A short introduction to the English language

This free course, A short introduction to the English language, will look at the role language plays in our lives, with a particular focus on the English language. It will examine the history and the future of the language, from the Anglo-Saxons and Shakespeare to social media communication and stand-up comedy. It aims to give a media-rich introduction to a selection of the key issues which form the basis of the Open University’s undergraduate curriculum in English language studies. Interested in taking your learning further? You might find it helpful to explore the Open University’s English language courses and qualifications.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 What is language?
• 1 What is language?
• 2 English in the world
• 2 English in the world
• 3 Shakespeare’s language (or ‘It’s all Greek to me’)
• 3 Shakespeare’s language (or ‘It’s all Greek to me’)
• 4 Internet English
• 4 Internet English
• 5 Emojis
• 5 Emojis
• 6 Creativity and language
• 6 Creativity and language
• 7 The language of comedy
• 7 The language of comedy
• 8 The language of lying
• 8 The language of lying
• 9 The language of protest
• 9 The language of protest
• 10 Speaking robots
• 10 Speaking robots
• 11 The future of language
• 11 The future of language
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgements