History: The History of the English Language

Considering how many times England has been invaded, it’s amazing that we don’t all speak Danish or French as our mother tongue. The origins of English words and phrases is the theme of a WEA Adult Education course which tells the surprising story of English via all sorts of rude, legal and astonishing words. From the great Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England through to the Global English of today, the course explores English via raiders and traders, taking you on a journey through some of the huge variety of sources, influences and events that have helped to shape the English language. We explore where words came from via the Anglo-Saxons; the Vikings; the Bible; English bards; Naval slang; Pronunciation, accent and dialect; and Global English. The English language is growing apace: every year English speakers are adding at least 1,000 new words to the million or so words we already have. The use of these lenses aims to help us increase our vocabulary and understanding of English. Is the English language a rare bloom that has become a lingua franca; or an invasive weed encroaching on other languages?