It is important for Officers to understand the roles and responsibilities, processes and procedures involved when working with Elected Members. They also need to appreciate the significance of Elected Members as the decision-makers in local government. Officers have a responsibility to work and communicate with Elected Members effectively. This very successful course is designed to help Officers with this. Note: this is very much an indicative outline. The programme is tailored to the needs of each particular organisation. To provide managers with the knowledge and understanding they need to have productive working relationships with Elected Members and provide appropriate support. By the end of the course participants will: Understand the roles, responsibilities, processes and procedures in place for working with Elected Members Be able to identify the best way to approach potentially sensitive issues Understand the skills and behaviours required for working effectively with Members Be able to deploy their influencing skills more successfully Review their learning and have an action plan to take back and implement at work Note: this is very much an indicative outline. The programme is tailored to the needs of each particular organisation. 1 Introduction Welcome and introductions Objectives and programme overview 2 Working in a political environment What is political awareness? Contact and experience with Members Importance of the role of Members 3 Why be an Elected Member? Perceptions of what Elected Members are and do Values of Members and their motivations for doing what they do 4 Political decision-making in local government Current challenges and drivers affecting the organisation / the council Roles and responsibilities of Officers and Members Centrality of Members' strategic role 5 (Option) A day in the life of an Elected Member An Elected Member gives a talk about what they do 6 Having a beneficial relationship between Officers and Members 7 Member / Officer communication Discussion of the formal processes, service procedures, etc (whether enshrined in a protocol, Memorandum of Understanding, etc) Response times and requirements Procedures required by Heads of Service [if appropriate] 8 Influencing styles and strategies Different forms of power and how they impact Developing an appropriate 'influencing style' Exploring strategies for improving communication and influencing at work 9 Review and evaluation Review and evaluation of learning Personal action plans
Bad news - people don't buy your product. Better news - they don't buy anyone else's product either. Best news - they do buy what a product gives them, whether it be removing 'pain' or giving 'pleasure'. So what a challenge it is that every single person buys your product for a slightly different reason! What's the secret to selling in that sort of sales environment? This programme provides a great roadmap. This course will help participants: Build rapport with authenticity Use open questions, listening and summary to properly understand the prospect Use 'impact' questions to 'stack the pain' of remaining with the status quo Convert features into personalised benefits that reflect stated needs Handle objections with calm confidence Identify buying signals Close effectively Convey credible urgency centred on the prospect's - not the salesperson's - interests 1 What makes a customer buy any product? Moving towards 'pleasure' Moving away from 'pain' Robert Cialdini's Psychology of Influence - buying motives Understanding what your product does for customers Why there is never a 'one size fits all' approach What are the real 'unique selling points' and why the salesperson is the real 'USP' At what point does the customer emotionally buy your product? 2 Getting past gatekeepers What gatekeepers' motivations are How to make them your friend rather than your enemy How to make your call harder to block than to put through How to control the gatekeeper with questions, not answers Using Cialdini's 'reciprocity' law to get put through more often Practical exercise in which the trainer poses as gatekeeper 3 Questioning and listening skills How to use open questions to get the customer talking What questions to avoid and why How to 'stack the pain' of the status quo with 'impact questions' Practical 'pain stacking' exercise in pairs What listening is and what it isn't Question funnelling - how to earn deeper disclosure through probing Practical funnelling exercise in pairs The power of summary 4 How to create tailored benefits and not 'dive into solution' What is 'diving into solution'? Examples and analogies Why it is to be avoided Practical exercise in pairs - how it feels to have solutions offered up too early How to avoid 'feature-dumping' What is 'value selling'? How to create tailored benefits How to convert product features into benefits How to deal with the prospect's competitor allegiance 5 Handling objections and testing the water How to overcome the price objection by selling value Common objections the participants encounter and answers that work The objections salespeople carry in their own heads The 'A-C-E' objection-handling model How to uncover objections When - and when not - to trial close 6 Closing skills Why salespeople often close too early How to identify buying signals How to use urgency with skill and effectiveness Four killer closing techniques that work How to avoid buying the product back by careless post-sale talk How to ask for referrals for your product How to 'farm' the account for future opportunities 7 Wrap-up Key learnings from each participant Individual action planning - steps that can and will be implemented in the workplace
