Talking Texts

About Talking Texts

In this podcast, students from the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences speak about important texts from their degree programme. Each episode features a different team of hosts who present one text. The hosts say why and how those texts are important and give an introduction in order to help access and read the long and often complicated texts.

Publisher

Bernadette Lieder

Category

education · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Feb 2021

Latest episode

16 Jun 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Jun 2025

   Writing Texts: From Draft to Done

   Bernadette interviews Jill about how the Writing Centre supports academic writing, highlighting opportunities to improve writing skills.

2. 

   26 Apr 2024

   Episode 9: Happiness is a choice! How I chose happiness

   Everyone wishes to find true happiness. But what exactly does genuine happiness encompass? Is it attaining a dream job, embracing parenthood, or obtaining a university degree? In this episode, Javad shares how he started his quest for happiness at a very low point in his personal and professional life. He asks what happiness actually is and, in an interview with the philosopher Ali Tabeshnia, Javad discusses that to truly experience genuine happiness, individuals must discover contentment within themselves because true happiness is an internal state that can be chosen Host: Javad Tabrizchi Time cues 00:00 Intro 01:06 What is happiness 03:13 Introduction of Ali Tabeshnia 03:22 How to achieve happiness 03:59 Philosophy of truth and happiness 05:31 Brief introduction of philosophy of truth 07:02 My story: how I chose happiness 09:25 Thank you and good bye Guests ALI TABESHNIA Ali Tabeshnia (@ali.tabeshnia67) • Instagram photos and videos Links https://talkingtexts.de/ https://positivepsychology.com/philosophy-of-happiness/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9963575/ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/happiness/ Credit: Jingle: Felix Spieß; Featuring: Valdas, Nabila, Javad, Lina, Manisha and Valdas' cat Cover Art: Anna Mahendra

3. 

   26 Apr 2024

   Episode 8: Easy Breezy Leadership: Gen Z and Millennials in the Business Sea

   Join hosts Nabila and Valdas as they delve into the intriguing dynamics of Millennial and Gen Z working styles. In this episode, Nabila and Valdas explore the defining traits of each generation and how they shape modern business practices. From tech savvy to entrepreneurial spirit, the two hosts dissect the nuances that drive workplace culture. Stay tuned for insightful discussions and an exclusive interview, which provides valuable insights from a Gen Z perspective. Get ready to navigate the intersection of generations in today's professional landscape! Hosts: Valdas Vaitkevicius and Nabila Israt Jahan Resources Dorsey, J. and Villa, D. (2020) Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business – and What to Do About It. Harper Business. Tuff, C. (2019) The Millennial Whisperer: The Practical, Profit-Focused Playbook for Working With and Motivating the World's Largest Generation. Morgan James Publishing. Time Cues 00:00 – 01:25 Introduction 01:25 – 01:54 Millennials and Gen Z Year 01:54 – 02:42 Gen Z clusters 02:42 – 03:55 Millennials’ key characteristics 03:55 – 05:08 Gen Z’s key characteristics 05:08 – 13:30 Personal experiences 13:30 – 15:35 Interview Question 1 15:35 – 17:25 Interview Question 2 17:25 – 20:46 Interview Question 3 20:46 – 22:14 Interview Question 4 22:14 – 23:40 Closing remarks Guests Mariam Metwally; student of business psychology, Credit: Jingle: Felix Spieß Featuring: Valdas, Nabila, Javad, Lina, Manisha and Valdas' cat Cover Art: Anna Mahendra

4. 

   26 Apr 2024

   Episode 7: How to get culturally UNshocked?

   "From tea gifts to eating habits, join Manisha and Lina on a journey of cultural revelations!" Manisha shares her journey from Sri Lanka to Germany, navigating cultural differences like gift-giving and direct communication. Lina adds insights into German behavior. They discuss punctuality, reservedness, and eating customs, offering perspectives on adapting to new cultural norms and experiencing reverse culture shock. Hosts: Manisha Ukwatte and Lina Kirschbaum Time cues 00:25 Ceylon tea 01:25 Culturally UNshocked 02:10 Behavioral observations 02:29 Cultural differences 02:21 Prejudices 02:31 Disclaimer 02:52 Direct communication style 02:54 Punctuality 02:56 Reserved behavior 02:58 Work culture 03:00 Bureaucracy and rules 09:26 Bekannte 10:15 Food and Customs 13:02 Cultural adaptation 14:21 Intercultural communication 15:31Reverse culture shock Word lists - Translation Bekannte/r - Acquaintance Word lists - Explanation Ceylon Tea - Ceylon tea is both the brand of tea which is produced in Sri Lanka and a historic term describing tea from that land. Ceylon tea has been described as not only a geographical descriptor but also a pillar of Sri Lankan culture, heritage, and identity Credit: Jingle: Felix Spieß; Featuring: Valdas, Nabila, Javad, Lina, Manisha and Valdas' cat Cover Art: Anna Mahendra

5. 

