Have we lost respect for those who disagree with us? At a time when public debate has become so ill-tempered, a battle of ideas might have become an exchange of insults. Sam and Rob wonder if the art of persuasion is lost and teach you related vocabulary.
This week’s question
Which spiritual leader is famous for saying “Disagreement is something normal”? Is it… ?
a) Pope Francis
b) The Dalai Lama
c) Ravi Shankar
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.
𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜
focussing too much on the small details or formal rules
𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐲
a way of organising people according to their importance
𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭
a dislike or lack of respect for someone or something
𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
someone’s perspective on something
𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
polite behaviour
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
staying the same and not developing
To download the audio and a transcript, go to our website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200206