When does adulthood start?

When do we really grow up?

At what age do we become adults? Many people assume it’s 18. It's an age when many leave home for university and also when we can vote in elections the UK.

But new guidance for psychologists in the UK says that adolescence - the time when we change from being a child to an adult - now lasts until the age of 25. Does this mean we are growing up later, or are there other factors?

Vocabulary:

adulthood - the period of life when you are an adult

stand on your own two feet - be independent; look after yourself

maturity - behaving and thinking like a grown up

adolescence - period in your life when you change from being a child to an adult

psychologist - person who studies the human mind, their emotions and behaviour

hormones - chemicals in the body that influence the development, growth and sex of an animal

formative years - period of time when someone develops their character and beliefs

social death - embarrassing situation

mollycoddling - over protecting or doing too much for someone

juvenile - young person but not yet considered an adult

 Listen here

Neil: Hello I'm Neil. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm joined today by Finn. Hello Finn.

Finn: Hello Neil.

Neil: Now, I have a question for you: what age did you leave home?

Finn: I left home at 18, Neil.

Neil: That's quite young, isn't it? Why did you leave home?

Finn: Well, I really wanted to see more of the world.

Neil: We could say that was the end of your childhood and the beginning of your adulthood. It's a time when you begin to stand on your own two feet.

Finn: You mean it's when I started to be independent, to look after myself and act like a grown-up – well, maybe, a bit like a grown-up!

Neil: Yes, it's when you're supposed to think and act like a man! Well, according to some experts, the age when adulthood begins could be increasing. I'll tell you more about that soon and we'll look at some vocabulary to do with growing up. But before that, I have another question for you Finn. In

England, people can get married without asking their parent – or without consent, at the age of 18. Do you know what the youngest age is men can legally marry in Bangladesh? Is it:

a) 15

b) 18

c) 21

Finn: I honestly have no idea. So I'll say b) 18.

Neil: OK. I'll let you know the answer at the end of programme. Back to our discussion about the age we really become an adult. Leaving home or getting married could be some of the signs of maturity and becoming a grown-up.

Finn: There are many other signs too but, certainly in the UK, people regard 18 as the age when we reach the end of adolescence – a point where you've changed from being a child to being an adult. You should, in theory, think and behave like one.

Neil: Well, that is the theory. We know that people develop at different speeds and some never grow up. I'm sure we know people like that! I'm sure we know people like that! 

Finn: One or two! But child psychologists – the people who study how children behave – now think adolescence could last until the age of 25.

Neil: Twenty-five is when they stop being an adolescent. Medical and educational professionals now have a better understanding of how our hormones – the chemicals in our body – develop and how our brain works.

Finn: Yes. They say that we keep developing into our twenties.

Neil: A child psychologist called Laverne Antrobus, who works at the Tavistock Clinic in London, appeared in a BBC magazine article recently and said: "The idea that suddenly at 18 you're an adult just doesn't quite ring true... my experience of young people is that they still need quite a considerable amount of support and help beyond that age."

Finn: So she says the idea that we become an adult at 18 doesn't ring true – that means, it doesn't sound true. Young people need help and support until they're older.

Neil: She also suggests that some young people continue to live at home because they need more support during these 'formative years' – the time when you are growing up. Well, that might be true for some but I was ready to leave home at 18 – I was bored at home and ready for my freedom!

Finn: I know the feeling. Well, in the same BBC article, Frank Furedi, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, thinks what you did is a good thing. He says: "There is a loss of aspiration for independence and striking out on your own. When I went to university it would have been a social death to have been seen with your parents, whereas now it's the norm."

Neil: So he thinks living at home makes you lose the aspiration – or the desire to be independent, and he says in his day it would have been social death – so embarrassing - to be seen by others to live at home!

Finn: Yes, and I think he's saying living at home stops you growing up quickly.

Neil: Does this mean we are developing a generation of big babies?

Finn: Maybe not Neil but this is an interesting subject. Could it be we are mollycoddling young people for longer – that means protecting them and looking after them?

Neil: Yes, or it could be that young people are living at home for longer for economic reasons – they can't afford to leave home.

