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Latest Arts and Humanities OpenLearn units

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  • English in the world today
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    How did English become the global force it is today? This unit explores the state and status of English in the world. It looks at the diversity of English around the globe, at how social and political factors influence people's attitudes towards the language, and at the relationship between one's linguistic heritage and sense of identity. First published on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 as English in the world today. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2013
  • Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit concentrates on Sam Selvon’s twentieth-century novel, The Lonely Londoners. It considers the depiction of migration in the text as well as Selvon’s treatment of memory as a vital part of the migrant’s experience. First published on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 as Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2012
  • Making sense of art history
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    In this unit you’ll explore art history. Look around you, it’s likely that wherever you are you’ll be able to see some images, it’s also likely that many of these image will be intended to have some sort of effect on you. Here you will be exploring the power of images via a study of contemporary art from the 1980s onwards. Taking the time to look beyond the immediate appearance of an art work to consider what the artist might be trying to say can be immensely rewarding. First published on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 as Making sense of art history. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2012
  • Cultures
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    In this unit you will address the question of traditional music and music from the francophone world and you will examine the place they occupy in the world of artistic creation. The unit is divided into three sections: 'Is traditional music, current music?,' 'The musical heritage of Normandy' and 'Music of the francophone world.' First published on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 as Cultures. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit concentrates on Acts 1 and 2 of John Webster’s Renaissance tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi. It focuses on the representation of marriage for love and the social conflicts to which it gives rise. The unit is designed to hone your skills of textual analysis. First published on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 as John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Studying the arts and humanities
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit is an introduction to studying the arts and humanities. It takes you through a series of exercises designed to develop your approach to study and learning at a distance and improve your confidence as an independent learner. First published on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 as Studying the arts and humanities. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • History as commemoration
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    Commemoration – remembering and marking your past – makes an important contribution to our sense of community. Written texts, memorials, letters and photographs can all serve to commemorate events, people and values we wish to remember from our past. First published on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 as History as commemoration. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Form and uses of language
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    In this unit we will consider how language can be used in different ways for different purposes. To do this we will use the theme of memorial and commemoration. In the first section we briefly discuss the life of the poet Siegfried Sassoon before examining both his poetry and prose. Through this we will see how he conveys meaning in different ways for different audiences using different forms. Following this we discuss more generally how different meanings can be conveyed using prose and poetic language. First published on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 as Form and uses of language. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Voice-leading analysis of music 1: the foreground
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit introduces ‘voice-leading’ or ‘Schenkerian’ analysis, perhaps the most widely-used and discussed method of analysing tonal music. In this unit, this method is explained through the analysis of piano sonatas by Mozart. The unit is the first in the AA314 series of three units on this form of harmonic analysis, and concentrates on the ‘foreground level’ of voice leading. As you work through this unit, you will become familiar with five complete movements of Mozart’s piano sonatas, as well as shorter extracts from some of his other sonatas. First published on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 as Voice-leading analysis of music 1: the foreground. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Voice-leading analysis of music 2: the middleground
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit continues our examination of ‘voice-leading’ or ‘Schenkerian’ analysis, perhaps the most widely-used and discussed method of analysing tonal music. In this unit, this method is explained through the analysis of piano sonatas by Mozart. The unit is the second in the AA314 series of three units on this form of harmonic analysis, and concentrates on the ‘middleground level’ of voice leading. As you work through this unit, you will become familiar with the deeper levels of harmony in Mozart’s piano sonatas. First published on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 as Voice-leading analysis of music 2: the middleground. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Schubert's Lieder: Settings of Goethe's Poems
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit looks at the short poems in German that were set to music by Franz Schubert (1797–1828) for a single voice with piano, a genre known as ‘Lieder’ (the German for ‘songs’). Once they became widely known, Schubert's Lieder influenced generations of songwriters up to the present day.This unit then discusses a selection of Schubert's settings of Goethe's poems, and recordings of all of them are provided. You can find the poems, in German with parallel translations into English and the music scores of four of the song settings, on the unit home page. You are not expected to be able to read the music, but even if you are not very familiar with musical notation, you may well find the scores useful in identifying what is happening in the songs. First published on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 as Schubert's Lieder: Settings of Goethe's Poems. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Commemoration: Visual texts
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit explores the commemoration of war through treating two war memorials – the Sandham Memorial Chapel and the Royal Artillery Memorial – as 'visual texts'. By helping you to respond to visual cues the unit aims for you to develop your understanding of these memorials, not only as memorials, but as artefacts or 'made objects'. It does this through consideration of such factors as the location of the monument; its function and purpose; its symbolism or realism; use of materials and overall form. First published on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 as Commemoration: Visual texts. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • What is good writing?
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    Does the idea of essay writing put you off the idea of studying? This unit will help you to realise that essays are not to be feared. You will learn how important it is to answer the question that is set and that your style of writing is as communicative as possible. First published on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 as What is good writing?. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Business English: Presenting the decision
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    Do you want to relocate to the UK? This unit will help you with the language difficulties that can arise while providing assistance with the practicalities of moving your company and its relocating its employees. You will also learn how other companies have approached this task. First published on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 as Business English: Presenting the decision. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Approaching literature: Reading Great Expectations
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    This unit considers some of the different ways of reading Great Expectations, based on the type of genre the book belongs to. This is one of the most familiar and fundamental ways of approaching literary texts. The novel broadens the scope of study of a realist novel, in both literary and historical terms. The unit includes extracts from critical writings, which are discussed in detail. First published on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 as Approaching literature: Reading Great Expectations. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011
  • Business English: Researching a new location
    Tue, 09/07/2013 - 10:06
    Do you want to relocate to the UK? This unit will help you with the language difficulties that can arise while providing assistance with the practicalities of taking the decision to relocate. You will also examine the factors that influence that decision including its impact on all those connected with the company from employees to suppliers and customers. First published on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 as Business English: Researching a new location. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Creative-Commons 2011

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