Learner stories – Martin

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June 23, 2020

Top 23 online courses in Canada – June 2020

Online learning has always been a popular choice in Canada, and this has only been accelerated by the outbreak of COVID-19.

Canadian learners are using FutureLearn for a wide range of online courses, from dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic to discovering more about historical wonders like Ancient Rome. Read on to find out what the 25 most popular online courses in Canada are, and who knows, you might find some inspiration yourself.

1. COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus

Fighting the novel coronavirus has been a world-wide-struggle, and courses such as this one from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) have been instrumental in helping both health practitioners and the general public. Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars, it has been one of the most popular FutureLearn courses each month since its launch in March this year.

2. Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture

The Canadian fashion industry is valued at a whopping 43.6 billion Canadian dollars so it’s not surprising this course on the business of fashion is highly popular. You’ll receive exclusive insights from leading figures in the world of fashion, including designers such as Simon Porte Jacquemus, Christelle Kocher, Paul Smith, and CEOs at Chanel, YSL and Hermès, and study fashion as both a cultural phenomenon and a creative industry.

3. Understanding IELTS

IELTS is one of the world’s most popular English language tests, with 3.5 million tests taken each year. It’s the English test of choice for educational organisations, professional associations, and employers across Canada.

This program explores how the test works and how key language skills are examined in the IELTS and what you need to demonstrate to the examiner in order to pass. This program is designed by the British Council and is the perfect way to prepare for the test.

4. Rome: A Virtual Tour of the Ancient City

Italy is a popular destination for Canadians — nearly 900,000 of them visited the country in 2018, many of them to the country’s capital of Rome.

With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting travel at the moment, the next best thing is a virtual tour, and that’s where this online course comes in. Explore ancient Rome with this historically accurate 3D model and learn more about the ‘eternal city’.

5. Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology

If you’ve ever been fascinated by the world of forensics, then this course could be your opportunity to channel that passion. You’ll discover the world of forensic archaeology and anthropology through a series of real-life case studies, video lab sessions, interactive 3D models, photographs and podcasts.

On this course from Durham University, you’ll also learn how to analyse skeletal remains and be introduced to DNA analysis.

6. How to Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students

As the fight against COVID-19 continues, and many schools in Canada remain partially or entirely closed, teachers need to be equipped with the skills to teach online and provide continuity for their students.

On this course from FutureLearn, you’ll learn how to adapt your teaching for an online context, and how to collect, review and evaluate student feedback on your new approaches.

7. Teaching English Online

Similar to the ‘How To Teach Online Course’ above, but with a particular focus on English teaching, this course from Cambridge Assessment English (part of the University of Cambridge) is perfect for those English teachers transferring to an online environment.

You’ll receive expert guidance from experienced educators, and discover tips and tools to help you become an effective online English teacher.

8. A History of Royal Fashion

British royal fashion, from the modern-day Windsors to previous dynasties like the Tudors and the Stuarts, has always been closely scrutinised.

On this course, from the University of Glasgow, you’ll be taken on a fashion journey through the ages, with exclusive access to the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.

You’ll learn how the Royal Family has utilised fashion for their own ends, and identify key fashion developments from the sixteenth century to the present day

9. England in the Time of King Richard III

When the skeletal remains of Richard III were discovered in a Leicester car park, it caused headlines all over the world, including Canada. Now, with this course from the University of Leicester, you’re able to travel back to the time when King Richard was ruling the country.

You’ll discover what English life was like in the 15th century and how the remains of Richard III came to be discovered.

10. Understanding IELTS: Speaking

The IELTS Speaking test is one of four parts of the IELTS qualification. You’ll be asked questions about your life and your family, as well as a long discussion about a specific topic.

On this course, the British Council will prepare you for the IELTS Speaking test by going through strategies for each section of the test, and building your confidence so you can confidently speak in English.

