English for Media Literacy
Description
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About this course: Welcome to English for Media Literacy, 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 learning more about U.S. media literacy. In this course, you will explore different types of mass media; such as, newspapers, magazines, television, and social media. This course will also give you the opportunity to develop a broader understanding of the role media plays in our…

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When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About this course: Welcome to English for Media Literacy, 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 learning more about U.S. media literacy. In this course, you will explore different types of mass media; such as, newspapers, magazines, television, and social media. This course will also give you the opportunity to develop a broader understanding of the role media plays in our lives, while building your vocabulary and giving you the language skills needed to analyze what you read and watch. The first unit in this course will provide an introduction to media literacy and give you an opportunity to evaluate your own media literacy level. In unit 2, you will learn how to identify facts versus opinions in the media. The next unit in the course will focus on the differences between social media and traditional media, while unit 4 will look at how gender and identity are covered in the media. In the final unit of the course, you will demonstrate your increased media literacy by through a culminating final project on social media. Anyone may take this course for free and get a Statement of Accomplishment issued by the University of Pennsylvania. If you want to get a Coursera Verified Certificate for free, please fill out the Financial Aid form. Development of this course was funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of English Language Programs. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.
Created by: University of Pennsylvania-
Taught by: Lauren Fiori, Advising Specialist
English Lan -
Taught by: Ian Nichols, Language Specialist
English Language Programs
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.Syllabus
WEEK 1
Unit 1: Introduction to Media Literacy
In this unit, you will learn what media literacy means and how you can improve your own media literacy skills.
11 videos, 8 readings, 7 practice quizzes expand
- Reading: Overview of the Unit
- Video: Course Overview: Introduction to Media Literacy
- Video: Course Overview: Topics, Assessments, Games & Activities
- Video: Media is Everywhere
- Video: Listening: Interview with William Cowen...
- Video: Language Focus: Previewing Texts
- Practice Quiz: Game 1: Preview the Text
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 1
- Video: What is Media Literacy?
- Reading: BASIC: Can you Separate Fact from Fiction?
- Reading: ADVANCED: Can you Separate Fact from Fiction?
- Video: Part 1: How Can we Analyze Media Messages?
- Reading: BASIC: Debate over Free Press in Ukraine Suffers from Old Stereotypes
- Reading: ADVANCED: Debate over Free Press in Ukraine Suffers from Old Stereotypes
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 2
- Video: Part 2: How Can we Analyze Media Messages?
- Video: Language Focus: Skimming and Scanning
- Practice Quiz: Game 2: Skimming and Scanning
- Practice Quiz: Game 3: Vocabulary Practice
- Discussion Prompt: Assessment 2: Family/Friend Media Usage Interview Findings
- Reading: Game: Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: to it! Media Literacy
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: " to it! Media Literacy"
- Practice Quiz: Game: Review Previewing a Text
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: Make up your Own Mind. These Mobile News Apps Can Help.
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "Make up your Own Mind. These Mobile News Apps Can Help."
- Practice Quiz: Game: Review Skimming and Scanning
Graded: Check Your Understanding: William Cowen Interview
Graded: Assessment 1: Self-Assessment of Media Literacy Skills
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Can you Separate Fact from Fiction?"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Debate over Free Press in Ukraine Suffers from Old Stereotypes"
WEEK 2
Unit 2: Types of Media: Traditional vs. Social
In this unit you will learn about the differences between traditional and social media, and learn the language necessary to compare them.
11 videos, 8 readings, 8 practice quizzes expand
- Reading: Overview of the Unit
- Video: What is Traditional Media?
- Video: What is Social Media?
- Practice Quiz: Game 1: Categorize each Media Example with Its Type (Traditional or Social)
- Reading: Study Finds Most Americans Get News from Social Media
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 3
- Video: Language Focus - Comparative Adjectives
- Practice Quiz: Game 2: Replace the Adjective with a Comparative Form
- Video: Overcoming Bias: The Power of Social Media
- Video: Using Social Media to Support Causes
- Reading: BASIC: 5 Ways Social Media Helps Syrian Refugees
- Reading: ADVANCED: 5 Ways Social Media Helps Syrian Refugees
- Video: Language Focus - Reductions
- Practice Quiz: Game 3: Choose the Correct Reduced Form
- Video: Part 1: The Reliability of Social Media (Editing/Doctoring Content)
- Reading: Real or Not? Snowboarder's Video in Question
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 4
- Video: Part 2: The Reliability of Social Media (Credibility)
- Video: The Language of New Media
- Practice Quiz: Game 4: Vocabulary Review: Fill in the Blank
- Discussion Prompt: Assessment 2: Tweet
- Reading: Game: Unit 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: The Town that Runs on Twitter
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "The Town that Runs on Twitter"
- Practice Quiz: Game: Grammar Practice - Reductions
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: It's about How you Communicate your Message
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "It's about How you Communicate your Message"
- Practice Quiz: Game: Identify the Positive Aspects of Social Media from the Sentence Bank
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Study Finds Most Americans Get News from Social Media"
Graded: Assessment 1: Compare Traditional and Social Media
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "5 Ways Social Media Helps Syrian Refugees"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Real or Not? Snowboarder's Video in Question"
WEEK 3
Unit 3: Advertising
In this unit, you will learn how advertisers use media to market their products.
13 videos, 9 readings, 6 practice quizzes expand
- Reading: Overview of the Unit
- Video: What is Advertising?
- Video: Thinking Critically about Advertisements
- Video: How do Advertisers Target Audiences?