A question of trust. Leadership implies followership. And that means trust. Because who's going to follow a leader they don't trust? This programme takes a values-driven approach to leadership. It gets current and aspiring leaders to hold up the mirror to themselves and to see their reflections as leaders of people. It asks them whether what they see justifies their view of themselves as leaders. It helps them understand just what it takes to be an effective leader. And it does so in a highly practical, constructive manner. It helps the course participants to truly understand the core skills of effective leadership. It focuses on the difference between leadership and management, defining what high performing teams do and how they do it. It helps people to see their teams from different perspectives, allowing them to adapt their styles to maximise team outputs. And it explores concepts such as emotional intelligence, authentic leadership and the RAIV approach (relationships-achievement-independence-vocation) to help explore underlying values and use them to drive effective leadership. Because what worth do our values have unless we put them into practice? The course will help you:• Appreciate the key skills a leader needs to be effective• Understand what the organisation expects of you as a leader• Recognise your leadership style and the impact it has on others• Consider your role models - who inspires you?• See leadership from the 'followers' perspective - how do you like to be led?• Discover what holds you back - limiting beliefs• Examine your core values -do they support your ambition?• Explore the concept of Emotional Intelligence - how do we manage ourselves?• Discover how to lead through change• Explore the concept of 'Authentic Leadership' - consider how it can work for you• Practice some of the skills essential to motivating and influencing for success• Use the RAIV approach to generating enthusiasm and commitment• Plan how best to 'walk the leadership talk' - in your role, in your organisation Above all, this course will help you put theory into practice, values into actions, in a mature, considered, effective way. Day 1 1 Welcome and introduction Participants are welcomed to the programme and invited to share their personal objectives and people challenges Participants given an action plan template to complete throughout the workshop Participants required to bring an inspirational quote to share with the group 2 What is leadership? The concept of 'leadership' The role of a leader Skills assessment for all participants# Leadership v Management Assess your team effectiveness 3 Your leadership style Leadership questionnaire You and your role models Push v Pull styles of leadership Empowerment v Control Team goals and role profiling Day 2 1 You, the leader Your core values Your communication style Situational leadership The Emotional Bank Account Buy Me Today 2 Are you Emotionally Intelligent? (EI) What is emotional intelligence? Self-assessment exercise Manage your emotions Nine strategies for promoting EI 3 Leading through change Identify the major changes affecting you / your team Types of change The roles of resistance How safe are you to talk to? Forcefield Analysis Day 3 1 Authentic Leadership (AL) What is AL? Managing perceptions is managing their truth A leadership challenge 2 Motivating and influencing for success What motivates you? Motivational theory Leading by example Influencing skills required Influencing styles The influence challenge! 3 Creating enthusiasm and commitment The RAIV approach (relationships-achievement-independence-vocation) Building self-worth What drives your team? Your leadership legacy Your commitment to leadership
Read and discuss this beautiful story of friendship, love and truth set in London, Tuscany and Florence Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Discuss this novel of beauty, love and art over 4 decades Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this 7 week advanced English book club course reading and discussing Still Life by Sarah Winman. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book In Italy in 1944 two strangers meet in a Tuscan villa. Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner a free-thinking independent-minded 64-year-old art historian, come to rescue paintings from the war and relive her memories. This chance meeting with Evelyn will transform Ulysses’ life – and everyone who knows him. ‘THE most beautiful book … it will stay with me a long time’ SARA COX, BBC TWO’S BETWEEN THE COVERS Geoff says: "This is a lovely novel, with references to the great writer EM Forster and his masterpiece "A Room With A View". Much loved by readers, the characters of this novel stay with you for a long time."
