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'Talk the Talk': Level 1 Introductory (12 hours study)

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'Talk the Talk': Level 1 Introductory (12 hours study)

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What this course is about: it provides you with the language and strategies to deliver talks with a difference. It aims to boost your confidence and turn public speaking into a valuable experience.

What made me choose it: I have to do a GCSE English presentation and I need help!

Progress so far: I’ve watched the introductory videos and decided on a subject for my talk (part of the course is make your own five-minute talk).

What’s good about it: there are lots of example videos like TED Talks to learn from by analysing how successful speakers are effective and you are invited to apply these techniques to your own talk.

Recommendation: great for people who aren’t that confident at public speaking but also useful for people at any level to improve their approach.

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What this course is about:

The course is about speaking french specifically about food and drink, my likes and dislikes and how to order food. It should improve my ability to understand conversations and create sentences. I will also learn about French culture.

What made me choose it:

I chose this because I am learning French outside of college so i thought this would help me with that.

Progress so far:

I have completed the course.

What is good about it:

There are many sound clips for a lot of the questions. This is good for me to get used to the way words sound and how they sound in certain sentences. There was also a lot of repetition of certain words and phrases which helped me remember them more.

Recommendation:

I would definitely recommend this to people who have a bit of french knowledge, if you are a complete beginner I would perhaps start with something else. As someone who can only speak a little french i found it only slightly challenging.

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Making creativity and innovation happen: Level 2 Intermediate, 10 hours

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Making creativity and innovation happen: Level 2 Intermediate, 10 hours

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What this course is about: Creativity and innovation address ways of doing things better and differently. This free course, Making creativity and innovation happen, focuses both on individual creativity – where it comes from and how it can be developed – as well as creativity and the related concept of innovation at an organisational level. It considers how organisations can more effectively tackle the challenges posed by creativity and innovation in order to be more successful.

What made me choose it: I am studying furniture design and making at Coleg Ceredigion. I am also a qualified jeweller and silversmith. I am planning to start a business making and selling jewellery in wooden presentation boxes while still at college. I chose this course because I think it will help me to think creatively and innovatively and give me a better chance of being successful.

Progress so far: I have completed the course. I have read about what makes people creative and how to set up an environment that helps people to be innovative. There are quotes from experts and short videos. There are also opportunities for reflection.

What’s good about it: The course is very thought provoking and has made me think about times when I am creative and what helps to make me more creative, e.g. enhancing my creative confidence and thinking critically. The course makes you understand that constraints actually encourage creativity. For me the best part was at the end of the course, learning about strategic creativity which enables everyone in an organisation to be creative.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course for any student who is thinking of setting up their own business or looking for an apprenticeship.

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What happens to you when you read: Level 1: Introductory, 3 Hours of study

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What happens to you when you read: Level 1: Introductory, 3 Hours of study

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What this course is about: The course explores the relationship between us and a good book, how it gets us immersed and how we are able to find us feeling for the characters or events of a story. It can also encourage us to develop our own creative mind after reading a book or reading anything that draws our attention.

What made me choose it: I wanted to explore further how a book or piece of literature can affect us and how a good piece of literature is able to intrigue and draw in a reader.

Progress so far: 100%, most of the course required a bit of reading and learning about how a piece of literature and how an author writes has changed with human psychology and evolution. There was a few opportunities as well to get creative in there as well.

What’s good about it: The different topics covered throughout the course were always interesting.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course to anyone looking to go into creative writing or any sort of creative subject since it allows you as the artist/writer to be more intricate with what you are writing or creating

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Start writing fiction: Level 1: Introductory, 12 hours of study

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Start writing fiction: Level 1: Introductory, 12 hours of study

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What this course is about: Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This free course, Start writing fiction, will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and settings. You will also be able to look at the different genres for fiction.

What made me choose it: I wanted to improve my way of writing fiction for literature or even when thinking of planning a theatrical production’s story.

Progress so far: 100% - The course helped me think deeper about when developing characters and content.

What’s good about it: The different topics covered throughout the course were very interesting.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course to anyone looking to go into creative writing or any sort of creative subject since it allows you as the artist/writer to be more intricate with what you are writing or creating

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Beginners Italian food and drink, Level 1 , Hours of study 4

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Beginners Italian food and drink, Level 1 , Hours of study 4

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What this course is about: It teaches you the knowledge and vocabulary to be able to understand the most common food and drinks and how to order them.

What made me choose it: I thought it might be interesting, as i have interests in cooking and I thought it would be interesting to learn the cultural differences.

Progress so far: I have complete the course and learned how to order in Italian and the name of foods and drinks..

What’s good about it: It teaches you how to pronounce the names of different drinks correctly. it also teaches you the order in which you should order your food.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course for anyone looking to travel to Italy and would like to know the names of different drinks and how to order.

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Getting started with Spanish 1: Level 1 Introductory,  hours

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Getting started with Spanish 1: Level 1 Introductory,  hours

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What this course is about: If you want to learn a new language for work or for leisure, this free course will introduce you to one of the most widely spoken languages in the world – Spanish. Whether this is the first time that you are learning Spanish, or you have already picked up some words and phrases from travelling across the Spanish-speaking world, this course is for you.