   24 Jan 2022

   Episode 06a – “Ecology, Freedom, Equity – What is Social Ecology, how does it influence our lives and what makes it important?”

   With climate change and Covid, times might look bleak but there is hope out there. According Murray Bookchin’s text The Ecology of Freedom the origin social and ecological problems are intertwined and cannot be solved by ignoring one party they are also equally rooted in the attempt to dominate everyone and everything. In this episode Bernadette and Tim will introduce you to the concept of Social Ecology, is it a possible solution to our problems or an outdated concept? Text Bookchin, M. (1982). The ecology of freedom (p. 232). New Dimensions Foundation You can find an online version of the text here (http://(https://libcom.org/files/Murray_Bookchin_The_Ecology_of_Freedom_1982.pdf) Time cues 00:09 Introduction 00:37 The Status Quo 01:19 Introduction to Social Ecology 02:56 Ecology vs. Environmentalism 03:52 The aims of Social Ecology 04:10 First Nature, Second Nature, Third Nature 05:07 What is “wholeness”? 06:24 Social Ecology, Nature and Hierarchies 10:43 Interview with Blair Taylor (http://(https://social-ecology.org/wp/author/blair-taylor/) from the Institute for Social Ecology (https://social-ecology.org/wp/) 16:38 Definition 1 (of Social Ecology) 17:43 Definition 2 (of Social Ecology) 18:58 The Relevance of Social Ecology today 20:25 Social Ecology in our everyday life 21:39 Farewell 22:12 Outro/Quote Guests Blair Taylor https://social-ecology.org/wp/author/blair-taylor/ (https://social-ecology.org/wp/author/blair-taylor/)) Links and ressources Institute for social ecology https://social-ecology.org/wp (https://social-ecology.org/wp/author/blair-taylor/) The Text https://libcom.org/files/Murray_Bookchin_The_Ecology_of_Freedom_1982.pdf (https://libcom.org/files/Murray_Bookchin_The_Ecology_of_Freedom_1982.pdf) Democratic Confederalism Beyond the Frontlines – The Building of the democratic system in North and East Syria https://rojavainformationcenter.com/storage/2021/06/Beyond-the-frontlines-The-building-of-the-democratic-system-in-North-and-East-Syria-Report-Rojava-Information-Center-December-2019-Web-version.pdf (https://rojavainformationcenter.com/storage/2021/06/Beyond-the-frontlines-The-building-of-the-democratic-system-in-North-and-East-Syria-Report-Rojava-Information-Center-December-2019-Web-version.pdf) Solar Punk Explanation https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SolarPunk (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SolarPunk) Mutual Aid – A Factor of Evolution https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petrkropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution (https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution) Credit Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music: ZakharValaha https://pixabay.com/music/jingles-piano-cassical-brand-motive-logo-9997/ (https://pixabay.com/music/jingles-piano-cassical-brand-motive-logo-9997/) Felix Spieß

6. 

   24 Jan 2022

   Episode 05 - Introducing Multidimensional poverty

   In episode 05-Introducing Multidimensional poverty Fabian Schmidl and Miriam El Agha talk about the multidimensional poverty index and the progress of countries, which have managed to reduce multidimensional poverty. The hosts address the following questions: When are households considered to be multidimensionally poor? Is there a threshold? What impact does Covid-19 have on multidimensional poverty? The text this episode is based on is “The global Multidimensional Poverty Index” in: Global MPI 2020 – Charting pathways out of multidimensional poverty: Achieving the SDGs. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).2-12. Resources “The global Multidimensional Poverty Index” in: Global MPI 2020 – Charting pathways out of multidimensional poverty: Achieving the SDGs. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).2-12. Time Cues 00:06 –1:01 Self imposed poverty 1:04 –3:05 1.Introducing multidimensional poverty 2. Overview 3.Third semester 4.Poverty and inequality 3:06 – 05:38 1.Multidimensional poverty Index 2.Degree of deprivation 3.Dimensions 4. Indicators 05:39 –08:00 1.Multidimensional poverty reduction 2. Progress 3. SDG division 4. Multidimensional poverty 08:01 – 09:45 1.Sir Tony Atkinsons 2. A clearer picture of poverty 3. A different perspective 09:50 –12:46 1.Covid 19 influence 2. Restriction of school attendance 3. Exclusion 4.Malnourishment Guests and Sound bites 1. Anastasia (guest wants to stay anonymous) 2. Jens Völksen (Anastasia and Jens Völksen provided sound bites for the podcast. They expressed their opinion, explaining which of the following poverty dimensions they consider important for a good life: Poverty dimensions: 1. Health 2. Education 3. Standard of living). Links and terms Global multidimensional poverty Index: „The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is an international measure of acute multidimensional poverty covering over 100 developing countries. It complements traditional monetary poverty measures by capturing the acute deprivations in health, education, and living standards that a person faces simultaneously“(Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, 2018, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative). Definition cited from this webpage: OPHI (2018) .https://ophi.org.uk/gmpi-2018/ (https://ophi.org.uk/gmpi-2018/) https://www.h-brs.de/de/sv/podcast-talking-texts-1 (https://www.h-brs.de/de/sv/podcast-talking-texts-1) Credit Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music: Fabian Schmidl 01:00 – 03:04 Welcome 03:05 – 09:48 Sorry Plight 09:51 – 14:57 Astonishment Jingle: Felix Spieß

