<description>&lt;p&gt;We've all been there – we're talking to someone and they say one thing, when we know they mean something else! British people love to play with language, using it deliberately to disguise, misdirect or even change their meaning entirely. But why do we do it? And what are some of the common things to look out for? Pippa and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260115 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learning English from the News - learn English from news headlines here: ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: 
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✔️ Learning English for Work &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They're all available by searching in your podcast app.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

British people love to play with words, but why do we do it? Pippa and Beth discuss this.

We've all been there – we're talking to someone and they say one thing, when we know they mean something else! British people love to play with language, using it deliberately to disguise, misdirect or even change their meaning entirely. But why do we do it? And what are some of the common things to look out for? Pippa and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260115 Learning English from the News - learn English from news headlines here: ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: 
Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish 
Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE PODCASTS? 
Try some of our other popular podcasts including: 
✔️ Learning English Grammar 
✔️ Learning English from the News 
✔️ Learning English for Work They're all available by searching in your podcast app.

What English phrases really mean

<description>&lt;p&gt;What is your favourite social media platform? Do you still use it as much as you did three or four years ago? With the rise of generative AI, many social media users are finding their feeds cluttered with content that they feel no real connection with. Is social media on a downward spiral? Neil and Pippa discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260108 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Listening Room - improve your listening skills here: ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: 
Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish 
Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LIKE PODCASTS? 
Try some of our other popular podcasts including: 
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✔️ Learning English from the News 
✔️ Learning English for Work &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They're all available by searching in your podcast app.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Is social media on a downward spiral? Neil and Pippa discuss this.

What is your favourite social media platform? Do you still use it as much as you did three or four years ago? With the rise of generative AI, many social media users are finding their feeds cluttered with content that they feel no real connection with. Is social media on a downward spiral? Neil and Pippa discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260108 The Listening Room - improve your listening skills here: ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: 
Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish 
Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE PODCASTS? 
Try some of our other popular podcasts including: 
✔️ Learning English Grammar 
✔️ Learning English from the News 
✔️ Learning English for Work They're all available by searching in your podcast app.

Is social media dead?

<description>&lt;p&gt;Are we becoming a divided society? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260101&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Listening Room - improve your listening skills here:
✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
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Visit our website
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Follow us
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English Grammar
✔️ Learning English from the News
✔️ Learning English for Work&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They're all available by searching in your podcast app.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Are we becoming a divided society?

Are we becoming a divided society? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary. Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260101The Listening Room - improve your listening skills here:
✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_roomSUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newslettersFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:
Visit our website
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Follow us
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English Grammar
✔️ Learning English from the News
✔️ Learning English for WorkThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.

Is it OK to disagree?

<description>&lt;p&gt;It's Christmas time in the UK. And like with celebrations around the world, people have lots of traditions that they do every year, and memories about Christmas from their childhood. But were the Christmases of the past as magical as we remember? Neil and Beth discuss a strange emotion we can feel at Christmas called nostalgia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251225&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Reading Room - improve your reading skills here:
✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
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✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English Grammar
✔️ Learning English from the News
✔️ Learning English for Work&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They're all available by searching in your podcast app.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Beth and Neil talk about a strange emotion we can feel at Christmas called nostalgia.

It's Christmas time in the UK. And like with celebrations around the world, people have lots of traditions that they do every year, and memories about Christmas from their childhood. But were the Christmases of the past as magical as we remember? Neil and Beth discuss a strange emotion we can feel at Christmas called nostalgia.Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251225The Reading Room - improve your reading skills here:
✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_roomSUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newslettersFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:
Visit our website
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish
Follow us
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English Grammar
✔️ Learning English from the News
✔️ Learning English for WorkThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.

Was Christmas better in the past?

<description>&lt;p&gt;Where do you get your fruit and vegetables – a supermarket, a greengrocer... or the wild? For our distant ancestors, foraging for wild food was vital for survival, while these days we tend to rely on farmed food, bought in shops. Pippa and Beth discuss foraging and teach you some new vocabulary.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251218&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Reading Room - improve your reading skills here:
✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
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Visit our website
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Follow us
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English Grammar
✔️ Learning English from the News
✔️ Learning English for Work&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They're all available by searching in your podcast app.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Where do you get your fruit and vegetables – a supermarket, a greengrocer... or the wild?

Where do you get your fruit and vegetables – a supermarket, a greengrocer... or the wild? For our distant ancestors, foraging for wild food was vital for survival, while these days we tend to rely on farmed food, bought in shops. Pippa and Beth discuss foraging and teach you some new vocabulary.Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251218The Reading Room - improve your reading skills here:
✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_roomSUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newslettersFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:
Visit our website
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish
Follow us
✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English Grammar
✔️ Learning English from the News
✔️ Learning English for WorkThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.

Finding and eating wild food

Learn and practise useful English language for everyday situations. 
 
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6 Minute English

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