Words and politics -BBC Learning English

BBC Learning English
People and Places


Doug:

Hello, and welcome to People and Places. I want to talk about politicians and the words they use. This year we have heard from politicians who want to be the President of the United States. For one of the political parties – the Democrats – there have been two main candidates – Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

There have been lots of speeches and lots of interviews from both of them - both of them want to be the most popular candidate. Now a candidate wants to say ‘vote for me’, ‘vote for me’, but you’ve got say more than that.

Listen to this bit of an interview from Hillary. She’ll say that she has a proventrack record. This means that people can already see what she can do. And listen – how many times does she say the word change.


Hillary

I have a proven track record of creating change for people and I think that that’s what the country needs. It’s not a choice between experience or change. I have the experience we need to make the changes we want.

Doug:


Hillary Clinton – and how many times did she say the word change – three times! But it’s a powerful word – change – it’s a very attractive word – a word that is very popular with politicians.



In fact Barack Obama has probably used this word the most – it has even been in his slogan. Every politician has slogans. It’s a sentence or just a few words that are very, very powerful. One of Obama’s slogans is “Change We Can Believe in” - “ Change we can believe in”.

But no politician can own a word. Hillary uses the word change as well but she also uses another popular word for politicians. Listen again to her interview. She uses the word change but what other word?

Hillary

I have a proven track record of creating change for people and I think that’s what the country needs. It’s not a choice between experience or change. I have the experience we need to make the changes we want.

Doug:



So in that short bit of the interview we heard the word change 3 times followed by the word experience – yes experience. She says – I have the experience we need to make the changes we want. (Hey, that sounds pretty good – perhaps I should be apolitician.)



Well let’s hear another slogan from Obama. He doesn’t use the word change this time. He was speaking to his supporters in February. Can you hear the slogan in this speech? And how will you know when you have heard the slogan – you will always hear cheering – Yeah!

Obama

There is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final result to know – our time has come CHEERING.


Doug:


Yes, there was the slogan – our time has come. You heard the cheering after it. What does that mean? Well, it’s an expression that means…we will now get what we have waited for. Our time has come!

Obama

Our time has come! CHEERING.


Doug:

Politicians – they love to use powerful words – moving words. Words like hope or challenge or change. The next time you hear a politician, listen for those moving words.



Hillary

I have a proven track record of creating change for people and I think that’s what the country needs. It’s not a choice between experience or change. I have the experience we need to make the changes we want.

Obama

Our time has come! CHEERING.


Doug:
You can download today’s script and find out more about today’s vocabulary at the People and Places website on BBC Learning English.com. Goodbye.