Bede, also known as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede, was a monk based in the monastery of St Peter in Northumbria. He is known as The Father of English History mainly because of his work, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, completed in 731, and from which this extract is taken.
A talented linguist, skilled in Greek and Latin, Bede made the writings of the early church more accessible to Anglo-Saxons of his time.
This extract from his most famous work talks about the geography of the British Isles and introduces us to the first inhabitants of Britain, who would go on to give us the English language as we know it today.
The Speak British English site was created to teach you English by introducing you to the rich culture of Britain. Through Britain's rich heritage of literature, poetry, art and history, you will learn vocabulary, British English pronunciation and grammar, as well as coming to better understand the history and culture behind the language you are studying.
The English classes and English lessons that you will find here are for students who already have an Upper-intermediate level of English.
On this site you will find video English lessons exploring the rich cultural heritage of Britain that lies behind the English language, podcasts of each of the video lessons that you can download to your favourite player and
complete typescripts of each video to download for future reference.