🎄🎅🎁 Fake or real: What’s the best tree to have at Christmas? 6 Minute English

They're the ultimate Christmas decoration and millions are bought around the world each year. But what impact do Christmas trees - real and artificial - have on the environment? Neil and Sam discuss Christmas's carbon footprint and teach you some new English vocabulary - all in 6 minutes!
To download the audio and a transcript, go to our website: www.bbc.co.uk/l...
𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 - allowing yourself to have too much of something you enjoy.
𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 - representing something
𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 - joyful feeling you get when celebrating something like Christmas
𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 - the ability to do something over a long period of time without harming the environment.
𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 - doing something that doesn’t cost a lot of money
𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 - allowed to decay and then added back into the soil to improve its quality
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#LearnEnglish #6MinuteEnglish #christmastree

[@bbclearningenglish]

Don't you love chatting with friends? So do trees, apparently! They even have a kind of social network! Find out how and learn 'nature' language in this Lingohack! kzbin.info/www/bejne/npSrdJanft1losU

[@kazuyo4154]

In Japan we have a plastic tree for Christmas. It’s common. I also have a very very small and cute plastic one. The story about real tree was so interesting! Thank you so much BBC! Happy new year.

[@jayamohan9988]

Thanks for talking about Christmas tree and the environment. I really love natural tree but they are costly so people buy plastic tree. Buying plastic tree is ok if we use it several times. Thanks BBC and thanks to Neil n Sam and merry Christmas to you both.

[@kawinananpatanakul8192]

Transcript Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript Neil Hello and happy Christmas! This is 6 Minute English with me, Neil. And joining me today is Sam. Sam Hello. Neil So, Sam, are you feeling excited about Christmas? Sam Of course! Time with friends and family, eating lots, partying, presents - and generally indulging - what’s not to like? Neil Indulging - allowing yourself to have perhaps too much of something you enjoy. Well, it only happens once a year, Sam. But for those of us who do celebrate Christmas, it comes at a price. Sam Yes, well buying all those presents can be expensive. Neil Not just that, Sam. I mean it comes at a cost to the environment, as we’ll explain shortly. But let’s start off with a quiz question for you to answer. In 2010, a Christmas tree in Belgium was awarded the world record for having the most lights on it - but do you how many? Were there… a) 19,672 b) 94,672, or c) 194,672 What do you think, Sam? Sam Well, I don’t think you could fit 194, 673 lights on a Christmas tree, so I’ll say a) 19,672. Neil OK. Well, we’ll find out how ‘bright’ you are at the end of the programme! Of course, Christmas trees are the ultimate Christmas decoration. It’s part of the Christmas tradition and millions are bought around the world each year. But what impact do Christmas trees - real and artificial - have on the environment? Sam Well before we answer that, let’s hear from some of the BBC Learning English team who chose to have a real Christmas tree in their home and find out why… Phil Well, you've got the smell of it. You've got the look of it. But more importantly, it’s Christmas trees are supposed to be symbolic, aren't they? So the idea of something that stays green all year, so bringing that into your house it, it means something. Jiaying I just think a real Christmas tree is more festive and more Christmassy. And it's just the tradition to get a real Christmas tree, that's all. Roy There’s something more beautiful about the nature, the smell, the feel, the look of the tree and I like it to be sustainable. So, as long as I get my tree from a person that promises to grow two or three in its place, then I'm really, really happy. Neil Yes, I agree - you can’t beat having a real Christmas tree. And as Phil said, it’s symbolic - it represents something important - and here a Christmas tree is the symbol of Christmas. Sam And as Jiaying mentioned, it’s a tradition - something that’s done regularly and has become the expected thing to do - and I’d agree it makes things more festive - a word to describe the joyful feeling you get when celebrating something like Christmas. Neil But of course all these trees are often thrown away, which is wasteful. That's why Roy mentioned his tree being sustainable - which means they can continue to be grown and cut down over a longer period so it’s less harmful to the environment. Sam Well, an alternative to a real Christmas tree is a fake or artificial one, which is what Feifei from our team has in her house. What are the reasons why? Feifei We have a plastic Christmas tree, which we've had for about nine years. So it's plastic so you can re-use it every year and it's more economical, and we don't have to keep buying new trees. Neil So Feifei’s fake tree is made of plastic - so that’s not great for recycling - but the good thing is she uses it year after year which makes it economical - which means it doesn’t cost a lot of money, it’s good value. Sam Ah, but even Feifei admits it doesn’t have the smell and feel of a real tree. It’s a dilemma isn’t it, Neil? Neil Yes - what’s best for us and what’s best for the environment? The BBC’s Reality Check programme found that real trees take about 12 years to grow and as they do, they absorb carbon from the atmosphere and nitrogen from the soil - so a good thing. Sam But when it’s chopped down it starts to release emissions back into the atmosphere - especially if you have to transport it to your home. And when Christmas is over, if it ends up in landfill, the tree’s carbon footprint will be higher. Neil But its carbon footprint will be lowered if it’s recycled or composted - that’s the process of allowing it to decay and then adding it to the ground to improve soil quality. A fake tree on the other hand is usually imported, and can’t usually be recycled but, as Feifei mentioned, it can be re-used. But without any type of Christmas tree, where would we put all those lights I mentioned earlier, Sam? I asked you: In 2010, a Christmas tree in Belgium was awarded the world record for having the most lights on it - but did you know how many? What do you say, Sam? Sam I think I said 19,672. Neil Ooo, not very bright I’m afraid! There were in fact 194, 672! Sam Wow - think of the electricity that must have used! Neil Indeed. Well let’s enlighten everyone with some of the vocabulary we’ve discussed today. Sam OK, well we started talking about indulging - that means allowing yourself to have perhaps too much of something you enjoy. Neil When something is symbolic, it represents something important. And the word festive describes the joyful feeling you get when celebrating something like Christmas. Sam Like the festive jumper you are wearing today, Neil - very jolly! OK, next we mentioned sustainable - which means the ability to do something over a long period of time without harming the environment. Neil Economical describes doing something that doesn’t cost a lot of money, it’s good value. Sam And when something is composted, it is allowed to decay - and it turns in to compost which can be added back into the soil to improve its quality. Neil Thank you, Sam. And that brings us to the end of 6 Minute English for now. It just leaves us to wish you a very happy Christmas. Goodbye. Sam Goodbye.