11. Understanding IELTS: Writing

The IELTS Writing test is another crucial part of the IELTS qualification. The exam consists of two separate written tasks, and this course will help prepare you for both sections.

You’ll learn from the British Council, who are experts in preparing candidates for the IELTS test.

12. Understanding Autism

It is estimated that 1 in 66 children in Canada will be diagnosed as autistic. First identified over 70 years ago, autism refers to a range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, as well as by unique strengths and differences.

On this course, you’ll build your understanding of autism and discover a new perspective on the lived experiences of people on the autism spectrum.

13. Dyslexia and Foreign Language Teaching

Dyslexia affects 10-15% of the global population, and the condition can have an impact on their ability to learn a second language. This course has been designed for teachers of additional languages, with a specific focus on accommodating the needs of students with dyslexia.

You’ll learn new techniques and discover the latest computer-assisted tools to help with teaching languages to students with dyslexia

14. Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance

With everything the world is dealing with at the moment, you can be forgiven for feeling a little stressed out. Mindfulness is the process of making yourself more grounded in the present and what you’re doing, and using that as a way to reduce stress and feel calmer.

This course, from Monash University, looks at the latest research on mindfulness, the problems associated with unmindfulness and how it can improve your work and performance.

15. Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition

We all know that eating poorly can affect both our physical and mental wellbeing. In fact, poor diet is one of the leading causes of mortality in Canada and globally.

It’s important for all of us to understand the relationship between diet and our health, and this course, from Deakin University, explores this in detail. If you’re a healthcare practitioner, the course also looks at the principles and strategies of dietary change for patients.

16. Understanding IELTS: Reading

This popular course focuses on the Reading Test aspect of the IELTS exam.

You’ll develop strategies to improve your performance on test day and gain a better understanding of the format and likely questions in the exam. You’ll also learn how to deal with any unfamiliar vocabulary in a calm and logical way.

17. Digital Skills: User Experience

User experience (UX) is a crucial part of any digital product, and it’s one of the main factors in whether that product succeeds or not. UX is how a person feels when they use your product, so keeping that in the forefront of your mind is important.

This course, part of Accenture’s Digital Skills series, will provide you with a full understanding of what UX is and why it’s so important to businesses in Canada and around the world.

18. How to Succeed at: Interviews

Most of us will have had interviews at some point in our lives. Some of them will have gone well, and others… less so!

This course has been put together by interview experts at The University of Sheffield to help ensure that your future interviews have the best possible chance of success. You’ll learn about different types of interviews and how to handle them, as well as identifying any areas of weakness that you can work on.

19. Start Writing Fiction

If you’re thinking about writing fiction, whether just for fun or if you’re thinking about writing professionally, then this course from The Open University can help you achieve your goal.

You’ll discover the habits and routines of highly successful writers, including Louis de Bernières, Patricia Duncker, Alex Garland, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Tim Pears, Michèle Roberts and Monique Roffey, and hear how they began their writing careers.

The course doesn’t require any previous experience of writing fiction.

20. Understanding IELTS: Listening

The IELTS Listening exam is one of the four parts of the IELTS qualification. It consists of four separate listening tasks, including listening to and understanding conversations and monologues.

This British Council course will help you prepare for the test, by going through exam strategies and techniques, and considering what to do if you’re faced with any unfamiliar topics during the exam.

21. Food As Medicine

Diet is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This course, from Monash University, looks into the concept of food as medicine in more detail and explores the importance of food both in preventative health and in managing chronic conditions.

It also looks into the history of food as medicine and gives an introduction into the relationship between food and various parts of the body, including the gut and the brain.

22. Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime

Did you know that art crime totals more than £8 billion pounds globally, each year?

On this course, you’ll learn more about how art and antiques are stolen, trafficked, and in some cases found and returned to its origin. You’ll also learn about the fight to protect heritage sites from thieves from those at the forefront of the fight to save the world’s precious artefacts.

23. Language Assessment in the Classroom

Being able to accurately assess language capabilities, and design tests that give an accurate representation of a student’s abilities are valuable skills for any language teacher to possess.

