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WEA courses
Displaying 1 - 10 of 12
Displaying search results for: "USA"
History: Fascism and the Troubled 1930s
The course will examine the origins of Fascism and National Socialism against the backdrop of post war turmoil in Italy and Germany. We will see how the emergence of Stalin as supreme leader in the USSR led to a radicalisation of the economy and political terror. We will consider the effects of the economic crisis in the democratic countries, USA, Britain and France. Finally, we will consider how the radicalisation of economies and politics impacted on international relations culminating in the outbreak of a second European war in 1939.
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Course Information
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Dates:Mon 23/09/2024 -
Mon 04/11/2024Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:St Francis de Sales (Hampton)
16 Wellington Road
Hampton
TW12 1JRTutor:Julian RobertsCourse code:Q00017425How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £60.00
Music Appreciation: Serge Prokofiev - The prodigal son
Serge Prokofiev (1891-1953) composed some of this century’s most widely loved music – be it the ballet Romeo and Juliet or his work for children Peter and the Wolf. Yet due to his itinerant lifestyle and the secrecy that cloaked his final years in the USSR, he remains one of the least understood musicians of this century. This course will explore the full range of his 130 compositions in various genres through active listening, YouTube videos and live music, and will make comparisons with some of his lesser-known contemporaries. This six session course is face-2-face and is suitable for students at all levels. No previous knowledge is required and detailed background notes will be made available via Canvas, the WEA learning platform.
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Course Information
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Dates:Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 28/11/2024Times:2:00pm - 4:00pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:Quaker Meeting House (Newcastle-Under-Ly
Earl House
2 Miller Street
Newcastle-Under-Lyme
ST5 1QJTutor:David RobertsCourse code:Q00018533How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:7 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £50.40
History: American History from Roosevelt to Reagan
During and after WW2 America left the troubled 1930s behind to become one of two Super Powers and a military and economic behemoth. How did this happen? What compromises were made en route? We will examine the period from 1930 to 1980 with particular emphasis on America’s place in the world. In doing so we will ask to what extent America is an Empire in denial. No previous knowledge is required though the latter decades are ones most of us will have lived through. How do our memories of that period compare with the longer perspective that the passage of time now allows.
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Course Information
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Dates:Fri 27/09/2024 -
Fri 20/12/2024Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:Bourne Hall (Epsom)
Spring Street
Ewell
Epsom
KT17 1UFTutor:Julian RobertsCourse code:Q00009440How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:9 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £50.40
Entry Level ESOL: IELTS - The International English Language Testing System - Entry Level 3
This is an introductory course to IELTS for participants who have already reached Entry level 3 ESOL minimum standard. It is a practical short course which aims to help students and employees to become familiar with IELTS tests and English language skills.
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Dates:Tue 15/10/2024 -
Tue 03/12/2024Times:6:30pm - 8:30pmDuration:7 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Rebecca Eliahoo CharlesCourse code:Q00010808How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £51.80
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Membership Information
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Duration:12 monthsFee:£15
History: USA: 1940 - 1972 A Divided Union
In 1989, the songwriter Billy Joel was told by a friend that “Things are different today. You were a kid in the fifties, and everybody knows that nothing happened in the fifties.” As a result, he wrote ‘We didn’t start the fire’ to highlight how the post-war decades shaped the world we live in today. Join us for this fascinating 6 week course where you will look at the crucial events that occurred between 1940 and 1972 in USA and reflect about their significance back then as well as how it translates into today’s society.
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Course Information
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Dates:Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:Friends Meeting House (Berkhamsted)
289 High Street
Berkhamsted
HP4 1AJTutor:Michael LongCourse code:Q00017704How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:6 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £50.40
Art Appreciation: Stravinsky and Russian art
The course aims to encourage learners to attend art exhibitions and/or musical events with a greater background knowledge in order to enhance appreciation. If actual attendance is not possible, to undertake independent research and hence, enjoy a more active and cultural lifestyle. The class also offers an opportunity for learners to interact socially with like- minded people in intellectual pursuits. It also encourages learners to acquire critical and analytical skills through debate and discussion. The course covers all styles and periods from the Renaissance to the present day. It is multi media to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences. It is suitable for beginners and connoisseurs alike.
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Dates:Sat 16/11/2024 -
Sat 16/11/2024Times:10:00am - 4:00pmDuration:1 sessionsLocation:Trinity Church (London)
100 Mill Hill
The Broadway
London
NW7 3TBTutor:Andrew RothwellCourse code:Q00017561How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £30.00
Literature: The American Short Story
The postwar period saw a major change in the significance of the short story in the USA and Canada, as it developed into a form for more serious explorations of character and psychology.
Each week we will look at two stories by a major North American writer and discuss how they use such techniques as narration, subtext, and imagery to portray complex, layered characters. Featured writers include Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, John Updike, Mavis Gallant, Shirley Jackson, and Elizabeth Strout.
In the final two weeks we will look at stories about Christmas in particular.
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Dates:Mon 18/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024Times:2:00pm - 4:00pmDuration:4 sessionsLocation:Jubilee Hall Loddon (Loddon)
George Lane
Loddon
NR14 6NBTutor:Joseph WilliamsCourse code:Q00019239How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £33.60
Music Appreciation: The Music of the Parisian Belle Epoque: The Innovations of the French Composers
Paris between 1870 and 1925, in the period known as La Belle Epoque, saw an outburst of artistic creativity in which music played a major role. Composers such as Bizet, Debussy, Ravel and Satie produced innovations which advanced western musical development by overturning Wagner and re-writing the rule book on harmony and form. After a lull since its Romantic hey-day in the 1830s, Paris was once again the centre of the musical world. The city was now a melting pot for artistic endeavour, transforming influences from Russia, Spain, the Far East and the USA into music which became uniquely and elegantly French. In this course, we trace a period, book-ended by two devastating wars, through its achievements in verismo opera, “total art” ballet, impressionism, avant-garde and jazz.
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Dates:Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 11/02/2025Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:Storton Lodge (Goring)
Icknield Road
Goring-on-Thames
Goring
RG8 0DLTutor:Christopher CarterCourse code:Q00017603How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £60.00
An Introduction to Twentieth Century History: International Relations in the 1930s and World War 2
By the 1930s there were three competing ideologies: Liberal Democracy, Soviet Communism and Fascism.. the latter in various national forms. Broadly the first two accepted the status quo and the latter in Japan, Germany and Italy were determined on revision. This set the scene for the ensuing conflicts in the Pacific and Europe. The course will examine how and why the world went to war during the 1930s. We will look at the role of individuals and consider how much difference it made that it was Hitler or Mussolini in charge rather than someone else. We will examine how it took time for the USA to emerge from isolation and how that tipped the balance when she did.
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Dates:Mon 20/01/2025 -
Mon 03/03/2025Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:St Francis de Sales (Hampton)
16 Wellington Road
Hampton
TW12 1JRTutor:Julian RobertsCourse code:Q00017583How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £60.00
Level 1 ESOL: Preparing for IELTS - The International English Language Testing System
This intermediate short course is for participants who have already reached a Level 1 ESOL standard. The course aims to help students and employees to practise their Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening skills to increase their confidence and competence to take IELTS tests.
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Dates:Tue 21/01/2025 -
Tue 11/03/2025Times:6:30pm - 8:30pmDuration:7 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Rebecca Eliahoo CharlesCourse code:Q00012908How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £51.80