Understanding English Newspaper Headline

A Newspaper Headline not only attracts the readers’ attentions but also tells us the content of the news. But to understand it is not easy. In this report, firstly, the writer gives you some background information, aims and searching method of the English newspaper headlines in general as well as defines them in particular with the hope of helping the reader to understand the importance of the study. In the next parts, she goes to the main contents about the basis knowledge to understand headline, in which the different types of newspaper headlines are focused on, by giving theories and examples followed with analysis. The contents consist of: - Overview of newspaper headlines - The language of newspaper headlines - The different types of newspaper headlines - Headline vocabulary - Idioms To catch the information in a changing world is essential. Reading this study, you will know a great part of the world as knowing about the headline of the newspaper- the media describe the world. With a special topic and the typical examples as well as using a famous newspaper for these, this report is really private and attractive.

A Newspaper Headline not only attracts the readers’ attentions but also tells us the content of the news But to understand it is not easy In this report, firstly, the writer gives you some background information, aims and searching method of the English newspaper headlines in general as well as defines them

in particular with the hope of helping the reader to understand the importance

of the study In the next parts, she goes to the main contents about the basis knowledge to understand headline, in which the different types of newspaper headlines are focused on, by giving theories and examples followed with analysis

The contents consist of:

- Overview of newspaper headlines

- The language of newspaper headlines

- The different types of newspaper headlines

- Headline vocabulary

- Idioms

To catch the information in a changing world is essential Reading this study, you will know a great part of the world as knowing about the headline of the newspaper- the media describe the world With a special topic and the typical examples as well as using a famous newspaper for these, this report is really private and attractive

Outline of the Report

Understanding English Newspaper

Headline

I Introduction

1 Rationale

2 Scope of the study

3 Aims of the study

4 Methods of the study

II Literature Review

III Findings

1 The language of newspaper headlines

2 The different types of newspaper headlines

 Straight headlines

 Headlines that ask a question

 Headlines that contains a quotation

 Feature headlines

 Double headlines

3 Headline vocabulary

4 Idioms

IV Conclusion

I Introduction

1 Rationale

We are living in a modern world with the great boom of information and technology It is a must to know about the news or events happening One way

of accessing to them is reading newspaper In addition, reading its headlines enable the readers to get the gist of the story As a report writing, here, we would like to study the basic knowledge about understanding newspaper headline

2 Scope of the study

For reasons of space and time, within the framework of this study, this

assignment just covers some aspects that help to understand newspaper

headline with the hope of giving more techniques for the reader catching the news or events quickly and deeply

3 Aims of the study

English is spoken over 70 countries and in 20; more English occupies an important position Many newspapers are published in English It is estimated that the two thirds of all scientific newspaper are first published in English It

is also the most common international working languages In this report, we would like to introduce some basic knowledge to understand the English newspaper headlines Since, you will be able to read the quickly and know about the world comprehensively

4 Methods of the study

We have discussed searching area, selected newspaper International Herald Tribune, which is very popular for the English speaker and good for making examples, and we focused on the headlines Members first raised the questions about the topic in order to identify the writing direction Then, we involved the library and foreign-language documents and writing a common layout Next, each member worked independently, collected information and data, then analyzing it in his own way Therefore, the report also carries students’ experiences in using article and bases on their views

In a limited framework, this report is not intended for listing and mentioning all aspects of ways to understand newspaper headlines This report is divided into 4 parts in which the different types of newspaper headlines are focused on:

1 The language of newspaper headlines

a Straight headlines

b Headlines that ask a question

c Headlines that contains a quotation

d Feature headlines

e Double headlines

2 Headline vocabulary

3 Idioms

II Literature Review

It can be said that newspaper is one of the most important components of every society While other researchers focus on the fields of translation, topic sentence, body part, introduction, linguistic features…ect of the this source with different purposes, we went to study on the newspaper headlines in general and on the basic knowledge to understand it in particular

This is a very special language of newspaper The news outs its climax at the beginning Usually, the size and the blackness oh the headline are justified

by the importance of the stories beneath them and do summarize the stories accurately

III Findings

The headlines generally answer the question ‘Who?’, ‘What?’, ‘Why?’,

‘When?’, ‘Where?’ and ‘How?’ A good headline lays up (put first) whichever one of these- the five W’s and the H- is the most significant ‘What’ and

‘Who’ frequently make the best beginning, ‘Why’ and ‘How’ are often used,

‘When’ and ‘Where’ are least common

There is an easy trick to understand headlines in the English language

newspapers- keep-to-date on local and world news

With a little experience, we may understand many of the headlines of our local English language paper better than a native speaker who is new to our area Why? Because we know more about our community

Newspaper headlines do, however, have a language of their own and it is necessary to learn about it if we want to really understand an English language newspaper

1 The language of newspaper headlines

There are two very clear features to English newspaper headlines

a Headlines are almost always in present tense

Eg:

EU treats lightly on rights issue with China.

or

South Korea replaces envoy for nuclear talks

(IHT Wednesday, April 16, 2008) Even future events are described in present tense

Eg:

Nations meet to discuss global warming project

(IHT Monday, March31, 2008)

b Headlines generally leave out certain words, especially articles and the verb

to be And is often replaced by a comma.

