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

6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

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

And I'm Georgina.

Now, Georgina, how resilient are you?

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

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

Well, that's good, you are showing resilience.

And today we're discussing whether we're born with resilience

or we have to learn it.

OK, Rob. But first, I expect you're going to ask me a question — bring it on!

OK. Resilience is also a word used in science

to describe the characteristic of a substance or object.

But what does it mean?

a) that it's very tough or hard?

b) that it can return to its original shape after being bent?

c) it can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly?

I have a feeling it means b)

an object that returns to its original shape after being bent.

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

But let's talk more about human resilience.

There are many self-help books and motivational speakers

all promising us we can learn to be resilient.

Well, it is a useful trait to have,

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

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

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

as Dr David Westley knows.

He is Head of Psychology at Middlesex University

and talked about levels of resilience

on the BBC World Service programme, The Why Factor.

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

the people who are important to us, the organisations we work for,

so one way we can look at resilience is to measure that:

the amount of social support available to us.

Another way to think about resilience is to think about

how we think about the situations we are in.

So, for example, one way to look at that

would be just to look at how optimistic people are

as a guide to how resilient they might be when times get tough.

And then a third level that we can look at for resilience is a biological level —

how well we can soothe ourselves, calm ourselves down,

how well we can actually regulate our own nervous systems at times of distress.

Right, so Dr Westley describes 'social supports':

the people around us who we can talk to and support us

and generally make us feel better.

I think he's saying with more support, we'll feel more resilient.

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

who doesn't make a fuss and gets on with things.

Some experts think it's people who ask for help

and use this social support network who are acting in a more resilient way.

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

Being 'optimistic' means 'having positive thoughts about the future'

and believing things will turn out well.

A 'positive mind' means 'you can deal with situations that, at first, look tough'.

Another level Dr Westley mentioned was our biological level —

how our bodies cope in times of distress.

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

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

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

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

Experts speaking on The Why Factor programme

tended to think it could be learned.

Yes, one of them is Ann Masten, a professor at the University of Minnesota.

From her studies, she found it was something that we learn when we need to.

Ann Masten talks about how some of the children she studied

manifest resilience from the start.

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

They remain resilient despite 'adversity' :

a difficult time in their life that they have had to face.

Other children, what she calls the 'late bloomers', started off less resilient,

struggled with adversity, but turned their lives around by becoming more resilient.

Maybe we can learn resilience from having a bad experience?

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

can be a great support and help with resilience.

Those that were ‘late bloomers'

only connected with adults and mentors later in life.

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

And children are watching, they're learning from the adults around them

by seeing how they react when they get challenged by something.

Time now to find out how resilient you are

when you discover the correct answer to the question I asked earlier.

I said that ‘resilience' is also a word used in science

to describe the characteristic of a substance or object.

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

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

Or c) it can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly?

And what did you say, Georgina?

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

And you are right — well done!

Bamboo is a good example of a resilient material —

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

Thanks for the science lesson, Rob.

Now we need to recap the vocabulary we've mentioned today.

Yes, we've talked about being 'resilient',

an adjective that describes someone's ability to cope with difficult situations.

When you do this you show 'resilience'.

Someone who is 'optimistic' has positive thoughts about the future

and believes things will turn out well.

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

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

And 'adversity' is a difficult time in somebody's life

that they have had to face.

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

Please join us again next time.

— Bye-bye. — Bye.

6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

OK, I want you to close your eyes. Focus on your breathing.

Er, Neil? Can we do this later? We've only got six minutes.

OK, Catherine. Welcome to a mindful edition of 6 Minute English,

where we're exploring the rise of mindfulness — particularly in schools.

And we'll be teaching six items of vocabulary along the way,

so I think we should start with 'mindfulness' itself.

Being 'mindful', as an adjective,

means 'being calmly aware of everything in your body and mind'.

You only focus on now.

People practise 'mindfulness', the noun, by focusing only on their breath,

and not allowing themselves to be distracted by passing thoughts.

Indeed. It's traditionally associated with Buddhism,

and has become incredibly popular in the secular world:

in workplaces, in private classes and even in schools.

'Secular' means 'non-religious', by the way.

OK, I just mentioned schools.

How many teachers in the UK are trained to teach mindfulness?

Is it a) 500? b) 5,000? Or c) 50,000?

Let me focus really hard.

I think it's 5,000.

A very mindful answer, Catherine, but I'll reveal the real answer later.

Now, let's hear from one teacher

who's been practising mindfulness with students for many years.