On this course, from the British Council, you’ll explore the basic principles of language assessment and learn how to assess the four key language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Category FutureLearn Canada, Learning

Alison’s Coronavirus Course Translators: Željko Babić

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June 22, 2020

To help the world combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Alison launched the course Coronavirus – What you need to know. In order to make sure that no one was excluded from accessing possibly life-saving information, Alison committed to translating the course into as many languages as possible. To achieve this ambitious goal, Alison reached out to its community of Learners, seeking volunteers willing to use their language skills to help translate the course and spread important information on coronavirus. Željko Babić translated the course into Bosnian and played his part in spreading free learning that has helped save lives.

Željko, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

My name is Željko Babić. I currently live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am 40 years old. I work in an electricity distribution company, and I am also a basketball coach. I also have licenses for providing internal and external audits in accordance with various ISO standards. In my basketball coaching career, I successfully lead a club as both club director and as the coach coordinator of all junior sections. I also work on the expert council of the Association of Basketball Coaches of the Republic of Srpska. Some of my players have successfully competed in the championships of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Finland, Spain, and even the NBA, as well as achieving successes with the national teams of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. I consider my greatest success being the proud father of two beautiful daughters.

How did you learn that Alison was looking for translators for its coronavirus course?

I read on your site that you were looking for volunteer translators for the course and I applied.

What was your experience of Alison before volunteering to translate? Had you studied with Alison before?

I have taken Alison courses before and they are very interesting. You can learn a lot from them.

Why did you offer to translate our coronavirus course?

I thought that I could help and in that way make my contribution during this pandemic. This way people who are interested, and who only understand my language, can acquire the necessary knowledge.

Why is it important that everyone has access to important information on coronavirus?

The new coronavirus was previously unknown and the whole world has changed because of it. It’s very important to share information with people from all over the world so we can come up with a cure that will be available to everyone.

Tell us a little about your method when translating.

Alison made it much easier with your platform which allowed me to enter the translation directly into a table and thus speed up my work. Through working on the translation of the course, I learned the course as if I had taken it.

Why is free learning so important and why is it important to translate it into many languages?

The very word “free” gives all the answers. People need to share knowledge with others and improve their education. Many people do not know other languages, but by translating we help others to understand and improve.

Have you been learning through Alison during the pandemic? How has the lockdown been for you?

During the pandemic, it was very difficult. The movement bans, one of which lasted more than 72 hours, gave me the opportunity and time to find areas that interest me and to learn about them, and also to renew knowledge. Obligations in sports have disappeared but that has given me the opportunity to study. The business obligations in the company where I work are such that work had to continue. The work took place in controlled conditions and respecting all the recommendations of the WHO and the government of our country.

What would you say to people who might be interested in translating for Alison?

Help others because in that way you contribute to people having a better opportunity in their lives and achieving a better existence. Share knowledge because knowledge is wealth.

If you’d like to play your part in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic by helping Alison give people access to the information necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, please get in touch.

How to Entertain Your Kids This Summer? Maybe Don’t

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June 20, 2020

How to Entertain Your Kids This Summer? Maybe Don’t

Two Words: Free Labor

Housework can also become a form of play, and depending on how well or poorly your children do it, may be some help. In the 19th century, Hodgkinson said, “children were seen as not necessarily a burden on the household, but a welcome labor force.” Employ them.

“The thing to remember is that kids want to help, so try to get them in the habit of doing some of those things,” Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow, a nonprofit promoting childhood independence, said. “A 3-year-old separating laundry is quite possible and also quite fun. Six-year-olds can be making breakfast.” So, yes, children can cook, they can clean. If you can take a few extra minutes to gamify the chore — Mary Poppins’s “Spoonful of Sugar” approach — they may even enjoy it.

