BBC 6 minute English-Restart parties

Transcript of the podcast

Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I’m Rob and with me is Jen

Jen: Hello Rob. Rob I’m having a problem with my mobile phone today

Rob: Oh yes

Jen: Yes – it’s stopped working – it’s so old so I was thinking of throwing it away and buying a new one

Rob: No! Don’t do that. That makes me angry – just throwing gadgets -or electronic items – away and not repairing them

Jen: Repairing? You mean, fixing them

Rob: Yes. Fixing things can save you money and is less wasteful. That’s why today we are going to talk about ‘restart parties’ and looking at some of the words to do with fixing and repairing

Jen: ‘Restart parties’ – that sounds interesting – I like parties

Rob: Yes, but it might not be what you expect. But first, let’s see if you know the answer to today’s question

Jen: Hmm, if it’s about how to fix a gadget, I might not do very well

Rob: Don’t worry, it’s not, but it is about mobile phones. Do you know approximately – so roughly – how many phones are thrown away in Europe every year? Is it

a) 1 million

b) 10 million

c) 100 million

Jen: I’ll take a guess and say b) 10 million

Rob: I’ll give you the answer at the end of the programme. Now let me tell you more about ‘restart parties’. These are being held around the world because of concerns or worries about the disposable society we’re living in

Jen: A disposable society – you mean we just throw things away when they break and then buy another one

Rob: Exactly. We could fix them instead or at least recycle them and make new things out of them. I remember there used to be repair shops where people fixed broken things but it’s not something you see much of in the UK now. So, that’s why some people are learning the forgotten art – or the skill – of repairing things

Jen: And is that what happens at a restart party

Rob: It is. The word restart means to start something again or to make it work again. The party is where you go to share your knowledge and skills or just to get something repaired whilst learning about how to do it. So Jen, would you go to one

Jen: Yes I would. It sounds like a great way to get something fixed

Rob: I think it would be quite useful. Let’s hear from Ugo Vallouri who organised one of these parties in London. Why does he think people don’t try to repair their gadgets anymore

Ugo Vallouri, Restart project

Less and less repair manuals that people can use, spare parts are not available to consumers or when they are they are priced in ridiculous ways that push people not to repair what they have and instead to upgrade and keep buying new stuff

Jen: OK, there aren’t as many repair manuals now – a manual is a book of instructions on how to fix things. He also says the small bits, or the spare parts, needed to fix something are not available now – or cost a lot of money

Rob: Yes, he said the price of spare parts were ridiculous – so silly prices! All this makes people buy new stuff – or they upgrade – so get a newer or more modern design of gadget. Let’s hear Ugo give his reasons one more time

Ugo Vallouri, Restart project

(repeat) Less and less repair manuals that people can use, spare parts are not available to consumers or when they are they are priced in ridiculous ways that push people not to repair what they have and instead to upgrade and keep buying new stuff

Rob: So Jen, is Ugo describing someone like you

Jen: Well, personally, I don’t have the skills to fix something – and anyway, it’s often cheaper just to buy a new one

Rob: But buying new gadgets creates waste which is what these restart parties are hoping to avoid. They don’t want old gadgets to end up in the rubbish

Jen: OK, it’s a good point Rob but my worry is that if I went to one of these parties, they’d be full of geeks – you know boring people who are just interested in technology – and they usually wear glasses

Rob: Well, I wear glasses and I like technology but I’m not a geek. And anyway, if someone can fix your broken phone then I wouldn’t call them a geek – more of a hero

Jen: If you say so. Shall we find out if I am a ‘mobile phone geek’ and see if I got today’s question right

Rob: A good idea. Earlier I asked you if you knew approximately, how many phones are thrown away in Europe every year

Jen: I said 10 million

Rob: And you were wrong. The answer, incredibly, is 100 million mobile phones – that’s a lot of phones that could be repaired or just recycled – so the spare parts could be made into something else. OK Jen, could you now please remind us of some of today’s vocabulary

Jen: We heard

gadgets repairing disposable society the forgotten art restart manuals spare parts upgrade geeks

Rob: Ok that’s it for this programme. Do join us again soon for more 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English

Both: Bye