Alison Mayo, Head of Early Years at Dharma Primary School,

thinks it's particularly suited to young children. Why?

That's very natural for children — to be in the present.

And we really kind of celebrate that,

because that is a place where they are learning.

So, if they feel grounded,

then they can really develop their concentration and their focus, and relax.

Learning happens so much more easily if you're relaxed and happy.

Alison said it was natural for children to be in the present.

'The present' means 'now'. You'll know the term from 'the present tense' in grammar.

And people who practise mindfulness use this phrase a lot —

to be 'in the present', or 'in the present moment'.

It sounds simple, but actually, it's very hard to achieve.

Well, Neil, it might be for an old chap like you,

but for young people, Miss Mayo thinks it's very natural.

Fair enough. Being grounded, as she says,

helps students concentrate and learn in a relaxed way.

'Grounded' is another good adjective there —

it means 'rational, sensible, clear thinking'.

So, she's a fan of mindfulness

and there's growing evidence behind its benefits.

Yes. The UK's national health advisory body has recommended it

to help treat conditions like depression and anxiety.

Studies have shown it reduces levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

And a new study has claimed that eating mindfully

can actually help people to lose weight.

You mean eating slowly?

Yeah, slowly and really experiencing and tasting the food.

Not being distracted and not eating too much, too fast!

Anyway, Neil, is mindfulness taking over the world?

Well, not quite yet. There still aren't many detailed studies on it —

and some critics say the studies we have show a publication bias.

In other words, only the positive results are published.

A 'bias' is when you support something or someone in an unfair way,

because of your preferences or beliefs.

What seems certain is that mindfulness has entered into many aspects of modern life,

at least here in the UK.

Now, let's look back at our question.

I asked how many teachers in the UK have been trained in mindfulness.

And I said 5,000.

Well, it was actually 5,000.

— Yay! — Well done!

According to the Mindfulness Initiative. And it keeps on growing.

So, before we finish up, here's another question

that might be useful for our listeners —

what's the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

Aha, that's not so easy to define.

'Meditation' is the broader term.

When you meditate, you spend time quietly, focusing your mind,

often for relaxation or spiritual purposes.

Mindfulness is a particular kind of meditation,

where you try to empty your mind of thought. Does that make sense?

Yeah, more or less.

So, we'll let our listeners meditate on that answer

and before we empty our minds, let's look back at today's words.

We had 'mindfulness', 'mindful' and 'mindfully' —

they all relate to the particular practice

of being only focused on what's happening now.

What's happening now, or we could say, what's happening 'in the present'.

People often focus on the past — thinking back about mistakes or happy memories.

Or on the future, which can be full of worries.

But by being 'in the present', you overcome these thoughts and fears.

Next, we had 'secular'. It contrasts with 'religious'.

So, while a church is a religious building,

we also have secular buildings — like factories and shops and hospitals.

All non-religious buildings, in other words!

Exactly. Now, tell me, Neil, are you feeling 'grounded' right now?

You're asking if I'm thinking clearly and feeling connected to the world?

Do you even have to ask, Catherine? I'm a very grounded person.

You are, most of the time. Most of the time, you're naturally grounded.

Every now and again, you get a bit panicked, but, hey!

But some of us need to remember to slow down,

chill out and meditate once in a while.

Yes, that would be 'meditate',

meaning 'to take quiet time to focus deeply on something'.

Exactly. Now, for more ways to improve your English,

I suggest you mindfully visit

our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages.

Yes, focus only on our pages. Don't be distracted by anything else!

— Bye! — Goodbye!

6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

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

And I'm Neil. Phew! I've spent today in meetings, then shopping,

then collecting the kids from school — I'm exhausted, Beth!

What have you been doing today?

Oh, not much, just sitting around, doing nothing, relaxing and kicking back!

Lucky you! Don't you have any work to do?

It may not look it, Neil, but I'm actually as busy as a bee!

If you've seen nature documentaries about worker bees flying from flower to flower,

you probably think animals are always on the move.

But the surprising truth is, away from the cameras,

most animals spend most of their time doing absolutely nothing at all.

In the natural world, where finding food and shelter is hard work,

why have some animals evolved to do nothing?

And if it's good enough for animals, would being lazy work for humans too?

That's what we will be discussing in this programme,

and, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

But first, let me work up the energy to ask you a question, Neil.

Of course, some animals have a reputation for lounging about.

Lions, for example, can sleep up to twenty hours a day!