[@phamngoc5417]

Wow, the first time I’ve heard the word “dilemma”, how fancy it is! Such an excited feeling to know its definition in both English and Vietnamese (my mother language)! Thank you so much!!

[@sylwiaswierczynska6274]

What is its definition in Vietnamise?

[@phamngoc5417]

Sylwia Świerczyńska there is an idiom in Vietnamese: “tiến thoái lưỡng nan” to show a deeply difficult situation that one of 2 choices has to be made but none of them is what you want or expect 😀

[@rememberme5015]

how can you learn good grammar

[@phamngoc5417]

Remember me sorry, what do you mean? I don’t really understand your question :D

[@rememberme5015]

@@phamngoc5417 can you show me how way you learn good grammar in english

[@lucataddei9305]

I think a fake tree is more sustainable: I have the same one from over 20 years, so I haven't to use the car every year to go and buy a new one, or to go to the landfill to recycle it. And same thing for the transportation from the farm to the shop.

[@happylife8738]

I couldn't agree more! Happy holidays!:)

[@mojga1955]

Im wondering why u listen to 6 min English after 20 years, i think it is just for learners and new comers..

[@ouniverse7824]

Great point!

[@ieltsstudy7114]

I really appreciate from BBC beneficial my listening and speaking..

[@bbclearningenglish]

Thanks. Happy New Year to you! 🥳

[@HangLe-rx2cu]

I thank BBC learing English for your good ideas. Merry Christmas and Happy new year !!!!

[@nawarnawar5822]

Hi. We used to have a real Christmas Tree every year. We were whipsawing it and bringing it to our home from our field, but now we don't have a field because we bought it. We still light a tiny fake Christmas tree, made from plastic, every year, but it doesn't give us the same feeling.

[@yosoylauragado]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Rosario, Argentina! Liked so much listening to this video!

[@bbclearningenglish]

Happy New Year to you too! 🥳

[@irenefang246]

Thanks BBC My summary while listening Christmas is when people get together with their friends and family, eat lots, party and exchange presents. However, this celebration comes at a cost to the environment. On the one hand, when having a real Christmas tree, we have a smell and a look of it. More importantly, Christmas trees are supposed to be symbolic. Also, a real Christmas tree is more festive and Christmassy and it's a tradition to get a real one. Besides, having a real tree can be sustainable if one gets a tree from a person who promises to grow two or three trees in its place. On the other hand, choosing a plastic Christmas tree is more economical since it can be reused every year so people don't have to keep buying new trees.