7. 

   24 Jan 2022

   Introducing talking texts Season 02

   In episode 0-introducing Talking Texts season 02 you will hear about what topics are covered in this season why you should listen and what the hosts like so much about the episodes. Time cues 00:23.1             01:06.2             What is talking texts 01:06.2             02:8.7              The single episodes in the season 02:08.7             03:19.4             Question 1:What are the episodes about? 03:19.4             05:06.1             Question 2: How will the listener benefit? 05:06.1             07:01.8             Question 3: What do the hosts like best about their episode? 07:01.8             08:40.1             Is there anything that needs to be added? 08:40.1             09:08.2             0utro and jingle Links https://talkingtexts.de/the-podcast/ https://talkingtexts.de/episode-05/ https://talkingtexts.de/episode-06/ Credit Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music: Felix Spieß Ressources https://talkingtexts.de/episode-0s02-introducing-season-02/

8. 

   24 Jan 2022

   Episdode 06b - Full length interview with Blair Taylor from the Institute for Social Ecology

   In this Interview Tim and Blair discuss Social Ecology, what it is and how it can help tackle the crieses of today. Blair talks about his background in environmental and social activism and provides examples where the concept has already been sucessfully applied and how it can give hope to everyone. Time cues 00:00.0 00:18.7 Preliminaries 00:18.7 03:50.0 Introduction 03:50.0 06:12.0 Why is Social Ecology still relevant today? 06:12.0 10:28.4 How does Social Ecology influence our everyday lives? 10:28.4 12:39.6 Which field of academia would profit the most from integrating Social Ecology? 12:39.6 18:49.2 Which role will Social Ecology play in the future? 18:49.2 20:02.0 Outro Links Institute for social ecology https://social-ecology.org/wp (https://social-ecology.org/wp/author/blair-taylor/) The Text https://libcom.org/files/Murray_Bookchin_The_Ecology_of_Freedom_1982.pdf (https://libcom.org/files/Murray_Bookchin_The_Ecology_of_Freedom_1982.pdf) Credit Cover art: Anna Mahendra Felix Spieß

9. 

   5 Feb 2021

   Ep. 4b Inferential statistics - mind the gap

   In episode 4b we, Karina and Bernadette, explain some of the notions of error and statistical concepts. We then discuss one of the tasks from the text and present our solutions . Time cues episode 4b 00:00:39 Part 3: different concepts in inferential statistics 00:01:09 Inferential and descriptive statistics 00:02:18 Error in studies 00:03:20 Errors of observation 00:04:58 Errors of non-observation 00:07:58 Part V: Discussion of Task from: Inference and Error in Surveys 00:08:26 Information before starting 00:09:19 What are the important parameters of the study? 00:10:37Discussion of task 1a) 00:11:24 Discussion of task 1b) and 1c) 00:15:49 Summary Links and resources Literature GROVES, Robert M., et al. “Inference and error in surveys” in: Survey methodology. John Wiley & Sons, 2011. 39-67. https://talkingtexts.de/episode-4/

10. 

    5 Feb 2021

    Ep. 4a Inferential statistics - mind the gap

    In episode 4a of talking texts inferential statistics – mind the gap We, Karina and Bernadette,discuss the text: “Inference and error in surveys” in: Survey Methodology by Groves et al. We explain the meaning of the words inference and error, summarize the text and talk about why it is relevant. In addition, we talk about Sherlock Holmes and how statistics can make the world a better place. Time cues These time cues will help you find the topics we discussed or resume where you stopped listening. 00:00:00 Introduction of hosts, topic and text 00.02.34 Part 1 00.02.34 What does inference mean? 00:03:58 What is error in statistics? 00:04.36 How seeing error from a statistician's point of view might improve our lives 00:05:43 Part 2 What is the text about and why does it matter? 00:05:59 Features of the text we found difficult 00:06:54 Summary of the text 00:08:50 Why is the text relevant Links and resources link to episode page http://talkingtexts.de/episode-4/?preview_id=131&preview_nonce=2021cc2346&preview=true Credit Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music Bela Bartok, Irene Damert, Felix Spieß

11. 

