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Languages
Open Centre for Languages and Cultures
The Open Centre for Languages and Cultures: your learning hub for communication in an interconnected world.
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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 Sprache der Dichter und Denker. The German speaking countries are also a popular tourist destination, offering visitors a great variety of landscapes - from the sandy beaches in the North to the majestic alps in the South, not to forget hills, lakes, rivers, vineyards and the historic and buzzing cities of Berlin, Zürich and Vienna. In this 2-week course you will go on a journey through Germany, Austria and Switzerland and introduce you to the language skills you need to start understanding and using German. You will start from the basics - simple greetings, introducing yourself and using numbers. Progressing towards being able to join conversations in German and to understand and use the language in a variety of scenarios. This OpenLearn course is an extract from the beginning of the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures short course, LXG001 Beginners German 1: fang an! After completing this free course, you may wish to register for the full course to continue your learning!
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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 talk about yours or other people’s jobs. Whatever your reasons for learning Italian, this two-week course gives you a chance to start a new exciting learning experience. You’ll start from the basics to ordering food and drinks at the bar. This OpenLearn course is an extract from the beginning of the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures short course, LXI001 Beginners Italian 1: primi passi. After completing this free course, you may wish to register for the full course to continue your learning!
TV, Radio & Events
The Secret Life of Children's Books
This two part OU/BBC co-production looks at the secret lives of 'The Five Children and It' by E. Nesbitt and 'The Water Babies' by Charles Kingsley.
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Languages
The Great Fall: A personal perspective, before and after
A personal take on experiences before and after the Berlin Wall fell from an Open University lecturer in Classical Studies.
TV, Radio & Events
The Secret Life of Books
Uncover the secrets of classic works of fiction that we all know and love.
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Languages
Beginners’ Chinese: a taster course
Learn about Mandarin Chinese as a tool for communication and gain insights into Chinese society and culture. This free course, Beginners’ Chinese: a taster course, provides a brief introduction to the Chinese language, its scripts and sounds, and how words are formed. You will hear short conversations where people greet each other and introduce themselves, and learn how to ----- from one to ten. You’ll learn different ways of saying your name and greeting people, as well as give your telephone number. This OpenLearn course is introductory material for absolute beginners in Chinese.