Muddle Through

A pandemic isn’t forever. Probably. So if it’s easier, leave historical practice aside, give guilt the vacation that you can’t take and get through it. “Don’t think that there’s something wrong with you or that you haven’t been the perfect camp counselor and made it a fun and exciting and rewarding summer for everyone,” Skenazy said. “I mean, just give yourself a break.”

If that break involves a lot of screens, remember that new entertainment forms and technologies — from the written word on — have always attracted suspicion that they will pulp or corrupt young minds. And most of us have turned out OK, no matter how many “Smurfs” episodes we may have once absorbed. Video games provide an opportunity to socialize, a streamed musical is still a musical, a virtual tour of a gallery or museum isn’t the same as wandering the halls yourself, but take what you can get.

In general, find out what your children like to do and encourage them to do it. Or go with the obverse: When you have time available, make them do stuff that you like. In my case, that means playing board games and watching toy theater videos on YouTube, plus the occasional Hayao Miyazaki movie. Or the more than occasional one.

“Just let them watch a lot of films,” Hodgkinson said. “It’s temporary, it’s not forever. We really shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves.”

Switching Letters, Skipping Lines: Troubled and Dyslexic Minds

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June 20, 2020

This week, we are publishing the work of all the winners and runners-up in the middle school and high school categories of our Seventh Annual Student Editorial Contest. You can find them all in this column.

“Switching Letters, Skipping Lines: Troubled and Dyslexic Minds”
By Hayden Miskinis, age 12, Epping Middle School, Epping, N.H.

I look down at my book. I slowly read the first line of jumpy letters that won’t stay still. It takes me a minute to find the next line, as my eyes jump around. This is a repeating process until I’m at the end of the page. This doesn’t just happen to me; it happens to 70-80 percent of dyslexic students in schools, and yet schools aren’t providing resources, teachers aren’t getting trained and people don’t even really understand dyslexia.

What is dyslexia? I didn’t know until 2015 when I was faced with the truth as to why I wasn’t progressing in school. I had been given interventions through a program called Title I which helps kids who don’t have access to books or reading in their homes, but it wasn’t working for me. I had plenty of books; I just couldn’t read them. What I needed were interventions that would work for me.

Many people think that dyslexia is just switching letters. In my case, and that of many other dyslexic people, switching letters is only a small part of the bigger issue. A recent study suggests that “The brains of dyslexics do form accurate neurological representations of language sounds” (Paul). This would explain why a dyslexic learner’s comprehension is so much higher than their reading ability. In other words, a dyslexic student could understand Harry Potter but not be able to read a simple word like “the.” In order for a dyslexic student to succeed, correct interventions should be applied early in school.

While it might be true that some schools acknowledge dyslexia, most schools don’t. In my case, it wasn’t until third grade that I started to get the right interventions. The delay made becoming a strong reader especially challenging. I don’t blame my teachers for this. Teachers don’t recognize dyslexia or use interventions because they aren’t prepared to. “One-on-one, individualized intervention is almost never an option in the public school system, but it is necessary for a dyslexic student” (Lunney). Students need to “attain functional reading and spelling as fast as possible. The longer that is delayed the farther behind they fall academically” (Lunney). I was fortunate that my school hired an Orton-Gillingham specialist who was trained in dyslexia. But, I’m one of the lucky ones. Most schools don’t have the funding to provide these necessary resources.

After years of intensive interventions including tutors and outside programs, I can finally pick up a book and read it like it’s nothing. This could be the future for many kids but not until teachers are trained properly and appropriate interventions are provided. In the meantime, we all need to remember, “Great minds don’t think alike.”

Works Cited

Emanuel, Gabrielle. “Dyslexia: The Learning Disability That Must Not Be Named.” NPR, 3 Dec. 2016.

Lunney, Marie. “Why Schools Don’t Do Dyslexia Intervention.” Lexercise, 25 Oct. 2016.

Paul, Annie. “Reading Experience May Change The Brains of Dyslexic Students.” The New York Times, 15 May 2014.

