Core Skills Foundation Bundle Certificate

Basic English Course

English is a complex language for everyone, native speakers and non-native speakers alike. Understanding the building blocks of the language can be complicated unless you are able to break things down into individual elements. When it comes to learning how to read and write in English, learning more about sentence structure and verb tense can take you far.

This course gives you an overview of the basic English skills you can use to form a solid foundation. We begin by talking about sentence structure, breaking sentences down into individual parts and reviewing the details behind each one. This section also contains examples to illustrate each point. Next, we talk about elements that add more information to sentences, including objects, complements, modifiers and adverbials. Information about verb tenses along with a sample of each one follows. Finally, we include a brief discussion about formal and informal English, giving you guidelines you can use to determine when each type is appropriate.

You Will Learn:

• Information about the two necessary parts of a sentence, along with the three types of each
• The difference between a direct and an indirect object
• The four different types of present tense
• The four different types of past tense and when to use each one
• The four different types of future tense

Benefits of Taking This Course

• Learn more about the building blocks of English communication
• Learn when it is appropriate to use informal language and when it is better to adapt a more formal tone
• If you are currently teaching English as a second language, learn more about the fundamentals of reading and writing in English
• If you are currently learning English, understand more about how to form grammatically correct sentences to ensure your message is understood
• If you are thinking about teaching basic English to non-native speakers, refresh your own skills by taking this course

Basic Maths Course

Struggling with basic maths is common. Close to 40% of the population in the UK reportedly struggle with basic concepts like fractions and ratios. While you may not have to take maths tests often in your adult life, lacking skills in this area can make things more complicated. For example, a solid understanding of how ratios and proportions work can make mental maths a lot easier. Developing your maths skills has a whole host of real-world, immediate benefits.

This course gives you an overview of several basic maths skills. We begin by talking about BODMAS, giving you a practical example you can use to follow along. Next, we review fractions and include a discussion of mixed numbers. Finally, we discuss ratios and proportions. By the end of this course, you should be confident enough with these basic maths skills to tackle more complex work.

You Will Learn:

• Several key terms used to describe maths operations
• What the proper order of operations is when tackling a complex mathematical equation
• What the difference between a numerator and a denominator is and how to differentiate a proper fraction from an improper one
• What the difference between a ratio and a proportion is, as well as how to express each concept mathematically
• How to use proportions to solve mathematical equations

Benefits of Taking This Course

• Obtain a solid foundation in maths you can use to pursue the subject at more advanced levels
• Learn more about how you can apply mathematical concepts to your everyday life
• If you have been out of education for a number of years, get a refresher on basic maths skills that you may have forgotten
• If you are currently a student focusing on the arts or other related subjects, brush up on your basic maths skills before taking qualifying exams
• If you are a teacher, learn more about the basic maths skills your students may not fully understand, along with how you can help teach them

English Grammar — Improve Your English Course

English is a notoriously difficult language to get right, especially when it comes to its written form. The rules of English grammar can seem arbitrary and are difficult even for native speakers to grasp fully. However, as complicated and difficult as mastering English grammar can be, it is an essential part of improving your written and verbal communication. Without these skills, you may find it hard to get your message across in a way that others can easily understand.

This course introduces you to the basics behind English grammar. By going through both modules, you can learn enough about the rules of grammar to instantly improve your writing. We begin by talking about the nine parts of speech in detail, reviewing how to properly use each one. Next, we move on to talk about the rules surrounding punctuation marks. Finally, we leave you with a few points that you can keep in mind, when you are proofreading your work.

You Will Learn:

• The difference between a noun, a pronoun and a proper noun
• When to use adverbs and adjectives and how to use them properly
• The rules of comma use, including a discussion about the Oxford comma
• How to properly use apostrophes and when to avoid using them
• The difference between a run-on sentence, a comma splice and a sentence fragment, along with how to avoid each one in your work

Benefits of Taking This Course:

• Understand why it is important to work on and perfect your grammar
• Ensure your message is clearly understood by your audience
• Learn about the four most common mistakes that people make when writing and how to avoid them
• If you are a non-native English speaker, you can learn more about the rules of grammar, helping to improve your grasp of the language, resulting in better communication skills
• If you are a native English speaker, this course can help you take your writing to the next level

Learn Speed Reading Certificate Course

Whatever your occupation, learning to read and assimilate written information will put you at a great advantage. However, reading quickly is not easy. Most people struggle to read more than a couple of hundred words per minute.

