English in the News Media

ULEN20022 English in the News Media 10 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 2 University Language Centre 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Middle part of Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 The course unit aims to: 1) examine a range of linguistic elements of spoken and written news texts; 2) enhance communicative competence and extend knowledge of complex lexical items and structures; 3) develop and extend social and cultural understanding of British society. The course is designed for non-native speakers of the English language who wish to extend their study of language structures, communication and target culture in the context of linguistic and critical analyses of authentic contemporary texts. The following areas will be covered: a) the organisation of news content; b) appropriate terminology for analysing the language and format of news texts; c) the role of various news media in British culture; d) news media text types: radio/television/podcasts/newspapers/internet; e) linguistic elements of media texts: register, vocabulary, phrase structure, viewpoints; f) topical issues; g) cultural elements Lecture and workshop input will incorporate pair and group work on authentic spoken and written topical texts. For seminar and individual project work, students will be expected to collect, analyse and discuss appropriate texts of their choice. The course unit aims to: 1) examine a range of linguistic elements of spoken and written news texts; 2) enhance communicative competence and extend knowledge of complex lexical items and structures; 3) develop and extend social and cultural understanding of British society. The course is designed for non-native speakers of the English language who wish to extend their study of language structures, communication and target culture in the context of linguistic and critical analyses of authentic contemporary texts. The following areas will be covered: a) the organisation of news content; b) appropriate terminology for analysing the language and format of news texts; c) the role of various news media in British culture; d) news media text types: radio/television/podcasts/newspapers/internet; e) linguistic elements of media texts: register, vocabulary, phrase structure, viewpoints; f) topical issues; g) cultural elements Lecture and workshop input will incorporate pair and group work on authentic spoken and written topical texts. For seminar and individual project work, students will be expected to collect, analyse and discuss appropriate texts of their choice. FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, INCLUDING 'HOW TO APPLY', SEE http://www.ulc.manchester.ac.uk/languages/leap/ Upon successful completion of the course, the student should: 1) have an enhanced knowledge of complex English vocabulary and structures; 2) be able to demonstrate enhanced communication skills; 3) have a basic understanding of linguistic elements in news media texts; 4) have an understanding of the role of the news media within British culture; 5) have an understanding of contemporary British society and culture; 6) be able to analyse a spoken or written media text critically; 7) be able to analyse and explain themes or issues related to news events; 8) be able to identify cultural issues related to news events be able to initiate and participate in extended discussions on linguistic and topical issues both spoken and written; 10) be familiar with basic research and data collection activities. Transferable skills: On successful completion of this course unit, students will have developed further their ability to: apply critical analysis techniques to real-world issues and problems; engage more fully in team work in real-world environments; work independently to produce a research report. 1.5 hour lecture/workshop per week plus 1 hour seminar every two weeks as well as individual project work. Online tools, e.g. weblogs, WebCT, etc. and internet-based news media (audio/audio-visual/text), radio and television programmes will be used to promote and assess collaborative work, and to encourage discussion of individual contributions. Seminars will be used to share and enhance ideas and understanding of British culture, and to develop language/text analysis and participation skills. 0 Other 100% 1500-word research report based on the analysis of authentic spoken and written texts (50%), assessed e-learning work based on 5 contributions to online discussions (25%), seminar participation (25%). Y 0 Information FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, INCLUDING 'HOW TO APPLY', SEE http://www.ulc.manchester.ac.uk/languages/leap/ Credits: 10 credits Level: 2 Pre-requisite: IELTS 7.0 or equivalent, or a level 1 course unit Co-requisite: Cannot be taken in conjuction with ULEN20021 Taught during: semester 2Timetable http://www.ulc.manchester.ac.uk/languages/leap/english/timetables/URL http://www.ulc.manchester.ac.uk/foreign/