English for Journalism
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There are 5 modules in this course
Welcome to English for Journalism, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs.
To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select "Full Course. No certificate." This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in developing the skills needed for a career in modern journalism. In this course, you will explore print and digital media through authentic readings and video lectures, while expanding your vocabulary and increasing your ability to read, research, and develop local and global news stories. Unit 1 will provide an introduction to the history and principles of journalism. In unit 2, you will learn how to research, pitch, and interview. The next unit in the course will focus on the language needed to write newspaper and magazine articles, while unit 4 will cover the basics of broadcasting the news. In the final unit of the course, you will analyze the growth, impact, and challenges of digital news, while completing a reflection assignment that allows you to think about and discuss the recent changes to the field of journalism. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.
In this unit, you will first learn about how the course works. Then we will explore the history of journalism, as well as important principles, or ideas, that make good journalism possible.
What's included
16 videos11 readings15 assignments1 discussion prompt
16 videos•Total 71 minutes
- Welcome to English for Journalism•3 minutes
- Course Overview: Topics, Assessments & Activities•4 minutes
- Course Overview: Games and Levels•2 minutes
- Why Journalism? What Makes This Field Interesting?•5 minutes
- Introduction to the History of Journalism – pre-1690•6 minutes
- History of Journalism – 1690 – present day•6 minutes
- Language Focus – Simple Past and Past Progressive•6 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Principles of Journalism 1: Gathering Sources•7 minutes
- Principles of Journalism 2: Telling the Story•6 minutes
- Language Focus – Word Families•6 minutes
- Principles of Journalism 3: Impacting People•6 minutes
- Language Focus – Phrases for Agreeing and Disagreeing•6 minutes
- Online Learning Opportunities to Extend Your Skills•1 minute
- Supplemental Listening: "Young Journalists Report on Worldwide Landmine Problems"•3 minutes
- Supplemental Listening: 'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter•3 minutes
11 readings•Total 110 minutes
- Overview of the Unit•10 minutes
- Political Cartoons: Exploring Serious Subjects in Fun Way•10 minutes
- Hearst and the Growth of US Journalism•10 minutes
- BASIC: "Media freedom is important. Here's what you can do."•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: Media Freedom is important. Here’s what you can do.”•10 minutes
- How freedom of information works•10 minutes
- Game: Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards•10 minutes
- Irregular Verb List•10 minutes
- Supplemental Reading: How Can Journalists Be Protected?•10 minutes
- Supplemental Reading: "'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter"•10 minutes
- Supplemental Reading: "Newspapers in America"•10 minutes
15 assignments•Total 400 minutes
- Game 1: Timeline Game•30 minutes
- Game 2: Selecting tense – Simple Past versus Past Progressive•30 minutes
- Value Affirmation Activity•30 minutes
- Game 3: Matching word forms in context•30 minutes
- Game 4: Vocabulary Practice - Principles of Journalism•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: “Young Journalists Report on Worldwide Landmine Problem”•30 minutes
- Crossword with Irregular Past Tense•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "How Can Journalists Be Protected?"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: 'Berlin Airlift' Airport Becomes Emergency Refugee Shelter”•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Newspapers in America"•30 minutes
- Unit 1 Assessment 1: What do we expect from the media? (Survey)•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Political Cartoons: Exploring Serious Subjects in Fun Way"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: Hearst and the Growth of US Journalism•10 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: “Media Freedom is Important. Here’s what you can do.”•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "How freedom of information works"•0 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Unit 1 Assessment 2: Principles of Journalism•10 minutes
This unit will show you how journalists choose their topics and stories. You will also learn how journalists research their stories and interview their sources.