This course will teach you speed reading techniques that will help you process information at a rapid rate, thereby improving your performance at work or college.

You will Learn:

• Why the reading methods you learned at school can reduce your reading speed
• How to help your eyes move more quickly across the page
• How to hone in on the most important words and phrases within a piece of text
• Why and how to track your success
• When speed reading is and is not appropriate

Benefits of Taking this Course

• If you have to read a lot of information as part of your job, this course will help you get through it at a much faster rate
• If you are a student, this course will help you study and revise information more efficiently
• If you work in an education or training field, this course will help you understand why some students learn at a faster rate than others
• If you want to develop your knowledge of any topic, this course will help you become well-informed within hours or days, as opposed to weeks or months

Learning to Learn Certificate Course

Learning isn’t just for teenagers and young adults – older people are increasingly likely to seek out opportunities to pick up new skills and knowledge.

In this course, you will discover why learning is beneficial to people of all ages and how to get the most from your learning journey.

You will Learn:

• Why your attitude to learning is an important determining factor of your success
• The benefits of learning in later life
• Why traditional learning techniques are not always helpful
• The two most effective learning techniques and how to use them
• How to use flashcards when studying and reviewing material

Benefits of Taking this Course:

• If you are thinking of returning to education or learning something new, this course will help you prepare for the challenges ahead
• If you are already a mature learner, this course will help you improve your performance
• If you are a teacher or trainer, this course will help you understand how your students learn
• If you are interested in educational psychology, this course will provide you with a useful insight into how we retain information
• If you are supporting a colleague, relative or friend who is starting to learn as an adult, this course will provide you with insight into the difficulties that they may face

Preparing for an Exam Course

Preparing for an exam can induce a lot of anxiety in students. Exams are often major life events, with the results determining a student’s immediate future. As a result, it is a good idea to learn study strategies and exam preparation techniques. Feeling prepared can often be the difference between a decent grade and a fantastic one.

This course goes over everything students need to know, in order to prepare for upcoming exams, regardless of the specific questions posed. We begin by talking about the importance of organisation in all areas of the student’s life, including their workspace. Next, we move on to talk about how students can learn more about the material covered in exams. This knowledge can then be applied to study sessions, helping students make the most of each one. Finally, we talk about the importance of self-care.

You Will Learn:

• Techniques to help you make better use of your time
• Strategies you can use to help make it easier to test your knowledge when you are studying
• About the importance of exercise when studying
• About the types of foods you should eat when studying for an exam, along with the foods you should avoid
• Why it is important to always get seven hours of sleep each night, even when you have a major exam to prepare for

Benefits of Taking This Course:

• Learn more about how workspace organisation can impact your ability to focus on material when studying
• Understand the importance of scheduling and time management techniques when it comes to preparing for an upcoming exam
• If you are a student, learn the specific strategies you can use to make studying for exams easier and more effective
• If you are a teacher, learn how you can teach the students in your class important exam preparation skills
• If you are a parent, learn how you can help support your child as they study for upcoming exams

Proofreading Basics Certificate Course

Proofreading is incredibly important, regardless of your job or what you are doing. Whether you are sending a text, writing a work e-mail or drafting a contract, it is crucial that your message comes across as you intended. While a lot of this depends on your word choice, much of it relies on your ability to properly proofread. Missing spelling or grammatical mistakes can be very embarrassing. In extreme cases, they can also cost you a lot of money in terms of lost clients.

This course gives you the basic information you need to become a more effective proofreader. It begins by discussing the importance of correct spelling and offers you a few warnings on how to search your documents for incorrect words. Next, we review a few grammatical rules and give you a few additional examples of common mistakes, as well as providing corrections. Punctuation mistakes are also explored in detail, with the corrections for common mistakes provided, allowing you to improve your own punctuation. While the human eye is best, it is possible to proofread a document using Microsoft Word. We provide you with a bit of guidance to make this task much easier. Finally, we review a few other proofreading tools that people often recommend, and we make our own suggestion as to which method is best.

