📘 Part 3: Children and opinions

This episode's vocabulary

Articulate (verb) - to express in words.

Grasp (noun) - he act of holding onto someone or something.

Coherent (adj.) - if an argument, set of ideas, or a plan is coherent, it is clear and carefully considered, and each part of it connects or follows in a natural or reasonable way.

Insightful (adj.) - showing a clear and usually original understanding of a complicated problem or situation.

By virtue of something - as a result of something.

Proximity (noun) - the state of being near in space or time.

Regardless of something - without being influenced by any other events or conditions.

Influencer (noun) - someone who affects or changes the way that other people behave.

Incite (verb) - to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent.

Air (verb) - to make opinions or complaints known to other people.

Grievance (noun) - a complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly.

Weasel words - something that someone says either to avoid answering a question clearly or to make someone believe something that is not true.

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Questions and Answers

M: So, Rory, let's talk about children and opinions. At what age do children begin to have their own opinions?

R: Oh, gosh, probably from the moment of birth, really, when you think about it. And that first opinion is probably something like why isn't everyone giving me attention? And they express their opinion by crying a lot. But if we talk about children articulating more sophisticated opinions, it could perhaps be when they start to have a more well-developed grasp of language. So they can ask, like, why is this like, I think the sky is blue because blah, blah, blah. And it doesn't have to be a completely coherent opinion. But they do start to express these ideas.

M: Who has the most important influence on children's opinions, parents or friends?

R: Oh, gosh. Well, it shifts over time, really. As children get older, friends have greater influence over their decisions and opinions. It's part of development.

M: Should teachers ask for children's opinions in the lessons?

R: Well, I imagine they already make their feelings quite clear, but it shouldn't hurt to ask, since you're the adult making all of the decisions in the room. And you can always ignore ridiculous opinions when they're expressed. But some opinions could be quite insightful, for example. Possibly the reason it doesn't happen more often is that teachers don't have the time or the patience.

M: Let's talk about opinions in everyday life. Who do most young people discuss their opinions with?

R: Well, as I mentioned previously, this is probably closely connected with age. Parents are initially those who children most often share opinions with, just by virtue of proximity, and there's no one else to share their opinion with. And as more people are met and taken into consideration this circle of discussion should expand to include others.

M: There are situations when people should not give their real opinions. Would you agree?

R: Well, maybe where there's like a serious risk to someone's life or well-being. There's like the old expression you should live to fight another day. You don't have to win every fight or even every battle, especially if it's just going to hurt you without achieving anything. So that's one aspect. The social context can also dictate this. You know, you wouldn't say some terrible things to someone at their wedding, for example, or at least you shouldn't do that.

M: Does culture affect the way people express their opinions?

R: Well, we all use some kind of language to express ourselves, so that concept is fixed regardless of culture. The culture might dictate how the language is used. So, for example, like direct feedback on lessons in Eastern European or Asian cultures doesn't generate a lot of constructive feedback. Sorry, providing the opportunity for direct feedback doesn't tend to generate a lot of constructive feedback, because teachers are expected to exert greater control over lessons. By contrast, in more westernized societies direct feedback is given the opportunity to be expressed, and it is expressed. But when it's expressed, it's done so in polite terms, often to avoid offense. But it is at the same time expected to be taken into account or into consideration. So that's one way it could affect things.

M: Let's talk about opinions in today's world. Does social media have a great influence on people's opinions today?

R: Well, it certainly seems so, doesn't it? You can call people influencers when they have a certain level of, I don't know, social clout. I actually often wonder how much influence it really has compared to sources of influence in the real world, though. I mean, you could incite a riot on social media, but the social contract still prevents most people from going out and rioting, for example.

M: Do you agree that society needs more people who aren't afraid of expressing their opinions?

R: Well, I think that's crucial. In order to be able to articulate ideas about the world, you have to risk offending people by freely expressing yourself. I don't mean to say that we should say all the things that we have to say in the most direct or offensive ways possible, but there should be a place for people to air grievances and ideas. Otherwise, your society just can't function properly because it's only a select few individuals who have this ability or even no one at all. And then how are you supposed to know anything?

M: Is it hard to distinguish fact from opinion?