Read and discuss this witty, best-selling murder mystery - clever and compelling Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Read this amusing book to develop your understanding of colloquial English Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this 7 week English book club course using the Richard Osman's new series after The Thursday Murder Club, We Solve Murders. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book This is the first in a new series for detective duo Steve and Amy Wheeler. Steve is happily retired and likes his routines: the pub quiz, sitting outside, his cat. His past was full of adventure, but now he likes a quiet life. His daughter-in-law Amy, however, loves adrenaline. She's a private security officer, protecting a world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio on a remote island. It should be a simple job, until there's a murder, a lot of money and someone trying to kill Amy. This thriller is filled with action, amusing lines and warmth. And you need to work out "whodunnit" - who committed the crime! 'The thing that shines through in Osman’s writing is that he really likes people and revels in all their foibles and eccentricities. All of which makes for a delightful read' THE OBSERVER Geoff says: "Richard Osman is the famous author of the best-selling Thursday Murder Club series. This new book has broken all records as the best-selling adult hardback fiction book in the UK. It is full of action, yet witty, with interesting characters, and full of British English idioms and colloquialisms - great for improving your knowledge of how English is actually spoken!"
Based on our extensive work and experience with leaders, both in the private and public sectors, this ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring programme has been designed to develop the capability of leaders to positively impact the performance of individuals and teams. We are experts at unlocking peak performance. Coaching and mentoring improves relationships, performance and engagement. This programme has been created to sharpen a leader's skills - enabling them to balance control, commitment and empowerment through productive conversations with individuals and teams. Scroll down to find out more about this ILM Level 5 qualification, or use the buttons below to jump straight to the scheduled course dates and prices. All of our ILM Programmes are provided in partnership with The BCF Group, which is the ILM Approved Centre we deliver under. Course Syllabus The syllabus of the ILM Level 5 Qualification in Business Coaching and Mentoring is comprised of six modules, covering the following: Module OneIntroduction 1.1) Explore the myths 1.2) What is coaching and mentoring? 1.3) What is business coaching? 1.4) Thoughts and perceptions 1.5) 7 competencies of a coach 1.6) Definitions - Mentoring / Consulting / Coaching / Therapy / Counseling Module TwoModels and Practice 2.1) The Wheel of Life 2.2) Johari's Window 2.3) KASH - Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habits of an effective coach 2.4) STAR / GROW model 2.5) Effective use of Paradigm cards 2.6) Practice and feedback Module ThreeBuilding the Relationship 3.1) Self-management 3.2) How motivation works 3.3) Personality & behavioural traits 3.4) Rapport and trust Module FourCommunication and Practice 4.1) Non-verbal communication 4.2) Effective communication 4.3) Questioning through 2nd/3rd/4th level questioning 4.4) Building a bank of coaching questions 4.5) Practice and feedback Module FiveStructure 5.1) Introduction 5.2) The coaching cycle 5.3) How to give feedback 5.4) The COMET model 5.5) Executive coaching 5.6) Psychometrics 5.7) Closing the coaching session Module SixWell-Formed Outcomes 6.1) Challenge and focus steps 6.2) Coaching goals 6.3) Establishing the gap analysis 6.4) Using diagnostic tools 6.5) SMART objectives 6.6) Designing & planning focus steps 6.7) Gaining commitment 6.8) Practice and feedback Who is it for? Business coaching is the skill to have in today's rapidly changing business climate. People and team development through business coaching is fast, efficient and cost effective, and will get you measurable results. The ILM Level 5 Qualifications in Business Coaching and Mentoring are highly accessible and have been designed for all tiers of director, management and supervisory level, or indeed anyone involved in people development. With a business-relevant, tried-and-tested approach, we encourage participants to bring live business issues and case histories with them on the course. Accreditation Upon completion of this programme all attendees will receive the 'ILM Endorsed Programme in Business Coaching & Mentoring' certificate. Participants will also be eligible to receive ILM letters after their name; either AMInstLM (Affiliate/Associate Member Institute Leadership & Management) or MInstLM (Member Institute Leadership & Management). As with all ILM Accredited Programmes, participants will need to complete the post-programme activity in order to achieve their full 'ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring in Management' certificate. These elements have been designed in order to show to the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) that you are able to put the skills