104121 - ENGLISH

Subject type: Basic

Coordinator: Rafael Suarez Gómez

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

This subject is entirely delivered in English

As English is the international shared language in most technological and scientific areas, the field of Media studies relies on it as an essential communication tool for all professionals and scholars who want to develop their careers in the many and varied media sectors. Audiovisual media students need to improve their English abilities in order to fully perform media-related tasks in international contexts. Therefore, this subject is focused on developing the four language communication skills in the key areas of the media: film, TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and advertising, based on authentic teaching materials. Students are thus provided with plenty of practice in the language and situations of the media world that help them prepare for real working life.

In general terms, this subject contributes to the learning outcomes (LO) specific to the subject matter it belongs to (Modern Language). At the end of the course, students must be able to:

(LO1) Produce 's structures, passive voice sentences, relative clauses, and reduced relative clauses, and complex nominal phrases in writing a logline and a film review

(LO2) Communicate efficiently in specific audiovisual media situations by pitching successfully

(LO3) Use –ing/-ed participles through understanding the language of TV production, filming, and editing. 

(LO4) Communicate efficiently in specific audiovisual media situations by planning, writing, and recording a radio interview

 (LO5) Communicate efficiently in specific audiovisual media situations by practicing interview skills

(LO6) Produce specific technical audiovisual media texts through headlines and newspaper articles

(LO7) Produce specific technical audiovisual media texts through planning and writing a true-life story

(LO8) Communicate effectively in specific audiovisual media situations by composing magazine covers and planning the contents of a magazine

(LO9) Communicate effectively in specific audiovisual media situations by creating and presenting a print advert

(LO10) Make effective oral presentations by presenting the magazine

(CLO1) Use the language of radio presenters and the production process

Teaching Methodology

Classroom activities will focus on the development of communication skills and specific English language knowledge for media students. A variety of listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities based on authentic teaching materials (newspaper articles, magazine covers, adapted film scripts, and blogs) will give students plenty of practice in the language of the media industry and help them prepare for real working life.

Tasks, exercises, and activities will be done individually or in small groups (either in the classroom or as homework) and will have to be handed to the teacher for assessment on the assigned date (Late submission will not be accepted).

Content 1: Film: Writing a logline and a film review

1. Making a film glossary. Understanding and using the technical vocabulary of filming.

2. Understanding the features of a written dialogue: incomplete sentences, missing subjects, repetition, short sentences, simple linking words, use

of shared knowledge to leave things unsaid.

3. Writing the logline of a movie you have seen recently. Practicing complex noun phrases and relative clauses for the description of films. Identifying film genres.

4. Writing a film review. Understanding the language of film reviews. Using connectors. Using 's and relative clauses. Using passive voice. Asking questions about the plot: Who is involved in the scene? Where and when does it take place? What is happening? How do the protagonists feel?

5. Pitching a movie idea successfully.

Related Activities:

Film vocabulary quizzes, word webs, and glossaries

Exercises with complex noun phrases, relative clauses, and connective devices

Exercises with 's, relative clauses, passive voice

Writing a logline

Pitching a movie idea

Writing a film review

Listening: A pitching session, a pre-filming meeting

Content 2: TV: The language of TV production, filming, and editing

1. Understanding the pre-production process: understanding and using the language of TV production. -ing / -ed participles. Building a word web: collocations and job

titles. Expressing modality: possibility, ability, giving advice / recommendation, necessity / lack of necessity

2. Organizing a filming schedule. Understanding and using the vocabulary of filming procedures and equipment. –Ing / -ed participles. Thinking of documentary topics:

Length, number of crew members, fixers, GVs

3. TV documentary editing. Understanding and using the vocabulary of editing a television documentary

Related Activities:

Vocabulary quizzes, word webs, and gapped dictations: the language of TV production, filming procedures, and TV documentary editing

Exercises with modal verbs

Exercises with –ing / -ed participles

Listening: planning the agenda of a news broadcast, planning the making of a TV documentary, filming on location, editing a TV documentary