But what is the slowest moving animal on Earth?

Is it a) the giant tortoise?

b) the three-toed sloth?

Or c) the koala?

Well, I think it's the three-toed sloth.

OK, Neil. I'll reveal the correct answer at the end of the programme.

Now, it's no surprise that lazy lions love relaxing,

but even animals with reputations for being busy spend time doing nothing.

Look carefully into an ants' nest

and you'll see around half of them just sitting there motionless.

Here's Professor Dan Charbonneau, an expert in insect behaviour,

discussing the lazy rock ant with Emily Knight,

presenter of BBC Radio 4 programme Naturebang.

Dan's research has focused on ant colonies,

a species called Temnothorax rugatulus or the rock ant.

I think ants are sort of a symbol of, like, industriousness, you know.

They have this whole tiny little society going on that's kind of similar to ours,

some idealised version what humans might be

if we could only, like, pull it together and all work together,

we could be as industrious as the ants, but then when you look at it,

roughly about half the colony is inactive at any given time.

We think ants are 'industrious', or hard-working.

Groups of ants, called 'colonies', seem tiny, perfect societies

where everyone works hard for the good of the group.

Then why are so many of them inactive?

One possible answer is that they're reserve ants,

ready to step in if disease or disaster strike.

But could it simply be that they don't work because they don't need to.

Would you get out of bed on Monday morning if you didn't have to?

Maybe the ants can teach us a thing or two about relaxing.

But wouldn't it get boring just sitting around all day?

Not according to psychologist Dr Sandi Mann.

She thinks being 'productive':

'working to produce a lot for the amount of resources we use', is overrated.

Boredom has its benefits too,

as she explains to BBC Radio 4 programme Naturebang.

Would humans have invented bread or beer or fire, you know,

if we hadn't been bored and were wondering,

‘what on earth would happen if we mix this with this?', you know.

Are all these sorts of inventions the mother of boredom?

But in this world of constant stimulation,

switching off is harder than it's ever been.

That's why we're constantly swiping and scrolling

and looking for the next big thing and the new thing

and we get bored of things very quickly.

So it's a kind of paradox to get rid of this unpleasant state of boredom

is actually to allow more boredom into your life.

Dr Mann doubts humans would have invented things

without the curiosity that comes from being bored.

Boredom is the mother of invention, an idea based on the famous proverb,

'necessity is the mother of invention',

an idiom meaning that if you really need to do something,

you will think of a way of doing it.

Instead of fearing boredom, we can open up to its benefits by 'switching off':

stopping worrying or thinking about something and relaxing.

Slowing down helps too —

something we can definitely learn from our animal cousins.

I think now's a good time to reveal the answer to my question,

since we have nothing else to do.

You asked me to name the world's slowest animal

and I guessed it was the three-toed sloth. Was I right?

That was the correct answer!

With a top speed of 30 centimetres per minute,

three-toed sloths move so slowly that algae grows on their coats!

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme

starting with the phrase 'kicking back' — 'to stop doing things and relax completely'.

The adjective 'industrious' means 'hard-working'.

A 'colony' is the name given to a group of certain animals

including ants and some seabirds.

Someone who is 'productive'

is able to produce a lot for the amount of resources they use.

The proverb 'necessity is the mother of invention',

means that if you really need to do something,

you will think of a way of doing it.

And finally, to 'switch off' means 'to stop worrying or thinking about something,

and relax'.

Once again, our six minutes are up — it must be time to sit down,

close your eyes, and just do nothing!

— Goodbye for now! — Bye!

6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

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

And I'm Georgina.

January is often the time when people make 'New Year's resolutions' —

things they want to start, or stop, doing in the new year.

Have you made any resolutions for 2021, Georgina?

Well, for a start, Neil, I'm definitely going on a diet!

Over Christmas, I really piled on the pounds with all that chocolate.

Yes, not to mention Christmas pudding!

I'd already put on extra weight during lockdown, then even more over Christmas,

so I definitely need to diet in 2021.

It's curious that we both made resolutions to lose weight, isn't it?

I mean, most people overeat a bit at Christmas, then diet in January.

What are you saying, Georgina?

Do you think we're worried people will call us fat?

It wouldn't be so surprising, Neil.

After all incidents of 'fat-shaming' are on the rise —

that's what it's called when someone is criticised or humiliated for being fat.

In this programme,

we'll be asking where the attitudes behind fat-shaming come from.

We'll be hearing how anti-fat attitudes are often implicit or unconscious.