- Video: Listening: Interview with Nancy Bollinger
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 5
- Practice Quiz: Game 1: Match the Target Audience with the Product
- Video: Language Focus - Order of Adjectives
- Practice Quiz: Game 2: Put the Adjectives in the Correct Order
- Video: Features of a Print Advertisement
- Video: Features of Radio and Television Advertisements
- Video: Language Focus - Intensifiers (Normal vs. Strong Adjectives)
- Practice Quiz: Game 3: Choose the Correct Intensifier
- Reading: BASIC: Internet Ads Outpace Print for First Time
- Reading: ADVANCED: Internet Ads Outpace Print for First Time
- Video: Using the Internet to Advertise
- Video: Analyzing Advertisements
- Reading: BASIC: Advertisers Join the Search for Friends Online
- Reading: ADVANCED: Advertisers Join the Search for Friends Online
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 6
- Reading: Video Assessment Instructions
- Video: Unlockable Achievement
- Reading: Game: Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards
- Reading: Ads are Everywhere, and We Do Mean Everywhere
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "Ads are Everywhere, and We Do Mean Everywhere"
- Practice Quiz: Bonus Game: Intensifier Use
- Reading: New TV Advertisements Shock Viewers
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "New TV Advertisements Shock Viewers"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: Interview with Nancy Bollinger
Graded: Assessment 1: Advertising, thinking critically about ads, and targeting audiences
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Internet Ads Outpace Print for First Time"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Advertisers Join the Search for Friends Online"
Graded: Unit 3 Assessment 2 (Option 1): Recorded Analysis of an Advertisement
WEEK 4
Bias in the Media
In this unit, we will discuss the meaning of media bias and several common types of bias.
12 videos, 9 readings, 7 practice quizzes expand
- Reading: Overview of the Unit
- Video: How Are Media Messages Created and Shared?
- Video: What is Media Bias?
- Reading: BASIC: For the Press, Elections are a Test of Accountability
- Reading: ADVANCED: For the Press, Elections are a Test of Accountability
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 7
- Video: PART 1: Language Focus- Expressing Opinions using Modals (should, must, could, might)
- Video: PART 2: Language Focus- Expressing Opinions using Modals (should, must, could, might)
- Practice Quiz: Game 1: Choose the Correct Modal
- Discussion Prompt: Unit 4 Assessment 1: Opinions on Media Sources
- Video: Bias by Omission
- Reading: Are Facebook’s Trending Topics Unfair?
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 8
- Video: Bias by Placement
- Video: Language Focus - Connotation vs. Denotation
- Practice Quiz: Game 2: Denotations and Connotations
- Video: Bias by Spin
- Video: Overcoming Bias
- Practice Quiz: Game 3: Identifying Negative Connotations
- Reading: Instructions for Video Recording
- Video: Unlockable Achievement
- Reading: Game: Unit 4 Vocabulary Flashcards
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: Are Biased Sources Replacing Standard News Networks in America?
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "Are Biased Sources Replacing News Networks?"
- Practice Quiz: Game: Bias by Omission, Placement, or Spin?
- Reading: BASIC: US Public Broadcasting Chairman Defends Actions on Alleged Bias in Programming
- Reading: ADVANCED: US Public Broadcasting Chairman Defends Actions on Alleged Bias in Programming
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: “US Public Broadcasting Chairman Defends Actions on Alleged Bias in Programming”
- Practice Quiz: Game: Positive/Neutral and Negative Connotations
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "For the Press, Elections are a Test of Accountability"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Are Facebook’s Trending Topics Unfair?"
Graded: Unit 4 Assessment 2: Media Bias (recorded option)
WEEK 5
Diversity and the Media
In this unit, we will learn about the importance of including people from various races, cultures, and genders in mainstream media.
11 videos, 10 readings, 6 practice quizzes expand
- Reading: Overview of the Unit
- Video: What is Diversity?
- Video: Why is it Important for the Media to be Diverse?
- Reading: BASIC: Minorities See Improvement, Demand Diversity on US Television
- Reading: ADVANCED: Minorities See Improvement, Demand more Diversity on US Television
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 9
- Video: Language Focus: Using Negatives (not, no, never, hardly ever)
- Practice Quiz: Game 1: Choose the Correct Negative for the Sentence
- Video: Race and Ethnicity in the Media
- Video: Culture in the Media
- Reading: BASIC: Native Americans Take Control of Their Story
- Reading: ADVANCED: Native Americans Take Control of Their Story
- Video: Women in the Media
- Reading: BASIC: Social Media Highlights Sexism in Olympics Coverage
- Reading: ADVANCED: Social Media Highlights Sexism in Olympics Coverage
- Video: Unlockable Achievement 10
- Video: Language Focus: Transitions
- Practice Quiz: Game 2: Choose the Correct Transition
- Video: Diversity and Identity
- Practice Quiz: Game 3: Vocabulary Review
- Video: Course Conclusion
- Reading: Game: Unit 5 Vocabulary Flashcards
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: Women Journalists Keep the News Coming
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "Women Journalists Keep the News Coming"
- Reading: Supplemental Reading: Giving Voice to Sesame Street's First Afghan Muppet
- Practice Quiz: Check Your Understanding: "Giving Voice to Sesame Street's First Afghan Muppet"
- Practice Quiz: Game: Review: Transitions in a Text
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Minorities See Improvement, Demand more Diversity on US Television"
Graded: Unit 5 Assessment 1: True or False: Media Diversity
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Native Americans Take Control of Their Story"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Social Media Highlights Sexism in Olympics Coverage"
Graded: Unit 5 Assessment 2: How Different Groups are Depicted in the Media
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