Eg:

Co-chief demoted at Kia in shakeup

( Co-chief is demoted at Kia in shakeup)

(IHT Wednesday, April 16, 2008) Or:

Maldivian team accused

(Maldivian team were accused)

2 The different types of newspaper headlines

a Straight headlines

Straight headlines simply tell us the main topic of the story They are the most common type of the headline and are the easiest to understand

Eg:

2 young talents give their team a lift in Europe

(IHT Thursday, April 3, 2008) Or:

U.S Muslims turn to teaching children at home

(IHT Thursday, March 27, 2008)

b Headlines that ask a question

Most question headlines are not really typical questions at all They are statement followed by a question mark Question marks are uses when:

 The headline reports a future possibility

Eg:

Help for U.S home owners?

(IHT Friday, April 4, 2008)

The latest smash hit on TV?

(IHT Tuesday, April 8, 2008)

 There is some doubt about the truth or accuracy of the story

Eg:

S&M session goes too far?

(IHT Tuesday, April 8, 2008)

The last great oil frontier?

(IHT Saturday-Sunday, March 22-23, 2008)

Note that this is one of the few times a newspaper headline may use a tense other than the present

c Headlines that contains a quotation

what people say can be as important as what they do, so it is not surprising to find a quote as a headline

Richardson endorses Obama, a “once-in-a-lifetime leader”

(IHT Saturday-Sunday, March 22-23, 2008)

Mugabe will “fight”- Official says

(IHT Friday, April 4, 2008)

A quotation is another way a newspaper can begin a story with an unproven statement And it can be used for more than just candicating a direct quote They are also used tell us that a word is being used outside its normal meaning

d Feature headlines

Not all newspaper stories report major events Some stories are included because they are highly unusual: others because they are amusing Headlines for such stories try to be as clever as possible to catch the reader’s interest It

is often necessary to read the story to understand the headline

Eg:

Al Qaeda’s newest star

(IHT Saturday-Sunday, April 5-6, 2008) The story is about Zawahri who is an escape from a U.S military prison and emerges as a possible heir to Bin Laden

e Double headlines

Double headlines are two part headlines for the same story They are often used foe major events

Eg:

As Uighurs get restive, China takes a tough line

And the other headline of the same story:

Severe punishments are promised in Tibet.

(IHT Saturday-Sunday, April 5-6, 2008)

3 Headline vocabulary

English newspaper headlines use a very special vocabulary Here, we would like to list some typical words that appear in headline We have undoubtedly

seen many the words before, but when used in headlines they may carry meanings that are unfamiliar

MEANING accord

air

assail

axe

back

balk

bar

cite

deadlock

ease

fault

grip

head off

ink

key

lash out

nab

office

pact

prompt

rage

rule

sack

stall

sway

swindle

agreement

to make known criticize strongly dismiss from a job

to support

to refuse not to allow mention

a disagreement that can’t be settled

to reduce or loosen

to find in the wrong

to take hold of

to prevent

to sign very important criticize strongly, accuse

to capture

an important government position

a solemn agreement

to cause

to burn out of control decide (especially in court) dismiss from a job

to influence or persuade

an unlawful way to getting money making no progress

ties

vie

weigh

prevent from being successful relations

to compete

to consider

4 Idioms

English newspaper headlines are full of idioms We can usually understand the idioms in headlines, however, by reading the story that follows

Eg:

Pastor’s words put Clinton in a bind

(IHT Saturday-Sunday, March 22-23, 2008)

IV Conclusion

To sum up, understanding English newspaper headline requires us to know about its language, its different types and words used in

Newspaper headline do, however, has a language of its own and it is necessary

to learn about it if we want really understand an English language newspaper

1 Bush, C.D (1965) News writing and reporting public affair

Philadelphia Chilton Book Company

2 Firth, J.R (1957) Papers in linguistics Oxford University Press.

3 International Herald Tribune : Saturday-Sunday, March 22-23, 2008

4 International Herald Tribune : Thursday, March 27, 2008

5 International Herald Tribune: Friday, April 4, 2008

6 International Herald Tribune : Saturday-Sunday, April 5-6, 2008

7 International Herald Tribune : Tuesday, April 8, 2008

8 Paul F Wedel & Terry L fredrickson (1984) How to Read and

Understand an English Language Newspaper Newbury House

Publishers