Hang on though, Neil.

Having a second slice of Christmas cake

is hardly the same as being fat, much less obese.

That's true, Georgina.

The word 'obese' describes a person who's very overweight, with a lot of body fat.

It's the term for a medical condition, measured using BMI or the body mass index.

It's on the rise in the UK.

In fact, that's my quiz question. How many adults in the UK are affected by obesity?

Is it a) 1 in every 3 adults?

b) 1 in every 4 adults?

Or c) 1 in every 5 adults?

I'll guess b) 1 in every 4.

OK, we'll find out the answer later.

As you say, Georgina, the word 'obese' has a very specific meaning.

Here's Professor Abigail Saguy talking about the term

to BBC World Service's The Why Factor.

Listen out for when the word 'obesity' started to be used.

The term 'obesity' was coined in the middle of the 20th century

as a concerted effort by medical doctors to say this is a medical issue:

one over which we have authority and expertise.

Professor Saguy says the term 'obese' was 'coined' in the mid-1900s,

meaning 'it was invented or first used in a particular way'.

It originally meant 'an individual medical problem':

something to be discussed between patient and doctor.

But over time, 'obese' has become a term of discrimination and abuse.

Psychology professor Chris Crandall

has been involved in Harvard University's implicit bias projects.

Most famous for revealing racial prejudice,

the tests also measure other kinds of biases, including weight.

Many of the beliefs we hold about other people

are hidden from conscious awareness.

So, what goes through our mind, consciously or unconsciously,

when we see very fat people?

Here's Professor Crandall speaking to BBC World Service's The Why Factor.

We tend to think, at least in the western world, of fat people as personal failures,

as moral failures.

People tend to think of fatness as an indicator of laziness, of over-indulgence,

of a lack of moral fibre, an unwillingness to take ahold of your own life.

We, as everyday Americans and westerners in general,

tend to think that it's a personal attribute,

it's a thing that you do to yourself and as a result you are deserving of scorn.

There is a commonly-held prejudice

that fat people are responsible for their condition,

because they're lazy, greedy, or lacking in 'moral fibre':

the ability or determination to behave ethically or with self-control.

In the west especially, being fat or overweight

is thought of as a personal 'attribute' —

a quality, characteristic or feature that someone has.

The idea is that fat people just are the way they are

and have no-one to blame but themselves.

They should just exercise more or stop eating.

This leads some to treat them with 'scorn' —

a strong feeling of contempt or disrespect.

In reality, of course, weight isn't just about individual choices.

How fat you are is also determined by environment and genetics —

up to 80%, in some cases.

And anyway, even if it was under personal control,

fat-shaming doesn't feel like the right way to help people lose weight.

So, if it doesn't cause problems,

maybe you can have that second slice of cake after all, Georgina.

Thanks, Neil, but I don't want to spoil my appetite for the quiz question you asked.

Was I right about the number of UK adults affected by obesity?

What did you say, Georgina?

I guessed the answer was b) 1 in every 4 adults.

Which was the correct answer!

Fat is an issue affecting millions of adults in the UK alone,

and with studies suggesting that obesity might be a negative factor

linked to Covid-19, it's one that could affect millions more.

Food for thought there, Neil.

Now, let's recap the vocabulary, starting with 'obese' —

dangerously overweight as measured by the body mass index or BMI.

This term obesity was 'coined' — or invented, to describe a medical condition,

although many people nowadays consider it a personal 'attribute' —

a quality or characteristic.

'Fat-shaming' is 'criticising and humiliating someone for being fat'

or showing them 'scorn' — feelings of contempt or disrespect.

Or it could also involve believing they lack 'moral fibre' —

the ability to behave correctly or with self-control.

That's all for this programme, but to find out more about your own implicit biases

based on race, sexuality or weight,

search online for Harvard IAT and take a test yourself.

You may be surprised what you find out!

And to hear more topical discussion and vocabulary

join us again soon at 6 Minute English,

download the app at your usual app store and follow us on social media.

— Bye for now! — Bye!

6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English.

I'm Neil and today, we're going to improve ourselves.

Haha, how could we possibly get any better?

I'm Rob, and yes, today's topic is self-help and the self-help industry.

What do we mean by 'self-help'? Well, it means 'trying to improve yourself' —

psychologically, economically or in other ways — without seeking official help.

For example, bookshops these days are full of titles

which claim to boost your self-confidence,

your wealth, your love life, or your career!

Yes, in just seven days!