and techniques learned on the programme into practice. Full support and guidance is provided for completing these final elements. Required Activities Pre-Course We ask you to come prepared with issues which you are currently experiencing that you would be happy to discuss and be coached on. We also send out a short document containing questions and exercises which will help our coaches understand you better and work with you in order to receive the best training. Post-Course To achieve this ILM qualification, participants will have to complete the following post-course activities: 3 x work-based assignments need to be completed within 1 year from attendance and registration. Embedded in the assignments, the Certificate will require delegates to complete 18 hours of coaching or mentoring activity with 2-3 people. The Diploma will require delegates to complete 54 hours of coaching or mentoring with 4-9 people. Tutor guided learning will take on the format of book and video reviews with ongoing tutor guidance and support via phone, Skype or face-to-face. Optional: Self-initiated 2 x 45 min executive coaching sessions per delegate to offer a coaching best practice view. Course Material Each participant will be issued with a workbook to assist them both during and after the course, which will contain information, guidance and forms to assist with the coaching sessions. Participants will also complete a Paradigm psychometric report and receive a year's membership with the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). In-House & Classroom Courses Available Online We have developed an alternative to traditional face-to-face training that continues to provide a full learning experience, and allows delegates to learn effectively whilst self-isolating from home. This is how it looks: Delegates booked on Classroom and In-House courses will continue to have access to their trainer online throughout the days that the course is booked to run. Prior to a delegate's course start date, they will be enrolled on our e-learning platform (in partnership with BCF Group) for the course they are booked on to. They will also be given contact information for their trainer, and details of how to access the online workshops. Delegates will not require any special IT equipment. A desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or a mobile phone with internet and audio capability is all that is required. Delegates taking ILM Qualifications will then proceed to the book review, video review and work based assignments with 12 months tutor support as appropriate, and in line with our previous arrangements. We hope you agree that this blended learning experience represents the safest way to continue supporting our clients and delegates during the Coronavirus disruption. Scheduled Courses Classroom Course - Nottingham (NG12 4DG) Classroom training courses enable you to benefit from having the tutor and other delegates right there in the room with you. Face-to-face training sessions are one of the best ways to learn, as it is easy to ask questions and have group discussions. In addition to the 2 days in the classroom, delegates will need to undertake self-directed learning and 3 work-based assignments. As a guide, this is estimated to take 3 hours per week for 12 months. Diploma: £2,195 + vat | Certificate: £1,895 + vat 03-04 October 2023 22-23 February 2024 Classroom Course - Reading (RG41 5QS) Classroom training courses enable you to benefit from having the tutor and other delegates right there in the room with you. Face-to-face training sessions are one of the best ways to learn, as it is easy to ask questions and have group discussions. In addition to the 2 days in the classroom, delegates will need to undertake self-directed learning and 3 work-based assignments. As a guide, this is estimated to take 3 hours per week for 12 months. Diploma: £2,195 + vat | Certificate: £1,895 + vat 14-15 September 2023 14-15 December 2023 14-15 March 2024 Zoom™ Course Attending a course via Zoom videoconferencing gives you all of the benefits of classroom training without the need to leave your home or office. You still benefit from a real tutor facilitating the programme, and the content is exactly the same. The only difference is that we split the course into four half-day sessions to make it easier on your eyes! Diploma: £1,795 + vat | Certificate: £1,495 + vat September 2023 - 25th Sep (morning), 25th Sep (afternoon), 26th Sep (morning), 26th Sep (afternoon) November 2023 - 6th Nov (morning), 6th Nov (afternoon), 7th Nov (morning), 7th Nov (afternoon) January 2024 - 11th Jan (morning), 11th Jan (afternoon), 12th Jan (morning), 12th Jan (afternoon) March 2024 - 11th Mar (morning), 11th Mar (afternoon), 12th Mar (morning), 12th Mar (afternoon) May 2024 - 14th May (morning), 14th May (afternoon), 15th May (morning), 15th May (afternoon) July 2024 - 9th Jul (morning), 9th Jul (afternoon), 10th Jul (morning), 10th Jul (afternoon Dickson Training Ltd Founded in 1985 in Yorkshire, we have built an impressive and loyal client base. Our partnerships are built by consistently delivering outstanding development solutions and working in close collaboration with our clients, resulting in us becoming a leading UK and international training provider.
