Is English really English? 6 Minute English

Many of the English words we use today like beer, hand, mother and love have all survived from Old English. Neil and Georgina discuss where the English language we use today really comes from.

This week's question:
The year 1066 is remembered for a famous battle when the French-speaking Norman king, William the Conqueror, invaded England – but what is the name of the famous battle? Is it...
a) The Battle of Waterloo?
b) The Battle of Hastings?
c) The Battle of Trafalgar?
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
invasion
when an army of country uses force to enter and take control of another country

suffix
letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to make a new word

in common parlance
using the words that most people use in ordinary conversation

building blocks
the basic parts that are put together to make something

through someone’s eyes
from someone else’s point of view; how someone else would experience something

at heart
used to say what something is really like

[Cover: Getty Images]

To download the audio and a transcript, go to:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish​...

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