Fighting loneliness with soup ⏲️ 6 Minute English
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of '6 Minute English' from BBC Learning English, hosts Neil and Beth discuss loneliness, which has become a 'modern epidemic.' Despite living in crowded cities, many people feel disconnected. They explore the serious health risks associated with loneliness, such as dementia and heart disease. The program highlights a Dutch initiative called 'Oma's Soup,' which brings lonely elderly people together with students to make soup, fostering intergenerational connections. The episode also shares useful vocabulary related to loneliness and emphasizes the importance of reaching out to others for support.
Takeaways
- 😀 Loneliness is often called a 'modern epidemic' affecting people in towns and cities.
- 😔 Feeling lonely can affect anyone, regardless of being surrounded by others.
- ❤️ Loneliness is linked to health issues like dementia, depression, and heart disease.
- 👵 The tragic story of Bep de Bruin, who was found dead after being alone for 10 years, shocked the Netherlands and inspired action.
- 🍲 'Oma's Soup' is a project in the Netherlands that brings students and elderly people together to make soup, combating loneliness.
- 👨👩👦 The project connects younger generations with the elderly, encouraging social interaction and support.
- 💡 The idea for 'Oma's Soup' came from two young men, Max and Martijn, who wanted to help the elderly in their community.
- 📊 49% of British adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time, highlighting the scale of the issue.
- 👫 Bringing people together can help combat loneliness by fostering connection and friendship.
- 🕒 The programme also teaches new vocabulary, such as 'crave', 'left out', and 'bring someone together'.
Q & A
What is the main topic of discussion in the 6 Minute English episode?
-The episode discusses loneliness, which has been described as the 'modern epidemic,' and explores a project in the Netherlands aimed at combating loneliness.
What is loneliness, according to Myra Anubi?
-Myra Anubi describes loneliness as a feeling when you crave people's company, but find it hard to connect, or feel left out with no one to turn to for support.
How can loneliness affect a person's health?
-Research shows that prolonged loneliness can lead to serious health issues, including a higher risk of depression, dementia, and heart disease.
What tragic event in Rotterdam inspired a national campaign to combat loneliness?
-The death of 74-year-old Bep de Bruin, who was found dead in her home 10 years after her passing, inspired a national campaign in the Netherlands to address loneliness.
What is the goal of the 'Oma's Soup' project?
-'Oma's Soup' aims to bring lonely elderly people together with schoolchildren and students to make soup, encouraging interaction between younger and older generations.
Who started the 'Oma's Soup' project, and why?
-The project was started by Max Kranendijk and Martijn Canters, who were concerned about the isolation and loneliness of their grandparents' generation. They wanted to connect them with students who had free time.
What is the meaning of the Dutch word 'Oma'?
-'Oma' means 'grandma' in Dutch, reflecting the project's focus on helping elderly people, particularly those in the grandparents' age group.
How does the project 'Oma's Soup' bring different generations together?
-The project connects elderly people with students through the simple activity of making soup together, creating a space for interaction between two generations that might not normally engage.
What percentage of British adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness?
-49% of British adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time, which amounts to around 26 million people.
What vocabulary was introduced in the episode, and what do the terms mean?
-Key vocabulary includes 'crave' (to have a strong desire for something), 'left out' (feeling excluded), 'turn to' (seeking help from someone), 'guy' (an informal term for a man), 'free time' (time when you do not have to work or study), and 'bring someone together' (helping people or groups become friendly or do something together).
Outlines
🐱 Feeling Lonely and Modern Epidemic of Loneliness
Neil and Beth from BBC Learning English discuss loneliness, which Beth feels after spending time with her cat and house plants. Neil explains that loneliness is considered a modern epidemic, affecting people even in crowded cities. It can have severe health impacts, such as increasing the risk of dementia and heart disease. The conversation sets the stage for exploring ways to address loneliness, particularly in the Netherlands, and includes a question about the percentage of British adults who report feeling lonely.