[@lessgoh3815]

BBC learning help me to learn english easily and merry Christmas⛄🌲

[@rana8440]

Hello there happy Christmas and Mary Christmas to you

[@EasyEnglishwithMatt]

Well I'd prefer a fake tree, it's cheaper and nature saving🙃 and thanks for a great video, practicing listening skills like this is essential to become fluent in English

[@rudolfblaha7701]

bbc learning english i wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year

[@dafnairina]

my family use a fake tree more 30 years. because we want to care about environment. we dont want to kill tree for celebrate

[@eduardom.4224]

I really enjoyed all about this program.... very nice

[@bbclearningenglish]

Thanks!

[@kinanakhoury8321]

Thank you so much for the all information , I really enjoyed of listening to all your videos. I am trying to improve my English listening skills .

[@user-jt8he4wq7s]

I need subtitle actually as a learner ... Especially for advanced vocab... Pls add this option.. Thx

[@bbclearningenglish]

You can find the link to the transcripts of all of our 6 Minute English videos in the description below the video: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-191226

[@KHachi-oo4xm]

In case of real tree, when people in UK carry trees to their garden and when the trees are carried out from the garden?

[@enlightenmentofenglish3110]

Nice

[@thenightbringer9770]

The three in 2010 had a lots of light!

[@moulmour]

Merry xmas BBC!

[@shahzodaahmedova3727]

*Thanks was very interesting and helpful.*

[@bbclearningenglish]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@user-gq4nl4eg5n]

Hello. We use an artificial tree for New Year. I like this tree. This tree is from USSR.

[@minhcaohuu3691]

Happy new year!!

[@sabrinakh8717]

Great 😌 vedio🎄🌴⛄🎄

[@kevinkevin5423]

Hi i'm from Việt Nam.

[@bbclearningenglish]

Greetings from London! Welcome to your channel. 😃

[@rominarossi3906]

12 years is too much to chop off and kill it. I believe the traditional way should be changed ASAP specially in our current climatic crisis.

[@mings4937]

hi I from Hong kong

[@saibaba1334]

Loved❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ it

[@Penguin-Goat]

Why on notification now?

[@lottan5944]

My country doesn't have Christmas 😂, but this video reminds me of the smelling of the tree. and if I was, I think a fake tree is better, just too lazy to get a real tree and handle it after Christmas😂. and i like the word indulging, could i say "it's indulging" ? if it's very intersting?

[@bbclearningenglish]

"to indulge" is to allow yourself to enjoy a pleasure. So, we could say "I indulge myself at Christmas by allowing myself to eat and drink as much as I want".

[@TheVera9966]

the fake tree. Don't root out trees, they are living beings.

[@paulahuber4026]

Do you not eat plants?

[@01zoriana]

Can I ask for a transcription of this program for my students to read? Thank you.

[@BBCLearningEnglishThai]

Sure! To download the audio and a transcript, go to our website here: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi 01zoriana. Thank you for your comment. You can download text and audio from our website: Text: downloads.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6min/191226_6_min_christmas_trees.pdf Audio: downloads.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6min/191226_6_min_english_christmas_trees_download.mp3

[@champkapilchhetri3836]

Could you made video on speaking english simply but efficently??

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi Kapil Ac. Do you want to improve your English pronunciation? Tim's Pronunciation Workshop shows you how English is really spoken. It'll help you become a better listener and a more fluent speaker. Here's the KZbin playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLcetZ6gSk96-ayXj5thbTpbh2vHWpP08o And on our website: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/pronunciation

[@champkapilchhetri3836]

@@bbclearningenglish i get stuck while speaking these is my main problem

[@mings4937]

could you make some healthy topic video ?

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hello. You'll find some videos about health and wellbeing here: kzbin.info/aero/PLcetZ6gSk96-crtyvFXyAadqf3Xc8ph4P

[@humairakakar2821]

Too much lights it's unfair.

[@yigitttttttt]

poor trees and crucial people

[@user-jt8he4wq7s]

I need subtitle actually as a learner ... Especially for advanced vocab... Pls add this option.. Thx

[@akramtester5249]

Greeting Dr.Salaha, Actually Just following that link which provided by this channel www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-191226