The art of conversation - 6 Minute English

Social media encourages us to give our opinion on a subject without always listening in return. Does this mean the art of conversation is being lost? Sam and Neil discuss the topic and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

This week's question
In 2012, a competition in Latvia broke the world record for the longest telephone conversation. How long did this record-breaking conversation last?
a) 24 hours and 4 minutes?
b) 54 hours and 4 minutes?
c) 84 hours and 4 minutes?
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
chinwag
a long and pleasant conversation between friends

enriched
improved by having something else added to it

survival instinct
the human instinct to do something in a dangerous situation to stay alive

build bridges
improve relationships between people who are very different or do not like each other

tittle-tattle
talk about other people's lives that is usually unkind, disapproving, or untrue

talk over (someone)
silence or drown out someone by talking more loudly, forcefully, and persistently than them

[Cover: Getty Images]
You can download audio and text here:

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#learnenglish #conversation #theartofconversation #talking #listening

[alaamahmoud]

Actually I don't like people who are gossiping about each other, and reveal their secrets, we have an idiom in our country which is ( listener is the king), if you listen more you can build many information in your mind and it helps you to understand the mindsets that around you.

[osenibalyqees]

Chinwag: a long and pleasant conversation between friends
Enriched: It's improved by having something else added to it
Survival of instinct: Is the basic instinct in humans and animals to dangerous situation that will keep them alive
If you build bridges:You improve relationships between people who are very different or who do not like each other
Tittle-tattle: Talk about other people's lives that's usually unkind, disapproving or untrue
Talk over someone: You silence or drown them out by talking more loudly than them
@BBC thanks for the new vocabularies

[EnglishGateSpokenEnglish]

I wasn't a very good listener before, but after my TESOL certification, I have learnt the art of listening. My husband is an amazing listener and remembers almost everything! Now I am happy that I am helping people all over India and outside to speak in English with confidence! Thanks @BBC learning for your audios as they help me a lot!

[letsplayroblox]

It's good to have an art conversation. Nowadays many people learn about soft-skills. It's about conversation between people. In my opinion most of the successful people are good on social skills.
Talking over is a conversation too. I liked to talk over sometimes. I think it helps a lot to people to not be freak out of some things

[trangdieu.c]

VOCABULARY IN THIS VIDEO “The art of conversation”
1. Conscious: noticing or realizing something
→ aware conscious of (doing) something
→ conscious that
2. Predominantly: mostly or mainly
3. Proven: tested and shown to be true or good, or shown to exist
4. Chinwa: a long and pleasant conversation between friends
5. Enriched: improved by having something else added to it
6. Survival instinct: the human instinct to do something in a dangerous situation to stay alive
7. Build bridges: improve relationships between people who are very different or do not like each other
8. Tittle-tattle: talk about other people's lives that is usually unkind, disapproving, or untrue
9. Talk over (someone): silence or drown out someone by talking more loudly, forcefully, and persistently than them
10. It gave me the sense that
11. Person’s point of view
12. Met up with
11/24/2022. ALL THE BEST FOR YOU ^^

[Manjusha_Sarith]

Thank u bbc this is Manju and I’m also an English learner. I love listening podcasts. This is the 2nd day I’m listening. Hope this will improve my english to a little bit.

[ceyhunyazc]

I am in love with Sam's voice and pronunciation.👏

[mardontuychiev]

Waw, this is also an interiguing and beneficial podcast in line with others 💙💙 thank u sharing

[LilyaN-zp]

Hello everyone! Thank you for this interesting video. I think social media is great way to share my opinion. It is art of conversation too.

[k.t]

Listen to reply, Listen to understand.
This is exactly what stressed me when I have conversation.
I'd like to be careful to do this at the same time I suggest to do this to my gf.

[snowflake]

Chinwag -a long and pleasant conversation between fri

[lka]

My mum practically wins my dad in every quarrel. She talks loudly and drowns him out completely. Occasionally, both of them shout at each other and attempt to talk over the other. It makes me relatively irritating. I’m an introvert so i can’t think of what to say in a conversation mainly because i am not comfortable and there are only few people i find strangely comforting. Therefore i don’t have a chinwag with my friends much. But i do chatter away to some cousins about everyday things and trivial matters. Talking about miscellaneous things incessantly without feeling bored is quite bizarre. I’m not a fan of tittle-tattle or gossip but some of my aunts do backbite each other quite often. I think i should work on my soft skills and learn the art of conversation soon.

[lenamiss]

Vocabulary from this video "The art of conversation":
- Chinwag (n) - a long and pleasant conversation between friends; syn: chat, gossip. Exp: We've talked for hours, so you would have a chinwag with friends.
- Enrich (v) - to improve the quality of something by adding things to it. Exp: You're enriched by listening. It means you are improved when you are listening because other people could help you to understand things. Fertilizer helps to enrich the soil. Reading helps you to enrich the mind.
- Conscious (adj) - aware of having knowledge of something or know/understand and realize of something; consciously; consciousness (n) - the state of understanding and realizing something, synonym - sense, knowledge. Exp: I'm conscious of the experiences of others.
- Survival instinct - a human instinct to do something in a dangerous situation to stay alive, or keep them safe from harm.
- Listen to reply - you listen and you just want to think about what you would say next, rather than understand the point of view of the first speaking.
- Listen to understand - helps to build bridges. You focus on the other person's point of view and try to understand it.
- Build bridges - improve relationships between people.
- Tittle - tattle - a talk about other people's lives that is usually unkind, disapproving, or untrue.
- Talk over (v) - To talk over someone - try to silence someone or drown out someone by talking more loudly, forcefully, and persistently than them.
Thanks much for this video.

[tammytsang]

A good conversation between friends can brighten up our day instantly.

[Plus-um]

Nihal aththanayak in sri lankan citizen.I am proud of his name on this video

[eldorbekormonov]

I strongly belive that this kind of conversations always help us to learn foreign languages. The best.

[maricute]

Hi from Srilanka, Nihal is srilankan name. 💖🇱🇰 thank you BBC sharing with us these audio lessons, we learn new vocabularies .

[ossufopaulomartins]

Good teachiang content and listening too, count on me teacher, i guess That i love your stunning listening, it has been teachiang me a bunch, thanks you

[irenefang]

Thanks BBC

My summary while listening

Sometimes, when we catch up with our old friends, we have a good chinwag which is a long and pleasant conversation between friends. Today's topic is about talking or the art of conversation, exchanging ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Nihal Arthanayake, DJ and BBC radio presenter, shared about the influence of his mother who loves talking to other people in her job as a nurse. He thinks we are enriched by listening so a good conversation involves listening as much as speaking. We are improved by listening to stories and lessons of others added to our knowledge. Also, Nihal used to study at a predominantly white state school so he found that listening was a good way to make friends and find protection based on his survival instincts.

More from Nihal, he believes that conversations can build bridges and it's proven through history. Conversations need to be considered an art form and they're not tittle-tattle, shouting at each other on social media, not two politicians talking over each other.

[asiaciisemaxamud]

I talk language Somali but talk me like English language this help me video English learning 6minuts
Thank you so much every body participate bbc learning English