6 Minute English

Angeles Martinez

Learn and practise useful English language for everyday situations with the BBC. Your weekly instruction manual for saying or doing something in English is published every Thursday.

Play

Open in

21 episodes
weekly
Avg 6 min
English

Episodes 21

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Thursday · 6 min
Is rejection good for us?
How would you feel about going up to a stranger on the street and asking them for a cheeky favour? If the idea makes you nervous, then don't worry – you are not alone! But recently, some people have been filming themselves doing this, as part of a...
September 10 · 6 min
Can apps teach you a language?
Have you ever used Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu or perhaps another language-learning app? How did you get on? Some people love the convenience of these apps – you can learn on the go, like during your commute to work, rather than committing to a certain...
September 3 · 6 min
Climate change and extreme weather
Every year we see damage, death and destruction caused by hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons - tropical storms. Is climate change making this impact worse? Climate change may be making this destruction worse. Phil is joined by BBC weather presenter and...
August 27 · 6 min
How do we describe smells?
What is the worst smell in the world? And what is the best smell? Are there any smells that you like, but that your friends or family hate? Smells are all around us all the time, but the English language is often quite general in the way it describes...
August 20 · 6 min
Sharing the road with driverless cars
Imagine crossing a road and turning to see a car heading towards you... without a driver! While this might seem scary, driverless cars are already operating safely in many cities around the world. These autonomous cars contain huge amounts of...
August 13 · 6 min
Who does the housework?
Unloading the dishwasher, mopping the floor, cleaning the loo... what is your most hated household chore? We all know there are jobs around the house which have to be done regularly, even if they are sometimes boring or unpleasant. But who tends to do...
August 6 · 6 min
How do climate scientists make predictions?
Across the world, climate change is already beginning to change the way we live our lives. But how big will that change be and what kinds of change will occur? These are the kinds of questions that scientists have been asking for decades. So, how...
July 30 · 6 min
The Enhanced Games
What would the world of athletics look like if athletes were allowed to take drugs? Pippa and Neil discuss the Enhanced Games. Learn English from authentic BBC programme clips. Get a free worksheet, quiz and transcript for this episode:...
July 23 · 6 min
Children in warzones
The most recent figure from 2024 says that 520 million children are living in conflict zones. That's about one in every five children worldwide. Some of the discussions in this episode will be about death and trauma. Neil and Becca hear from a...
July 16 · 6 min
What's in a footballer's brain?
Football players are faster than ever before. But in a game where every tiny decision counts, elite clubs are turning to neuroscience to understand how players can think, decide and perform even faster. Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some...
July 9 · 6 min
Should we cycle more?
When did you learn to ride a bike? Perhaps you learnt as a child and have not cycled for a long time. Well don't worry, you can pick it up again quickly – it's just like riding a bike! And if you have never cycled, it's not too late to start. With new...
July 2 · 6 min
Rude emails
What is the rudest email you have ever received? We all deal with emails on a daily basis, but sometimes people can write them too quickly, without thinking enough about how it makes the other person feel. Is there anything that people write in emails...
June 25 · 6 min
Stress-free family meals
Are you a fussy eater? Many of us remember foods that we used to hate as children – some of us still do hate those foods! But what can parents do to help encourage their children to eat a healthy diet, without turning every dinner into disaster? Neil...
June 18 · 6 min
Limiting screen time for children
Many parents worry that their children spend too much time on screens. Governments around the world, such as in the UK, Australia and China, are introducing online safety measures to limit the amount of screen time for children or prevent them...
June 11 · 6 min
How advertisers make us spend money
What was the last thing you bought? And can you remember why you bought that particular thing, rather than something else? We all like to think we make rational, independent choices when we buy things, but advertisers are constantly trying different...
June 4 · 6 min
The power of poetry
Do you like to read poetry? When was the last time you heard someone recite a poem? Some people may just think of poetry as something they studied at school, but for many people it has a powerful presence in their lives. Poetry can help you connect...
May 28 · 6 min
Living with debt
Many people have to borrow money to make big purchases, like buying a house or a car. When you do this, you have to pay the money back over time – the money you owe is a debt. With the current cost of living getting increasingly high, some people are...
May 21 · 6 min
Making cities feel quieter
What do you prefer – the sounds of birdsong and wind rustling in the trees, or the hum of traffic and chatter of people passing by? Some people like the quiet of the countryside and others love the noise of the city, but did you know that constant...
May 14 · 6 min
How reading shapes your brain
Do you remember what it was like before you learnt to read? It's hard to think back that far! Scientific research has shown that learning to read changes the way our brains work. Not only that, but depending on the language you are reading, your brain...
May 7 · 6 min
Searching for life on another planet
Will we ever be able to live on a planet that isn't Earth? A science and space journalist explainss the latest research and data collected from planet TRAPPIST-1e. Neil and Becca teach you some new language to understand this potentially habitable...

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes