Optimists vs Pessimists

Which one you are may be linked more to your birthplace and age than attitude.

• 6 mins

Britain's love affair with coffee

It's not all about tea - Britons like coffee too. Learn vocabulary to talk about it.

• 6 mins

Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?

We talk about an art that started with ancient Greek philosophers

• 6 mins

Discoveries of the Deep Sea

We talk about an extreme environment, and teach you vocabulary along the way.

• 6 mins

Remembering Desmond Tutu

Deep convictions and a sense of humour - we talk about a man who helped end apartheid.

• 6 mins

Life in the modern office

Great or awful? How do people rate office working? We talk about it and teach vocabulary.

• 6 mins

Can VR treat fears and phobias?

VR is helping people overcome phobias and even tackling more serious problems.

• 6 mins

Finding your way in space

What’s up and what’s down for astronauts who are floating in zero gravity?

• 6 mins

People who can taste words

Can you imagine being able to ‘taste’ every word that you hear?

• 6 mins

What is the Platinum Jubilee?

We talk about a very British tradition involving Queen Elizabeth II

• 6 mins

The technology of translation

What is the relationship between translation, technology and the human brain?

• 6 mins

Island life: Is it paradise?

Rob and Sam discuss some of the problems Pacific islanders face and teach vocabulary.

• 6 mins

The Manhattan Project

Learn about the invention of the atomic bomb

• 6 mins

Restoring trust in science

Modern scientists are under pressure from critics motivated by political views.

• 6 mins

Preserving traditional recipes

We discuss the tastes of our childhood and teach new vocabulary.

• 6 mins

Climate change and evolution

We discuss the impact of climate change on today's wildlife.

• 6 mins

Which are more dangerous: Sharks or humans?

From monster killers of the sea to endangered species - we talk sharks and vocabulary.

• 6 mins

Confused by modern idioms?

We talk about some new expressions that have been introduced to English through the media

• 6 mins

How pandemics end

Covid-19, The Black Death ... We discuss what happens when deadly diseases go global.

• 6 mins

Connecting remote communities

How do you connect the unconnected?

• 6 mins

Women in the workplace

Hear about the career-killing tasks that are holding women back in the workplace

• 6 mins

Being a beauty influencer

Hear about women who are using social media to change attitudes to beauty

• 6 mins

Do emojis make language better?

Are emojis turning us into lazy writers?

• 6 mins

Are you following your dreams?

Hear about two people who dared to follow their dreams and are happy to have done so.

• 6 mins

Man vs beast: Who is more efficient?

We discuss the advantages of the design of the human body, and teach you vocabulary too.

• 6 mins

English for dating online

We discuss language that gets used for dating online and new language that is emerging.

• 6 mins

Why are prices going up?

We discuss inflation and economics and teach related vocabulary.

• 6 mins

Are artistic brains different?

We talk about Mozart, Jimi Hendrix and teach you vocabulary.

• 6 mins

Translating recipes

How to adapt dishes from other countries? We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.

• 6 mins

Does climate change make you anxious?

We discuss how extreme weather events are affecting our mental health.

• 6 mins