Human_Library_.pdf
human_library.mp3
BBC LEARNING ENGLISH
6 Minute English
The Human Library
Neil
Hello This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English I’m Neil
Sam
And I’m Sam
Neil
If you browse through a library, you’ll find a variety of different books, from
fiction to crime to romance
Sam
And if you walk through a city you’ll see a variety of people of different ages,
body shapes, skin colours and genders
Neil
In this 6 Minute English, we’ll be hearing about an unusual library where the
books are people, made of flesh and bone instead of paper It’s called The Human
Library and the ‘books’ are individuals who have faced prejudice – which means
an unreasonable dislike of certain types of people
Sam
Readers may borrow these ‘books’, who are people from all walks of life, for a
thirty-minute conversation The book titles are short and to the point - titles like
‘transgender’, ‘former criminal’ or ‘immigrant’
Neil
The human books are volunteers, and visiting readers are encouraged to ask
those awkward or embarrassing questions they’ve always wondered about
Sam
This means the Human Library needs to be a safe space – a place where people
feel protected from danger and harm
Neil
It’s a fascinating idea but before we find out more, I have a question for you, Sam
The Human Library started out in Denmark but soon spread across Europe and
the world So how many countries have a Human Library now? Is it:
a) 75?
b) 85? or,
c) 95?
Sam
Well, everyone likes to hear a story – so I‘ll guess c) 95
Neil
OK, Sam, we’ll find out if that’s right later in the programme
Sam
The first Human Library was founded in Copenhagen by Ronni Abergel Here he
is telling BBC World Service programme People Fixing the World about the
inspiration behind his original idea:
Ronni Abergel
We don’t have time on the street to stop and get to know everyone, so we drop
people in little boxes… so it’s instinct that’s guiding us, and we never get beyond
the instinct if we don’t get to know the person… so in our library, we recommend
sitting down and meeting some of the people that you normally might actually
not feel interested in sitting down with because there’s something about them
that you may feel a little bit uncomfortable about You learn tremendously not
only about them, but also about yourself
Neil
When we meet someone new, we often already have ideas about what they are
like Ronni says we put someone in a box – an expression meaning to judge what
kind of person someone is based on their appearance or on a limited
understanding of who they are
Sam
He recommends meeting people who you wouldn’t usually spend time with, even
if this makes you feel uncomfortable – feel slightly worried or embarrassed in a
social situation
Neil
So, the main idea of the Human Library is to challenge the assumptions and
stereotypes that we all have about other people
Sam
Ronni uses social media to find volunteers who are willing to talk about their
lives at public meetings, which anyone can attend
Neil
As the Human Library spreads around the world, more money is needed to keep
the project going This mostly comes from hosting events for private companies,
including famous businesses like Google
Sam
Transgender volunteer Katy Jon Went is a regular host for the Human Library’s
business events Listen to this clip of her introducing the project to a group of
Dutch businessmen from BBC World Service programme, People Fixing the
World:
Katy Jon Went
When we’re in the workplace or on social media, what we often find is we’re
walking on eggshells around diversity and difference, and many people don’t
want to get it wrong, quite understandably The important thing to remember is
that you can ask them anything – they’re never going to make to feel wrong for
the question you ask today, which is an incredibly rare offer
Neil
When meeting someone with completely different life experiences, people can
be worried about saying the wrong thing or asking embarrassing questions Katy
says they are walking on eggshells – an expression which means to be very
careful about what you do and say because you don’t want to offend or upset
anyone
Sam
But in fact the human ‘books’ are rarely offended The event is all about
celebrating people’s difference and diversity – a term which describes how many
different types of people are included together
Neil
Exactly It’s a celebration for everyone regardless of race, age or gender…
Sam
Or nationality… and that reminds me – what was the answer to your question,
Neil?
Neil
Oh yes, I asked how many counties today have a Human Library What did you
say, Sam?
Sam
I guessed it was c) 95 countries
Neil
Which was… the wrong answer, I’m afraid The correct answer was b) 85
countries, from Norway and Hungary all the way to Australia and Mongolia!
Sam
Wow! I bet that makes a lot of interesting stories! OK, let’s recap the vocabulary
for this programme about people sharing their experience of facing prejudice –
the unreasonable dislike of certain groups of people
Neil
A safe space is place where you feel protected from danger and harm
Sam
When we put someone in a box, we judge them based on their appearance or a
limited understanding of them
Neil
If you feel uncomfortable, you feel slightly worried or embarrassed in a social
situation
Sam
The expression walking on eggshells means being very careful about what you
do and say because you don’t want to offend anyone
Neil
And finally, diversity is a term describing many different types of people being
included together
Sam
Well, it’s time to return these human books back to the library shelves because
our six minutes are up!
Neil
Join us again for more real-life stories and topical vocabulary here at 6 Minute
English from BBC Learning English Goodbye for now!
Sam
Bye!
VOCABULARY
prejudice
unfair and unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people
safe space
place where you feel protected from danger and harm
put someone in a box
judge what kind of person someone is based on their appearance or a limited
understanding of them
feel uncomfortable
feel slightly worried or embarrassed, not relaxed, in a social situation
walking on eggshells
being very careful about what you do and say because you don’t want to upset or
offend anyone
diversity
many different types of people being included together
en it was made
