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INTRODUCTION 7
UNIT 1 ENGLISHES 9
UNIT 2 MEDIA LITERACY 20
UNIT 3 GENDER AND LANGUAGE 32
UNIT 4 THE SILVER SCREEN 45
UNIT 5 THE WORLD OF TELEVISION 54
UNIT 6 THE WORLD OF TELEPHONES 65
UNIT 7 INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS 76
UNIT 8 THE PRINT MEDIA 88
UNIT 9 WRITING NEWS 101
UNIT 10 ADVERTISING 113
UNIT 11 PERSUASIVE ADS 125
UNIT 12 POLITICAL PROPAGANDA 140
Every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material used in
this book. We should be pleased to hear from any copyright holder whom we
have been unable to contact.
For didactic purposes, the texts used have been slightly modified with the
permission of the copyright holders.
INTRODUCTION
English for Communication Science was written within the broad parameters
of the European Language Framework which forms a second context for its
overall structure. Readers are assumed to have reached B1 level, but, with the
aid of the glossaries (and a good dictionary), students from lower levels
should also be able to tackle most of the material and can make use of the
Grammar Revision Appendix in order to refresh their knowledge of more ba-
sic language points.
Each unit is structured around two reading texts of varying length and diffi-
culty and drawn from several different genres–journalistic, academic, politi-
cal, advertising, internet. The readings have been chosen for their relevance
to students of Communication Science. The activities built around them aim
to provide students with a considerable, but carefully selected, corpus of vo-
cabulary, and with a working knowledge in English of some of the more im-
portant subjects they are addressing in the other courses on their syllabus
(and will eventually come to use in their working lives). Each unit includes
an English-Italian glossary dealing with the lexical items most likely to pre-
sent problems for Italian speakers, as well as language and cultural notes, ex-
ercises in vocabulary and word study, and special language notes, dealing
with topical issues with regard to language and which tie in with the overall
structure of the unit. There are also occasional translation sections, aimed at
revising important grammar points and at practising vocabulary.
Unit by unit, it is hoped that students will not only learn specific English lan-
guage skills which are relevant to their overall formation in Communication
Science but that they will also develop their knowledge of the nature of the
English language itself, and acquire a basic linguistic and metalinguistic
competence.
The twelve core units are followed by a series of appendices. The first con-
tains four short glossaries which consolidate and expand the vocabulary
which has been encountered throughout the course of the book. The second is
a list of the most common Irregular Verbs; the third is a carefully explained
list of the common prefixes and suffixes in English with examples of how
they are used. Appendix IV illustrates the workings of the English numbering
system while Appendix V provides a list of many of the so-called False
Friends, those words which cause much confusion. Unit VI offers students an
opportunity to revise some basic points of English grammar and to do some
exercises designed to reinforce what they have already learned at school. Unit
VII contains a list of useful websites where students can find out more infor-
mation about the various issues raised in the reading texts, various on-line
resources for language learning and a selected booklist.
John McCourt
UNIT 8 THE PRINT MEDIA
More newspapers are sold in Britain than in any other European country.
66% of the British public read one of the eleven daily newspapers that can be
divided into two chief categories: broadsheets, such as The Guardian and The
Daily Telegraph, and tabloids, such as The Daily Mail and The Sun. The tab-
loids are the biggest sellers by far. They are part of what is commonly known
as the popular press which is aimed at lower social groupings.
Among the features of tabloid papers are their lively layout, their use of big
headlines in bold, of colour, of large, dramatic pictures accompanying short
articles. They usually focus on human interest stories, on gossip, on sport and
often offer gimmicks and special offers such as games and free tickets.
Broadsheet newspapers are usually referred to as quality press. They aim at a
higher social grouping. They use colour very sparingly, their pages are usu-
ally densely packed with long news reports, their focus is often on political
issues and on international news. The broadsheet is usually serious and care-
ful to be seen to present as full a picture as possible of the news in a series of
reports about recent occurrences judged to be “newsworthy” and of interest to
the paper’s readership. The tabloid does not worry about presenting (or seem-
ing to present) the news in an objective way; rather it appeals directly to the
readers’ emotions and instincts.
For tabloids, emotion about an event takes precedence over the event itself.
For broadsheets, the event takes precedence over emotion. In this respect,
tabloids may be seen as displaying a preference for spoken melodrama (sen-
sationalism and excessive emotion), whereas broadsheets are more rooted in
written epic (the narrative of events that are important to a nation).
Sometimes this leads tabloids to taking rather extreme positions which are
often criticised.
A study of two front pages can illustrate some of the differences between the
two types of newspaper. Newspaper front pages are vitally important. They
serve to attract readers, to reinforce the newspaper’s image and identity, to
reassure the regular reader who looks for familiar features.
The following two front-page headlines, each printed on the same day during
the NATO war in Kosovo, exemplify the different approaches of the two
types of newspapers.
Broadsheet headlines have a smaller typeface and stretch right across the
front page. They tend to offer a summary of the story carried beneath. The
main image is not necessarily directly connected with the principal headline.
The longer headline allows for the use of a fully formed sentence often with
two clauses, as follows: “Saddam’s Palace destroyed by Cruise Missile as US
mounts new attack”. There is a tendency to elide the full range of participants
to a process. Often the function words such as definite articles, pronouns, and
auxiliary verbs are left out. With all these elements added in, this headline
would read: “Saddam’s Palace has been destroyed by a Cruise Missile as the
US mounts a new attack”.
GLOSSARY
NOTES
Exercise 1
Tick the term or statement that is incorrect according to the text.
