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British Council

Exploring English: Language and Culture

British Council via FutureLearn

Overview

On this online English course, you will learn about British life and culture, and improve your English language skills and knowledge.

Through short videos, you will learn about different popular culture topics as well as ways of life in the UK, including English as a global language, the countryside, music, and literature. Filmed in Great Britain, these videos will help you to develop your listening skills as you watch authentic examples of people speaking English. You will also examine some of the language used in the videos and analyse its use and learn how to use it again in practice.

This English language course draws on the British Council’s expertise in online learning. On this British Council courses page you can find out more about the other courses they offer for people who are learning and teaching English.

You can find out more about this course in Chris Cavey’s post for the FutureLearn blog: 3 tips for getting the most out of Exploring English.

This course is for non-native English speakers who have studied English to around intermediate level (approximately B1 on the CEFR).

Syllabus

  • English: the global language
    • Getting started
    • Why is English a global language?
    • Technology and language learning
    • Language focus: passives
    • Useful expressions
    • Summary of Week 1
  • Music: making a difference
    • Introducing the topic - British music
    • Music and society
    • Language focus: clauses
    • Live Music
    • Summary of Week 2
  • Countryside: a green and pleasant land
    • Introducing the topic - what is Britain like?
    • Looking at the countryside
    • The United Kingdom
    • Language focus: description
    • Summary of Week 3
  • Literature: books and identity
    • Introducing the topic - Literature
    • The Globe Theatre
    • Language focus: comparatives and superlatives
    • Roald Dahl
    • Summary of Week 4

Taught by

Chris Cavey

Reviews

4.7 rating, based on 839 Class Central reviews

4.8 rating at FutureLearn based on 460 ratings

Start your review of Exploring English: Language and Culture

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous is taking this course right now.

    "Exploring English: Language and Culture" is a fantastic course in four weeks that will improve our productive (writing and speaking) and receptive (reading and listening) skills. Every week deals with a different subject: week 1 explores English language...
  • This course is quite good especially the listening materials. I would like to see more detailed explanation of grammar rules and more grammar tests. Thank you for giving me the opportunity of growth in English.

    With the best wishes,

    Miranda.
  • Anonymous
    This is a really interesting course. I learnt a lot about Britain, music, places literature, writers and many more. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their English.
  • Anonymous
    The course is very useful. It is structured as a real life situations. You can learn not only a new vocabulary, but also new facts.
  • Anonymous

    Anonymous completed this course.

    I reallly enjoyed this course. As a Latin American English student I learned much of the English Culture along the coure. Since the British Countrysides, which I had a more surface view, the unique view and description of the landscapes are maginc and...
  • Anonymous
    I think our topic about language and culture is a very rich one. The videos recorded by the presenters and editors are really great as they direct the learners to the main point of each topic. I like much that concept of learning the language by discussing...
  • Gerard Boyer
    I found this course very interesting and enriching. It allowed me to better understand what the British language represents and the link between language and culture which in my opinion is indissoluble. It has also allowed me to discover a beautiful region(Lake district) and makes me want to know more about the English countryside. The intervention of the educators brings an important support for the understanding but also allows to feel guided. I also really appreciated the discussion at the end of the course and the many recommended books, for someone like me who doesn't like to read, it is an incentive to read.

  • thanks alot to brilliant teachers who shears their knowledge about music and culture I think that it is really important to know the culture of the country which language you are teaching in order to be able to teach students in right way and make them understand what kind of people are using the language they are learning and ofcourse the music and song are really helpful in teaching and developing love of pupils toward the language itself.
  • The entire course is designed as an A1+ to A2 level listening comprehension exercise.
    Week 1 = how it feels to speak English + the active vs the passive voice
    Week 2 = British music + relative pronouns and relative clauses
    Week 3 = the British countryside + gradable and non-gradable adjectives
    Week 4 = British literature + comparatives and superlatives
  • Anonymous
    I like this course. I am really feel that I am learning a lot . I have learned new words, idioms and I have the opportunity to listen native teachers . Nowadays english is spoken for lots of people all over the world and through this course on line...
  • Anonymous
    This is a wonderful course. The experience for the past three weeks has been great. The course has giving me opportunity to meet and interact with people of great minds. This will go a long way to help me in having some collaborative works.

    It has been three weeks of personal development, growth and increasing my network. This is a fantastic course that I will recommend for every teach of English. There is a lot to gain as one can never remain the same after this amazing four weeks.

    It has been three weeks of great improvement. Teaching relative clauses is going to be great. I wouldn't have asked for more.

    I'm thankful to British Council for give this great opportunity to improve my teaching skills.
  • Anonymous
    This is a wonderful course. The experience for the past three weeks has been great. The course has giving me opportunity to meet and interact with people of great minds. This will go a long way to help me in having some collaborative works.

    It has been three weeks of personal development, growth and increasing my network. This is a fantastic course that I will recommend for every teach of English. There is a lot to gain as one can never remain the same after this amazing four weeks.

    It has been three weeks of great improvement. Teaching relative clauses is going to be great. I wouldn't have asked for more.

    I'm thankful to British Council for give this great opportunity to improve my teaching skills.
  • Anonymous
    I am really enjoying this course. English and England are not so new anymore as I have been living here for the past 15 years. But I am still learning and I can only imagine how amazing it would have been if I had had this opportunity. Also the chance to find out about what others are doing to learn a new language is really insightful. I loved the Lyric Straining app idea.... It is fun and you do learn something new! thank you so much for this course.
  • Anonymous
    This is the third course I do on Future Learn platform. I praise the quality of its contents and organizaton. I have enjoyed it a great deat. It was very interesting and useful. I like the way it was organized by sections allowing the possibility of exploring different aspects of the British Culture and analysing and reinforcing grammar contents. The interviews, videos, and the Facebook talk offered by the expers were great, as well as the comments made by the tutors. The course was absolutely enriching. The suggestions given and resources offered are priceless and challenging, so I look forward to working on them soon.
  • Anonymous
    This course was great, too short for me. I hope British Coucil will propose more courses maybe on literature, pronunciation.
    I really enjoy this course, it was interesting and I will see in more details all the references and links given to us. Thank you so much! Thank you to British Council! I loved it
  • Profile image for Marlena Bier
    Marlena Bier

    Marlena Bier is taking this course right now and found the course difficulty to be medium.

    It's not only great opportunity to improve your language but also really great fun! I enjoy every minute of this course. I think that the best part of the course is the contact with different people from all over the world. Everyone are friendly and...
  • The course is mind blowing, it makes us familiar with British culture and it's language. I learned a lot in these past two weeks and I enjoyed it too. Go for it if you are eager to explore British culture and their language. You won't regret joining the course.
  • Anonymous
    I've really enjoyed this course and I'm sad I'm finishing it.
    In my opinion, the contents of 3rd and 4th week have been the most interesting ones, this could be because English country life and literature are my favorite topics about UK?
    Yes, this is the reason!
    I just want to thank all the team of educators who are behind the scenes, working and preparing the materials and resources that help us students to learn this fantastic language.
    I will do another British Council course, for sure!
  • Anonymous
    I definitely liked this course because a read and see different kind of material and learn through different topic, I read about the culture, a little of history from UK and it was really funny, I enjoyed all of the parts of this.
  • Anonymous
    I like this course.
    Sometimes its boring. I dont like to communicate in post.
    I have one desire - lets implement personal vocabulary in the course. I think its helpful for each student. I write all new world in my notebook.
    Thank you

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