What's included
17 videos9 readings11 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
17 videos•Total 59 minutes
- Choosing a Topic•5 minutes
- Researching an Idea•5 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Pitching a Story – Newspapers/Magazines•4 minutes
- Pitching a Story - Radio•6 minutes
- Sample News Story Pitch•2 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Video Listening: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba•3 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Language Focus – Interviewing Sources – Wh- Questions•5 minutes
- Interviewing Sources – Reliability, Facts & Opinion•6 minutes
- Language Focus – Quoting Sources & Reporting Verbs•5 minutes
- Video interview with a student journalist from The Daily Pennsylvanian•4 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Interviewing Sources - Notetaking•7 minutes
- Language Focus – Quoting Sources Directly or Using Reported Speech•6 minutes
- Supplemental Listening: "Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports"•3 minutes
9 readings•Total 90 minutes
- Overview of the Unit•10 minutes
- BASIC: "Want to be a good reporter? Follow these tips."•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: Want to be a good reporter? Follow these tips.•10 minutes
- Sample News Story Pitch and Written Pitch Template•10 minutes
- BASIC: Times Are Changing in Havana, Cuba•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba•10 minutes
- Game: Unit 2 Vocabulary Flashcards•10 minutes
- Supplemental Reading: Student newspapers shake things up•10 minutes
- Supplemental Reading and Listening: "Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports"•10 minutes
11 assignments•Total 330 minutes
- Game 1: Right-sizing Your Topic•30 minutes
- Game 2: Vocabulary Practice•30 minutes
- Game 3: Reliable Sources•30 minutes
- Game 4: Choose the reporting verb•30 minutes
- Game 5: Changing Direct Speech to Reported Speech•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: Student newspapers shake things up•30 minutes
- Game: WH- question formation•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: Story of Dr. Omalu Enlightens on Risks of High-impact Sports•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Want to be a good reporter? Follow these tips."•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: Times are Changing in Havana, Cuba•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: Video interview with a student journalist from The Daily Pennsylvanian•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Unit 2 Assessment 1: Create a Written Pitch•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Unit 2 Assessment 2: Issues and Sources•10 minutes
This unit will help you to write briefly and with emphasis, create a lead that makes the audience want to read more, and effectively edit and proofread article drafts. At the end of the unit, you will create a lead and write an article based on that lead.
What's included
12 videos9 readings11 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
12 videos•Total 46 minutes
- Print Media: From Topic to Article•5 minutes
- Types of Leads•4 minutes
- Creating a Lead•5 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Language Focus – SV Agreement with Different Subjects•4 minutes
- Writing Using Associated Press Style•5 minutes
- Language Focus – Structure of Active and Passive Voices•5 minutes
- Language Focus – Use of Active and Passive Voices•4 minutes
- Reporting Accurately•6 minutes
- Proofreading an Article•6 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Listening: Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom•2 minutes
9 readings•Total 90 minutes
- Overview of the Unit•10 minutes
- Student Newspapers Face Real World Challenges•10 minutes
- BASIC: Thai Health Policy as Model for Emerging Economies•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: Thai Health Policy as Model for Emerging Economies•10 minutes
- BASIC: With billions to feed, sustainable agriculture is not a luxury•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: With billions to feed, sustainable agriculture is not a luxury•10 minutes
- Game: Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards•10 minutes
- Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom•10 minutes
- Old Age, Debt Threaten Vietnam Economy•10 minutes
11 assignments•Total 300 minutes
- Game 1: Labeling - the Process and the Front Page•30 minutes
- Game 2: Match Lead to Lead Type•30 minutes
- Game 3: Applying AP Style•30 minutes
- Game 4: When to Use Passive Voice•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Egyptian Journalists Call for Press Freedom"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Old Age, Debt Threaten Vietnam Economy"•30 minutes
- Game: Active/Passive Game•30 minutes
- Game: Subject/Verb Agreement Game•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Student Newspapers Face Real World Challenges."•0 minutes
- Check Your Understanding 2: "Thai Health Policy Seen as Model for Emerging Economies"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "With billions to feed, sustainable agriculture is not a luxury"•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Unit 3, Assessment 2: Write an article based on the lead you created in Assessment 1.•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Unit 3 Assessment 1: Create a lead for your story.•10 minutes
In this unit, we will focus on speaking skills for delivering the news. At the end of the unit, you will write a script for a news report.
