Over the past several weeks, I've travelled on various trains and the London Underground (the Tube) to get to work.

I've been impressed with the number of foreign languages I've heard.

When I regularly traveled on the Tube a few years ago, most people spoke English, even if they were speaking with a heavy accent.

Now I hardly ever hear English, even the Underground staff can often be heard speaking to one another in foreign tongues.

I can't help but wonder how many words British English is going to pick up from this influx of visitors, as it has from all the others in the past.