R: Sometimes, especially in circumstances where people phrase things in a certain way. Like they use weasel words or phrases like studies have shown, for example. And these go unchallenged because most people want to be polite and not say things like, oh, really? Well, which studies and where? This is probably in a minority of cases, though. I think most communication is open and factual so that people can operate. This is if we exclude certain politicians from the mix, of course.

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Discussion

M: Rory, thank you so much for expressing your opinions on these questions. So, let's take a look, shall we? We articulate sophisticated opinions on different points.

R: Yes.

M: So we express opinions or we articulate?

R: Articulate is a good synonym for express.

M: Yeah, articulate. That's a nice one. We also can, like, give opinions, share opinions, but articulate opinions. That's a good one. Some opinions can be sophisticated, which means, well, they are profound, smart.

R: Complex.

M: Complex, yeah. Other opinions can be ridiculous. Oh, that's ridiculous. Well, pretty much stupid, but funny, but in a negative way.

R: Yes.

M: In a negative funny way.

R: Well, we could be irrelevant too.

M: Irrelevant opinions? Yeah.

R: A ridiculous opinion might be connected to the topic, but it's not worth investing any timers. An irrelevant opinion is just not connected to the topic at all because maybe someone wasn't listening, for example, and they just say something without thinking about it. People do that all the time.

M: Oh, yeah. Yeah. When we talk about children giving their own opinions in the lessons, some of the children's opinion could be quite insightful. So full of insights. Insightful opinions. Other opinions could be ridiculous, silly. Straightforward opinions. If you don't want to say the word stupid. Yeah. What can they say if they don't want to say the word stupid. Like stupid opinions. How can we paraphrase? Ridiculous, I think that's a good one. No?

R: Ridiculous, low value maybe.

M: Low value opinions.

R: That's like a really polite way of saying someone is saying something stupid. Well, your opinion is... I can see your point, but I think it's low value.

M: Yeah. And you are saying like oh, this is just stupid.

R: Polite though.

M: Yeah, but it's not a good thing to say the word stupid in an IELTS exam. It's a bit strong. So children giving these stupid opinions at school, low value. I love this sentence. Parents, I initially those who children most often share opinions with just by virtue of proximity. This sense is beautiful, it's gorgeous, it's like flying as high as band 9 in the sky together with fluffy clouds. So first of all, like parents are those who children most often share opinions with. The proposition is at the very end, it's just up there. Wow.

R: But that's initially, though. So it's like at first parents share, are the people that children give their opinions to or share with.

M: Use in the middle.

R: Yeah.

M: We don't say initially parents. No. Parents are initially those who children, oh God, most often share opinions with.

R: And then at the end to ground it all off by virtue of proximity, which is a nice way of saying because they're the closest to people at the time. It's really not that deep.

M: Yeah, but it sounds, you know, amazing. Virtue of proximity. Yeah, proximity like they are close, beautiful. You can just learn this sentence, but if you learn this sentence, say it naturally. Oh, you know, people are initially those who children most often share opinions with just by virtue of proximity.

R: Well, that would be by virtue of being the same species.

M: Yeah. Rory, you did tell us some quotes like quotes, like live to fight another day.

R: Yeah, but live to fight another day is a common expression. It just means, you know, don't worry about running away because you can come back and fight again or come back and do something else again.

M: You don't have to win every fight. Yes, sometimes you can lose. How is this relevant to the opinions?

R: Well.

M: Yeah, it's not relevant. It's just like a nice phrase to say.

R: No, no, no. Well, in the context of people showing opinions, usually when people are showing their opinions, it can become quite heated, though. It's usually in the context of a debate. So, we talked about people, times when people should not give their real opinions. And one of these times is when there's a direct threat to you. So by not sharing your opinions, this is a good idea. So you can leave, like withdraw from the situation, don't participate, and then come back another time when it's safer.

M: Yeah, strike them.

R: There are times in Russia when this is perhaps a good idea.

M: Oh we're not taking politics.

R: Not yet.

M: No, no, no, no. Yeah. About culture and expressing your opinions. Sometimes it's quite fixed.

R: Yes. Next question.

M: Next question.

R: No, it's fixed, meaning it's unchanging.

M: Yeah. And you did use the word regardless. Again, regardless of something is a very good word to use in IELTS speaking and also writing, in the essay, regardless of.