There's a clear demand for this kind of thing —

the self-help industry is worth ten billion dollars in the US alone.

Mm, that's a lot.

That includes things like gym memberships, diet plans and life coaching apps.

We'll be looking at why,

but first, the self-help industry has been around for a long time.

Which of these well-known books was published first?

Is it a) How To Win Friends And Influence People?

b) Think And Grow Rich?

c) The Law Of Attraction?

Mm, I could do with some help here.

I'll go for the first one — How To Win Friends And Influence People.

OK, well, before we go further, let's take a trip around a bookshop in Manchester

to find out which self-help books are selling well.

Let's listen to Emma Marshall, a manager at Waterstones bookshop.

What's popular now?

At the moment, we're in the tidying up and getting rid of things trend.

But before that, we saw colouring-in, which became a huge thing.

It's kind of dwindling now, cos these sorts of trends come in and then they go.

Like last year we saw hygge, which is the Danish art of living well, apparently.

So, we're taking from all sorts of cultures.

And so I think right now, the trend is about slowing down in your life.

Emma says there are a couple of trends right now.

A 'trend' here means 'something new which is popular for a period of time'.

Yes, so she mentioned tidying up and getting rid of things.

Would you buy a book about tidying up, Neil?

I'd be more likely to buy a book about it than actually tidy up!

She also mentioned a current trend about slowing down in our lives.

Ah, well, I can agree with that.

And previous trends included colouring-in.

These books have black and white outline pictures that you fill in with colours.

I used to do that as a child. Very therapeutic!

'Therapeutic' — 'making you feel more relaxed and less anxious'.

It's related to the word 'therapy'.

Although the colouring-in trend is 'dwindling' —

it's becoming weaker; they're selling fewer colouring-in books.

So, trends come and go, but the industry is going from strength to strength.

'To go from strength to strength' means 'to remain strong, or get even stronger'! Why?

Dr Jennifer Wild, a psychologist from Oxford University,

believes that the internet is a big factor.

We've got used to searching for solutions online

and now these solutions even include how to fix or improve our lives.

And psychologist Caroline Beaton, writing on Forbes dot com,

said she believes that millennials are a big factor.

How do we define the term 'millennial'?

Also known as 'Generation Y',

are people born between the mid-1980s and early 2000s.

It's a common term in the news,

often because people born in this time in the west

are seen to have certain characteristics.

Yes, they're sometimes described as lazy and obsessed with themselves

and, while that's not necessarily true,

Caroline Beaton says millennials are highly self-critical.

'Self-critical' — they are aware of their own faults —

which also means they're more likely to spend time or money on self-help.

She says they spend twice as much as Generation Xers.

'Generation X' refers to people born between the late 1960s and around 1980.

And one more possible reason why the self-help industry does well —

it's very resistant to recessions.

When the economy does badly — as we say, it goes into 'recession' —

people are perhaps even more likely

to reach for self-help to improve their situation.

So, there we are. Now, let's go back to another recession —

the Great Depression of the 1930s in America —

and to my question about which self-help book was published first?

Well, I said a) How To Win Friends And Influence People.

In fact, two of these books were published in the late 1930s,

How To Win Friends And Influence People, by Dale Carnegie, was first in 1936.

It has since sold over 30 million copies.

Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, was published in 1937,

and is believed to have sold over 100 million copies!

That's a lot of self-help. Have you read either of them?

I haven't read either of them, but perhaps I should.

Well, before we rush home and improve ourselves, let's improve our vocabulary.

Of course. Today, we had 'self-help' —

the activity of improving yourself, physically, mentally or in other ways,

often through courses and books.

There are lots of 'trends' in the self-help industry.

And we also see trends in fashion, in music, in popular culture,

like the trend for men to grow beards.

Are you talking about me? Anyway, I think the beard trend is 'dwindling'.

It's getting smaller, less influential.

Really? Hm.

I'll stroke my beard here.

I think that's very 'therapeutic' — it makes me relax and feel good.

Maybe you're right.

What about our next phrase — to 'go from strength to strength'?

Well, you could say a business is 'going from strength to strength'

if it's earning a lot of money.

Indeed. And what about our term for young people — 'millennial'.

Are you a millennial, Rob?

Didn't quite scrape in there. I'm still a Generation X.

OK.

But I do like to think I'm in touch with what millennials do,

which includes having lots of different social media accounts.

Just like us!

Do look up BBC Learning English on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

And good luck with your self-improvement!

— Goodbye. — Bye!

6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.