Finn: Or maybe there is some truth in the idea it takes longer for us to grow up? I think I'll go with that theory.

Neil: That would explain your juvenile behaviour Finn! Now, let's find out if you got today's question right. Earlier I asked you if you knew what the youngest age a man can legally marry in Bangladesh is?

Finn: I said 18, I think Neil.

Neil: You were wrong. It was option c) 21. Apparently, it's 21 for men, and 18 for women. Now Finn, could you remind us of some of the growing up related words that we heard today.

Finn: Yes, we heard:

Neil: Thank you. We hope you've enjoyed today's programme. Do join us again soon for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Goodbye. Finn: Goodbye.

What is freedom

This is what freedom looks like to Cecilia Fatone, who also took this photo

Whether it's freedom from surveillance or freedom to be single, the BBC is investigating what freedom means in the modern world.

Rob and Finn discuss the BBC #Freedom2014 season and find out that freedom means different things to different people.

They also explain some vocabulary related to freedom.

Vocabulary

right - something that you are morally or legally allowed to do or have

restricted - limited by rules or laws

democracy - a system of government in which people vote in elections to choose the people who will govern them

free speech - the right to say anything you want about anything

equality - everyone having exactly the same rights and opportunities regardless of colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age etc.

apartheid - the political system that existed in the past in South Africa, in which only white people had political rights and power

forced labour - being made to do hard physical work

surveillance - the careful watching of a person or place, often secretly and usually done by people in authority, such as the police

confidential - secret; only for certain people to see

campaigned - tried to achieve political or social change by persuading people in authority to do something

regime - a method of government that controls the country in a strict and unfair way

civil rights - the basic rights that all people in a society should have, whatever their race, sex, religion, etc.

cause - idea, aim, belief or way of thinking that a group of people share and try to persuade others to support

Listen here

Rob: Welcome to 6 Minute English with me, Rob.

Finn: And me, Finn. Hello.

Rob: In today's programme, we're talking about freedom. It's a big subject and it's something the BBC has been exploring in its Freedom 2014 season.

Finn: That's right. There's been a season of programmes about what freedom means to different people.

Rob: Well, we're going to try and summarise what freedom really is and look at some related vocabulary. But first a definition – what does freedom mean?

Finn: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants.

Rob: Yes, it's something many people expect to have – we consider it our right - but certain people in some of the world do not get to experience the feeling of freedom.

Finn: You mean some people are restricted and controlled in what they can and can't do.

Rob: Some organisations try to rank countries – or give them a score – based on how free its people are. It's calculated according to certain factors - and my question for you today Finn is, according to the World Freedom Index 2013 by the Canadian Fraser Institute, the people of which country came out as number one, in terms of having the most freedom? Was it:

 a) the USA

b) Sweden

c) New Zealand

Finn: I'm going to say c) New Zealand.

Rob: We'll see if you're right later on. So let's talk more about freedom – a word that means many things to many people. We sometimes hear about political freedom – where people are able to vote in elections to choose who runs their country – and where people are able to challenge what their leaders do. We often refer to this system as a democracy.

Finn: Many people would say that any system of democracy should automatically include the right to free speech – that’s the right to say what you want about anything you want. We also hear about freedom for women – when they have the same rights as men. This is one form of equality. We also hear about equality for people of different colour, religion or sexual orientation. People usually don't feel free or equal if they are treated differently because of something like their race, colour, gender or disability. One example of this is the system of apartheid, which passed laws to restrict the freedom and rights of black people in South Africa.

Rob: Many of those laws are no longer in existence – but freedom is still an issue around the world today. The BBC Freedom 2014 season looked at examples of modern-day slavery in the Thai fishing industry. There is forced labour, where people are made to work in terrible conditions for little or no money.

Finn: There's also secrecy and surveillance – when you're being watched by the government; these can also be seen as ways of controlling someone's freedom. And some say that blocking the public’s access to certain information limits freedom.

Rob: Yes, the American computer expert Edward Snowden famously disclosed thousands of confidential – or secret – documents held by America's National Security Agency so people could see what information was being kept about them.

