Free Short Courses: English Language, Literature, and More

Changelog

Changelog:
Intro to Philosophy - Added
Research Methods for English Studies - Added
Critical Thinking Skills - Added

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Discover carefully curated programmes in literature, language & critical thought

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Critical Thought & Society

Thinking rigorously about power, ethics and the world we share

Beginner
🧠

Critical Thinking Skills

Develop clear reasoning, detect fallacies and construct sound arguments in academic and everyday contexts.

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Intermediate
🌱

Prefigurative Politics

Explore how social movements embody the future they seek to create through everyday practices and organising.

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🌳

Social Ecology

Examine the deep links between ecological crises and social hierarchies, drawing on Bookchin and beyond.

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Beginner
🤝

Ethics & Etiquettes 101

Build a practical foundation in ethical reasoning and the social codes that shape respectful interaction.

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Intermediate
📚

Critical Pedagogy

Engage with Freire and others to rethink education as a practice of freedom and social transformation.

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Beginner
💭

Intro to Philosophy

An accessible entry into major philosophical questions of knowledge, reality, ethics and the good life.

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New
💞

Relationship and Sex Education

A thoughtful, inclusive exploration of healthy relationships, consent, identity and well-being.

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Foundations of Literature

Core skills and entry points into literary study

Beginner
📖

Literature 101

A welcoming introduction to the major genres and the pleasure of careful literary reading.

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Beginner
🔎

Introduction to Literary Studies

Learn the key methods, terms and questions that shape the academic study of literature.

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Intermediate
🌊

Introduction to Literary Movements

Trace the major movements that have shaped literature from Romanticism to the present.

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Beginner
📝

Introduction to Textual Analysis

Build practical skills in close reading and the interpretation of literary and cultural texts.

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Beginner
💬

Functional English

Strengthen practical English skills for academic, professional and everyday communication.

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Intermediate
✍️

Expository Writing

Master clear, structured and persuasive writing for academic and professional purposes.

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British Literary History

From medieval texts to the postmodern present

🏰

British Literary History: Medieval to Romantic

Survey the major authors, forms and cultural contexts from Chaucer through the Romantics.

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🕰️

British Literary History: Victorian to Postmodern

Continue the story from the Victorians through modernism and into contemporary writing.

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Intermediate
🌹

Poetry: 14th to 19th Century

Read major English poems from the late Middle Ages through the Romantic and Victorian eras.

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📕

Novel: 18th & 19th Century

Explore the rise of the novel through Defoe, Austen, the Brontës, Dickens and Eliot.

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Language & Linguistics

How language works — sound, structure and meaning

Intermediate
🔊

Introduction to Phonetics & Phonology

Study the sounds of speech and the systematic patterns that organise them in language.

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Intermediate
🧩

Syntax

Analyse how words combine into phrases and sentences across different theoretical approaches.

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Advanced
💡

Semantics and Pragmatics

Investigate how meaning is encoded in language and how context shapes interpretation.

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Intermediate
🎨

Stylistics

Apply linguistic tools to the analysis of literary style and the language of texts.

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Intermediate
🎵

Intro to Prosody

Learn the principles of metre, rhythm and sound patterning in poetry and verse.

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Drama, Poetry & Prose

Genre-focused explorations of form and tradition

Advanced
🎭

Classical Drama

Study the origins of Western drama through Greek and Roman tragedy and comedy.

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Advanced
🎭

Absurdist Literature

Study the classics of absurdist literature and explore its core themes.

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Intermediate
🎬

Modern Drama

From Ibsen and Chekhov to Beckett and beyond—explore the evolution of modern theatre.

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Intermediate

Modern Poetry

Engage with the formal experiments and voices that redefined poetry in the twentieth century.

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New
📰

Non-Fiction

Explore the art of the essay, memoir and creative nonfiction across historical periods.

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New
🖊️

Short Story Writing

Develop craft, voice and narrative technique through the writing and workshopping of short fiction.

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Theory, Research & Global Literatures

Critical frameworks and literatures beyond Britain

Advanced
📐

Literary Theory and Criticism

Survey major theoretical approaches and learn to apply them to literary texts.

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Intermediate
🔬

Research Methods for English Studies

Gain practical skills in research design, archival work, citation and academic writing.

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🗽

American Literature

From the American Renaissance to contemporary voices, explore a rich national tradition.

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🪶

Indigenous Literature

Engage with the diverse voices, forms and traditions of Indigenous writing and storytelling.

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