BBC 6 minute English-Angry people

Transcript of the podcast

NB: This is not a word for word transcript

Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com. My name is Rob and I’m joined in the studio by Jennifer

Jennifer: Hello

Rob: In today’s programme we are talking about anger – that’s the strong feeling you get when you feel someone has treated you badly or unfairly. Does that sound familiar Jen

Jennifer: Oh yes. There are many things that make me lose my temper – usually just things that annoy me

Rob: We’ll hear what they are soon and we’ll look at why some research says our modern life is making us angrier. But first, keep calm Jen and see if you can answer today’s question

Jennifer: It’s OK Rob, I’m in a good mood – I feel happy – so let me have it

Rob: OK. In a BBC survey, what was found to be the thing that made British people most annoyed? Was it

a) Someone jumping the queue

b) Delays on public transport

c) Being kept on hold by a call centre

Jennifer: I’ll go for c) being kept on hold by a call centre because that’s very annoying

Rob: OK, well, we’ll find out if you’re right at the end of the programme. Jen, you say that annoys you, does anything else annoy or anger you

Jennifer: Public transport annoys me but it’s the passengers that I find most annoying especially when they push and shove and cram onto a train. How about you Rob

Rob: Well, for me, it’s got to be rudeness. It really makes my blood boil when people who work in shops are rude to me, the customer – it is as if they don’t want me to buy anything! But I suppose that is quite small compared with things that used to make us angry

Jennifer: Yes. Humans developed the feeling of anger as a basic survival skill – the emotion of anger helped us to do things – so hunger would make us angry and that would make us to look for food

Rob: Interesting stuff. But now we start fuming – so we get very angry – by just small things which aren’t that important. This is according to new research published by the University of Central Lancashire in the UK

Jennifer: The research found people today are angrier than ever. And Doctor Sandi Mann from the university says it is modern life that’s to blame

Rob: Well, let’s hear from her now. What words does she use to describe what modern life is like

Dr Sandi Mann, Senior Psychology Lecturer, University of Central Lancashire

Stress levels are that much higher these days. We’ve got so much more fast-paced life, more going on – more stress, more ongoing frustrations rather than the big stresses

Rob: So, she says modern life is fast-paced – we do things quickly and we have more going on – so we do lots of activities. Well, that’s probably true

Jennifer: Yes. I have to go to the gym, meet my friends, go shopping and fit in work and sleep too. That can lead to stress – that’s feeling nervous or worried – I just can’t relax

Rob: It’s odd that all the time we are trying to find time to relax – but we get stressed trying to do that. As Doctor Mann says, there are so many frustrations. These are the feelings we get when we are stopped from doing what we want to do. Arggggh

Jennifer: Rob calm down – you’re seeing a red mist – a feeling of anger that stops you thinking clearly. I think the problem is, perhaps, that we are all trying to do too much

Rob: Well, Doctor Mann believes – certainly in the Western world – that our expectations have been raised. Now we expect things to be perfect. So, if your Wi-Fi connection doesn’t work as it should, or your train is two minutes’ late, we stamp our feet like children. We want things and we want them now

Jennifer: And sometimes we get angry with other people. Have you done that Rob

Rob: Oh yes! I curse – or think bad things about people who take so long getting through the ticket barriers at the station when I have a train to catch! I only get angry on the inside, I don’t actually shout at them but it still makes me mad

Jennifer: Well, I think the solution is to allow more time to do things or do less. But I think the angriest people probably need anger management. That’s training or therapy on how to control your anger or aggression

Rob: Hmm, I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. But let’s see if you can keep your cool Jen when I reveal the answer to today’s question. Earlier I asked you, according to a BBC survey, what was found to be the thing that made British people most annoyed

Jennifer: And I said c) being kept on hold by a call centre

Rob: And you are right. Yes, the survey found that being kept on hold by a call centre, particularly for a long time, was the thing most likely to make people angry. Interestingly, the survey also found more women than men – almost three-quarters compared to two-thirds – said they took a deep breath to calm down. Well, take a deep breath now Jen and please remind us of some of the words that we’ve heard today

Jennifer: Here goes. We heard

anger lose my temper makes my blood boil fuming fast-paced stress frustrations red mist curse anger management aggression

Rob: Thanks. Time now to chill out, relax and say goodbye from 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English

Both: Bye