Innovation in Language Learning

Among the issues raised for discussion at the 5th World Journalism Education Congress (Paris, July 9-11, 2019), the most critical one was adjustment of the existing journalism courses to meet the requirements of the contemporary media environment and universal standards of professional journalism. The University of Tyumen also aims at its journalism degree program to be integrated to the global academic and industrial communities. Hence, knowledge of English becomes a must for all journalism students. At the annual fall assembly, graduates of the program, who are now practicing journalists, also stressed the importance of introduction of new courses developing such professional competencies as critical thinking, storytelling and fact checking. In response to the abovementioned, we attempted to design a special elective course “English for critical thinking, fact checking, and storytelling” for the students majoring in journalism. During the course, future journalists will learn to read, analyze, and verify media representations of events produced globally in the English language, discuss the issues that journalists face around the world, learn to take interviews and report regional news in English.

Keywords: Elective course, English for journalists, critical thinking, storytelling, fact-checking.

References:
[1] WJEC Paris 2019 Syndicates Recommendations. https://www.wjec.paris/syndicates-program/
[2] Richard Paul and Linda Elder. 2014. How to Improve Student Learning: 30 Practical Ideas Based on Critical Thinking Concepts and Principles. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / The Foundation for Critical Thinking. 48 p.