Making cities feel quieter

6 Minute English

What do you prefer – the sounds of birdsong and wind rustling in the trees, or the hum of traffic and chatter of people passing by? Some people like the quiet of the countryside and others love the noise of the city, but did you know that constant exposure to loud noise has been found to increase anxiety? That's why some people have been trying to find ways to make our cities feel quieter. Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260521

Got another 6 Minutes? Try Real Easy English to learn from natural English conversations: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/real-easy-english/ Learn English from the biggest news stories from around the world: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026

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What do you prefer – the sounds of birdsong and wind rustling in the trees, or the hum of traffic and chatter of people passing by? Some people like the quiet of the countryside and others love the noise of the city, but did you know that constant exposure to loud noise has been found to increase anxiety? That's why some people have been trying to find ways to make our cities feel quieter. Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260521

Got another 6 Minutes? Try Real Easy English to learn from natural English conversations: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/real-easy-english/ Learn English from the biggest news stories from around the world: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026

Search 'BBC Learning English' in your podcast app to find our other programmes or visit bbclearningenglish.com

2026-05-21 6 min
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