Session 16 Discussion: From reader to voice

At the start of this course, how did you relate to English-language news — did you read it regularly, occasionally, or rarely? How has that changed? Is there a specific moment in the course — a session, a story, a conversation — that shifted something for you?

Try to use: engaged, informed, critical, media-literate, my view has changed since

Which topics or types of news story do you now want to follow more closely? Are there areas — politics, economics, science, culture, international affairs — where you feel more confident engaging in English than you did sixteen sessions ago?

Try to use: discerning, follow, keep up with, this story matters because, the implications of this are

The course has introduced the idea of the "fourth estate" — journalism as a check on power. Do you believe the press in your country performs this function effectively? What would need to change for it to do so better?

Try to use: fourth estate, watchdog, accountability, transparency, civic

What does it mean to you personally to be an "active citizen" rather than a passive consumer of news? Is this a role you feel ready to take on in English — and what would that look like in practice in your daily life?

Try to use: active, agency, voice, participate, contribute

Is access to quality journalism equally available to everyone in your country — or are there barriers of language, cost, geography, or digital access that exclude some people? What are the civic consequences of unequal access to information?

Try to use: access, equity, democracy, empowerment, media-literate

If you could say one thing to a future student who is about to begin this course, what would it be? What do you wish you had known at the start? And what single habit, skill, or idea from these sixteen sessions do you most want to carry forward?

Try to use: critical, discerning, informed, this is something worth talking about, my view has changed since