capita?

So, not the total amount of coffee, but

the average per person.

Is it: a) Japan, b) Kenya, or c) Finland?

What do you think, Rob?

Ooh, tricky. Now, I don't think

the Japanese are big coffee drinkers

and I know they produce

a lot of coffee in Kenya.

I'm surprised the

USA isn't on the list but I'm going to go for Finland. Just because.

Well, we'll see if you're right later in the programme.

On a recent BBC You and Yours radio programme,

they discussed the topic of coffee cups.

Some of the big chains are

now charging customers more for

a disposable cup and giving discounts

if people bring their own reusable.

However, not all of the shops actually

collect old cups and sort them for

recycling in the shop itself.

Here's Jaz Rabadia from Starbucks.

Is the store only interested in facilities inside their shops?

It is something that we are

in the process of rolling out and it will

be in all of our stores.

It's also not just

our stores in which these cups end up.

So, we're doing a lot of work outside

of our store environment to ensure

that paper cups can be recycled on the go.

We're working with our

environmental charity partner Hubbub to

increase recycling infrastructure outside

of our stores because that too is where a

lot of our cups will end up.

So, are they just working in their

stores at improving recycling?

Well no, after all most people

take their coffee out of the stores,

so they are working on recycling infrastructure outside, as well.

This will be things like bins and collection

points which are clearly marked for coffee cups.

And what about enabling recycling cups in store?

Well, she said that was something

they are rolling out to all stores.

Rolling out here means

introducing over a period of time.

So, it's starting to happen, but is not finished yet.

Let's listen again.

It is something that we are

in the process of rolling out and it will

be in all of our stores.

It's also not just

our stores in which these cups end up.

So, we're doing a lot of work outside

of our store environment to ensure

that paper cups can be recycled on the go.

We are working with with our environmental charity

partner Hubbub to increase recycling infrastructure outside

of our stores because that, too, is where a

lot of our cups will end up.

Not everyone, however, believes

that the coffee chains are doing

everything that they can.

This is Mary Creagh, a member of

the British parliament.

She compares the situation

to that of the plastic bag charge.

This was a law brought in to force shops to charge

customers for plastic bags, which

previously had been free.

If you think you're having to

pay extra for something, as we saw with

the plastic bags, we think a similar

psychological measure is needed, a

nudge measure, to encourage

people to remember to bring their

reusable cup with them, and

of course, this is something

that the coffee shops have been

fighting tooth and nail.

She thinks that we consumers

need a nudge to help us remember

our reusable cups.

Yes, we need a nudge, which is a little push, a reason.

In this case, she is thinking of a law to make

them charge more.

But she says the coffee chains

really don't want this,

they are, she says, fighting it tooth and nail.

If you fight something tooth and nail,

you are against it completely and try to stop it.

Let's hear MP Mary Creagh again.

If you think you're having

to pay extra for something,

as we saw with the plastic bags, we think a similar

psychological measure is needed,

a nudge measure, to encourage

people to remember to bring their

reusable cup with them, and

of course, this is something

that the coffee shops have been

fighting tooth and nail.

Time to review our vocabulary,

but first, let's have the answer

to the quiz question.

Which country drinks the most coffee per capita?

Is it: a) Japan, b) Kenya, or c) Finland?

What did you think, Rob?

I took a bit of a guess at Finland.

Well, congratulations, your guess was correct.

The Finns on average get through an amazing

12kg of coffee a year, each.

Now, onto the vocabulary.

We had a couple of related, but opposite, words.

Something disposable is designed to be used once

or a few times and then thrown away and

a reusable is designed to be used again and again.

We then had rolling out which

in a business sense is the process of

gradually introducing something new.

This could be a new system, new product,

new technology or even a new

way of doing things.

New ideas often need new infrastructure.

This is usually physical structures that are

needed to make something work,

for example, rail infrastructure

includes tracks, stations and signals.

A nudge is a small push,

to encourage us to do something.

You don't need a nudge

to carry a reusable coffee cup, do you?

Oh, no, I'm all for it.

In fact, I'd fight tooth and nail to keep

hold of my reusable,

which is quite a coincidence as that

was our last expression today.

To fight tooth and nail

means to make a strong effort to try

to stop something or achieve something.

Well, that's all from us.

We look forward to your company next time.

Until then, you can find us in all

the usual places on social media,

online and on our app. Just search for

'BBC Learning English'. Goodbye!

Goodbye!

Hello, I'm Catherine.

Welcome to 6 Minute English where we engage

in some lively debate and discuss six stimulating items of vocabulary.

And let's start. Here's your cup of coffee, Rob.

Thanks! But what took you so long, Catherine?

