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Learner Reviews & Feedback for English for Journalism by University of Pennsylvania

4.8
stars
2,686 ratings

About the Course

Welcome to English for Journalism, 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 developing the skills needed for a career in modern journalism. In this course, you will explore print and digital media through authentic readings and video lectures, while expanding your vocabulary and increasing your ability to read, research, and develop local and global news stories. Unit 1 will provide an introduction to the history and principles of journalism. In unit 2, you will learn how to research, pitch, and interview. The next unit in the course will focus on the language needed to write newspaper and magazine articles, while unit 4 will cover the basics of broadcasting the news. In the final unit of the course, you will analyze the growth, impact, and challenges of digital news, while completing a reflection assignment that allows you to think about and discuss the recent changes to the field of journalism. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner....

Top reviews

CS

Jul 12, 2020

I'm grateful for this course because I've gained different essential skills especially about journalism. Thank you Coursera and University of Pennsylvania for this great and unforgettable opportunity.

MA

Feb 18, 2020

I have found this course quite informative about the knowhow of journalism. Now I've come to know the principles of journalism and what are the skills needed for writing or broadcasting news stories.

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1 - 25 of 865 Reviews for English for Journalism

By Jesus R

Mar 3, 2017

One of the best courses I have finished in the last years. A very well organized and dynamic course. Teachers with a lot of experience and good expertise in the area of teaching. 100% recommended!

By anushka c

Dec 12, 2018

I was looking for this kind of course and this is a perfect online course which inculde everything from journalism , I have learnt a lot of things from this course and will look for similar courses

By Deleted A

Nov 25, 2016

Excellent course for people for whom English is not their mother tongue! Very well paced.

The course also provides a good insight on what journalism is suppose to be, its principles and values!

By Amit S

Oct 17, 2018

I took this course during my summer vacations. My journey was wonderful, I learnt a lot. The mentors are great. No prior knowledge of journalism is required. The each week is roughly divided into two parts, first part is about journalism practices like interviewing someone, how to begin an article,styles of print media,broadcast journalism etc. Second part is about language focus it helps you in understanding - simple past, reported and quoted speech, present perfect, past progressive, present simple, present progressive etc. In the week 5, you will learn about journalism in digital age. Citizen journalism, intellectual property and ethics of digital journalism are discussed in this week. If you want to explore the field of journalism as a fresher, this course is for you.

By ila S

May 29, 2019

the course was fine, but definitely too slow and repetetive for me.

Is it really necessary to start every single video lesson with a recap of the previous video lesson, and end it with a recap of the current video lesson? We are talking about 5 minutes long videos, what should I need a recap for?

By Muhammad A

Feb 19, 2020

I have found this course quite informative about the knowhow of journalism. Now I've come to know the principles of journalism and what are the skills needed for writing or broadcasting news stories.

By Prabhu R (

Oct 10, 2016

Journalism’s crucial role in helping democracy function is sometimes forgotten amid the clamor of partisan debate and the messy nature of the news business. But anyone who stops to examine recent examples of journalistic success — and the substantial civic impacts of various news media investigations — cannot help but be impressed by the vital role of the press.

Six examples from the past year that show journalism’s impact are enumerated below. These stories helped root out corruption, create better laws and practices, and changed the way we live for the better. They make for a powerful reading list, whether for average citizens, aspiring journalists or anyone concerned with the press and public policy.

As many journalistic outlets continue to struggle financially — and the news media contracts as an industry, leaving many statehouses, public agencies and local governments under-examined — there can be little doubt that many problems in society might be forgotten were it not for some smart, persistent and courageous news professionals. These stories speak to that truth.

Although the Internet can help as an investigative tool and platform for engaging the public, it takes professional reporters to initiate and follow-through on everything from interviews to document requests. Further, turning raw data and information into easily digestible knowledge for public consumption — putting it into narrative story form or making it clear through visual means — takes painstaking, creative work. Of course, it takes the will of public officials to act on these investigations and formulate concrete policy responses.

By Teferi G

Dec 25, 2017

This course is very essential for both professionals and non professionals. It raises essential points on the subject matter and builds english language ability. I thank the university very much!

By Arman M

Jun 2, 2020

Not at all what I had imagined...

First of all, they OVERCHARGE you from the very first week. There are roughly EIGHT HOURS of videos/readings to do; this is ridiculous. On top of that, there are at least 5 quizzes each week. Unbelievable. I think the instructors need to understand that not only are we preoccupied with other stuff in our lives (e.g. other Coursera courses), but this excessive amount of work every week on a COMPUTER is simply harmful to our health.

Side note: if you expected to learn about the use of the English language, sorry to disappoint, but there are a lot of (at least to me) unimportant lessons on the history of journalism and such.

So if you have all the time and health in the world, I guess this course is for you; but otherwise, don't even bother to enroll.

By Pankaj S J

Jul 6, 2020

I thank UPenn for creating such a wonderful course which would help a person like me who doesn't have any idea of journalism. From now I will be a responsible citizen of the country and always verify the source before forwarding the news, also I will follow all the principles of journalism.

By Xiangyi L

Mar 15, 2017

It's a lesson with quantity.And it's not hard to understand.The man teacher's speed is low so I use 1.5 times of original speed. Thanks to faculty contributed to this course.

By Sergei M

Apr 25, 2019

Awesome course with very rare vocabulary about journalisms. I strongly recommended this course for every journalists who want to study English of work abroad.

By Ashkhen A

Mar 28, 2020

Very intensive course. Not only theoretical part was included but as well as practical part, Thank you

By Damian I

Mar 25, 2021

The course has helped stay relevant in my career. The knowledge I got from the course not only has helped me a great deal in my work, it has equipped me with relevant skills needed for survival in digital age.

By JUAN C F F

Mar 29, 2019

Excellent , it's a great tool to improve the english skills and to learn about journalism

Thank you

By Shreya G

Apr 14, 2019

It is a very nice course and I recommend it to many students

By Aditya J

Apr 17, 2019

Its a good course

By Michael w

Dec 23, 2017

I have no words to witness, how penn university organized the course peerlessly.

The course is well thought, designed and delivered in its syllabus, course content , methodology and evaluation. It was very friendly ,interactive up-to-date and relevant .

from now on wards, Every good article i write ,Every news story i break ,Every comments and opinion i forward, Every news program i rated, Every shocking, frightening and exciting news story i made.

john cotton and Eve litt , you are in to it. Well done keep up the good work!! you are in ,one in million category in your fields of expertise.

HAVE PEACH OF THE HOLIDAY !!

By Adrián A M

Feb 12, 2019

Recomiendo el curso ampliamente ya que te ayuda con el lenguaje y el periodismo. Las lecturas y las habilidades que te da el curso son muy buenas.

By Pedro L M

Feb 10, 2019

I learned some journalism stuff and some english in this free online and massive course. Congrats to the organizers.

By Raul E P d l C

May 4, 2020

Great course. Simple, but with a lot of specifications that helps you with the understanding of journalism.

By leyla c

Apr 8, 2019

Really enjoyable thank you

By Van C V

Apr 27, 2019

nice course

By KRISHIA M D A

Apr 30, 2019

thanks!

By Iami G

Mar 31, 2019

The quizzes could be more creative sometimes, they can get a bit boring.