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Discovering Wales and Welsh

Discovering Wales and Welsh is a 100-hour online course for anyone interested in learning about Wales and acquiring basic language skills in Welsh. The course is divided into five themes, each consisting of two units which devote approximately equal amounts of time to key aspects of Welsh culture and learning Welsh.  You will work with a variety of materials including audio and video and will have access to a dedicated website, forum and learning advisers. The course has no formal assessment but you will be able to test your knowledge by completing two quizzes.

Standalone study only

You will not be awarded credits for studying this course. It is available for standalone study only and cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Short course

Short course code

LG001

Credits

This is a non-credit bearing course.

Study method

Distance Learning

Short course cost

See Registration

Entry requirements

See Entry requirements
Course details Entry requirements Registration Study materials

What you will study

The five themes of the course are: People, Culture, Place, Language and Nation. 

Each theme consists of two units. The first will teach you the basics of the Welsh language, while the second will provide you with key knowledge about Wales as a nation today. Throughout the course you can study the language units independently from the units that focus on discovering Wales or you can alternate between the two.

  • Under People, you will explore who the Welsh are, through the lives of some key figures such as Owain Glyndwr and Dylan Thomas and in the language unit you will learn how to greet others and introduce yourself. 
  • Under Culture, you will look at how Wales has been shaped by some significant cultural factors such as the chapel and the media. In the language unit, you will learn how to order food and drink and talk about what you like doing in your leisure time. 
  • Place will focus on exploring the geographical features and resources that Wales offers and how these have had an impact on what Wales is today. The language unit will teach you how to say where you live, and you will learn how to ask for and understand directions. 
  • Language will give you the opportunity to explore the origins of the Welsh language as well as its current status. In the language unit, you will learn how to talk about what you did last in the past.  
  • Under Nation, you will look at how politics play a role in defining the nation and its people and what being Welsh means for the Welsh today.  In the language unit, you will continue to talk about the past, and learn how to say, for example, where you went on holiday and what you did.
This course does not count towards any formal qualification, but you will be able to test your knowledge via two quizzes at the end of the course. Once completed, you will be able to download a Statement of participation.
 
The course will be delivered entirely online via a dedicated website containing:
  •  interactive activities and all your study resources including video and audio clips
  •  a course forum where you can interact with other students and a Learning Adviser

Learner support

Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you directly. Other support is available via the course forum, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.


Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements to this course. You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a time period of between six and 18 months depending on your course registration date and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment. 

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.

Course length

This course will require around 100 hours to complete.

Register

Start End England fee Register
At anytime before registration end date Jun 2024 - see Entry requirements for more detail £195.00

Registration closes 31/12/2023

Register

Ways to pay

Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Sponsorship – If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.

The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2023/24 academic year. Fees normally increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.

Can you study an Access module for free?

In order to qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a personal income of less than £25,000 (or receive qualifying benefits)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above, or completed 30 credits or more of OU study

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069 or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

A dedicated website with online activities and audio-visual resources is included in this course. You will also have access to an online forum where you can communicate with fellow-students and Learning Advisers. Please note there is no tuition on this course and all study is self-directed.

Computing requirements

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS (11 'Big Sur' or higher).

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure that you look at our website.