Scuffles, Swagger and Shakespeare: The Hidden Story of English

Plot Summary

The English language is spoken by 450 million people around the globe, with a further one billion using it as a second language. It is arguably Britain’s most famous export. The man often given credit for the global triumph of English, and the invention of many of our modern words, is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s plays first hit the stage four centuries ago, as the explorers of Elizabethan England were laying the foundations for the British empire. It was this empire that would carry English around the world. Language historian and BBC New Generation Thinker Dr John Gallagher asks whether the real story of how English became a global linguistic superpower is more complex.

Top Cast

Jonathan Culpeper Interviewed Guest

Simon Horobin Interviewed Guest

Farah Karim-Cooper Interviewed Guest

Cathy Shrank Interviewed Guest

John Gallagher Presenter