Free Online Courses

Course / Program Name: An Introduction To Business Cultures

Hosted by / Sponsored by: LearningSpace

Course of Study: Learning to understand business cultures

Course Link: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/c/ec/32.htm

This introduction to business cultures will teach you how culture is just one perspective that can help us to understand more about a business. ‘

You’ll also learn that culture is a metaphor which can be used to explore the identity of a business.

In this course you’ll study Hofstede’s five Cultural Dimensions Resource, and a series of perspectives that we might use to achieve a different insight into business was introduced by Morgan (1986) in his book entitled Images of an Organization.

You will also receive working abroad resources.

Furthermore, you’ll be provided with definitions of organizational culture and culture as socialization.

You’ll learn about symbols within business resources, and how academics and managers attempted to diagnose these largely hidden aspects of business.

This course tackles factors influencing culture.

If you’ve never considered business cultures, this course is a great place to begin.

Course / Program Name: French

Hosted by / Sponsored by: The French Tutorial

Course of Study: French

Course Link: Take this course

Description: This would be a great site to check out, especially if you are heading out to France for the summer. The French Tutorial offers choice selections of web based learning materials that suit your interests. The lessons are broken into chapters and offer step-by-step guides to the language that include audio files, printable materials and even exams. You’ll get interactive tutorials that offer a personal approach to the structure and dynamics of the language.

You may choose from a standard, personal or deluxe lessons depending on your level and preference. Be sure to read carefully the registration process and only select items that are designated as free.  Enjoy and Vive la France!

Course / Program Name: English Grammar in Context

Hosted by / Sponsored by: The Open University

Course of Study: Writing / Literature

Course Link: Take This Course

Description: Aimed at the more advanced writer, this free online course is designed to show you the importance of grammar in your writing, utilizing the already sound knowledge of grammar that learners are expected to bring with them to the course.

Looking at everything from the power of grammar to how its meaning has changed through history and from the contextual variation of grammar to exploring topics such as ellipsis and dysfluency, this 15 hour course is divided up into easy to digest subjects and is a very interesting course for anyone looking to further their writing skills.

Course / Program Name: Heidegger’s Being and Time, Division II

Hosted by / Sponsored by: UC Berkeley

Course of Study: Philosophy

Course Link: Take this course

Description: This course is a seminar style podcast from Berkeley College, which attempts to explicate Division II of Martin Heidegger’s seminal philosophical book, Being and Time. His work is widely considered one of the most influential of the 20^th century, for departing from traditional Western abstract assumptions about the meaning of Being. Heidegger redefines Being within the context of time and emphasizes the authentic existence of Being in the world. The course is an in-depth philosophical challenge for interpreting the many concepts and possible meanings around Heidegger’s ideas on Being.

Lecture Topics:

Guilt and Resoluteness

Being-towards-Death

Anticipatory Resoluteness

Temporality and Historicity

Authentic Temporality, the Phenomenon

Temporality of Being-in-the-World

The Ordinary Conception of Time

Genesis of the Ordinary Conception of Time

Temporalitat, Basic Problems

Ontological Difference, Basic Problems

Course / Program Name: Speak For Success Course

Hosted by / Sponsored by: About.com

Course of Study: Learning to master speaking effectively

Course Link: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/c/ec/32.htm

You must master communication skills, if you want your business to succeed.

Good communication is essential for sales. If you cannot speak well with your clients, they’ll find someone else to do business with.

Communication is essential in management, also. If you fail to communicate successfully with your management group, your sales people, and/or your banking folks, messages will get confused and may even turn into serious problems.

Communication is also a big part of marketing. Even the best laid plan will falter if you don’t present an accurate message to possible customers.  Worse still, you’ll give them the wrong message.

And when it comes to communication, being able to speak well is one of the most important abilities.

If you desire to leave a good impression with what you say, and if you want to make face-to-face encounters go smoothly, without ruffling any feathers, this is a great class for you.

This Speak for Success course is comprised of six speaking sessions and a wrap-up. It results in helping improve your oral communication abilities. With each session, you’ll focus on a particular speech tool by being exposed to similar speech troubles and participating in exercises prepared to weed out that speech no-no.

All of us pick up bad speaking habits along the way, which cause others to misunderstand us or resist listening to what we have to say. This course’s sessions for improving oral communications will turn you into a more professional and polished speaker. In the end, you’ll have  the tool of effective communication, which will lead directly to business success.

