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.

Syllabus

Week 1
English: the global language
- Getting started
  Find out how to use FutureLearn and meet your British Council tutors
- Why is English a global language?
  Think about why English is so widely used
- Technology and language learning
  How does technology help you learn?
- Language focus: passives
  A look at how and when we use the passive voice
- Useful expressions
  Some useful vocabulary from this week
- Summary of Week 1
  A final round up and a discussion of your experiences of learning English
Week 2
Music: making a difference
- Introducing the topic - British music
  What does British music mean to you?
- Music and society
  Watch a video about a music project in the south of England and think about how music can make a difference to people's lives
- Language focus: clauses
  A look at some of the language used in the video
- Live Music
  Find out about how the UK watches live music.
- Summary of Week 2
  A final round up and a discussion of the role of music in social change
Week 3
Countryside: a green and pleasant land
- Introducing the topic - what is Britain like?
  What do people think about the British countryside?
- Looking at the countryside
  Watch a short video of a visit to the Lake District in north west England
- The United Kingdom
  A look at the different parts of the UK
- Language focus: description
  A look at ways of making your use of language more descriptive
- Summary of Week 3
  A final round up and a discussion of the countryside where you live
Week 4
Literature: books and identity
- Introducing the topic - Literature
  A quiz about British literature and your thoughts on Shakespeare
- The Globe Theatre
  Watch a video about the Globe Theatre in London
- Language focus: comparatives and superlatives
  Nicole talks about some of the language we heard in the video
- Roald Dahl
  A look at the life and works of the author Roald Dahl.
- Summary of Week 4
  A round up of what we covered in Week 4 and a discussion of literature

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now
Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Reflect on different popular culture topics as well as ways of life in the UK
Explore English as a global language
Develop your listening skills as you watch authentic examples of people speaking English
Reflect on language in use
Develop language skills and practise using new language
Discuss the countryside, music, and literature

Who is the course for?

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

Who developed the course?

British Council

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.

We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million people overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn