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‘Whose language is it anyway?’ The evolution of English, from ‘loaf’ to ‘LOL’
English is a uniquely weird language largely because its evolution has been a long, twisting road through history, happenstance and – as Shakespeare might say – strange bedfellows. This briskly paced jaunt through the history of the English language from The Open University condenses nearly 1500 years of its evolution, from the Anglo-Saxons to the internet, into eleven lively, animated minutes.
Video by The Open University
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Language and linguistics
Do button-pushing dogs have something new to say about language?
9 minutes
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Art
When East met West in the images of an overlooked, original photographer
9 minutes
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War and peace
Two Ukrainian boys’ summer unfolds just miles from the frontlines
22 minutes
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Language and linguistics
Why Susan listens to recordings of herself speaking a language she no longer remembers
5 minutes
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Family life
The migrants missing in Mexico, and the mothers who won’t stop searching for them
21 minutes
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Human rights and justice
Can providing humanitarian aid be illegal? A troubling case from the US-Mexico border
17 minutes
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Family life
The precious family keepsakes that hold meaning for generations
10 minutes
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Language and linguistics
The little Peruvian guide to public speaking that conjures up a grandiose world
7 minutes
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The ancient world
Archeological discoveries animate the life of the warrior queen who took on Rome
6 minutes