Do our political views change as we get older? 6 Minute English
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2019
- Improve your English vocabulary and listening with the BBC! Does our age affect the way we vote? And do our political views change as we get older? It's what Sam and Neil are discussing in 6 Minute English as well as teaching some related vocabulary.
You'll find the transcript and vocabulary on our website: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/...
𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬:
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𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞
believable, possible
𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨
against
𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜
having a clear and simple moral view of how things should be
𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦
the policies of a political party or politician
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐨
the situation as it is now
𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦
the idea of being realistic and practical about what can be achieved.
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Would you like to listen to a programme about Generation Z (a name that describes the people born in the late nineties or early noughties)? We discuss some characteristics of this young generation and teach you some new vocabulary along the way.
th-cam.com/video/jwAoLZXFLjo/w-d-xo.html
Really interesting topic. My political views have definitely changed as I've gotten older. Something else that really changed my views was moving to Korea to teach English. I was pretty disconnected from the political opinions of everyone around me, so it gave me the space to really form my own political opinion without the influences of others.
Glad you enjoyed it, Grant!
So you are with left parties or right?
How long have you been living in Korea and which city ?
Thanks BBC!!!
That was very fruitful and beneficial.
im loving this channel as an English learner.
Thank you . Its a top channel , God bless you.
Thank you, BBC. 💚
Excellent channel thanks BBC.
I have not changed while getting older, but I have learnt to be more open, accepting some values which belong to the other part
That's great! Wisdom has come with old age?! 🙂
It.s agood and useful seesion
This channel is awesome!
Cool. I liked
Hay guys
Thank you all for the efforts which you doing .
I appreciate your done.
Thanks for taking the time to comment! We really appreciate your kind words!
(*should be 'hey guys').
I love this channel so much! It is interesting and informative. Thanks folks!
Wanna practice eng with me
@@delhiuniversityfiles9236 I wanna practice with you how can I do
@@delhiuniversityfiles9236 Where are you from ?
@@Yo_Gma from India..
It is very interesting video
Unfortunately many people in our country pose yourself as non-political. They claim, that it is not the point they are interested in. I find it silly. Everybody should have interest in that, what the government does, because it is our country and our life. We are responsible for our future and future of our children. What about this topic, I agree the older is a man, the more pragmatic he becomes. Older people appreciate stability, even though it is not happy. Younger people are more ambitious, full of energy and want positive changes. They are more often ready to take risks.
My political views have changed. When i was younger i was more of a big government, socialist type of guy. I started studying economics and then became a big capitalist. I didnt realize what I was saying.
Good video. 😀
Thank you. We're glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for explaining the new vocabulary.
I can easily memorize any new word when I hear it in a program like this more than learning it while reading an article or looking it up in a dictionary.
Talking about elections, we were taught that the right to vote undergirds all other rights, that the free and fair elections are necessary for the social process.
For me, I have never liked systems based on revolutionary ideas, because it really destroys the society and creates economical problems and enemies that would continue tens of years.
Do you think that voting should be compulsory, even if people only arrive to cancel their vote?
@@bbclearningenglish I think it should be compulsory for well-educated people.
Hi,Everyone,I'm from Russia.I was going to elect in 1994(I'm not sure) in little village.I was amazed of situation,when in the private place the guidance how to vote was hanging on wall.That was my first and last time.
Why that was last?
Wonderful, idealism is represented as something “simple” and silly, but the desire to do nothing it is so reasonable and realistic. Are you sure that it isn’t propagandistic?
A conversation of this video is harder to listen to than other ones, isn't it?
Hi peachhime5200 You can activate the captions or read the transcript on our website: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-190822
Please add subtitle
Hi Vishu. There are subtitles if you click on the subtitles tab!
Hi everyone who all have joined the this channel I have been watching these video but I am not able to understand what should I do ?( pls advise me )
Hi Sachin Jain. We have a course which might suit you. Try this. Good luck! www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/lower-intermediate
Can you please provide subtitles ??
You can find the transcripts here: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-190613
Or, you can press the subtitles button to find the subtitles!
After ten years, I will come back to see this comment. Love From Vietnam.
1/10th has passed
Bye
Transcript
Note: This is not a word for word transcript
Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English, I'm Neil.
Sam
And I'm Sam.
Neil
Sam, do you remember the first time you voted?
Sam
No I don’t, but I remember being very keen to do it. It would have been the first election after my 18th birthday.
Neil
So, over the many, many, many years since then …
Sam
… eh, not so much with the ‘manys’ if you don’t mind Neil!
Neil
In the very, very few years since then …
Sam
That’s more like it!
Neil
In the years since then, have your political views changed very much?