    5 Feb 2021

    Ep. 3 Skipping class – Is attendance, the solution for good grades?

    Introduction Welcome to episode 3 of the podcast “talking texts”. In this episode “skipping class – Is attendance, the solution for good grades?”, Jimmy and Luisa explain the main results of the scientific paper “Skipping class in college and exam performance: Evidence from a regression discontinuity classroom” and discuss their own experiences with skipping. Time cues 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Opener for episode 01:50 Study design and facts 04:22 Results 05:40 Conclusion and own experiences 08:01 Closing words 09:45 Outro Guests Celina Depiereux Christopher Klemmer Resources and links Dobkin, C., Gil, R., & Marion, J. (2010). Skipping class in college and exam performance: Evidence from a regression discontinuity classroom experiment. Economics of Education Review, 29(4), 566-575. link (https://people.ucsc.edu/~cdobkin/Papers/2010%20Skipping%20class%20in%20college%20and%20exam%20performance%20Evidence%20from%20a%20regression%20discontinuity%20classroom%20experiment.pdf) Link to website https://talkingtexts.de/episode-3/ (https://talkingtexts.de/episode-3/) Word list Midterms – important exams in the middle of an academic year Attendance rate – percentage of how many students actually visited the class in average. Mandatory – a class is mandatory when you have to attend all the classes dates of a course. Regression discontinuity – scientific tool to compare pretest and posttest performance after implementing a specific policy Credit: Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music Bela Bartok, Irene Damert, Felix Spieß

12. 

    5 Feb 2021

    Ep. 2 Is abortion a crime ?

    This is the podcast Talking Texts: the podcast about important texts from your degree program. In episode 2 – Is abortion a crime? the hosts Marzia and Marlow will talk about the text “Abortion regimes of the OECD countries and their determining factors by comparison” by Edith Gindulis. This text deals with the issue of abortion and its criminalization. It also discusses which countries have questionable abortion rights. Time cues 00:01 introduction 01:24 opener 01:26 topic of the text 02:45 statistical background 05:28 conclusion 06:58 discussion 10:37 outro Links and resources Gindulis, Edith. Die Abtreibungsregime der OECD-Länder und ihre Bestimmungsfaktoren im Vergleich. Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, 2002, 31. Jg., Nr. 3, S. 315-336. Link to the text: https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/6004 (https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/6004) Link to website https://talkingtexts.de/episode-2/ (http://talkingtexts.de/episode-2/) (http://talkingtexts.de/episode-2/) Credit: Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music: Felix Spieß

13. 

    5 Feb 2021

    Ep. 1 You just got nudged!

    In today's episode of Talking Texts, the hosts Christoph and Rick explain the economic use of Nudging in everyday live and how the number of organ donations can be increased using nudging techniques. While giving several examples of how Nudging can affect any of us, their episode is based on the award-winning bestseller book: “Nudge: Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness” from Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. Time cues 00:00 Opener 00:51 Intro 01:08 What is Nudging? Examples. 05:32 Nudging and Organ Donation 10:18 Discussion 16:00 Outro Terms Verhaltensökonomik is behavioural economics in English Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) (https://www.bzga.de/home/bzga/). This translates as federal center for health education. The task of this centre is to inform citizens about health and important measurements. For more information go to their webpage (https://www.bzga.de/home/bzga/). "REWE" is the name of a supermarket-chain in Germany. REWE is short for "Revisionsverband der Westkauf-Genossenschaften" (Audit union for Westkauf-Cooperatives). Links and Resources German Version: Nudge. Wie man kluge Entscheidungen anstößt (übersetzt von Christoph Bausum). Econ, Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-430-20081-3 Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R.. Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Penguin. 2009. Link to website https://talkingtexts.de/episode-1/ Link to BZgA https://www.bzga.de/home/bzga/ Credit Cover art: Anna Mahendra Music Bela Bartok, Irene Damert, Felix Spieß

14. 

    2 Feb 2021

    Ep. 0 Introducing talking texts

    This episode of talking texts introduces the hosts and single episodes of the first season. We will talk about the purpose and aim of the podcast as well as how it can help you with difficult texts from your degree program. Here is the link to the webpage: https://talkingtexts.de (http://talkingtexts.de) You’ll find the single episodes by clicking on the respective links: Ep. 0 https://talkingtexts.de/episode-0/ Ep. 1 https://talkingtexts.de/episode-1/ Ep. 2 https://talkingtexts.de/episode-2/ Ep. 3 https://talkingtexts.de/episode-3/ Ep. 4 https://talkingtexts.de/episode-4/

Podcast Authority Score: 12 / 100

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