3. Broadsheet newspapers…
a. have a higher readership than tabloids
b. use more complicated headlines
c. often have a list of contents on the front page
4. In general, broadsheets…
a. seem to be less biased than tabloids
b. are never biased
c. have bigger pages than tabloids
5. In general, tabloids…
a. give more importance to an emotional response to an event than to the
event itself
b. don’t like Prince Charles
c. combine views with news in the reporting
Exercise 2
Reduce the article above to a list of key points in your own words in English.
VOCABULARY
Exercise 4
1. Look at the two front pages printed here. What do they have in common?
In what ways are they different? How does the physical layout of the pages
effect they way in which readers approach the newspaper?
2. Label the two newspaper front pages printed in this unit with terms from
the article.
Match one of the headlines with each of the opening paragraphs printed be-
low
1. BATTLE FOR BAGHDAD BEGINS WITH US ATTACK ON AIR-
PORT
2. AT SADDAM’S THROAT
a. As US troops reach Baghdad, the world waits for Saddam to play his final,
despotic card.
b. CAMP SAYLIYAH, Qatar - US forces pushed to within 12 miles of
Baghdad, attacking the main airport and preparing for an assault on the
city, which last night was suddenly plunged mostly into darkness when the
power grid went out.
c. The battle for Baghdad appeared to be starting last night with an attack
under darkness on Saddam Hussein International airport, 25 km west of
the city.
d. SAS HUNT FIEND IN BADHDAD BLACKOUT by George Pascoe-
Watson at US Central Command, Qatar. SAS troops were sent on seek and
destroy missions in Baghdad last night after the city was dramatically
plunged into darkness.
e. ALLIED special forces thrust deep into Baghdad early today as they went
for Saddam Hussein’s throat.
SAS troops were sent on seek and destroy missions in Baghdad last night af-
ter the city was dramatically plunged into darkness. The crack British soldiers
were joined by American Delta Force and CIA teams as they tried to root out
Iraqi leaders and gather intelligence.
Special forces wearing night-vision goggles scurried into action to take ad-
vantage of pitch-black streets, alleys and buildings. They were ordered to es-
tablish the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein and his lieutenants — and test
the strength of any enemy forces they encountered.
A series of huge explosions shook southern Baghdad until just before the
blackout. After the power went off more heavy blasts rocked the city centre
and aircraft droned overhead. Between 4 am and 5 am local time at least 16
loud blasts reverberated round the centre of the capital. Several were thought
to be bombs hitting Saddam’s presidential palaces.
However, there were suspicions he could issue such a denial because the CIA
gave the go-ahead for the controversial bomb. Military commanders could
face international court action if use of the device is seen as an attack on a
civilian population. Such a bomb was used in the Kosovo conflict, triggering
a bid for legal action by Serb authorities. All general power is switched off
temporarily by blackout bombs. But hospitals have back-up systems for pa-
tients on life-support machines and babies in incubators.
GLOSSARY
NOTES
To issue (par. 8) means ‘to make a formal statement’ or ‘to publish a declara-
tion’, in this case, a denial.
COMPRHEHENSION
Exercise 6
The following summary of the text contains at least seven errors of content.
Find and correct them.
The article is written from a neutral point of view. American and British
forces worked together last week to try and find Saddam Hussein but their
efforts were frustrated by a blackout. Coalition forces encountered stiff oppo-
sition from local forces. Baghdad was heavily bombed just before the lights
went off. Saddam’s forces retained control of the airport. The power cut
caused huge problems in the hospitals because they did not have back-up sys-
tems. General Richard Myers, the US Defence secretary, thinks the Allied
troops will take Baghdad city soon. He also thinks there is a good chance the
US will make a deal to stop the war. Saddam Hussein read a statement on TV
calling on his people to continue to fight the Americans.
GRAMMAR REVIEW
REPORTED SPEECH
When journalists have to report on what is said by politicians or other people
in public positions they must use a variety of reporting verbs, such as the fol-
lowing:
accept, acknowledge, add, admit, advise, agree, announce, argue, comment,
complain, concede, conclude, declare, deny, explain, imply, insist, mention,
observe, point out, predict, promise, remark, reveal, say, warn
Exercise 7
Consult the section on reported speech in the appendix and write the follow-
ing quotations taken from the article in reported speech. Use a different verb
from the above list for each one.
1. A US source said: “We are going to have a good look around under cover
of darkness. If opportunities present themselves to take out the enemy
we’ll take them.”
2. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, said:
“Central Command has not targeted the power grid of Baghdad.”
3. A military expert said: “The blackout bomb is like a cotton wool bomb.
You don’t hear much - there’s no explosion.”
4. He said: “We are closer to the centre of the Iraqi capital than many
American commuters are from their downtown offices. The regime is un-
der increasing pressure.”
5. Mr Rumsfeld warned that it was now too late for the Iraqi dictator to seek
exile, saying: “If you’re asking if we’re still encouraging him to leave, the
answer is no.”
ACTIVITY
IDENTIFYING BIAS
Exercise 8
1. Bias can often be created by the headline of a story because headlines,
with their large, bold fonts, are the must-read part of a newspaper. Which
of the five headlines quoted in Exercise 5 are biased and in what way?
2. Bias can be seen in the use of names and titles. Find some examples from
the Night Night Saddam article.
3. Bias can be caused by the choice of words (other than naming words) and
their connotation (see the language note on the next page for an explana-
tion of this term). Find some examples from the same article.
4. Bias by selectivity. Biased can be created by allowing one side more space
to explain its position. Does this happen in this article?
5. Bias can also be seen in the visual images presented. Consider the follow-
ing picture of the 2000 Democrat candidate for President, Al Gore.
LANGUAGE NOTE
ACTIVITY
Decide if the following words have positive, negative or no connotations.
Do you think a mother tongue English speaker would attach the same conno-
tations to these words as an Italian would?