1st Edition
English for International Journalists
English for International Journalists is a clear and engaging step-by-step guide for non-native speakers using English in journalism across all forms of media. In-depth language analysis is provided in the specialised context of journalism, as well as a comprehensive approach to the rules and guidelines necessary for avoiding the pitfalls and errors that undermine accuracy and clarity.
The book, written by Mike Gandon and edited by Heather Purdey, covers a broad range of vital subjects, including:
• Making contact
• Interviewing
• Grammar and journalistic writing
• Sensitive issues
• The language of argument
• The language of impartial and accurate reporting
• Bloggers and broadcasters
• Reporting economy, health and the environment.
The book is closely supported by online resources concentrating on the spoken word, intonation and pronunciation, and also features an expansive range of exercises and tests, suitable for self-study or to be set as coursework. English for International Journalists presents readers with the essential tools for producing journalism in English today.
1. Introduction 2. Making Contact 3. Interviewing 4. Some Tricky Grammar 5. Prepositions 6. Phrasal Verbs 7. The Language of Journalism 8. Broadcast Language 9. Comment, Opinion and Blogs 10. The Language of Sustained Argument 11. The Language of Impartial Reporting 12. Sensitive Language 13. Specialist Reporting 14. The Language of the Newsroom 15. Fun Phrases 16. Common Mistakes 17. Answers to Exercises 18. Self Diagnostic Test 19. Self Diagnostic Test – Answer Key 20.Self Diagnostic Test – Score Indicator
Biography
Mike Gandon is a module leader on the postgraduate Masters in International Journalism at City University. He has 15 years’ experience of teaching journalism to students who do not have English as a first language. He has also taught overseas. He is a former programme editor with the BBC.
Heather Purdey was Director of the MA International Journalism programme and a Senior Lecturer in the Graduate School of Journalism at City University, London. She is now a Visiting Fellow. She has 15 years’ experience of teaching journalism to students who do not have English as a first language and has worked in print and radio journalism and, briefly in television. She is the co-editor of International News Reporting: Frontlines and Deadlines (2009).
'English is such an irregular language. Its arcane rules about articles, for example, are difficult for even native English speakers - and I, for one, have a tough time explaining those rules to students...Mike Gandon takes on these challenges in a readable, accessible manner. For my money, the section on articles (Chap. 4, pp. 30-34) is worth the price of the book. Gandon uses examples, canvassing possible erroneous usages and explaining clearly why they're incorrect before offering his "Rewrite" - the correct answer. He does this patiently, with repeated line-by-line analyses of real news stories. An English-as-a-second-language writer can refer back to them time and time again until correct idiomatic usage becomes second nature...All in all, English for International Journalists is a commendable package.' Peter H. Martyn, Canadian Journal for Media Studies