Ted: Hey and welcome to the final episode of Babbel News – English Only Season 2! My name’s Ted, your host and language expert here at Babbel.

We’ve picked two stories for you today, sourced directly from Reuters. In the first story, you’ll hear about an electronic monitoring system that is being tested in Senegal to manage prison overcrowding – as well as some of the problems surrounding it. And the second story takes us to the UK, where holiday shoppers are spending less money on expensive gifts and more money on chocolates instead.

Remember, you can find a link to the transcript in the episode description. Let’s begin!

Ok, time to take a closer look at some of the important vocabulary from our first news clip. We’ll start with “trial”, which is a court process to decide whether someone is guilty of a crime or not. The next word is “to monitor”, which in the context of this story means to use technology to watch someone for security reasons. And then we have “to incarcerate”, or to put or keep someone in prison. After that, “petty crimes” are small crimes that aren’t very serious, like stealing things that aren’t too valuable. Next, “a pilot scheme” is an experiment to test out a new idea or plan before introducing it more widely. And our last word from this story is “surveillance”, or close observation with the aim of collecting information about people, for example by the police or army.

Let’s play the clip!

Reuters: This woman spent the bulk of her pregnancy in overcrowded Senegalese prison cells. Awaiting trial, she would share a mattress with up to three other women. Now she's back at home – thanks to what's being hailed as a first in West Africa. She's being monitored via an electronic bracelet.
 
"There are a lot of women over there, and there's no place for you. The most you can do is help women get home. Even if it has to be with the bracelet."

Like most countries in Africa, Senegal's prisons are old, overcrowded and unable to manage thousands incarcerated for petty crimes or those in pre-trial lockup. This year, it launched the electronic supervision pilot scheme. The government says it is the first in West Africa to do so.

But there are also concerns. Seydi Gassama, head of Amnesty International in Senegal, says there are many African countries where ankle monitors could be useful. But he added that it's not a solution to the problem of the continent's overcrowded prisons.

"… [W]hich is a problem of insufficient staff, staff training, and, above all, a need for an increase in the budgets of the ministries of social welfare, which are generally the smallest budgets in any country on the continent."

Critics also say underlying causes include harsh punishments for minor crimes and slow-moving judicial systems. And rights groups also warn that in authoritarian regimes, they may be used for surveillance purposes.

Ted: Now let’s go over the key words and phrases from the second story. First off, when someone is “cash-strapped”, they don’t have enough money. And “a boon” is something that is very good or helpful. The next word is “to ignore”, or to not listen or give attention to something on purpose. After that, “a gadget” is a small tool or machine, for example kitchen utensils with a specific purpose or electronic devices such as webcams or alarm clocks. Next, “a loyalty card” is a membership card that companies such as supermarkets give to customers to encourage them to shop there regularly. Customers can collect points while shopping and get discounts and offers in the future. Finally, “to trade down” is to spend less money on something than you used to.

And with that, it’s time to play the clip.

Reuters: Shoppers around the world look to be buying cheaper gifts this holiday season. Hit by a high cost of living, many are now cash-strapped and figures from the UK suggest the taste for lower-cost presents is proving a boon to chocolatiers.
 
Quality Street maker Nestle and Cadbury owner Mondelez have both seen higher sales in Britain. Business executives say many consumers have ignored toys and gadgets in favor of chocolate, which is still relatively inexpensive despite price rises this year.
 
Nestle said boxed chocolates have seen a year-on-year rise of 8.7% in value sales over August to November. The company said shoppers typically spend under 10 pounds, or $13, on such items. Tins of Nestle's Quality Street trade at around $6.30. While Mondelez's Cadbury selection boxes cost less than $2. Both are proving popular.

In contrast, one leading data firm says the average selling price of a toy in Europe is about $16.30. A number of toymakers told Reuters earlier this month that demand was lower this year.

The UK's supermarkets have also helped out chocolate companies. Sainsbury's and Tesco have offered discounts on big brands to customers with loyalty cards.

One leading survey said 9 out of 10 British Gen Z shoppers will "trade down" to cheaper products this holiday season. While 83% of Millennial shoppers will do the same. Overall, almost three quarters of respondents said they would buy cheaper gifts.

Ted: We did it! We’ve reached the end of the episode and of this season of Babbel News – English Only.

I hope you’ve enjoyed listening in and that this podcast has helped expand your English language skills.

If you have any feedback, we would love to hear from you. You can send us an e-mail at podcasting@babbel.com. Just be sure to write Babbel News – English Only in the subject line!

Before we say goodbye, let me remind you a final time that you can always play the episode again at a slower speed or look up any words you’re still not sure about in a dictionary. On behalf of the whole team here at Babbel, thank you for tuning in to the show! It’s been a real pleasure!

Bye!