Not American Yet

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June 20, 2020

Instead, the coronavirus-fueled bias against Asian-Americans is symptomatic of a wider phenomenon: American society has always regarded Asian-Americans as “non-American.”

Many Americans, of all stripes, are unfamiliar with the breadth of cultures and backgrounds that “Asian-American-ness” comprises. Without that awareness, it’s easy to paint a generic picture of Asian-Americans with broad, stereotypical brush strokes: industrious, high-achieving, passive and foreign. A local university thinks we lack “personality.” This unfamiliarity leads to a subconscious categorization of Asian-Americans as being “other,” a one-size-fits-all group too different to be fully “American.”

Nearly every Asian kid (myself included) experiences this categorization through the question, “Where are you really from?” It doesn’t matter that I was born in Boston, or that my dad cried tears of joy when his hometown team won the World Series “after 108 years of futility.” It’s usually an innocuous question phrased poorly, and I’ll happily talk about my background, but it assumes that Asians can’t quite be considered “American.” That assumption quietly breeds suspicion, and suspicion breeds fear.

We’ve seen this fear of the unfamiliar, combined with external “proof” that Asians “threaten the American way of life,” give rise to active discrimination, from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, to Japanese internment during World War II, to the verbal and physical attacks of today. This is only possible because Asian-Americans were always viewed with suspicion. For sure, the Communist Party of China has been untrustworthy, but it doesn’t justify linking my Chinese-American friends to the coronavirus. President Trump’s “Chinese Virus” label holds power against Asian-Americans because they’re seen as outsiders — it taps into the fear and anxiety that Americans feel, and the need to displace that fear.

Yet, the coronavirus, and the heightened bias associated with it, gives Asian-Americans a unique opportunity to hold a national dialogue about being “forever foreigners” — to go beyond cultural stereotypes and share our individual experiences. By approaching one another as human beings, not faceless “others,” we might someday view each other as Americans first.

Works Cited

Bittle, Andrea. “I Am Asian American.” Teaching Tolerance, 2013.

Hong, Cathy Park. “The Slur I Never Expected to Hear in 2020.” The New York Times Magazine, 12 April 2020.

Oung, Katherine. “Coronavirus Racism Infected My High School.” The New York Times, 14 March 2020.

Pan, Deanna. “Fears of Coronavirus Fuel Anti-Chinese Racism.” The Boston Globe, 30 Jan. 2020.

Yang, Andrew. “Andrew Yang: We Asian Americans Are Not the Virus, but We Can Be Part of the Cure.” Washington Post, 1 April 2020.

The Top UK Cities for Online Learning in Lockdown

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June 20, 2020

The Top UK Cities for Online Learning in Lockdown

The UK joined a third of the world’s population in lockdown this year. The Prime Minister announced lockdown measures starting on the 23rd March to slow down the spread of the virus and reduce excess deaths. As a result, 8.9 million workers were furloughed from their jobs and record numbers of people Googled home office setup, bikes, veg boxes, and learn a language.

A huge number of Britons used this time to improve their skills or find a new online hobby. FutureLearn.com saw a 350% increase in visitors from the UK, looking to boost their CV, adjust to the new normal, or just fill their time with something new.

Unsurprisingly, London led the charge as the UK’s largest city with Birmingham following, but Glasgow, Bristol, and Edinburgh made up 3 of the top 5 despite having much smaller populations.

Rank	City
1	London
2	Birmingham
3	Glasgow
4	Bristol
5	Edinburgh
6	Manchester
7	Leeds
8	Cardiff
9	Liverpool
10	Nottingham

What were people learning?

COVID 19 has been the world’s focus since early 2020, and courses on the topic have dominated the top 5 lists for most UK cities. Teachers around the country have also had to pivot online quickly, and have dedicated time and resources to improve their understanding of online learning, teaching, and how to provide good continuity for their students.