Reading: a filming schedule and editing instructions

Content 3: Radio: Planning, writing, and recording a radio interview

1. Understanding the Language of Radio Presenters: using the appropriate verbal tenses in the presentation of a radio program. Identifying radio

genders Analyzing a radio commissioning brief

2. Understanding the Production Process: learning and using the vocabulary of radio production. Giving instructions in the

newsroom. Using phrases followed by nouns, infinitives, or gerunds

3. Practicing Interview Skills: researching the topic and planning the interview. Practicing question forms (open questions, closed questions, negative

questions, and echo questions). Arranging, preparing, and recording an interview

4. Giving Post-Production Feedback: useful phrases for giving feedback. Practicing phrasal verbs (transitive and intransitive, transitive separable or

inseparable transitive)

Related Activities:

Exercises with phrases followed by nouns, infinitives, s and gerunds

Vocabulary quizzes and word webs

Planning, writing, and recording a radio interview

Producing a brief oral presentation on the process of making the radio interview

Phrasal verbs exercises

Listening: Answering comprehension questions about a radio interview and about a briefing over the phone

Reading: Radio commissioning brief, 24-hour schedule of a radio producer, a news list, post-production feedback email

Content 4: Newspapers: planning and writing newspaper headlines and articles

1. Writing headlines: understanding English headlines and subheads. Turning sentences into headlines. Creating eye-catching headlines: language

devices (puns, loaded language, cultural references, alliteration, homophones and rhyme, emphasis, limited use of punctuation)

2. Analyzing newspaper articles: identifying slant and bias in texts. Newspaper writing techniques: cohesive devices and passive voice, complex noun compounds, shortening of relative clauses

3. Planning and writing a newspaper article: writing introductions and conclusions, using appropriate language and technical register.

Related Activities:

Writing headlines using appropriate language and technical register

Using cohesive devices to put jumbled articles back in the right order.

Planning and writing a newspaper article using appropriate language and technical register

Reading: Headlines, articles, and plans for writing a newspaper article

Content 5: Magazines: Magazine cover. Coverlines. Planning and writing a true-life story

1. Composing a magazine cover: understanding the language and layout of magazine covers. Identifying target readers. Analyzing coverline

features: Stylistic devices. Writing cover lines. Designing a magazine cover

2. Planning the contents of a magazine. Using future forms (will, going to, present continuous, simple present) at editorial meetings: presenting ideas,

making and justifying a proposal, making objections, and dealing with them

3. Planning and writing a true-life story: analyzing a true-life story: setting, problem, solution, and moral. Using narrative tenses: simple past, past

continuous, perfect past. Reporting true-life stories. Writing a true-life article for a magazine

4. Choosing the photos to illustrate a true-life story and writing the photo captions.

Related Activities:

Writing coverlines

Designing a magazine cover

Exercises with future tenses, narrative tenses, and reported speech

Writing a true-life story for a magazine using an appropriate technical register

Choosing the photos to illustrate a true-life story and write the photo captions

Content 6: Advertising: Creating a Print Advert

1. Selling products / services to a potential customer: using the right words: ad, advert, advertise, advertisement. Identifying the different types of

advertising. Reassuring and convincing a prospective client

2. Creating a print advert: identifying advertising techniques. Writing a slogan: Language devices. Choosing a product and writing a print ad

3. Presenting a finished advertisement: language for presenting an ad to a client: Useful phrases.

Related Activities:

Writing and presenting a print ad

Listening: A meeting with a prospective client, a presentation of an advertising campaign

Making an oral presentation of the ad

Aiming to gather evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes (LO), the following activities will be carried out:

Activity 1: Film. Writing a logline and a film review (Content 1) (Evidence of Learning Outcomes LO1, and LO2). Individual activity

Understanding the features of a film script: its technical vocabulary and style features. Presenting a logline or a brief summary of the film plot. Writing a film

review on a selected film. Understanding the elements of a pitching session

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A1: Writing a “logline” and a film review.