Finn: But possibly the most personal example of having your freedom restricted is when you are held unfairly against your will – in prison or as a hostage, which is what happened to Norman Kember, a British man who was taken hostage in Iraq in 2005.

Rob: He says the only thing that kept him free was his mind. He would picture something good in his head. So, although as a hostage his body wasn't free, he could still feel free by thinking about his garden - the flowers and trees and the sound of birdsong. Simple pleasures.

Finn: Freedom really came for him when he was eventually rescued during a military operation on 23 March 2006, and the first thing he did when he returned to England was… walk in his garden. It must have been a great feeling.

Rob: In different situations, people around the world have fought to win their freedom in many different ways. They have held protests and marches, and campaigned for a change in laws and attitudes – changing the way people think.

Finn: And when people living under a regime want to make a change for the better they sometimes take to the streets to chant, shout and sing. Lots of songs have been written about freedom. But if you can't sing, there's another, newer way to make your voice heard: people use social media to spread their message and hopefully get support for their cause. It's what happened in a number of uprisings in the Middle East, such as the Arab Spring.

Rob: Let's get back to the question I asked you earlier about which country came first in the World Freedom Index 2013, according to the Canadian Fraser Institute?

Finn: I said c) New Zealand. Was I right?

Rob: Yes, well done, the answer is New Zealand. The freedom index was based on a number of measures such as freedom of speech, religion, economic choice and women's rights. You can find more detail about the BBC Freedom Season on the BBC website. We'll be back with more 6 Minute

English very soon. Please join us then.

Both: Bye.

Glass half full

Is Angela Merkel's glass half full or half empty?!

How are you feeling about life? Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

Rob and Finn discuss how science is trying to find out what makes us think positively or negatively.

They also explain how we feel when we say our glass is half empty and when we say it's half full.

So, what kind of person are you? We hear from some of our learners.

This week's question:

Who wrote this famous line? "A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Was it:

a)    Winston Churchill b) Oscar Wilde c) Charles Dickens

Vocabulary:

an optimist -  someone who thinks good things will happen

a pessimist - someone who always thinks bad things will happen in a situation

a state of mind - how you feel and what you think

influence - have an effect (on something or someone)

trigger - cause / make happen

depression - a medical condition where someone is very unhappy and cannot lead a normal life

point of view - how someone judges a situation

personality -  how you behave, feel and think

drivers  - (in this situation) things that make something else happen

traits - particular qualities or characteristics that someone has

You can listen here

Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Rob and with me is Finn.

Finn: Hello Rob.

Rob: You sound very cheerful – so, how are you feeling?

Finn: I'm good thanks. Things are going well. I'm here in the studio with you, I'm going on holiday next week, and I'm really enjoying this cold weather.

Rob: Really – I think it's miserable outside but I suppose you're a good example of an optimist - someone who always looks at life from a positive point of view. It's a good thing, Finn. The opposite of an optimist is, of course, a pessimist.

Finn: Well Rob, there is some hope for pessimists because research is taking place to see if people's attitude to life can be switched from negative to positive.

Rob: Well I'll drink to that! Finn, here's a glass of lemonade to celebrate – the only thing is - it's half empty, there's not much left in there.

Finn: Stop complaining Rob – that's half full – look, there's still enough to enjoy.

Rob: If you say so. We'll explain more about that glass half empty saying shortly. But first, how optimistic are you about getting today's question right?

Finn: Extremely positive.

Rob: OK. Well do you know who wrote this famous quote: "A pessimist sees difficulty in  every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty". Was it:

a) Winston Churchill

b) Oscar Wilde

c) Charles Dickens

Finn: It's a good quote. I'm not sure but I think I'll say b) Oscar Wilde.

Rob: You sound optimistic! I'll give you the answer at the end of the programme. So we are talking about being an optimist or a pessimist. It's not something that can be easily measured; it more of a state of mind.

Finn: A state of mind is how you think or feel. There are many factors that can influence – or affect this. Certain events in a person's life, such as someone you know dying, or losing your job, can trigger – or cause – a negative feeling about life.

Rob: And people with depression – a medical condition where someone is very unhappy

– tend to be pessimistic.