Read and discuss this beautiful story of friendship, love and truth set in London, Tuscany and Florence Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Discuss this novel of beauty, love and art over 4 decades Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this 7 week advanced English book club course reading and discussing Still Life by Sarah Winman. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book In Italy in 1944 two strangers meet in a Tuscan villa. Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner a free-thinking independent-minded 64-year-old art historian, come to rescue paintings from the war and relive her memories. This chance meeting with Evelyn will transform Ulysses’ life – and everyone who knows him. ‘THE most beautiful book … it will stay with me a long time’ SARA COX, BBC TWO’S BETWEEN THE COVERS Geoff says: "This is a lovely novel, with references to the great writer EM Forster and his masterpiece "A Room With A View". Much loved by readers, the characters of this novel stay with you for a long time."
Read and discuss this modern retelling of The Iliad by award winning writer Madeline Miller Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Discuss this modern retelling and develop your cultural knowledge Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this 7 week advanced English book club course reading and discussing the modern best-selling novel The Song of Achilles by award winning writer Madeline Miller. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book A gripping tale of love, ambition and immortal fame. This book was the winner of the Orange Women's Prize for Fiction and has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It retells the story of The Iliad for modern times. The young prince Patroclus is exiled to the court of King Peleus, and is befriended by his son, Achilles. As the young men learn of war and medicine, their bond deepens, in spite of Achilles's mother Thetis. But when news reaches them that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must fulfill his destiny and go to war in far off Troy. Not knowing what will become of them Patroclus accompanies him, and the years that follow test everything they value. 'Captivating' DONNA TARTT 'I loved it' J K ROWLING 'Ravishingly vivid' EMMA DONOGHUE Geoff says: "Modern day retellings of the stories from the classical Greeks have become very popular over the last decade - and this is the book that started the trend!"
Read and discuss these two gripping stories of race, identity and sexuality Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Read and discuss these important novels about race, identity and sexuality Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this advanced course featuring Passing (1928) and Giovanni's Room (1956). Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club books Passing by Nella Larsen: Clare Kendry "passes" as a white woman. She is married to a white man who is unaware of her African-American heritage. On meeting her childhood friend Irene, both women examine and reassess their marriages, confronting their past lies & fears for the future. Nella Larsen's intense, gripping story & insight into identity established her as a key author of America's Harlem Renaissance. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin: David, a young American in 1950s Paris, plans to get married. However, while waiting for his fiancée to return from holiday, he meets Giovanni, a handsome Italian barman, starting a passionate affair. Tortured by his sexual identity, he has to decide who he is and who to spend his life with. 'Audacious... remarkable... elegant and courageous' Caryl Phillips 'Gorgeous, fearless, tempered by dark knowledge and pain ... the greatest American prose stylist of his generation' Colm Tóibín Geoff says: "These two short novels are both important contributions to literature by black writers. Passing (1929) established Nella Larson as one of the most important black female novelists in American history. Recently made into a Netflix film, Passing is the second and last of Larson's novels, and considered a classic work. She was a pioneer in writing about sexuality, race and the secret suffering of women. James Baldwin's powerful and controversial second novel is his most sustained treatment of sexuality, and a classic of gay literature."
