(one of the many Language Tasters on offer as part of the London Festival of Languages)
One of the most exciting additions to the London Festival of Languages took place this week, looking at the language that has evolved within London itself: Cockney.
As with all the Festival’s Taster Sessions, this session was free and online. It was led by Clive Bennett, the Pearly King of Woolwich, and Andy Green, co-founder of the Modern Cockney Festival.
The session set out to challenge the common assumption that ‘Cockney is dying’. Far from it! Redefined by broadcaster Arthur Smith as the language of the ‘non-posh Londoner’, Modern Cockney has emerged as a living, evolving culture – one that now spans four ‘tribes’, from Old School Cockneys to a far-flung Cockney diaspora.
Clive and Andy emphasised that despite popular tropes, Cockney has actually always been fundamentally multicultural. Andy traced its origins to two environmental forces — prevailing westerly winds that pushed industry and smoke eastwards, and the Thames, whose docklands became the first arrival point for wave after wave of immigrants. Cockney has absorbed Yiddish (‘shtum’, ‘schlepped’), American vernacular, and the speech of multicultural London ever since. As Andy put it: ‘London has over 300 languages — and each one leaves a lasting imprint on the city’s evolving linguistic landscape.’
There was plenty of fun along the way, too. Attendees learned why rhyming slang like ‘plates of meat’ (feet) and ‘Hank Marvin’ (starving) softens conversation and builds connection, using humour as a form of social glue. In Cockney, we can clearly see how we all naturally engage in ‘code switching’ – switching between and mixing different languages, registers and words – depending on the situation we find ourselves in. How many of us have a ‘telephone voice’ or speak differently at work or with our family and friends?
Every language and dialect carries identity, heritage and belonging — and all deserve respect. As Clive observed, Cockney identity ‘exists on a spectrum, from deep engagement to casual affinity’ — there is room for everyone.
With plans afoot for school materials on Cockney and non-standard Englishes, this session was a brilliant reminder that celebrating London’s languages includes looking at how our ‘Englishes’ are evolving as well.
We have more taster sessions for you to explore! From Estonian to Georgian via Maori and Japanese and more… have a look at https://londoncityoflanguages.org.uk/language-tasters-summer-2026/