Finn: Indeed. But scientists are now looking inside our heads to see what's going on and if there is a way to change how we feel.

 Rob: A medical journalist and doctor called Michael Mosley has been looking into this. He says our attitude to life – the positive or negative way we view life – affects our personality.

Finn: What phrase does he use to describe the importance of optimism and pessimism in our characters?

Medical journalist and doctor, Michael Mosley:

Our personalities are a complex interaction of character traits that affect behaviour, emotions and ultimately the lives we lead. And one of the fundamental drivers is how optimistic or pessimistic we are. This is also one of the hottest new areas of scientific research.

Rob: OK, so he says one of the fundamental drivers in shaping our personality is how optimistic or pessimistic we are. A fundamental driver means the most important thing that makes something happen.

Finn: So our outlook on life drives – or shapes – our behaviour, our emotions and character traits – traits are the particular qualities we have. This subject is described as 'one of the hottest new areas of research' – hottest here means latest and most popular.

Rob: And the research may find a way to change people from seeing a glass being half empty to one that is half full.

Finn: There's that phrase again! We sometimes say pessimistic people describe a glass of water or beer as being half empty – they have already drunk half of it and there's not much left.

Rob: But someone who is optimistic, like you Finn, would view the glass as being half full

– there is still half of the drink left to enjoy. It really depends on your point of view – how you view things.

Finn: We asked our BBC Learning English audience how full or empty their glass is. What have they been saying?

Rob: Mariola says "My glass is half full because I'm going on holiday next Friday!"

Finn: And Raquel says "My glass is always half full because it's the best way to be happy!"

Rob: But Mon Tran says "My glass is half empty. I'm far away from my family and missing them so much."

Finn: Well maybe scientists will be able to help Mon Tran and others to feel more optimistic about life in the future? Well Rob, I'm optimistic that I got today's quiz question right.

Rob: Let's find out. Earlier I asked who wrote this famous quote: "A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Finn: I said b) Oscar Wilde.

Rob: You are wrong. They were the words of Winston Churchill. Ok that's it for this programme. Do join us again soon for more 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Both: Bye.

Odd Job Interviews

This fictional manager certainly likes to make an impression!

Job interviews are a part of modern life and sooner or later we all have to do them. They usually involve being asked a list of questions or doing a short presentation.

But some companies go a bit further and ask the interviewee to do embarrassing and humiliating things that are completely unrelated to the job.

Rob and Finn discuss 'odd' job interviews, and talk about one man who was asked to dance as part of his selection process.

This week's question:

What type of job has been named a 'Field Nourishment Consultant'? Is it:

a) A waitress

b) A school dinner lady

c) A petrol station assistant

Original page here

grilled - (here) asked lots of difficult questions

interviewers - people who interview someone for a job

interviewees - people who are being interviewed

position - job in a company

degraded - feeling you have lost respect for yourself and from other people

humiliated - feeling embarrassed and ashamed

put on a brave face - hide your feelings of being upset or disappointed

unorthodox - different from what is usual or normally expected

recruiting - the process of finding and employing someone to work for a company

leave/ make a lasting impression - behave in a way that makes people remember good things about you for a long time

breaking the ice - making someone feel relaxed

role playing - pretending to be someone else to act out a pretend situation

bribe - money or gifts you give someone to try and make them do something

Rob: Welcome to 6 Minute English with me Rob.

Finn: And me, Finn.

Rob: Finn, I'd like to start by asking you: How many job interviews have you had?

Finn: That's difficult. Maybe ten interviews in my life.

Rob: Ten. That's quite a few – and do you enjoy going to job interviews?

Finn: I absolutely adore them! No, I'm joking! Who does? Nobody does.

Rob: Well, for me, they are torture! I hate being grilled by a panel – or group – of people. I know I can do the job but I hate having to convince them!

Today, we'll be discussing some odd job interviews and looking at some related vocabulary. So Finn, are you ready for your first interview question?

Finn: Yes Rob, I am raring to go!

Rob: Good to hear. Well, it's important to know what type of job you are being interviewed for. Some job titles are a bit exaggerated. So, what type of job has been named a 'Field Nourishment Consultant'? Is it:

a) A waitress

b) A school dinner lady

c) A petrol station assistant

Finn: I think that it's b) a school dinner lady.

