Quick Facts

Medium Of Instructions	Mode Of Learning	Mode Of Delivery
English	Self Study	Video and Text Based

Courses and Certificate Fees

Certificate Availability	Certificate Providing Authority
yes	Coursera

The Syllabus

Videos

Welcome to English for Journalism
Course Overview: Topics, Assessments & Activities
Course Overview: Games and Levels
Why Journalism? What Makes This Field Interesting?
Introduction to the History of Journalism – pre-1690
History of Journalism – 1690 – present day
Language Focus – Simple Past and Past Progressive
Unlockable Achievement
Principles of Journalism 1: Gathering Sources
Principles of Journalism 2: Telling the Story
Language Focus – Word Families
Principles of Journalism 3: Impacting People
Language Focus – Phrases for Agreeing and Disagreeing
Online Learning Opportunities to Extend Your Skills
Supplemental Listening: "Young Journalists Report on Worldwide Landmine Problems"
Supplemental Listening: 'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter

Readings

Overview of the Unit
Political Cartoons: Exploring Serious Subjects in Fun Way
Hearst and the Growth of US Journalism
BASIC: "Media freedom is important. Here's what you can do."
ADVANCED: Media Freedom is important. Here’s what you can do.”
How freedom of information works
Game: Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards
Irregular Verb List
Supplemental Reading: How Can Journalists Be Protected?
Supplemental Reading: "'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter"
Supplemental Reading: "Newspapers in America"

Practice Exercises

Unit 1 Assessment 1: What do we expect from the media? (Survey)
Game 1: Timeline Game
Check Your Understanding: "Political Cartoons: Exploring Serious Subjects in Fun Way"
Game 2: Selecting tense – Simple Past versus Past Progressive
Check Your Understanding: Hearst and the Growth of US Journalism
Value Affirmation Activity
Check Your Understanding: “Media Freedom is Important. Here’s what you can do.”
Game 3: Matching word forms in context
Game 4: Vocabulary Practice - Principles of Journalism
Check Your Understanding: "How freedom of information works"
Check Your Understanding: “Young Journalists Report on Worldwide Landmine Problem”
Crossword with Irregular Past Tense
Check Your Understanding: "How Can Journalists Be Protected?"
Check Your Understanding: 'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter”
Check Your Understanding: "Newspapers in America"

Videos

Choosing a Topic
Researching an Idea
Unlockable Achievement
Pitching a Story – Newspapers/Magazines
Pitching a Story - Radio
Sample News Story Pitch
Unlockable Achievement
Video Listening: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba
Unlockable Achievement
Language Focus – Interviewing Sources – Wh- Questions
Interviewing Sources – Reliability, Facts & Opinion
Language Focus – Quoting Sources & Reporting Verbs
Video interview with a student journalist from The Daily Pennsylvanian
Unlockable Achievement
Interviewing Sources - Notetaking
Language Focus – Quoting Sources Directly or Using Reported Speech
Supplemental Listening: "Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports"

Readings

Overview of the Unit
BASIC: "Want to be a good reporter? Follow these tips."
ADVANCED: Want to be a good reporter? Follow these tips.
Sample News Story Pitch and Written Pitch Template
BASIC: Times Are Changing in Havana, Cuba
ADVANCED: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba
Game: Unit 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
Supplemental Reading: Student newspapers shake things up
Supplemental Reading and Listening: "Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports"

Practice Exercises

Game 1: Right-sizing Your Topic
Check Your Understanding: "Want to be a good reporter? Follow these tips."
Game 2: Vocabulary Practice
Check Your Understanding: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba
Game 3: Reliable Sources
Game 4: Choose the reporting verb
Check Your Understanding: Video interview with a student journalist from The Daily Pennsylvanian
Game 5: Changing Direct Speech to Reported Speech
Check Your Understanding: Student newspapers shake things up
Game: WH- question formation
Check Your Understanding: Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports

Videos

Print Media: From Topic to Article
Types of Leads
Creating a Lead
Unlockable Achievement
Language Focus – SV Agreement with Different Subjects
Writing Using Associated Press Style
Language Focus – Structure of Active and Passive Voices
Language Focus – Use of Active and Passive Voices
Reporting Accurately
Proofreading an Article
Unlockable Achievement
Listening: Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom

Readings

Overview of the Unit
Student Newspapers Face Real World Challenges
BASIC: Thai Health Policy as Model for Emerging Economies
ADVANCED: Thai Health Policy as Model for Emerging Economies
BASIC: With billions to feed, sustainable agriculture is not a luxury
ADVANCED: With billions to feed, sustainable agriculture is not a luxury
Game: Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards
Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom
Old Age, Debt Threaten Vietnam Economy

Practice Exercises

Game 1: Labeling - the Process and the Front Page
Game 2: Match Lead to Lead Type
Check Your Understanding: "Student Newspapers Face Real World Challenges."
Check Your Understanding 2: "Thai Health Policy Seen as Model for Emerging Economies"
Game 3: Applying AP Style
Game 4: When to Use Passive Voice
Check Your Understanding: "With billions to feed, sustainable agriculture is not a luxury"
Check Your Understanding: "Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom"
Check Your Understanding: "Old Age, Debt Threaten Vietnam Economy"
Game: Active/Passive Game
Game: Subject/Verb Agreement Game

Videos

The Language of Broadcast Journalism
Listening: "VOA Fast Five"
Unlockable Achievement
The People of Broadcast Journalism
Types of Stories for Broadcast Journalism
Using Conversational Style
Listening: "So you want to be a TV reporter..."
Language Focus – Present Tense & Active Voice
Sample Broadcast News Story
Ratings in TV News: How Journalists Compete
Unlockable Achievement
Sensationalism in TV News
The 24-hour News Cycle
Language Focus - Stress & Pausing
Unlockable Achievement
Listening: "Telepresence - The Next Best thing to Being There"

Readings

Overview of the Unit
Listening: So you want to be a TV reporter ...
Podcasting on the rise
Unit 4 Assessment 2: Instructions and Model
Game: Unit 4 Vocabulary Flashcards
Radio Hoax Causes Panic
Forget a seat at the table. This reporter wants a seat in the briefing room.

Practice Exercises

Check your Understanding 1: Listening: "VOA Fast Five"
Game 1: Matching Language to Definitions
Check Your Understanding: "So you want to be a TV reporter..."
Game 2: Print vs. Broadcast Journalism
Unit 4 Assessment 1: Rewrite your article as a copy for a broadcast
Game 3: Stress
Check Your Understanding: "Podcasting on the rise."
Check Your Understanding: "Radio Hoax Causes Panic?
Check Your Understanding: "Forget a seat at the table. This reporter wants a seat in the briefing room"
Check Your Understanding: "Telepresence - The Next Best Thing to Being There"
Game: Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle

Videos

Origins and Current State of the Digital Age
The Impact on the Journalistic Process
The Impact on Traditional Media
Language Focus – Present Perfect Form
Challenges 1: The Digital Divide
Language Focus – Data Commentary
Unlockable Achievement
Citizen Journalism
Challenges 2: Ethics in the Digital Age
Challenges 3: Intellectual Property and Censorship
Unlockable Achievement
Course Conclusion

Readings

Overview of the Unit
BASIC: Mapping the Digital Divide
ADVANCED: Mapping the Digital Divide
Want to be a citizen journalist? You might be one already.
BASIC: Egypt Clamps Down on Media Ahead of 'Arab Spring' Anniversary
ADVANCED: Egypt Clamps Down on Media Ahead of 'Arab Spring' Anniversary
Game: Unit 5 Vocabulary Flashcards
Sharing the benefits of the Internet across the digital divide
Africa's Infotech Revolution
Twitter Suspends Over 125,000 Accounts for 'Promoting Terrorist Acts'

Practice Exercises

Game 1: Create a Timeline of Digital Media
Game 2: Present Perfect Form
Check your Understanding: Mapping the Digital Divide
Game 3: Choose the Appropriate Data Commentary Language
Unit 5 Assessment 1: Choose the Factually Accurate Data Commentary
Check Your Understanding: "Want to be a citizen journalist? You might be one already."
Check Your Understanding: Egypt Clamps Down on Media Ahead of 'Arab Spring' Anniversary
Check Your Understanding: "Sharing the benefits of the Internet across the digital divide"
Check Your Understanding: "Africa's Infotech Revolution"
Check Your Understanding: "Twitter Suspends Over 125,000 Accounts for 'Promoting Terrorist Acts'"