💔 Understanding Loneliness and Its Impact
Beth guesses that 39% of British adults report feeling lonely, but Neil will reveal the answer later. They discuss how feeling lonely is not the same as being alone—some people feel disconnected even when surrounded by others. Myra Anubi from BBC’s 'People Fixing the World' shares her experience of loneliness as craving human connection and feeling left out. Prolonged loneliness has serious health consequences, including depression, dementia, and heart disease. The segment explores how the need for companionship affects mental and physical well-being.
🥺 Bep de Bruin's Story and Loneliness in the Elderly
The tragic story of Bep de Bruin, a 74-year-old woman found dead in her home in Rotterdam after ten years, highlights the profound consequences of loneliness. Bep had lost contact with her family, and her death shocked the country. Her story inspired a national campaign to combat loneliness, including the creation of 'Oma’s Soup,' a project that brings together elderly people and younger generations to make soup. The project aims to foster connection and prevent isolation among the elderly, especially those who are vulnerable to feeling forgotten.
🍲 Oma’s Soup: Bridging Generations Through Food
Oma’s Soup, initiated by Max Kranendijk and Martijn Canters, was designed to address loneliness in the elderly by connecting them with students. Max and Martijn wanted to engage young people who had free time and connect them with the elderly through cooking together. The initiative encourages young people to spend time with the grandparents’ generation, helping both groups bond over a shared activity. The soup-making project has been successful and spread to multiple cities, including Rotterdam, turning Bep de Bruin’s tragic death into a catalyst for positive change.
📊 The Reality of Loneliness in the UK
Neil reveals that 49% of British adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time, a figure higher than Beth's guess of 39%. This underscores the widespread nature of loneliness, affecting around 26 million people in the UK. The section emphasizes the importance of reaching out and connecting with others to combat this growing problem.
📚 Vocabulary Recap and Final Thoughts
The episode ends with a recap of the vocabulary learned, including 'crave' (a strong desire for something), 'left out' (excluded from an activity), 'turn to someone' (seeking help or support), 'guy' (informal term for man), 'free time' (leisure time), and 'bring together' (to unite people or groups). Neil and Beth close by reminding listeners that if they feel lonely, they are not alone, encouraging them to reach out and connect.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Loneliness
💡Crave
💡Left out
💡Turn to
💡Health issues
💡Oma's Soup
💡Campaign to End Loneliness
💡Free time
💡Generational isolation
💡Social connection
Highlights
Loneliness has been called the 'modern epidemic,' affecting millions of people despite living in cities.
Loneliness can increase the risk of health issues such as dementia, depression, and heart disease.
Loneliness is different from being alone; some people may be surrounded by others but still feel disconnected.
Craving people's company and feeling left out are key emotional aspects of loneliness.
The death of 74-year-old Bep de Bruin, who had been dead for ten years before being discovered, shocked the Netherlands.
Bep de Bruin's tragic story inspired a national campaign to combat loneliness in the Netherlands.
Oma's Soup is a project in the Netherlands aimed at bringing together lonely elderly people with students to make soup.
The project 'Oma's Soup' encourages intergenerational connection, with young people spending time with the elderly.
Oma's Soup was started by two young men, Max Kranendijk and Martijn Canters, to address loneliness in the elderly.
'Oma' means 'grandma' in Dutch, highlighting the focus on bringing together different generations.
Oma's Soup has spread to multiple cities across the Netherlands, including Rotterdam, Bep de Bruin's hometown.
The Campaign to End Loneliness in the UK revealed that 49% of British adults feel lonely at least some of the time.
Loneliness is linked to both mental and physical health risks, emphasizing the importance of connection.
The project Oma's Soup represents a positive outcome, creating social bonds and combating loneliness through community initiatives.
In this programme, listeners learn vocabulary related to loneliness, such as 'crave,' 'left out,' and 'bring together.'
Transcripts
Hello. This is 6 Minute
English from BBC Learning English.
I'm Neil and I'm Beth.
What's up Beth? You look a little sad.
Well, recently, I've been spending lots of time with my cat and house plants,
if you know what I mean. I'm feeling a bit lonely.
It might help to know that you're not the only one feeling lonely.
Loneliness has been called the 'modern epidemic'.