Rob: An interesting choice. I'll let you know if you are wrong or right later on.

Let's talk more about job interviews. A traditional interview usually involves being asked a list of questions, and sometimes you have to give a short presentation.

Finn: Yes, questions like: "Why do you want this job?" or, "Where do you see yourself in five years' time?"

Rob: Yeah, that's a tricky one to answer! But some interviewers – the people who ask the questions – go a bit further and ask the interviewees – the people being interviewed – to do some inappropriate things.

Finn: You mean they are asked do things are not really relevant to the job. Such as Alan Bacon, a university graduate, who last year was asked to do a dance as part of his interview.

Rob: Well, maybe the position – or job – was for a dancer or a children's entertainer?

Finn: No – it was actually for a job as a sales assistant in an electronics shop; so, someone who works on the shop floor, giving advice to customers about what to buy. There's no dancing involved.

Rob: Let's hear from him now. What did he do at the interview to look positive? And how did he really feel about doing a dance?

Alan Bacon, university graduate:

We all wanted the job, some of us are desperate, like myself, and the idea is just to keep smiling and go for it. On the surface I had to look positive, I was smiling, I was laughing along with it, but inside I felt degraded and humiliated especially.

Finn: Oh poor Alan. He felt degraded – so he lost respect from other people – and he felt humiliated – so he felt embarrassed and ashamed.

Rob: So that's how he felt on the inside but he wanted the job so he put on a brave face – a positive attitude and a smile on his face; he even laughed.

Finn: Well, later on, he did complain and he got an apology.

Rob: But experts say there are now too many candidates chasing too few jobs so companies are trying unorthodox – non-traditional ways of recruiting people - to see who stands out.

Finn: Yes, well, in any job interview it's good to leave a lasting impression – that means to get noticed and make people remember you. I suppose doing a dance is a good way of breaking the ice – making people feel relaxed – but being asked to do something outside your comfort zone also seems a bit unfair to me.

Rob: Yes, but I guess if you want that job, you'll do anything.

Finn: Well, almost!

Rob: I've heard about people who have had to sing at an interview and also, role playing – pretending to be someone else and acting out a situation.

Finn: I find just being asked odd or random questions in an interview can make me feel uncomfortable. And a US employment website carried out a survey about this and discovered some strange questions…

Rob: Yes they did, such as: "How would you cure world hunger?" and: "If you were a computer programme, which one would you be?" Here's one for you Finn: "If you were a word in the English language, which word would you be?"

 

Finn: Which word would you be? Oh, come on, that's unfair. Just asking like that – that's outside my comfort zone Rob!

Rob: Indeed, but I'm trying to break the ice here Finn! Never mind, I'll give you the job anyway! Seriously, there's no perfect way to interview someone for a job. If you are having a job interview, my advice would be to keep calm, think before you speak and if you are asked to do something inappropriate, tell them how you feel about it!

Finn: And if all else fails you could use a bribe? What do you think? No?!

Rob: Not recommended. However you can bribe me to get the answer to today's question?

Finn: I don't think I need to. I think I've got the answer right.

Rob: OK, let's find out. Earlier I asked you if you knew what a 'Field Nourishment Consultant' really is.

Finn: I said b) a school dinner lady – but it could be a man. Is it right?

Rob: It has something to do with food but it's not school dinners. It's actually a waitress – or waiter. I wonder how we could describe our jobs – maybe we could be 'Educational Dissemination Executives'?

Finn: Oh yes, very grand. I like that!

Rob: We hope you've enjoyed today's 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon for another programme.

Both: Bye.

The male brain, the female brain

Are you any good at map reading?

Do you think that men are better at reading maps?

Are women better at doing several things at once?

New research from the US says they are, and it can explain why. A team from the University of Pennsylvania says male and female brains are connected in very different ways, and this means that men and women are better at doing different things.