Interestingly, there has also been a nation-wide focus on mental health issues and how to support yourself or others. Many of our learners from top cities have focused on improving their understanding of ADHD and learning to support young people with depression/anxiety.

Lifelong-learning is a huge focus at FutureLearn, and it’s been encouraging to see so many people improving their skills for work, including a large number of visitors from Leeds showing interest in people management skills, and plenty of people in Bristol, Manchester and Liverpool improving their digital skills with a social media course.

There have been some fun courses too – users from Birmingham have been keenest to get into journalism, while people from London and Cardiff are most likely to start writing fiction. Glaswegians have been the most concerned with caring for vulnerable children or people with anxiety or depression, and Liverpudlians have been the keenest British historians, looking at the controversies of the British Empire.

Top Lockdown Courses in London

Top Lockdown Courses in Birmingham

COVID 19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus
Preparing for Uni
How to Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students
Good Practice in Autism Education
Introduction to Journalism

Top Lockdown Courses in Glasgow

Top Lockdown Courses in Bristol

Top Lockdown Courses in Edinburgh

Top Lockdown Courses in Manchester

Top Lockdown Courses in Leeds

Top Lockdown Courses in Cardiff

Top Lockdown Courses in Liverpool

Top Lockdown Courses in Nottingham

Category Research insights

Alison’s Coronavirus Course Translators: Ko Nyi Nyi

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June 19, 2020

Alison’s Coronavirus Course Translators: Ko Nyi Nyi

To help the world combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Alison launched the course Coronavirus – What you need to know. In order to make sure that no one was excluded from accessing possibly life-saving information, Alison committed to translating the course into as many languages as possible. To achieve this ambitious goal, Alison reached out to its community of Learners, seeking volunteers willing to use their language skills to help translate the course and spread important information on coronavirus. Ko Nyi Nyi translated the course into Myanmar and played his part in spreading free learning that has helped save lives.

Nyi, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I am a 29 year old man from Myanmar. I graduated from university with a Bachelor of Law and also have an Engineering Vocational Diploma. I’m a civil engineer working in project management and am currently involved in a government project sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

How did you learn that Alison was looking for translators for its coronavirus course?

Translation is my favourite hobby since my intermediate school days and I regularly get in touch with online learning websites. I was contacted by Alison to translate the coronavirus course from English to my native language, Myanmar.

What was your experience of Alison before volunteering to translate? Had you studied with Alison before?

I had studied with Alison before. Alison is great, with thousands of online courses for free. All the courses are really effective and they are easy to understand. If you have sufficient time to study with Alison, then I trust you will be very qualified in no time.

Why did you offer to translate our coronavirus course?

I took part in this translation project in February, when the spread of coronavirus was increasing but had not yet infected our country, or most parts of Asia. I’m very interested in translation work and also the coronavirus seemed to become more and more of a threat to people’s lives. That’s why I joined the project.

Why is it important that everyone has access to important information on coronavirus?

We have never experienced such a situation before and it is horrible. Due to the development of the internet and social media, misinformation has become a great threat to all of us. Therefore it is vitally important for everyone to have easy access to important information about coronavirus and related matters to avoid and defend against the impact of misinformation.

Tell us a little about your method when translating.

When translating, I use Google Translate for an approximate translation. But Google Translate has many limitations when it comes to my native language, Myanmar, because Myanmar is one of the most difficult languages in the world. But I get a raw translation from it and then I perfect it with my knowledge and by using dictionaries.

Why is free learning so important and why is it important to translate it into many languages?

In recent years, network development has massively increased in many countries but there are still many things that are yet to be accommodated, such as online billing systems. This means that we cannot pay for, and so cannot access, paid courses from where we are. But with free courses, it’s easy for everyone to take part and participate as long as there’s a network connection. Free learning is so important because it covers almost everyone. It’s also very important to translate courses into many languages. English is a global language but courses will be more effective, and more capable of reaching people around the globe, if they are translated into their native languages. Here in Myanmar, we are mostly poor in English and so to be more effective, translating courses into Myanmar is necessary, so that everyone globally can participate in learning.