Sam
I think my political views are a lot better informed now. I think the decisions I make are based on a better understanding of the political situation - but I still generally agree with the same things I did when I was younger, I think.
Neil
There is a belief that as we get older we become more right-wing in our political views and opinions. Is this true and if so, why? We’ll be finding out a little bit more about this, but first a question. What was the first UK general election in which 18-year-olds could vote?
A: 1929
B: 1950, or
C: 1970
So, what do you reckon then Sam?
Sam
Well, they were all before my time. I’m going to say 1950 - that sounds about right - it was the decade in which teenagers were invented, after all!
Neil
OK. Well, I will reveal the answer later in the programme. James Tilley is a professor of politics at the University of Oxford. He appeared recently on BBC Radio 4’s programme Analysis and was asked why, if it is true, do we become more right-wing as we get older. What does he think?
Professor James Tilley
The question that age affects our political views is a tricky one. I think probably the most plausible explanation is that people just generally become a bit more resistant to change as they get older and I think also that they also tend to perhaps, become less idealistic.
Neil
So, what reasons does he give?
Sam
Well, he talks about what he thinks are the most plausible explanations. Plausible is an adjective which means something is believable; it’s reasonable and it makes sense.
Neil
And what are the plausible explanations?
Sam
Well, he says that generally, as we get older, we like to have more stability in our lives, we don’t like change, in fact we are resistant to change. That means we are against change. When we are younger we might like the idea of revolution, we might be very idealistic. This means, for example, we might think that we can and should change the world to make things better. This would cause big changes in the world which when we are older and more settled in our lives, do not seem like such a good idea.
Neil
Let’s listen again.
Professor James Tilley
The question that age affects our political views is a tricky one. I think probably the most plausible explanation is that people just generally become a bit more resistant to change as they get older and I think also that they also tend to become less idealistic.
Neil
Professor Tilley goes on to explain more about why being resistant to change might lead people to support more right-wing policies.
Professor James Tilley
So, if parties on the right represent a platform which is perhaps more favourable to the status quo, it’s perhaps more about pragmatism than it is about idealism, then that might be more attractive to older people than younger people.
Neil
So, what is seen as the appeal of moving to the right?
Sam
Political parties have a particular set of policies. This is sometimes known as their platform. Professor Tilley says that if their platforms support the status quo, they might be more attractive to older people. The status quo is a Latin phrase we use in English to refer to the situation as it is now - that is, one that is not going to change. Traditionally it’s parties of the centre right that seem to be more supportive of the status quo.
Neil
So, as we get older he says our political views are less about idealism and more about pragmatism. Pragmatism is being practical and realistic about what can be achieved and how it can be achieved.
Sam
But of course this doesn’t apply to everyone and just because people seem to move more to the right as they get older doesn’t mean that they completely change their politics.
Neil
Let’s hear Professor Tilley again.
Professor James Tilley
So, if parties on the right represent a platform which is perhaps more favourable to the status quo, it’s perhaps more about pragmatism than it is about idealism, then that might be more attractive to older people than younger people.
Neil
Right, let’s get the answer to our question. What was the first UK general election in which 18-year-olds could vote?
A: 1929
B: 1950, or
C: 1970
Sam, what did you say?
Sam
I thought it was 1950.
Neil
Well, you’re wrong I’m afraid. The correct answer is1970. 18-year-olds have been allowed to vote in the UK since 1969 and the first general election after then was in 1970. So, a bit later than you thought, Sam, but congratulations to anyone who did get that right. OK, let’s remind ourselves of our vocabulary.
Sam
Yes, first we had plausible. An adjective that means ‘believable and possible’.
Neil
Being resistant to something means you are against it and don’t want it to happen.
Sam
If you are idealistic you have a clear and simple moral view of how things should be.
Neil
This contrasts with one of our other words, pragmatism, this noun is the idea of being realistic and practical about what can be achieved.
Sam
A platform can describe the policies and ideas of a political party or politician. And the status quo is the unchanging situation as it is now.
Neil
OK, thank you Sam. That’s all from us in this programme. Do join us again and if you can’t wait you can find lots more from BBC Learning English online, on social media and on our app. Goodbye!
Sam
Bye!
Thank God I have never been leftist
Too bad
Being right wing is nothing to do with being against change in society - such a stereo-typical misunderstanding - and being 'old' doesn't mean you don't like change. (I have recently moved countries and jobs.... in my seventh decade, for instance.) This sounds like propaganda - shame, and a literal turn off.
in our country's people can elect at the age of 18.and everyone's political reviews are democratic
So now we know who vote for the brexite 😂
Well it was largely the older generation
Bbc always use their propaganda..... Right wing also think about change in society
Pull your head out of your arse. What propaganda~?! That they are teaching you English for free? GTFO of here...