This course examines different stories behind the creation of English words through seven lenses: the Anglo-Saxons; the Vikings; Biblical English; English bards; Naval slang; Pronunciation, accent and dialect; and Global English. The English language is growing apace: every year English speakers are adding at least 1,000 new words to the million or so words we already have. The use of these lenses aims to help us increase our vocabulary and understanding. Is the English language a rare bloom that has become a lingua franca; or an invasive weed encroaching on other languages? This is an online course which uses Zoom video conferencing software. You can access resources and connect to the Zoom sessions via Canvas, the WEA’s virtual learning environment.