BBC 6 minute English-Suspended coffee

Transcript of the podcast

NB: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. My name is Jennifer and I am joined in the studio today by Neil

Neil: Hi there

Jennifer: In this programme, we are going to talk about coffee and an interesting new project which is going on in many European cafes. Do you like coffee

Neil: Yes, I do like a cup of coffee

Jennifer: What’s your favourite type of coffee

Neil: Well, when I was younger, you could only get two types of coffee: black (without milk), or white (with milk). Now there are so many to choose from: latte, cappuccino, espresso…I think my favourite would be a latte, with caramel syrup

Jennifer: That sounds delicious. I prefer espresso

Neil: An espresso is too small for me, Jen. I like value for money from my coffee

Jennifer: Well, that’s interesting, because our story is about paying for coffee which you don’t drink yourself, but first, a quiz question for you

Neil: OK I’m ready

Jennifer: You said you like value for money – but this question is about a very expensive coffee. It’s produced from coffee beans which are eaten by an animal called a civet – but how much can it cost per kilogram

a) $5

b) $50

c) $550

Neil: I think $5 is too cheap and $550 is too expensive, so I’ll say b) $50

Jennifer We will find out whether you’re right or not at the end of the programme. Back to our story, which is all about buying coffee. How much is a regular cup of coffee, Neil

Neil: Where I live, there are lots of coffee shops. The price is usually around £۲ for a cup of coffee

Jennifer: £۲ for a coffee? How often do you buy one

Neil: Hmm, I buy one every day before I catch the train for work

Jennifer: So, a £۲ cup of coffee, Monday to Friday – that’s £۱۰ per week. That’s quite a lot of money! But what would you do if you did not have enough money to pay for a coffee though, if you couldn’t afford it

Neil: I suppose I would have to go without. If you go without something, you don’t have it

Jennifer: Well, lots of people don’t have money to spare for a coffee, but now a new scheme means that they can go to a café

Neil: Are coffee shops giving away free coffee

Jennifer: Not quite. A new trend, or pattern, has started around Europe, where people can pay for a suspended coffee

Neil: I know that train services can be suspended. But, what’s a suspended coffee

Jennifer: A suspended coffee is where you donate, or give, money for a coffee that someone can drink later

Neil: So, someone can come into a coffee shop and ask for a coffee that someone else has paid for

Jennifer: That’s correct. So, when you buy your morning coffee, you might hand over £۴ – that’s £۲ for the coffee you want to drink and £۲ for a suspended coffee for someone else

Neil: That’s an interesting idea. So who would drink a suspended coffee

Jennifer: Let’s listen to a clip from Hettie Clark, who works in a café, to find out who might ask for a suspended coffee

Hettie Clark

A suspended coffee is where someone buys a coffee for somebody else who is in need of it. So, they could be homeless, they could be hard on their luck or it could be collaborative with the refugee centre down the road

Jennifer: So, Hettie Clark mentioned three different types of people. Did you hear who they were

Neil: She said “They could be homeless”. If you’re homeless, you don’t have anywhere to live

Jennifer: Hettie also said “They could be hard on their luck”. If you are “hard on your luck”, you are unlucky

Neil: What was the third group of people

Jennifer: Hettie said “It could be collaborative with the refugee centre”. Refugees are people who flee their home country because of danger or war. Let’s listen to that clip from Hettie again

Hettie Clark

A suspended coffee is where someone buys a coffee for somebody else who is in need of it. So, they could be homeless, they could be hard on their luck or it could be collaborative with the refugee centre down the road

Jennifer: So, Neil, do you think you would buy a suspended coffee for someone in need

Neil: Yes, I think so. It’s a chance to do a good deed for someone who needs it. What about you, Jen

Jennifer: Yes, I think it’s a really interesting idea. I think it will be really good for communities too, because it will bring people together

Neil: I agree

Jennifer: Well, all this talk of coffee is making me feel rather thirsty. Let’s go and make a cup

Neil: Hold on, you need to give the answer to the quiz question first

Jennifer: That’s right. I asked how much civet coffee can cost, per kilo. Was it

a) $5

b) $50

c) $550

Neil: And I said b) $50

Jennifer: And you were wrong! It is c) $550. Coffee from beans passed through the civet is the most expensive in the world. Do join us again for another edition of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye for now

Neil: Goodbye