Scuffles, Swagger and Shakespeare: The Hidden Story of English (2019)
29m
Running Time
November 12, 2019Release Date

Scuffles, Swagger and Shakespeare: The Hidden Story of English (2019)
29m
Running Time
November 12, 2019Release Date
Plot.
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.
Where to Watch.
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Cast & Crew.

Jonathan Culpeper
Interviewed Guest

Simon Horobin
Interviewed Guest

Farah Karim-Cooper
Interviewed Guest

Cathy Shrank
Interviewed Guest

John Gallagher
Presenter

Chris Nikkel
Director

Emma Parkins
Executive Producer