What's included
16 videos7 readings11 assignments1 peer review
16 videos•Total 54 minutes
- The Language of Broadcast Journalism•4 minutes
- Listening: "VOA Fast Five"•5 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- The People of Broadcast Journalism•4 minutes
- Types of Stories for Broadcast Journalism•5 minutes
- Using Conversational Style•5 minutes
- Listening: "So you want to be a TV reporter..."•2 minutes
- Language Focus – Present Tense & Active Voice•4 minutes
- Sample Broadcast News Story•1 minute
- Ratings in TV News: How Journalists Compete•5 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Sensationalism in TV News•5 minutes
- The 24-hour News Cycle•5 minutes
- Language Focus - Stress & Pausing•5 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Listening: "Telepresence - The Next Best thing to Being There"•2 minutes
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
- Overview of the Unit•10 minutes
- Listening: So you want to be a TV reporter ...•10 minutes
- Podcasting on the rise•10 minutes
- Unit 4 Assessment 2: Instructions and Model•10 minutes
- Game: Unit 4 Vocabulary Flashcards•10 minutes
- Radio Hoax Causes Panic•10 minutes
- Forget a seat at the table. This reporter wants a seat in the briefing room.•10 minutes
11 assignments•Total 270 minutes
- Game 1: Matching Language to Definitions•30 minutes
- Game 2: Print vs. Broadcast Journalism•30 minutes
- Game 3: Stress•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Radio Hoax Causes Panic?•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Forget a seat at the table. This reporter wants a seat in the briefing room"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Telepresence - The Next Best Thing to Being There"•30 minutes
- Game: Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle•30 minutes
- Check your Understanding 1: Listening: "VOA Fast Five"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "So you want to be a TV reporter..."•0 minutes
- Unit 4 Assessment 1: Rewrite your article as a copy for a broadcast•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Podcasting on the rise."•0 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Unit 4, Assessment 2: Writing follow-up questions•60 minutes
The final unit of this course discusses how journalism is changing fast because of digital technologies. At the end of the unit, you will describe data about the news and complete a reflection assignment that allows you to think about and discuss the recent changes to the field of journalism.
What's included
12 videos10 readings10 assignments1 peer review
12 videos•Total 45 minutes
- Origins and Current State of the Digital Age•6 minutes
- The Impact on the Journalistic Process•3 minutes
- The Impact on Traditional Media•4 minutes
- Language Focus – Present Perfect Form•5 minutes
- Challenges 1: The Digital Divide•5 minutes
- Language Focus – Data Commentary•5 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Citizen Journalism•5 minutes
- Challenges 2: Ethics in the Digital Age•6 minutes
- Challenges 3: Intellectual Property and Censorship•4 minutes
- Unlockable Achievement•0 minutes
- Course Conclusion•2 minutes
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
- Overview of the Unit•10 minutes
- BASIC: Mapping the Digital Divide•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: Mapping the Digital Divide•10 minutes
- Want to be a citizen journalist? You might be one already.•10 minutes
- BASIC: Egypt Clamps Down on Media Ahead of 'Arab Spring' Anniversary•10 minutes
- ADVANCED: Egypt Clamps Down on Media Ahead of 'Arab Spring' Anniversary•10 minutes
- Game: Unit 5 Vocabulary Flashcards•10 minutes
- Sharing the benefits of the Internet across the digital divide•10 minutes
- Africa's Infotech Revolution•10 minutes
- Twitter Suspends Over 125,000 Accounts for 'Promoting Terrorist Acts'•10 minutes
10 assignments•Total 270 minutes
- Game 1: Create a Timeline of Digital Media•30 minutes
- Game 2: Present Perfect Form•30 minutes
- Game 3: Choose the Appropriate Data Commentary Language•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Sharing the benefits of the Internet across the digital divide"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Africa's Infotech Revolution"•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Twitter Suspends Over 125,000 Accounts for 'Promoting Terrorist Acts'"•30 minutes
- Check your Understanding: Mapping the Digital Divide•30 minutes
- Unit 5 Assessment 1: Choose the Factually Accurate Data Commentary•30 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: "Want to be a citizen journalist? You might be one already."•0 minutes
- Check Your Understanding: Egypt Clamps Down on Media Ahead of 'Arab Spring' Anniversary•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Unit 5, Assessment 2: How has digital journalism affected traditional journalism?•60 minutes
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Reviewed on Mar 2, 2017
One of the best courses I have finished in the last years. A very well organized and dynamic course. Teachers with a lot of experience and good expertise in the area of teaching. 100% recommended!
Reviewed on Aug 2, 2017
An ideal course not only for aspiring journalists but also for those who have been practicing journalism for many years. I really like strategies for improving skills of writing and reporting.
Reviewed on May 4, 2018
A very inclusive approach to teach Journalism over internet. The course covers several important aspects of story writing and presenting making it a rather concise yet productive package.
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