R: So I should say, like I said, it's fixed regardless of culture. That just means state. It doesn't change. Even if the culture changes, this idea is still the same.

M: Yeah, you can say some people prefer to express their real opinions regardless of age, culture, background, education. Yeah. So it doesn't matter what education they have, regardless of how. Good one. So when we talked about opinions in today's world, you mentioned influences. How do you say this? Influences?

R: Influencers.

M: Influences, the stress is like on in. Influences.

R: It's a new word.

M: It is a new word.

R: Well, it's not, probably not really, but it's like the idea.

M: No, no, no. It is, I think. Yeah.

R: Social media influencers.

M: Bloggers, yeah, influencers. Would you like to be an influencer? Rory? The Rory?

R: No. Like people aspire to this kind of role in society, but in fact, being someone of importance on social media just seems to make life more stressful,

M: Like tik-toker, you know. Post videos on tik-tok. Rory me. Rory you.

R: Yeah, you can see how well our previous singing efforts have gone by looking at our telegram.

M: Oh... Yeah. On our telegram we have a video of me singing about big, fluffy. No, not big. Pink-pink, fluffy unicorn. But go check it out. So go to YouTube. Just put a pink fluffy unicorn dancing on the rainbow. And there you have it. Ten hours of pink, fluffy unicorn dancing on a rainbow. Rory, what about a certain level of clout?

R: Yes, clout is just another way of talking about influence or having a reputation, being well known. So it means that you can weigh in on, or give your opinion and more people will listen to it. So people have clout on social media, but people also have clout in real life.

M: Mm hmm. OK, we need another example. Because with clout, influence. So famous tik-tokers have a certain level of clout.

R: Yeah. So they can express their opinion and that will influence people stronger.

M: Mm hmm. OK. You can incite a riot on social media.

R: Yes. Incite just means you want to make people want to do something bad. So you can incite a riot, you can incite violence.

M: Yeah. A riot is when people go onto the streets marching, protesting. It's called not a strike. Well, it can be a strike if...

R: Well, it's a strike when you stop working. But a riot doesn't have to be about working. A riot can happen for all kinds of reasons because people are annoyed about a certain situation or because they want to loot and steal things. There are different reasons riots happen. Usually it's many reasons...

M: Political, yeah. Because of politics. So you can incite a riot on social media, meaning you can kind of create this riot on social media. Right. We are able to articulate ideas about the world. And like people generally should be able to articulate theit ideas.

R: Articulate means just say what you think about the world.

M: Yeah, but that's so good. Articulate. Yeah.

R: I suppose articulate is more specific because it's talking about... Articulating something means you form the idea and then you say it. It's like a combination of these two things. So actually it is something more than just saying. But really? You can just say people express their ideas about the world and the same idea is true.

M: And some people should express themselves freely. Right? Again, like openly. So people freely express themselves or people should be allowed to express themselves freely on social media. And they should be able to air grievances. Hmm, that's nice one. Air grievances.

R: But if you air grievances, it just means talk about things that you don't like.

M: Yeah, just moaning.

R: A grievance is something that you don't like. And to air something just means to speak about. And it's a collocation air grievance.

M: Yeah. But also air, we can use it like air it out.

R: Yes. Clear the air.

M: Clear the air.

R: You can air grievances or you can use weasel words.

M: Weasel?

R: Yes, weasel words and phrases are things that people say in order to make it seem like they're speaking with like authority about something. But in actual fact, they don't have any evidence to back up what they're saying. So like studies have shown, you just say that, except which studies, when, where, how, how are they conducted? So it's like saying something without actually saying something.

M: Hmm. I'm sorry, but the word weasel sounds like it's a small animal.

R: It is. A weasel is an animal that can get past defenses and attack the chickens. So it's not a good idea. It's not a good thing to use weasel words. It's like, not looked down, it's not looked on well.

M: It is is an animal. OK. Right. Thank you very much for listening! Now, you do have some synonyms up your sleeve and in your vocabulary bucket. Yes, you do have now a vocabulary bucket that we feel with vocabulary, and grammar, and different synonyms. If you're listening to this on Patreon, comment your questions and write your comments about the episodes in the episode comments section.

R: Bye!

M: Bye!

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