Sorry Rob. I bumped into somebody I knew

in the cafe and stopped for a chat.

OK, well, that fits well with today's show

where we're talking about cafes or coffee houses.

Did you know, Catherine, that coffee houses were

originally a meeting place for lively debate

and intellectual discussion?

Really? I didn't know that, Rob.

A debate, by the way, means a discussion that

a lot of people take part in.

So how long ago was this debating society?

Well, the first coffee house was set up in Oxford in 1650.

But they quickly became popular

and soon they were all over London too.

You paid a penny to get in, and this included

access to newspapers - and stimulating conversation!

If something is stimulating, it encourages ideas and enthusiasm.

And I expect the coffee helped with that a bit, did it?

It certainly helps me first thing in the morning.

Which brings me on to today's question, Rob!

How many cups of coffee do we consume

in coffee shops or stores in the UK every year?

Consume, by the way, is another word for eat or drink.

So, is the answer: a) 2.3 million b) 23 million or c) 23 billion?

Oh, I don't know but it's got to be a lot

so, I'm going to go for c) 23 billion?

That sounds like a lot of coffee, but I buy several

cups a week - and I'd expect you do too, Catherine?

I do indeed. But I have to say,

while I was getting our coffees earlier,

there was nobody else in the cafe talking

except me and my friend.

Everybody else was sitting on

their own, tapping away on their laptops.

Let's listen now to Douglas Fraser, BBC Scotland's

Business and Economy Editor, describing the vibe - or

atmosphere - in a typical 21st century cafe...

Ten or so in the morning, the cafe has five people at tables with

their backs to the wall, each staring into a screen,

plugged in, ears plugged. The flow of bytes through this coffee

shop's free wi-fi is transporting these customers to diverse

destinations far from the person beside them.

Collaborative working, a research grant

application, a potential blockbuster novel and, inevitably,

someone distracted by kitten pictures on social media.

So the spirit of those 17th century coffee houses has disappeared then?

No more lively debate and intellectual discussion?

It seems so, Rob.

As Douglas Fraser says,

many people sit alone plugged into their laptops -

and they're all doing different things - working, writing,

messing about on social media.

I think the cafe owners should turn off the free

wi-fi and force these cafe squatters to move on!

I don't think people should be allowed to sit

all day using the internet - hogging tables - and not talking to anybody!

Especially when some of them don't even buy a coffee!

That's a bit extreme, Rob.

Cafe owners need customers - and they encourage

people to stay by having comfy sofas and newspapers

to read and the free wi-fi!

A squatter, by the way, is someone who lives

in an empty building without paying rent.

And if you hog something you use most or all of it in a selfish way.

I suppose you're right, Catherine.

Now, how about telling us the answer

to today's question then?

OK. So, I asked: How many cups of coffee do we

consume in cafes or stores in the UK every year?

Is it: a) 2.3 million b) 23 million or c) 23 billion?

I could sit in a cafe and use their free wi-fi

to research the answer but I had a guess

and said 23 billion.

Well, you didn't need that free wi-fi, Rob,

because you were absolutely right!

23 billion coffees per year works out on average

as 45 cups per adult in the UK.

OK, I think it's time we looked back at the words we learned today.

Our first word is 'debate' -

a discussion that a lot of people take part in.

For example, 'I took part in a number of

stimulating debates at school.'

Number two - if something is 'stimulating',

it encourages new ideas and enthusiasm.

For example, 'It's hard to have a stimulating

conversation with someone who's looking at

their phone all the time.'

That's very true - let me just slide my phone

into my pocket... there!

Our next word is 'consume' -

another word for eating or drinking -

but it can also mean 'to use'.

For example, 'My car consumes a lot of petrol.'

Or, 'How do I calculate my car's fuel consumption?'

So, 'consumption' there is the noun.

Number four is - 'vibe' - which means the mood

or atmosphere in a place.

For example, 'Oxford is a city

but it has a small-town vibe.'

Well, I'm getting bad vibes from our next word - which is

'squatter' - that's someone who lives in an empty

building without paying rent.

The building is called

a 'squat' so for example, 'I lived in a squat for two years.'

Really? You squatted in a squat, Rob?

No, no, no - it was just an example.

I am not a squatter.

So, you've never squatted?

No, I haven't.

Now, look we're wasting time here!

We need to move on to our final word - hog.

If you 'hog' something, you use all or

most of it in a selfish way.

For example, 'Rob! You've hogged the only comfy chair!'

That's so selfish!'

I admit it, Catherine.

I'm a chair hog.

That's the noun.

OK, before we head off for

another cup of coffee please remember to check out

our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Bye!

Bye bye.