You will Learn:

• The importance of proofreading
• How to identify common spelling mistakes
• How to identify common grammatical mistakes
• Why you also need to proofread for punctuation mistakes
• Examples of programs that can help you find mistakes

Benefits of Taking this Course

• Understanding that not all spelling mistakes are typos
• Learning a few examples of frequently misspelled words
• Learning when to use certain words in the correct context
• Understanding how to find and correct punctuation mistakes
• Learning how to use Microsoft Word for proofreading purposes

Punctuation Mastery Certificate Course

Despite the fact that we all have spelling and grammar checkers at our disposal, it is still important to master the basic rules of punctuation. Checking software is far from perfect and it is still up to a writer to correctly punctuate their message. In this course, you will learn how to correctly use common punctuation marks and write with greater clarity.

You Will Learn:

• How to use apostrophes to indicate possession and form contractions
• The proper use of commas
• The difference between colons and semicolons and how to use them
• How to correctly use quotation marks
• The difference between dashes and hyphens and how to use them in your writing

Benefits of Taking This Course:

• Understanding the rules of punctuation will help you write in a more professional style, which will make you more employable
• You will become a more confident writer in both your personal life and your professional life
• If you are a student, this course will help you improve your grades
• If you work as an educator or trainer, this course will help you identify and correct errors in your students’ written assignments
• If you are a parent, this course will help you support your children with their homework

Writing Skills Certificate Course

Communication can happen in many forms. Learning how to communicate effectively through the written word is the only way in which you can ensure that your message gets across, regardless of your purpose.

Writing skills are a key part of almost every job, regardless of industry, as well as being an important part of your personal life. Learning the skills that you need to communicate well using the written word can carry you a long way, both at work and in every other area of your life.

This course gives you detailed information regarding the importance of the written word, along with tips on how you can incorporate strategies for better writing into your daily life.

We begin by discussing e-mail, which is one of the most common forms of writing in the world. We then move on to discuss business writing. While it may seem overwhelming, writing for business purposes is much easier than it initially appears.

Finally, we leave you with a few general writing tips that you can use any time you decide to put pen to paper or your fingers to the keyboard.

You Will Learn:

• How to write effectively in many different contexts
• The reasons why effective communication is crucial to your working life and your personal life
• Tips and tricks that you can use to ensure that your business and personal e-mails are read and responded to
• How long you are reasonably expected to wait for a reply to an e-mail
• Additional tips on how to write effectively, clearly and with purpose, regardless of context

Benefits of Taking this Course:

• Learning more about the prevalence of e-mail, along with tips on how to compose the perfect subject line
• Understanding the role of jargon in the workplace and when to avoid using it
• Learning the difference between professional, yet informal communication and unprofessional and informal communication
• Understanding the key pieces of information that you should include in all forms of business communication
• Learning writing tips that you can use in e-mails, business correspondence, personal correspondence and your more creative endeavours

The course is broken down into 0 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although you are free to spend as much or as little time as you feel necessary on each module, simply log in and out of the course at your convenience.

You can study the course any time you like. Simply log in and out of the web based course as often as you require. The course is compatible with all computers, tablet devices and smart phones so you can even study while on the move!

Once you have completed all 0 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 0 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing.

The pass mark for the test is 70%.

If you don’t pass the test first time you will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times you can take the test. All test retakes are included within the price of the course.

Once you have completed your test you can log in to your account and download/print your certificate any time you need it. If you would prefer us to post you a certificate to a UK address, there will be an admin charge of £10 (certificates sent internationally may cost more).

You can either use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Solo cards or PayPal account to pay for the online course. Our site uses the latest SSL encryption to ensure your safety. All payments are handled securely by PayPal.

You can begin the course immediately after your payment has been received. You will create your login details during the checkout process. We will also send you an email confirming your login details.

We estimate that the course will take about 5 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.

Once you have been awarded your certificate it is valid for life. The certificate does not expire or need renewing.