Matthew Sweet asks how did the English language grow & what are the key election phrases? He's joined by historian John Gallagher who's written about language in Shakespeare's time and how refugees and migrants to England learnt English. In 1578, the Anglo-Italian writer, teacher, and translator John Florio said of English that it was ‘a language that will do you good in England, but past Dover, it is worth nothing’. Other guests in the studio include researcher Stephanie Hare who writes on technology ethics, research and development expert Mathieu Triay; and Kate Maltby who writes about theatre, politics and culture.

John Gallagher has published Learning Languages in Early Modern England. He teaches at the University of Leeds and is a New Generation Thinker on the scheme run by the BBC and the AHRC to promote research on the radio.