This week's question:

How much does the average human brain weigh? Is it:

a) 1.4 kg

b) 2.2 kg

c) 3.6 kg

brainy - (informal) clever, intelligent

rack my brains - think very hard to answer a question or solve a problem

hemisphere - half (of something round in shape)

to navigate - to find your way around a new place, often using a map

multi-tasking - doing several things at the same time

attention span - the maximum amount of time that you can concentrate on one thing

hard-wired - designed to work in a particular way which cannot be changed (pevný)

generalisation - a statement that is often true but based on limited information

Listen here

Finn: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Finn and with me is Rob. Hi Rob.

Rob: Hi Finn.

Finn: Rob, I have a question for you. Are you good at reading maps?

Rob: I have to say, I am, I really enjoy reading maps and I understand them well.

Finn: That's interesting. And today we're talking about new research into the differences between men's and women's brains, and looking at some vocabulary about brains and thinking. Now, this research says that men are better at some things, like reading maps.

Rob: Yes, well, I'm good at reading maps and even my wife would agree. She makes me do all the map reading in the car.

Finn: But women are better at other things – like remembering faces. That's according to this research. And before we look at it, I have a question about this incredible and mysterious thing – the human brain. Rob, you're a brainy– that is, an intelligent guy, but how much does the average human brainweigh? Is it:

a) 1.4 kg

b) 2.2 kg

c) 3.6 kg

Rob: I'll have to use my brain for this. I'm really racking my brains - that means to think very hard. Right, well, I think: c) 3.6 kg.

Finn: OK we'll find out if you're right later on. Now this research was by a team from the University of Pennsylvania in the US. They looked at the brains of nearly 1,000 men and women and found they are 'wired differently'.

Rob: Yes – so they are connected in different ways.

Finn: Let's listen to Dr Ruben Gur talking about the connections in each hemisphere - each half or each side - of the brain. What's the difference between men and women?

Dr Ruben Gur, University of Pennsylvania:

What we found was that in males, the stronger connections run within each hemisphere, within each half of the brain. In women the stronger connections are between the two sides of the brain.

Finn: So, men have better links – that's stronger connections - inside each half of the brain. So the connections inside the right hemisphere are good, and the connections inside the left hemisphere are good too.

Rob: But women have stronger connections between each side – the links are better going from one side to the other, from left to right. But what does that mean?

Finn: Well, they say these differences might explain why men are better at learning and performing a single task, like cycling or navigating – that's reading maps and finding your way around.

Rob: And it explains why women are often better at multi-tasking – that's doing several things at once.

Finn: The research also showed women are better at remembering words, faces and information about other people, and they also had longer attention spans – that means they could concentrate on a task for longer without becoming distracted. Rob? Rob? Are you there?

Rob: Ah sorry. I was miles away. You might be right Finn! But not everyone agrees with this research.

Finn: No, Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg from the University of Oxford says the connections inside the brain are not 'hard-wired': in other words, that means they are not permanently fixed and they keep changing.

Rob: She said the brain is very complex – so you can't make generalisations about it – generalisations are statements that are often true but based on a limited amount of information.

Finn: But overall I think it's an interesting idea. We asked our audience on social media what they thought about the study.

Rob: Cremildo from Mozambique said he's a man and agrees with the survey, and he admires his mother who is able to do a lot of things by herself.

Finn: Pen Pae from Thailand says it depends on the individual – she's good at reading maps and multi-tasking – but don't ask her about language or driving.

Rob: And Hana Potki from Iran agrees – she said it took her five times to pass her driving test!

Finn: Now Rob, earlier I asked you if you knew how heavy the human brain is, on average:

Rob: And I said c) a heavy 3.6 kg.

Finn: Very very heavy brain and a lot heavier than the average human brain. The answer was in fact a) 1.4 kg. This compares with the average of 7 kg for whales and 1.4 for dolphins. Albert Einstein's brain was only 1.2 kg; that's lower than average, so size isn't everything. Now, Rob, before we go – would you remind us of today's brain-related words?

Rob: Of course. We had:

brainy

rack my brains

hemisphere

navigating

multi-tasking

attention spans

hard-wired

generalisations

Finn: Great. Thank you Rob. And thanks everyone for listening. Join us again for more 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Rob: Bye.

Finn: Goodbye.