(5% of the final mark)

A2: Pitching a screenplay to film executives, producers, studios, etc.

(5% of the final mark)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Use the technical vocabulary of cinema

Write a logline or summary of a film plot using 's structures, passive voice, relative clauses, complex noun phrases

Write a film review using 's structures, passive voice, relative clauses, complex noun phrases

Understand the elements of a pitching session

Produces an effective pitch

Ask and answer questions on the plot of a film

Activity 2: TV: The language of TV production, recording, and editing (Content 2) (Evidence of Learning Outcome LO3) Individual activity

Understanding and using the language of TV production, filming, and editing.

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A3: Listening Activity (to be done in class).

(5% of the final mark)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Understand the language of TV production, filming, and editing.

Use –ing / -ed participles

Express modality: possibility, ability, recommendation, and necessity

Ask for and make suggestions, give orders, etc.

Activity 3: Radio: Planning, writing, and recording a radio interview (Content 3) (Evidence of Learning Outcomes LO4, LO5, and CLO1). Activity in pairs

Understanding the lexicon used on the radio and the production process of radio programs. Planning an interview that has to be recorded for a

radio program

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A4: Planning, preparing, and recording a radio interview (in pairs)

(10% of the final mark)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Understand the language of radio presenters and the production process

Learn and use the phrasal verbs connected with the presentation and hosting of a radio program.

Plan, prepare, and record a radio interview.

Communicate effectively with the production team and interviewees

Give feedback during the post-production process

Activity 4: Newspapers: planning and writing newspaper headlines and articles (Content 4) (Evidence of Learning Outcomes LO6 and LO7). Individual activity

Understanding and writing newspaper headlines and sub-headlines. Analysis of newspaper articles. Planning and writing a newspaper article.

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A5: Writing headlines; writing effective headlines for pieces of news

(4% of the final mark)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Write newspaper headlines using a suitable technical register

Analyze newspaper articles

Plan and write a newspaper article using a suitable technical register

Activity 5: Magazines. Planning and writing a true-life story (Content 5) (Evidence of Learning Outcome LO7). Individual activity

Composing a magazine cover using the most suitable type of language and style.

Planning the key contents of a magazine. Planning and writing a true-life story.

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A6: Writing an article for a magazine about a true-life story. Choosing the photos to illustrate it and writing the photo captions

(7% of the final mark)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Design an eye-catching magazine cover

Write a true-life story using an appropriate technical register

Choose the photos to illustrate the true-life story and write the photo captions

Activity 6: Creating an advertisement (Content 6) (Evidence of Learning Outcome LO9). Individual activity

Using the appropriate vocabulary and style to sell products/services to potential clients and convince them that they are the best. Making an advertisement by

using the most suitable techniques and an eye-catching slogan.

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A7: Writing an advertisement

(4% of the final mark)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Sell ​​products / services to a potential client and communicate effectively

Create and present a print advertisement

Create an eye-catching slogan

Activity 7: Final project: design, write and present a magazine (Contents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) (Evidence of Learning Outcomes LO1, LO4, LO5, LO6,

LO7, LO8, LO9, and LO10). Group activity

1. INSTRUCTIONS: the assignment will be done in groups of 4 students. Students will be assessed as a group for the written part of the assignment,

but individually on their oral presentation. The project will be worth 25% of the final grade

2. PURPOSE: create a magazine that has useful information on subjects related to Media Technology. Demonstrate the ability to use the language and structures covered during the course. Demonstrate the ability to write and edit a variety of documents (magazine covers, articles, advertisements, film reviews, etc) for a target audience. Give an effective oral presentation of the project

3. FORMAT: FORMAT: students can incorporate the texts they have produced for the different assignments and use the software of their choice to create and edit the magazine (InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, canva, isuu, etc). Optionally, the magazine can also be edited online. It must look professional

4. STEPS IN COMPLETING THE ASSIGNMENT: choose an interesting topic (music, cinema, manga, documentaries, series, sport, …). Write a 2000-3000 word magazine script on the chosen subject. Includes a cover, articles, advertisements, interviews, film reviews, images, and diagrams. Edit the script so that it is free of grammar/spelling errors and has an appropriate style. Create a magazine using the chosen documents and images. Hand in the magazine script. Print the magazine and prepare a good presentation to show to the class. It must take around 10 minutes.

