Do You Speak English?

Available for over a year

English has been taught to people abroad using radio and television for more than half a century and this is how it all started. Miriam Margolyes is among the stars of English by Radio and Television, broadcast to millions around the world, who reflects on the amazing global impact of the programmes. From their beginnings in 1943 when English was taught to occupied Europe, to their role today reaching girls in Afghanistan banned from school, Josephine McDermott unearths the English programmes lost to time which feature everything from Abba to Morris dancing and a furry, green, alien monster who eats metal. Most of the programmes have never been heard by a UK audience and took months to track down, but they provide an intriguing insight into the way Britain has been projected in the booming years of broadcast media. Josephine’s late father Brian McDermott starred in the BBC’s first television series to teach English in the 1960s, Walter and Connie. Unsure if any of the series still exists in the archive, she gets to see films for the first time. He used to tell stories of being mobbed by fans in Europe which sounded like exaggeration for the sake of a good story. It's Josephine’s task to find out if there was any truth in it - and it may be some ageing Dutch pop stars have the answer. She discovers they still perform a song inspired by her father's TV programme teaching English. With insights from Professor Jean Seaton, former English by Radio and Television producer Hamish Norbrook, the actor Miriam Margolyes, Kathy Flower, presenter of Follow Me in China, plus Robert Jan Stips and Rob Kloet from the band Nits. Presenter and producer: Josephine McDermott Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound: Richard Hannaford Production coordinator: Ellie Dover Consultant: John Escolme