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Languages
Getting started with German 1
Almost 100 million people speak German as their main language. Most of them live in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, making German one of the most widely-used languages in Europe. Although now associated with economic success and advances in science and technology, German has a long-standing reputation as the language of poets and thinkers, die...
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Languages
Getting started with French 1
Whether you want to visit, work or live in a French-speaking environment, you will get more out of the experience if you can communicate effectively with people. In this short course you will begin to develop your reading and listening skills in French and learn to speak and write the language to communicate in everyday situations. You will...
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Languages
Getting started with Italian 1
Are you fascinated by the Italian culture and lifestyle, cuisine, historic cities, art and beautiful landscapes? Have you always loved the sound and musicality of the Italian language? Perhaps you’ve visited an Italian city and wished you could chat with local people. Or maybe you would like to be able to read a menu, talk about yourself, or ...
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Languages
Getting started with Chinese 1
Have you always wanted to learn how to speak Mandarin Chinese? Are you fascinated by the sound, the script and its ancient civilisation? If so, this introduction will get you started on the essentials of reading, writing, speaking and listening in Chinese through a variety of online activities. A perfect introduction for absolute ...
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Languages
The impact of COVID-19 on linguists and their mental health
The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has impacted on every area of our lives. Severine Hubscher-Davidson explores what the mental health impact of coronavirus among linguists can tell us about the mental health impact of coronavirus in society.
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Languages
The psychological benefits of multilingualism
Read as Séverine Hubscher-Davidson explains how being multilingual can improve your patience and performance, whilst helping you to regulate your emotions.
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Languages
Why is 'modern language' taken to mean 'European language'?
In education in the UK, 'modern languages' all too often means those of Northern Europe. Dr Jieun Kiaer argues that it's an attitude that's outdated.
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Languages
Swapping between languages: Bilingual people expressing emotions
If you speak two languages, is the trigger to switch between them an emotional one? Hanan Ben Nafa has been investigating.
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Languages
Gaelic in modern Scotland
Modern Scotland is a multi-lingual country. Gaelic, Scots and English, along with newer introductions from Europe and beyond, all influence the way Scotland's people now speak to each other and to the rest of the world. Created with the positive encouragement of Bòrd na Gàidhlig and with support from BBC Alba, this free course, Gaelic in modern ...
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Languages
Discovering Wales and Welsh: first steps
This free course, Discovering Wales and Welsh, introduces you to who the Welsh people are via a brief look at history and two significant figures, Owain Glyndŵr and Llywelyn the Last. You will also learn the basics of Welsh pronunciation and how to greet people in Welsh.