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

Assignments:

A7: A printed or online magazine (15% of the final mark; assessed as a group activity) and an oral presentation of the project (10% of the final mark; assessed individually)

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to:

Write news headlines

Plan and write down the transcripts of an interview

Compose the magazine cover and plan its contents

Design and create a magazine

Write a news article and a true-life story

Write a film review

Create an advert

Make an effective oral presentation

Activity 8: Exam (Contents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) (Evidence of Learning Outcomes LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7, LO8, and LO9, and CLO1)). Individual activity

The written exam will include exercises based on contents 1 to 6 of the module

Regarding competencies, this activity has an impact on basic competency G4 and cross-curricular competency T1

This is 30% of the final mark. A minimum mark of 4 (out of 10) is required in this activity in order to pass the subject.

Specific goals:

At the end of the activity, students must be able to demonstrate to have acquired all the contents delivered all over the course (MECES-2 punt a, punt c)

Assessment Methodology

1. The subject requires active involvement, with written exercises and practical work to be done as homework, as well as both written and oral

exercises to be done in class. This part basically covers all the exercises from activities 1 to 7: 40%

2. Class participation and attendance: 5%

3. Students will also have to write, print or publish online a magazine on an audiovisual media subject and then present it. The printed or online

magazine will be assessed as a group activity (15% of the final mark) and the oral presentation of it will be assessed individually (10% of the final mark

marks). Students who FAIL or DO NOT deliver this assignment WILL NOT pass the subject.

4. Final Exam: 30% (4 (out of 10) is the minimum grade required to pass the subject)

5. Exam Pass: 30% (A minimum mark of 4 (out of 10) in the resit exam is required to pass the module) The remaining 70% corresponds to the marks previously achieved in the Assignments done all over the term (A1-A7)

Rules for Carrying out Activities

If one of the activities, tests, or exercises is not delivered in due time, it will be qualified as 0. Students will not be allowed to use notes, dossiers, or dictionaries in the exam(s)

VERY IMPORTANT: Partial or total plagiarism will immediately result in a FAIL (0) for the plagiarized exercise. PLAGIARISING consists of copying text from unacknowledged sources -whether this is part of a sentence or a whole text- with the intention of passing it off as the student’s own production. It includes cutting and pasting from internet sources, presented unmodified in the student's own text. Plagiarism is a SERIOUS OFFENCE. Students must respect authors' intellectual property, always identifying the sources they may use; they must also be responsible for the originality and authenticity of their own texts. If plagiarism is produced a second time, the student will be given a fail in the subject.

Ceramella, Nick, and Elizabeth Lee. Cambridge English for the Media. Cambridge [etc.: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print.

Film reviews http://www.theguardian.com/film/film+tone/reviews

Newspapers

Latest headlines from the US and around the worldhttp://www.1stheadlines.com/index.htm

https://www.esl-lab.com/ 

Flinders, Steve, and Steve Flinders. Test Your Professional English: Business: General. Harlow, Essex, Eng: Pearson Education, 2002. Print.

Chandler, Daniel, and Rod Munday. A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.

Radio

Websites available to host home-made audio and video content: http://www.ning.com/es/

Magazines

Selection of current covers http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/

Other learning resources:

Television

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program  

https://www.adsoftheworld.com

https://www.adsoftheworld.com

www.ted.com 

Willett, Amanda. Media Production. A Practical Guide to Radio & TV. London and New York: Routledge, 2013. Print and Companion Website.