English Used in the Media
Instructor : Dr. Da-Fu Huang
Southern Taiwan University
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Course Outline
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Introduction
Introduction of key words in the media
News English
 Components of English Language Newspapers and
Internet Media Resources
 Layout of English Language Newspapers
 Characteristics of News English
 News English practicum
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Print and electronic news English excerpts
Advertising English
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Why study language and the media?
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The media matter to politicians and celebrities, and they also
matter to everyone else, to managers, advertisers, teachers,
parents, doctors, patients – anyone who might depend on them
for information, or find themselves affected by their images.
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The clearest way to begin understanding media, beyond what is
obvious, is to analyse media texts in detail: news broadcasts,
print or electronic newspapers, situation comedies, magazine
advertisements, talk shows, press photos, e-mails, or text
messages on a mobile phone.
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Why study language and the media?
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There is more to any media text than just its language. But a
detailed analysis can also suggest ways to look beyond
language, to non-verbal communication, interaction, layouts,
and moving images.
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Language analysis enriches media studies, and media analysis
enriches our understanding of language. Media texts remind us
that language is used for communication, it is not just a
complex abstract system.
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We need to look beyond the words themselves to what people
do with language, how they use technologies, and how
language interacts with other modes of communication
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What do we mean by the media?
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People tend to talk about ‘The Media’, lumping them all
together into an all-powerful monster. Or they think just of
television, and maybe new media such as the World Wide Web.
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It is helpful to de-glamorise the media, and consider all the ways
we extend our abilities to communicate, telephones, e-mail,
newspaper, magazines, leaflets, radio, posters, maps, and even
such everyday media as notes left on the refrigerator. Once you
consider the full range of media, you are likely to realise that
there is a lot to learn about how these various channels work,
and about the institutions and ways of working that have grown
up around them.