Have you been learning through Alison during the pandemic? How has the lockdown been for you?

Yes, I’ve learned about coronavirus by participating in the translation project. During the lockdown, I was at work as our project is still running under the guidance of the government. So lockdown hasn’t meant anything to me, just regularity.

What would you say to people who might be interested in translating for Alison?

For those who are interested in translation, my opinion is that there are thousands of quality free learning courses out there and translating them into our native languages is very important, not only to allow others to be able to learn, but also for ourselves to promote our knowledge and abilities as translators.

If you’d like to play your part in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic by helping Alison give people access to the information necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, please get in touch.

Alison’s Coronavirus Course Translators: Thomas L Dugue

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June 19, 2020

Alison’s Coronavirus Course Translators: Thomas L Dugue

To help the world combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Alison launched the course Coronavirus – What you need to know. In order to make sure that no one was excluded from accessing possibly life-saving information, Alison committed to translating the course into as many languages as possible. To achieve this ambitious goal, Alison reached out to its community of Learners, seeking volunteers willing to use their language skills to help translate the course and spread important information on coronavirus. Thomas L Dugue translated the course into Haitian Creole and played his part in spreading free learning that has helped save lives.

Thomas, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

My name is Thomas Lamarre Dugue. I am Haitian and I live in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haïti. I am married and I have three children. I’m a computer specialist and a network security expert. From 2002 to 2010, I worked for a medical research organisation in my country as a Data Manager and a Quality Assurance and Quality Control officer on research studies on HIV/AIDS. Currently, I am the Technology Director at a Christian school in Haïti. Beside this, I also provide technology support both on site and remotely to various clients.

How did you learn that Alison was looking for translators for its coronavirus course?

In February 2020, a few weeks after I successfully passed the free coronavirus course, I received an email from Alison looking for volunteers to translate the course into different languages, so I decided to volunteer.

What was your experience of Alison before volunteering to translate? Had you studied with Alison before?

I’ve studied courses with Alison since 2010, among them, the coronavirus course.

Why did you offer to translate our coronavirus course?

I am a Christian and I know that the Bible says in Philippians 2:4 “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” This is what Alison has done. If I could learn a lot about COVID-19 from Alison for free, it is because someone else made it available in English. This has inspired me to help to make this course available in Haitian Creole for my fellow citizens since few speak English.

Why is it important that everyone has access to important information on coronavirus?

This is a new pandemic virus and, as time has showed us, no one has a clear and exact answer to it. So the more we know about the evolution of the virus, the more we can protect others and ourselves.

Tell us a little about your method when translating.

My primary languages are both Haitian Creole and French. Because I learned English and practice it almost every day due to my work environment, it was quite easy for me to just translate from English to Creole, Google Translate the English version to French and then practice a sort of back translation by comparing the French version with my translated Creole version.

Why is free learning so important and why is it important to translate it into many languages?

I would say that, whether it is free or paid, learning is important since what you know today may change tomorrow. One needs to be in the loop. In my country in particular, a lot of people would learn a lot of things but nearly 99% of the time, money is a barrier. It happened to me, so I know how valuable it is to acquire knowledge when you are broke but willing to change your situation.

Have you been learning through Alison during the pandemic? How has the lockdown been for you?

Yes, since the beginning in February 2020. The lockdown was, and is still, challenging. In Haïti, as of mid June, we are still in lockdown mode. But with the help of technology, I still can do a lot while remaining at home.

What would you say to people who might be interested in translating for Alison?

We need a better world. Everyone can positively contribute to help make things easier for needy people and for anyone else too. While we cannot share all our tangible belongings with everyone, we can share our knowledge with all.

If you’d like to play your part in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic by helping Alison give people access to the information necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, please get in touch.

Alison’s Coronavirus Course Translators: Tomáš Kubašta

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June 19, 2020