5: Black on White | The Story of English

Speeches that Shook the World

Documentary in which poet Simon Armitage dissects what makes a perfect speech by examining famous speeches that provoked radical change, surpri...

Episode 1 | Blethering Scots

Ten well-known personalities share their favourite Scots word and celebrate the warmth, wit and grit of the Scots language. Written by Sanjeev K...

1: Doing What Comes Naturally | Born Talking: A Personal Inquiry into Language

A personal enquiry into language, with Jonathan Miller. From infancy, language growth is aston...

Episode 2 | Blethering Scots

Ten more well-known Scottish personalities share their favourite Scots words. Comedian Susan Calman is a wee 'besom', while Elaine C Smith has s...

2: The Mother Tongue | The Story of English

Robert Macneil presents the second programme in this series tracing the history of the English language from its roots to present...

Rebel Tongue

Alistair Heather sets out on a mission to reclaim the Scots language. For years, Scotland’s ancient tongue was ignored or mocked. Now, one and a half million pe...

Speeches - Martin Luther King's ''I have a dream'' speech | Speeches that Shook the World

Simon Armitage dissects what makes a perfect speech by examining famous speeches th...

2: Broken English | Born Talking: A Personal Inquiry into Language

When the brain is damaged through accident or injury, language can go tragically wrong. Meeting and talkin...

3: Lending a Hand | Born Talking: A Personal Inquiry into Language

The sign language of deaf people is as complex as any spoken language and reveals something essential abou...

4: In a Manner of Speaking | Born Talking: A Personal Inquiry into Language

Jonathan Miller explores the elements that make language more than just strings of words - such a...

9: The Empire Strikes Back | The Story of English

Film looks at former British colonies Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Barbados, Jamaica and India as well as the language o...

Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51

Jay Blades, presenter of The Repair Shop, struggles to read. Now he has decided it is finally time to learn.

1: An English-speaking World | The Story of English

Robert Macneil on how English is being adopted by the world as the most important language to learn, he traces the use of...

1: The Golden Age | The Mother Tongue

First of 3 documentaries tracing the history of the Scots tongue from its origins through to its heyday as the language of court, lite...

2: A Very Corrupt Dialect | The Mother Tongue

Billy KAY examines the roots of prejudice against Lowland Scots from the 1700s onwards in interviews with academics and native ...

3: A Muse of Fire | The Story of English

This programme centres on the English of Shakespeare and the King James Bible and its spread into the New World via Elizabethan expl...

3: Pan Loaf and Patter | The Mother Tongue

The final programme in the series in which Billy KAY traces the development of the Scots language.

3: Reverend Kate Bottley | Winter Walks

Walking along the banks of the River Cover and exploring the historic ruins of Wensleydale, the Rev Kate Bottley speaks frankly about...

4: The Guid Scots Tongue | The Story of English

In fourth of the series Robert Macneil looks at the development of Lowlands Scots and its spread to Ireland and America. He a...

6: Pioneers! O Pioneers! | The Story of English

This programme traces development of American English from the War of Independence to World War 1. It looks at influence of I...