The Compass

Changing British English


Listen Later

Have you used the words antwacky, jarg and squinny recently? Presenter Robin Lustig examines linguistic change and continuity in British English. He visits the Oxford English Dictionary, he gets a lesson in regional slang.

In Portsmouth, on the south coast of England, Robin hears some of that language on the streets as he meets young people who blend local slang with the global influence of social media and music. As he travels around the city, Robin sees how British English relates to the wider world as he meets speakers of Arabic, Chinese and Spanish learning English as well as English teens learning Hinglish, a combination of English and Hindi.

As he considers its future place in the world, Robin asks whether British English will still matter in a post-colonial, post-Brexit world.

Producer: Julia Johnson.

(Photo: Man learning English via a computer. Credit: Getty Images)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The CompassBy BBC World Service

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

98 ratings


More shows like The Compass

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,747 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

378 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

892 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,066 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,475 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,816 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

593 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

283 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

301 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,783 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,041 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,109 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,080 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

107 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

267 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

405 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

232 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

846 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

74 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

477 Listeners

Today in Focus by The Guardian

Today in Focus

979 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,220 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

744 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,041 Listeners