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Introduction to week 4

Welcome to week 4 of the open course Understanding Language: learning and teaching.
This week, you will consider a case study of the most widely taught and learnt language: English.

What is the role of English in the world today? What are the implications of English used as a lingua franca?

You will hear from a range of voices this week: Professor Jennifer Jenkins, Dr Will Baker and Dr Mariko Baird.

Together, they’ll be introducing ideas about the spread of the English language around the world and also what that means not just for English itself, but for other languages. Some of the ideas this week are quite controversial and cause heated debate. We look forward to hearing your ideas!

What do you hope to learn from this week’s activities?

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Understanding Language: Learning and Teaching

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