Read and discuss this witty, best-selling murder mystery - clever and compelling Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Read this amusing book to develop your understanding of colloquial English Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this 7 week English book club course using the Richard Osman's new series after The Thursday Murder Club, We Solve Murders. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book This is the first in a new series for detective duo Steve and Amy Wheeler. Steve is happily retired and likes his routines: the pub quiz, sitting outside, his cat. His past was full of adventure, but now he likes a quiet life. His daughter-in-law Amy, however, loves adrenaline. She's a private security officer, protecting a world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio on a remote island. It should be a simple job, until there's a murder, a lot of money and someone trying to kill Amy. This thriller is filled with action, amusing lines and warmth. And you need to work out "whodunnit" - who committed the crime! 'The thing that shines through in Osman’s writing is that he really likes people and revels in all their foibles and eccentricities. All of which makes for a delightful read' THE OBSERVER Geoff says: "Richard Osman is the famous author of the best-selling Thursday Murder Club series. This new book has broken all records as the best-selling adult hardback fiction book in the UK. It is full of action, yet witty, with interesting characters, and full of British English idioms and colloquialisms - great for improving your knowledge of how English is actually spoken!"
Read and discuss this novel of what it is to be human Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Read this contemporary novel and discuss love, emotional intelligence and humanity Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this course featuring Matt Haig's The Humans. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book From the writer of The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time comes The Humans - a funny novel about alien abduction, mathematics, and what it is to be human. It combines hilarious moments with thought-provoking insights into how we interact. Maths professor Andrew Martin, is dead. His body is now taken over by an alien, who discovers that the professor wasn't very nice. The alien finds himself learning more about the professor, his family, and “the humans”. When he starts to feel for his own wife and son - who have no clue he’s not the real Andrew- the alien has a decision to make - complete his mission or abandon it and start a new life with the humans. Geoff says: "I laughed out loud reading this - but it also addresses serious themes. It shines a light on what it means to be human, and gaining emotional intelligence."
Read and discuss the Queen of Crime - Agatha Christie! Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Study this classic detective story and work out the clues by understanding the text Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Learn English online using this great story from Agatha Christie - the most widely published author of all time and in any language. This is an 7 week online Zoom course with an expert English teacher from the UK. The Book Club book In Death on the Nile Poirot finds himself in the middle of a confusing murder while on holiday in Egypt. What reason would anyone have to murder the beautiful victim? And will they kill again? With an intricate plot, this is one of Agatha Christie's finest murder mysteries. Geoff says: "Agatha Christie is known as the Queen of Crime. She is the best-selling novelist of all time, writing 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. This one stars her much loved detective, Hercule Poirot."
Read and discuss Jane Austen's first published work, 250 years after her death! Highlights Join this book club and gain extra motivation to read in English 7 hours of live classes to help you develop fluent speaking in English Study this classic novel and increase your knowledge of British culture Be corrected by an expert English teacher to remove errors and mistakes Practise and develop your English online in this 7 week advanced course using this classic novel by one of the greatest British writers - Jane Austen. Each week you read some chapters, discuss them in class and improve specific areas of vocabulary or grammar while also examining literary aspects of the novel. Personalised feedback improves your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. The Book Club book Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is a subtle and intelligent story of secrets and lies, and wonderfully shows a world where fixed social rules meet the feelings of the heart. Two very different sisters find themselves in a new world when their father dies. Marianne, wild and emotional, falls dangerously in love, while Elinor suffers heartbreak but hides what she really feels, even from her closest friends and family. Geoff says: "I chose this book because it is beautifully written. Jane Austen really understood human nature and delightfully describes characters and human situations."