What’s in a footballer’s brain?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260716

(something) going on: something unknown and interesting happening

expertise: specialised knowledge or skill gained through study or experience

conscious: involving active thought or attention

driven by: influenced by or pushed forward by

all over the place: describes a situation or mental state that is disorganised, chaotic or confused

margin: a measure of difference, small details of which can affect an outcome

Should we cycle more?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260709

deeply ingrained: firmly established within a person or a culture and unlikely to change

take off: (phrasal verb) suddenly become popular or successful

milestone: important event in someone’s life or in the development of something

quality of life: level of enjoyment, comfort and health a person experiences; measure of a person’s overall wellbeing

liveability: degree to which a place is suitable or pleasant for living in

a copy and paste: an exact copy of something, which is then moved and put somewhere else

Rude emails

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260702

put (someone) on the defensive: (idiom) make someone feel unsure or threatened by what you do or say

uncivil: not polite; rude

belittle: make someone feel inferior or not important

put (someone) in their place: (idiom) show or tell someone that they are less important or clever than they think they are

get (something) off your plate: (idiom) pass a task or problem from your workload to someone else for them to deal with

frazzled: tired, nervous or anxious because you have to do too many things at the same time

Stress-free family meals

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260625

ups and downs: a mixture of good and bad things happening to someone

mood: how a person is feeling at a particular time

battleground: place where argument or conflict happens

a big deal: something of special importance

food allergy: medical condition where certain foods make your body sick

winning formula: (idiom) a method or strategy that produces successful results

Limiting screen time for children

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260618

intentional: acting with that plan or reason in mind

the bar needs to be higher: make your expectations higher

enable: encourage someone’s ability to do something, or to make something possible

eager: want to do or have something very much

shift: a small change

set someone up for something: prepare someone for something

How advertisers make us spend money

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260611

mental shortcut: something that helps us make a decision quickly

judged: worried about what other people think about us

upsell: selling extra products, or more expensive products to customers

basket spend: amount of money spent on a single transaction

think outside the box: think creatively to come up with a solution

model: show behaviour that you want others to copy

The power of poetry

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260604

open mic night: live event where anyone is allowed on stage to perform music, tell jokes or recite poetry

touch your soul: affect you deeply on an emotional or spiritual level

jargon: special words and phrases that are used by a particular profession or group

impenetrable: impossible to understand

turn-off: something that people dislike or find uninteresting

get goose bumps: become so cold, emotionally affected, or afraid that the hairs on your skin stand up to make tiny bumps