This introduction offers the perfect opportunity to develop the skills needed to communicate effectively in Spanish in everyday contexts.

What made me choose it: I enjoy learning languages. I speak Welsh, English, French and German already. I find that a lot of the words in Spanish are similar to Welsh and French so I think learning it should be fairly easy. My daughters want to take me to Lanzarote but I like to be able to speak the language of the places I visit. I would also like to go to Patagonia where the people speak Welsh and Spanish.

Progress so far: I have completed the course. I have learnt some simple Spanish phrases. I listen to conversations and there are questions about what I heard. There are also tasks for speaking the language, either repeating or thinking what to say in different situations.

What’s good about it: The course is enjoyable. You hear real Spanish speakers. There is a mixture of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course for any student who enjoys learning languages or who goes to a Spanish speaking for holidays or other visits.

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Start Writing Fiction: Level 1 Introductory, 24 Hours

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Start Writing Fiction: Level 1 Introductory, 24 Hours

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What this course is about: This course acts as a guide to fiction and how to create compelling characters and stories.

What made me choose it: I chose this course because I am passionate about writing. Currently, I’m writing stories based on Archibald the Koala, a TV show from the 2000s. I was a tad overwhelmed when I started college in September. To give myself time to get used to college, I took a hiatus from writing. The main reason I chose this course was because I really want to get back into the swing of things.

Progress so far: The tasks are split into 8 weeks. So far, I have only completed the tasks for week 1. According to the progress bar, I have completed 14% of the tasks. The first few tasks were all about how to create a unique character. I was tasked with watching a video about random people going about their lives. After watching the video, I wrote down backstories for some of the characters in my writer’s journal. This helped me to brainstorm ideas for my own characters.

What’s good about it: This course is amazing so far. It has really helped me to understand what I should be focusing on when creating characters. Instead of backstories, I should try to focus on their appearance. Especially if I am trying to describe them to a friend.

Recommendation: I would honestly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in writing. The tasks are easy to understand and could even help to inspire your own work. Even if you think you are an excellent writer, I implore you to at least try completing the first few activities. After all, practice makes perfect.

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Getting started with Spanish 3: Level 1 Introductory, 8 hours

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Getting started with Spanish 3: Level 1 Introductory, 8 hours

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What this course is about: Practising useful skills such as how to greet people in different contexts, how to invite friends to go out with you and how to accept or decline invitations.

What made me choose it: I had completed Getting started with Spanish 1 and 2 and I wanted to go further in my studies.

Progress so far: I completed the course and got a certificate from the Open University.

What’s good about it: You hear a lot of conversations in Spanish which helps you to listen and also to get the pronunciation correct. You can also see a transcript of the conversations if you find it difficult to know what they are saying. You get lots of opportunities to speak Spanish.

Recommendation: You need to know quite a bit of Spanish before doing this course. It progresses at quite a speed. I think it would be good to combine this course with learning a bit of written Spanish and learn a bit of grammar and vocabulary. There is a lot of new vocabulary.

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Panic attacks: what they are and what to do about them: Level 2, 3 Hours of study

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Panic attacks: what they are and what to do about them: Level 2, 3 Hours of study

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What this course is about:

Panic attacks: what they are and what to do about them is a short course which allows anyone to understand more about them, what causes them, the signs of them etc. This course gives a good understanding to non-medical professionals who may have family and friends around them that experience panic attacks, or if you yourself experience them.

What made me choose it: My friend has panic attacks often and I thought since the course is free and there in front of me it would be a good opportunity to learn more about them in the event it could be useful someday.

Progress so far: 100% completed

What’s good about it: It gives people a basic but good amount of knowledge relating to panic attacks which could always come in useful.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course to anyone who has friends and or family that experience panic attacks.

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Recording music and sound (Level 2) - 8 hours study

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Recording music and sound (Level 2) - 8 hours study

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What is this course about: The course educates those who are interested in the evolution of sound design and those who have influenced it. What made me choose it: I wanted to learn more about sound design and those who have influenced its change and evolution. Progress so far: I have completed it. What's good about it: It was quite easy to get through with no deviations throughout, it was a straight forward course. Recommendation: Would recommend anyone passionate about music and sound design to take the course.

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What this course is about: the introduction to cyber security course explains the basics of cyber security and online safety. It teaches how cyber attacks happen, the risks people face online and the steps individuals and businesses can take to stay secure.

What made me choose it: I chose this course because cyber security is becoming more important in everyday life and in the lT industry. I wanted to improve my understanding of online threats and learn practical ways to stay safe online.

Progress so far: I have completed the course 100%. The course includes reading materials, short quizzes and activities.

What's good about it: One of the best things about the course is that it explains technical topics in a simple and easy-to-understand way. The lessons are well organised and suitable for beginners.

Recommendation: I would recommend this course to students, beginners and anyone who wants to improve their online safety knowledge.