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Hundreds of educational interactives, games, quizzes, videos and podcasts, plus 1000s of articles written by academic experts and guest contributors.
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Languages
Beginners’ German: food and drink
This free course, Beginners' German: food and drink, provides materials that support the development of listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The content focuses on food, restaurants and eating habits. The course also gives examples of how grammar, vocabulary, cultural aspects and study skills are taught by the OU in the Beginners' ...
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Languages
A brief history of communication: hieroglyphics to emojis
This free course, A brief history of communication: hieroglyphics to emojis, is an introduction to the history of writing, and the key role it plays in human communication. It tracks this history from the invention of writing around 5500 years ago to the mass popularity of emojis today.
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Languages
What makes it hard for migrants to learn the language of their new home?
'Why don't migrants learn English if they want to live here?' is one of those sentiments you'll have come across a lot if you've spent much time on Twitter. Maybe it's even flittered across your own mind from time to time. But, as Dr Ingrid Piller explains, just learning a language isn't as simple as that.
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Education & Development
A brief introduction to the Chinese education system
This article outlines the structure of the Chinese education system and the study hours expected at a Chinese school.
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History & The Arts
What is emotive language and why is it used?
Nigel Warburton helps us grapple with the nuts and bolts of thinking clearly, with the aim of presenting good, clear, logical arguments - in order to achieve your desired effects.
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History & The Arts
Global English
David Graddol explores how a language from an island on the corner of the continent went global
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Society, Politics & Law
Chinese education: How do things work?
How is education structured in China? This article explores...
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Languages
Flipping the flipped: The Flipping German project at the OU
How effective are nontraditional approaches in education, especially when it comes to languages? Dr Karina von Lindeiner-Stráský, Dr Ursula Stickler and Dr Susanne Winchester explore the 'Flipped Classroom' methodology.
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Languages
Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French
This free course, Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French, is aimed at intermediate learners of French with an interest in language and culture. It is designed to develop your understanding of spoken French through six video portraits of people living in the Touraine region in France and in Brussels in Belgium. It introduces you to ...
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Languages
A polyglot life
A super linguist from Chester, Richard Simcott is also an entrepreneur who founded the polyglot conference in 2012. Read his account of what it was like to be a polyglot before the internet took off.
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Languages
Translation as a career
This free course explores translation as a career. During the course you will meet professional translators discussing their work and reflect on what they say. You will assess your own language level and find out how translators maintain their language skills. You will also engage in a short translation activity.
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Languages
Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German
This free course, Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German, is aimed at intermediate learners of German with an interest in language and culture. The six-hour-course is designed to develop your understanding of spoken German through video portraits of people in the German cities of Hamburg and Passau. It introduces you to naturally ...