Bbc Language

Speakout is a new general English course that helps adult learners gain confidence in all skill areas using authentic materials from the BBC. With its wide range of support material, it meets the diverse needs of learners in a variety of teaching situations and helps to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world. Speakout has been developed in association with BBC Worldwide and BBC Learning English.

'The way you speak is who you are and the tones of your voice and the tricks of your emailing and tweeting and letter-writing, can be recognised unmistakably in the minds of those who know and love you.' Stephen Fry
Language is what defines humans from other species, and with our planet home to around 7,000 different languages, words have played a crucial role in our evolution. Renowned wordsmith Stephen Fry is the perfect guide for this fascinating exploration of language in all its forms: from cutting edge linguistic research to the glories of world literature.

Philip Cannon’s Concertino for Piano and Strings (1951) dates from his formative years. It was written for the Petersfield Festival, where it was premiered on 27 January 1951 by soloist Joseph Cooper, with the Petersfield Orchestra conducted by Kathleen Merritt. This lively, neo-classical piece has achieved over a thousand performances internationally. Though John Addison’s Concertino for Piano and Orchestra is, for the most part, couched in a light-hearted language, it is the product of a serious, and unfailingly inventive, approach to keyboard and orchestral writing. Speaking of the work to Leslie Ayre of the London Evening News, the composer remarked that, ""it is a real concerto in the full sense of the word…

Philip Cannon’s Concertino for Piano and Strings (1951) dates from his formative years. It was written for the Petersfield Festival, where it was premiered on 27 January 1951 by soloist Joseph Cooper, with the Petersfield Orchestra conducted by Kathleen Merritt. This lively, neo-classical piece has achieved over a thousand performances internationally. Though John Addison’s Concertino for Piano and Orchestra is, for the most part, couched in a light-hearted language, it is the product of a serious, and unfailingly inventive, approach to keyboard and orchestral writing. Speaking of the work to Leslie Ayre of the London Evening News, the composer remarked that, ""it is a real concerto in the full sense of the word…

Broadcast 3 March 2008, the final programme covers the most ancient of the reptiles: the crocodiles and turtles. In the Galápagos Islands, among the giant tortoises, Attenborough explains how the creatures came to develop their shells as a defence against predators. This is demonstrated by the eastern box turtle, whose shell includes a hinged ‘drawbridge’. The aquatic pig-nosed turtle is unusual in that its eggs need to be submerged before hatching, whereas those of other species would drown; Attenborough illustrates this by dropping an egg into a jar of water: it immediately hatches. In the open ocean, male sea turtles attempt to separate a rival from its mate by attacking and overwhelming the pair, stopping them from taking in air. In northern Australia, Attenborough observes a large gathering of crocodiles at a flooded coastal road: they time their arrival to ambush migrating mullet. The complex communication and body language of the American alligator is investigated and in Argentina, the calls of young caimans help their mother locate and lead them to a nursery pool. The mother’s maternal instinct extends to releasing unhatched babies by gently crushing their eggs in its jaws. In Venezuela, a female spectacled caiman in charge of an entire crèche leads the infants from a drying river bed on a trek to permanent water. Under the Skin explores filming on the Galápagos Islands and Attenborough’s meeting with Lonesome George.

Frankie sets off on a stand-up tour of Scotland. On four trips to four gigs, he meets a heady mix of people and places, filtering his nation's past and present through his unique mind.

Learn and practise useful English language for everyday situations with the BBC. Your weekly instruction manual for saying or doing something in English is published every Friday. Each programme is six minutes long and contains examples and explanations to help you improve your knowledge of the English language across a wide range of topics.