Although millions of us live together in towns and cities,
more and more people report feeling lonely and unconnected to those
they live close to.
Loneliness can affect anyone.
And while everyone's experience of loneliness is different,
its effects can be serious. Research has shown that loneliness puts people
at greater risk of many health issues,
including dementia and heart disease.
So, how can loneliness, be fixed? In this programme,
we'll be hearing about one project in the Netherlands, aiming to do just that.
And as usual,
we will be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.
But first, I have a question for you, Beth. Here in the UK,
an organisation called the 'Campaign to End Loneliness'
has been offering advice and support since 2011.
So, according to the Campaign,
what proportion of British adults report feeling lonely at least some
of the time? Is it a) 29%, b) 39% or c) 49%
I will guess it's 39%.
OK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme.
Feeling lonely is not necessarily the same as being alone.
Some people can happily spend lots of time on their own,
while others may be surrounded by people, but still feel disconnected.
So, what do we mean, when we say we feel lonely.
Here's Myra Anubi, presenter of BBC
World Service Programme,
'People Fixing The World',
explaining what loneliness means for her:
It's a feeling when you crave people's company and you find it hard to connect
or maybe you just feel left out with no one to turn to. Now, feeling lonely
isn't just uncomfortable, when it's experienced over time,
it's been associated with health issues like a higher risk
of having depression, dementia, or even heart disease.
When we're lonely,
we crave people's company.
We want their company a lot.
We might also feel left out
- unhappy because we are not included in what others are doing.
And maybe we have no one to turn to - no-one we can go to
and ask for support and help. Someone who suffered all these feelings
was Bep de Bruin. In 2013,
Bep, aged 74, was found dead
at her home in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Her death wasn't suspicious,
but it shocked the whole country, because it turned out
she'd been dead for ten years!
Bep had lost contact with her only child and kept to herself
in her apartment when she died sometime in 2003, no-one realised.
Bep's tragic story inspired a national campaign to combat loneliness
including one project called 'Oma's Soup', a kitchen
bringing lonely elderly people together with schoolchildren
and students to make soup.
'Oma' means 'grandma' in Dutch,
and the project encourages young people to spend time
with their grandparents' generation.
Here, Claire Bates, reporter for BBC
World Service Programme,
People Fixing The World, explains, how the project got started:
It's run by two young guys called Max Kranendijk and Martijn Canters.
And they were concerned
their grandparents' generation were becoming isolated and lonely.
And meanwhile they had lots of student friends who had free time,
so they thought why not try to bring these two generations
together through making soup.
Oma's Soup was started by Max and Martijn two local guys, or men.
They wanted to involve their student friends
because they had lots of free time,
time when they do not have to work or study and can do what they want.
Max and Martijn found the perfect way to help elderly people who felt lonely
by bringing them together with students.
If you bring someone together,
you help people or groups to become friendly or to do something together,
especially something they wouldn't usually do... like make soup.
'Oma's Soup' has been a big success and spread to other cities
across the Netherlands,
including Rotterdam, the hometown of Bep de Bruin, making her tragic death
the spark for something much more hopeful.
I think it's time to reveal the answer to your question, Neil.
Right, I asked you what proportion of British adults report feeling lonely
at least some of the time. And I said it was 39%.
Which was... the wrong answer, I'm afraid,
Beth. Sadly, the correct answer is even higher
- 49% of adults,
that's around 26 million people in the UK,
making it even more important to reach out and connect with others.
OK, it's time to recap the vocabulary
we've learned in this programme, starting with the verb 'crave',
to have a strong wish or desire for something.
If you feel left out, you're unhappy because you've been excluded from something.
To turn to someone means to go to someone and ask them for help
or support. A guy is an informal way of saying a man.
Free time, also called leisure time, is time when you do not have to work or study
and can do what you want.
And finally, the phrasal verb 'to bring someone together'
means to help people or groups become friendly or do something together,
especially if they usually don't.
Once again, our six minutes are up.
But if you're feeling lonely,
remember you're not alone.
So reach out by joining us again next time here at 6 Minute
English. Goodbye for now. Bye.
Bye
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)