Michelle Obama and her mission to inspire women: 6 Minute English - YouTube
Rob: Hello. This is 6 Minute English
and I'm Rob.
Dan: And I'm Dan.
Rob: Now, Dan. Do you know who
Michelle Obama is?
Dan: Er, yes. Maybe the most famous
woman in the world.
Former First Lady, which means
she was the wife of the President
of the United States of America.
Rob: That is correct. She's just
published her autobiography
and has been talking in
the UK about her life. Before we find out
more here is this week's question. When
did the title First Lady first become used
for the wife of the US president?
Was it in the:
a) 18th Century, b) 19th Century or
c) 20th Century? Any ideas, Dan?
Dan: This could be a trick question.
The first US presidents were in
the 18th Century, and
they had wives, but I think the actual term
may only have been introduced
much later - so I'm going to take
a wild guess and say the 20th Century.
Rob: OK. Well, I'll have the answer later
in the programme.
Michelle Obama's visit to
the UK was covered on BBC News.
According to this report, where did she
visit that she had visited before?
BBC News Report: The former First Lady
spoke openly about a number
of issues and one of
her main messages was about
empowerment. Earlier in the day
Mrs Obama revisited a school in
north London, a place where she says she
was first inspired to focus on education
during her time as the First Lady.
Rob: So, where did she revisit on this trip?
Dan: She went to a school in north
London. She said it was at
this school that she was
first inspired to focus on education. If you
are inspired to do something
you get a strong feeling
that you want to do something, you
feel a strong motivation
to achieve something
particular, often because of something
someone else had said or achieved.
Rob: The report also mentioned that she
spoke openly about a number of issues.
To speak openly about
something is when you discuss
a subject, often a difficult subject, without
trying to hide the facts or your feelings.
It's a phrase that is used when people talk
about things in their life that they find
difficult or embarrassing.
Dan: One of the things she spoke openly
about was her own feeling that she didn't
really belong, that she didn't really have
the skills or talent to be doing
what she was doing and
that she didn't deserve her position.
Rob: There is a name for that. It's called
imposter syndrome - that feeling where
you think one day everyone
will realise that you're really
not very good at what you do.
Dan: I get that feeling all the time!
Rob: I wonder why? Because
the thing with this imposter syndrome
is that it isn't justified.
It's more a lack of confidence or
a result of the way society labels us.
Dan: Well, anyway, back to the report,
Michelle Obama was also keen to talk
about the topic of empowerment.
That is giving
people the strength, confidence
and power to achieve
what they want in life by themselves.
Rob: Let's hear from Michelle Obama
herself now talking about how we
sometimes judge people based on their
class rather than their individual abilities.
Michelle Obama: That's often the mistake
that we make, we assume
that working class folks
are not highly gifted in their own right
when a lot of times your station in life
is limited by the
circumstances that you find yourself in.
Rob: She says here that we assume
things about people based on
their social status or station
in life. To assume means to make
a judgement which is not based on
the facts but on what
we think is true.
Dan: She uses the phrase in their own
right. When you say that someone
is talented in their
own right, it means that
their talent comes from their
own skills and abilities and not
because of any connection with any
organisation, individual or class that they
happen to be associated with.
Rob: Before we wrap up, time to get the
answer to this week's question.
When did the title
First Lady first become used for the wife
of the US president? Was it in the:
a) 18th Century, b) 19th Century or
c) 20th Century? And Dan, you said?
Dan: I thought the 20th Century.
Rob: Well, you were right.
Dan: Yay!
Rob: But let me finish. You were right in
that it was later than the 18th Century,
which was when the first US presidents
held their positions, but it wasn't
as late as the 20th Century.
It was the second half of
the 19th Century when the title
First Lady began to be used.
Now let's review today's vocabulary.
Dan: We started with the phrase
to talk openly about something.
This means to discuss something,
usually a difficult subject, without
hiding your feelings, emotions or facts
about that subject.
Rob: Then there was
the noun empowerment. This is the
process of giving people the feeling
that they are in control of their lives,
making people more confident
in their rights and abilities.
Dan: The verb inspire was next.
If you inspire people, you give them
the feeling that they want to
and can do something, something difficult
or creative. If you have that feeling
yourself, you are inspired.
Rob: Next there was the verb
to assume something. To assume means
to make a judgement about
someone or something
not based on proof, but on things you
think or believe to be true.
Dan: The next phrase was in
their own right. If someone is
successful in their own right,
for example, it means their success
is because of their own skills
and abilities, and not because of
who they work for, or work with
or which social group they come from.
Rob: And finally there was
the noun phrase station in life.
Dan: Your station in life is your position
in society - your social status.
Rob: And that brings us to the end of
this week's programme.
We'll be back soon and in
the meantime you can find us on
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube our App and of
course the website
Bye bye for now.
Dan: Bye!
