6 Minute English

By BBC Radio

Education

What's 6 Minute English about?

Learn and practise useful English language for everyday situations.

Find more at bbclearningenglish.com

bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

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6 Minute English episodes:

06.09.2022
The technology of translation
What is the relationship between translation, technology and the human brain?
06.01.2022
What is the Platinum Jubilee?
We talk about a very British tradition involving Queen Elizabeth II
05.26.2022
People who can taste words
Can you imagine being able to ‘taste’ every word that you hear?
05.20.2022
Finding your way in space
What’s up and what’s down for astronauts who are floating in zero gravity?
05.12.2022
Can VR treat fears and phobias?
VR is helping people overcome phobias and even tackling more serious problems.
05.05.2022
Life in the modern office
Great or awful? How do people rate office working? We talk about it and teach vocabulary.
04.28.2022
Remembering Desmond Tutu
Deep convictions and a sense of humour - we talk about a man who helped end apartheid.
04.21.2022
Discoveries of the Deep Sea
We talk about an extreme environment, and teach you vocabulary along the way.
04.14.2022
Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?
We talk about an art that started with ancient Greek philosophers
04.07.2022
Britain's love affair with coffee
It's not all about tea - Britons like coffee too. Learn vocabulary to talk about it.
03.31.2022
Optimists vs Pessimists
Which one you are may be linked more to your birthplace and age than attitude.
03.25.2022
The world of Agatha Christie
We discuss one of her most famous characters and teach you related vocabulary.
03.17.2022
Mars: Mysteries of the Red Planet
Neil and Sam discuss our fascination with the 'Red Planet' and teach you related vocab.
03.10.2022
Why laughter is the best medicine
Shouldn't we take laughter more seriously? We discuss and teach related vocabulary.
03.03.2022
Is being kind good for you?
Neil and Sam discuss the benefits of kindness and teach you related vocabulary.
02.24.2022
Eating bugs
Neil and Sam discuss eating insects and teach you related vocabulary.
02.17.2022
The benefits of boredom
We talk about the positive side of boredom and teach you related vocabulary.
02.09.2022
Sleepy in South Korea
Life in a place where people work longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else.
02.03.2022
Sleepy in South Korea
Life in a place where people work longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else.
01.27.2022
Preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics
Artificial snow, coronavirus and controversy surround the Beijing Games starting soon.
01.20.2022
Are personalised diets the best way to be healthy?
We discuss how microbes matter when it comes to food, and teach some related vocabulary.
01.13.2022
Inventing languages
Learn about how languages get invented
01.06.2022
Welcome to the 'metaverse'
We discuss how things like the metaverse and AI might influence how we live.
12.30.2021
Do trees have memories?
We discuss whether plants can 'remember' stressful situations, such as droughts or pests.
12.23.2021
Algorithms
We talk about the maths formulas that are increasingly part of our lives.
12.16.2021
Changing the Earth's climate
Could diamonds help to prevent a climate catastrophe? That's what we discuss.
12.09.2021
Body language online
How can we make video conferences feel more natural? That's what Sam and Neil talk about.
12.02.2021
The Human Library: Life as an open book
Would you like to borrow a person for a half-hour candid conversation?
11.25.2021
How green is nuclear energy?
How safe is a nuclear plant in a world of climate extremes? Listen to Neil and Sam.
11.18.2021
Why we forget the things we learn
Georgina and Rob talk about memory and teach you vocabulary along the way.
11.11.2021
Why is Super Mario so popular?
We talk about a famous video game character from the 80s.
11.04.2021
Should fast food sponsor sport?
Is it right for companies selling unhealthy products to sponsor sporting events?
10.28.2021
Grime: Music from architecture
We talk about the music of Wiley and Stormy, and teach you related vocabulary.
10.21.2021
Where do your tips go?
We talk about tipping: the act of giving extra money to someone that has served you well.
10.14.2021
Angela Merkel
Sam and Neil talk about the influential German leader and teach you related vocabulary.
10.07.2021
Smart tech and climate change
Could AI be used to help fight against climate change?
09.30.2021
Going through the menopause
Why don't people talk more about this aspect of women's lives?
09.27.2021
Bitcoin's energy cost
Bitcoin: is it an investment option for ordinary people?
09.23.2021
I love my language!
Neil and Sam talk about a woman's effort to keep her language alive.
09.20.2021
Why are people collecting NFTs?
What are 'non-fungible tokens'? That's what Neil and Sam talk about in this programme.
09.16.2021
Robot Artists
Will Robots ever be able to think or dream? Could they fall in love or create art?
09.13.2021
Bats: Friend or foe?
Learn more about these furry flying mammals with Neil and Sam.
09.09.2021
Is the planet warming up faster?
Some extreme weather events are puzzling scientists.
09.06.2021
Is technology harmful to youngsters?
Can spending hours online affect the new generation's mental health?
09.02.2021
Is chimp politics like ours?
Just like humans, chimps live in social groups, have leaders and a desire for power.
08.26.2021
Making sense of the census
What's behind counting people in a country? Neil and Sam talk about the census.
08.23.2021
The fear of numbers
Are you afraid of maths? Neil and Sam talk about numbers and teach you vocabulary.
08.19.2021
A future without doctors?
We discuss if artificial intelligence could replace human doctors and nurses.
08.16.2021
Lights! Camera! Kiss! - Intimacy on screen
How actors are made to feel more comfortable when filming intimate scenes.
08.12.2021
Head injury in sport
Contact sports can be dangerous. The truth about the effects on players is coming out.

What's 6 Minute English about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

6 Minute English episodes:

The technology of translation

What is the Platinum Jubilee?

People who can taste words

Finding your way in space

Can VR treat fears and phobias?

Life in the modern office

Remembering Desmond Tutu

Discoveries of the Deep Sea

Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?

Britain's love affair with coffee

Optimists vs Pessimists

The world of Agatha Christie

Mars: Mysteries of the Red Planet

Why laughter is the best medicine

Is being kind good for you?

Eating bugs

The benefits of boredom

Sleepy in South Korea

Sleepy in South Korea

Preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics

Are personalised diets the best way to be healthy?

Inventing languages

Welcome to the 'metaverse'

Do trees have memories?

Algorithms

Changing the Earth's climate

Body language online

The Human Library: Life as an open book

How green is nuclear energy?

Why we forget the things we learn

Why is Super Mario so popular?

Should fast food sponsor sport?

Grime: Music from architecture

Where do your tips go?

Angela Merkel

Smart tech and climate change

Going through the menopause

Bitcoin's energy cost

I love my language!

Why are people collecting NFTs?

Robot Artists

Bats: Friend or foe?

Is the planet warming up faster?

Is technology harmful to youngsters?

Is chimp politics like ours?

Making sense of the census

The fear of numbers

A future without doctors?

Lights! Camera! Kiss! - Intimacy on screen

Head injury in sport