Here’s what you should know,  before you sign up for this course:

• Type in your email address with care. If you make a type, the teacher will get a “bounced” email and have no method of notifying you.
• Because of the large proportion of spam,  the teacher cannot individually reply to any anti-spam ISP you might incorporate.  Therefore, if you’re blocking email email until an actual person sends it, you’ll need to turn it off to receive the class, OR include sbinfocanada.guide@about.com in your “approved” email list.
• If you intend to work at a faster pace, click on the “Missed Lessons” link at the bottom of each lesson, and select the lesson(s) that you want receive right away.

This course lasts seven weeks. You’ll get lesson one the moment you sign up, and then a new topic each week thereafter.

Course / Program Name: Practice of Art: Foundations of American Cyber-Culture

Hosted by / Sponsored by: UC Berkeley

Course of Study: Media Studies

Course Link: Take this course

Description: Watch and listen to over 25 webcast lectures from University of Berkeley, which explore New Media in American Cyber-Culture. Integral to the course is how different ethnicities access information and the impact on people’s pursuit of happiness and sense of success.

The course theorizes changes in media over the past 500 years, from early print to current technologies. Many issues are examined in relation to the  modern speed of producing information, how it is accessed, utilized and made available. Some topics include networking, GPS, social media, copyrighting and much more.

Course / Program Name: Learn Greek

Hosted by / Sponsored by: Krypos.org

Course of Study: Greek

Course Link:  Take this course

Description: Anyone who dreams of a Greek cruise should have one thing mastered before going: the Greek language. Here’s an opportunity to learn both the modern and ancient Greek language completely free. With a vast collection of 105 audio files, Krypos.org offers a range of lessons for the beginner to advanced level learners. Choose from any skill level and tap into a beautiful and historical language.

Each of the audio lessons run about fifteen minutes each. You’ll have access to tutorials and notes, collaborative tools to help you learn and various language resources. Registration is required to use the site and donations are kindly requested, but this is completely optional because the lessons are free.

Course / Program Name: Playwriting

Hosted by / Sponsored by: MIT

Course of Study: Writing / Literature

Course Link: Take This Course

Description: A course that was first taught to MIT students in Spring 2005, it has been made available for anyone to take completely free of charge, with the aim being to act as an introduction for those wanting to start writing for the stage.

Delivered by Laura Harrington, this free online course is divided into a dozen individual topics, from first understanding what exactly a play is and how it is defined through to the importance of actions as well as words and finishing with analyzing other amateur plays.

With each session expected to last around 3 hours, this course isn’t a quick one but it is particularly in depth and should provide any beginner to playwriting with a fantastic insight into this type of writing.

Course / Program Name: Tip of the Week for Success in Work and Life

Hosted by / Sponsored by: About.com

Course of Study: Thoughtful quotations, self-motivation ideas, managing and working well with people tips, newsletter fillers, news about trends affecting workplaces and more

Course Link: http://humanresources.about.com/c/ec/4.htm

Do you find yourself seeking a hopeful phrase to give you a lift right away? If so, Your Tip of the Week for Success in Work and Life provides you with a weekly jolt of quotations, great ideas, motivational thoughts, management and people skills suggestions, as well as workplace trends. This regular email will make you feel good, make your heart smile, and provide you with information you can use.

This is a forty-one week course, which always includes helpful hints and links to a pair of articles for you to delve deeper into the topic at hand. However, you’ll be helped even if you don’t take advantage of the articles.

Every tip — although not the articles — can be reproduced within your company publications, your speeches, and on the internet, so long as a source citation is included.

Simply put, this course provides news you can use.

Course / Program Name: Learn Spanish

Hosted by / Sponsored by: StudySpanish.com

Course of Study: Spanish

Course Link: Take this course

Description: The best way to learn a new language is to actually use it in conversations. That’s the goal of StudySpanish.com, a website that offers lessons and activities aimed at making the language more accessible. The site boasts over a thousand pages of materials, including myriad resources, lessons and downloadable extras.

There’s no one place to start. But, if you’re new to the Spanish language, then the best place to start is the Beginner Spanish lessons. Others may choose the Intermediate Spanish or Advanced Spanish. The site offers resources, such as, audio files to help with correct pronunciation, quizzes, drills and even a word of the day feature.

Anyone who’s serious about taking their studies further may want to explore the travel or study abroad opportunities. All you have to do is sign up as a free student member with your email and you’re all set to begin learning this popular romance language.