aiMOOC

ABI - Framing and wording analysieren

QR-Code

ABI - Framing and wording analysieren

Fehler beim Erstellen des Vorschaubildes:

Mini-description: Compare headlines, labels, selection and wording. Identify what is foregrounded, what is backgrounded and how language shapes emphasis. Base every claim on observable evidence; do not invent motives.

Course level: English as a continued foreign language, Kursstufe Baden-Württemberg, common BF/LF course. Working language is English first. German support appears only after context, word formation, visualisation, an English explanation and dictionary work.

Einleitung

Framing means presenting a topic through a particular selection, ordering and wording of information. A frame can make some aspects more salient than others. In this aiMOOC, you do not ask first, “What does the author secretly want?” You ask: What can I observe in the text or visual, and what effect can this choice plausibly have?

A strong analysis separates three levels: observation (what is there), interpretation (what is foregrounded) and evaluation (how convincing, balanced or effective the presentation is). Claims about intention require explicit evidence such as a stated purpose, an editorial note or a reliable source.

Framing is useful for analysing news, media literacy, rhetoric, communication and non-fiction texts.

Media entry: Spot the frame

Datei:1918 Headlines from Chicago newspapers - Spanish flu - 1918 influenza pandemic.jpg

Look for 45 seconds. Then answer in English: Which words are largest? Which actors appear? Which numbers or actions are foregrounded? Which aspects of the event are not visible in the headlines? Do not infer why the editors made these choices.

BF: Name two visible choices and one possible effect.

LF: Compare at least three headlines and formulate a cautious hypothesis about contrasting emphases, supported by wording and layout.

I-can goals

I can compare two headlines about the same event and identify differences in emphasis.
I can analyse labels, verbs, modifiers, modality, quotations and visual prominence.
I can distinguish fact selection from speculation about motives.
I can support an analytical claim with precise textual or visual evidence.
I can adapt the depth of analysis to BF or LF and move from AFB I to AFB II/III.
I can write and speak in clear B2 English and use selected C1-style analytical language when it improves precision.

Abi alignment: Baden-Württemberg

Checked: 3 October 2026. The official Baden-Württemberg Abitur portal currently provides the Facherlass for Abitur 2027 and Abitur 2028. Both English regulations require analysis of non-literary texts through aspects such as structure, use of language and communicative strategies; discontinuous material can require attention to visual design and wording such as captions, headings and slogans. The current English Bildungsplan differentiates BF and LF by the complexity and abstraction of texts and topics as well as the breadth, depth and differentiation of task work, and aims at B2, in parts C1. From the 2027 examination year, the revised IQB operator set applies.

Important: Framing is not presented here as a separate compulsory Abitur topic. It is trained as a cross-cutting method for text and media analysis. Always re-check the Facherlass for your own examination year.

Aspect	BF	LF
Material	One short, clearly structured comparison set; fewer variables	Several sources or modalities; more complex and potentially conflicting evidence
Analysis	Guided focus on headline, labels, selection and wording	Independent linking of structure, language, communicative strategies, visuals and context
AFB profile	Strong support for AFB I/II; selected transfer to AFB III	More sustained AFB II/III and independent material connections
Language	Secure B2, precise core vocabulary	B2 with selected C1-level precision where useful

Official sources: Ministerium für Kultus Baden-Württemberg: Termine und Informationen zum Abitur Bildungsplan Englisch – Ergänzung Basisfach Oberstufe IQB: Begleitende Dokumente und Operatoren

Vorwissen aktivieren

Quick check – no dictionary yet. Explain in one sentence each: headline, label, selection, wording, tone. Then compare your explanations with a partner. Mark a term only if you can also give an example.

Visual prompt: A news stand contains many possible stories, but every front page has limited space. Describe how selection and prominence can shape what a reader notices first without claiming that a particular editor had a hidden motive.

Core concept: What to analyse

Feature	Ask	Evidence you can quote or point to	Cautious effect statement
Headline	What is named first? What is omitted?	nouns, verbs, numbers, punctuation, size	“This foregrounds …”
Label	How are people, groups or events named?	“residents”, “critics”, “campaigners”, role labels	“The label presents the actor mainly as …”
Selection	Which facts, voices or examples are included?	chosen statistics, quotations, examples	“The selection gives more space to …”
Wording	Which connotations or degrees of certainty appear?	evaluative adjectives, verbs, modality, metaphor	“The wording can make the development appear …”
Order and prominence	What comes first or receives visual weight?	lead, paragraph order, image size, caption	“The placement increases the salience of …”

Do not jump from wording to motive. “The headline uses the verb warns and foregrounds risk” is evidence-based. “The journalist wants to scare readers” requires additional evidence and should not be asserted just from the verb.

Visualisation: selection is not the whole story

This diagram distinguishes a filter bubble from an echo chamber. Use it only as a transfer model: selection can happen at several stages—editorial choice, platform ranking and audience choice. Do not assume that one observed selection proves a deliberate motive.

Context vocabulary and word formation

Rule: English first. Try context → word family → simple English definition → monolingual dictionary → only then German help.

Term	Simple English explanation	Word family / form	Context clue	German fallback
frame	a perspective that organises how a topic is presented	frame – framing – framed	“through the lens of …”	Deutungsrahmen
select	choose some items from a larger set	select – selection – selective	included / left out	auswählen
label	a word or phrase used to name or categorise	label – labelling – labelled	“critics”, “supporters”	Bezeichnung
salient	especially noticeable or prominent	salient – salience	first, large, repeated	hervorgehoben
evaluate	judge using reasons and evidence	evaluate – evaluation – evaluative	criteria + evidence	bewerten
imply	suggest without stating directly	imply – implication – implicit	connotation, contrast	andeuten
modality	language that marks certainty, possibility or obligation	modal – modality	may, might, must, likely	Modalität
foreground	make an aspect especially noticeable	foreground – foregrounding	headline, lead, image	hervorheben
register	level and style of language for a situation	register	formal, neutral, colloquial	Sprachregister

Dictionary habit: When a word is unfamiliar, note its part of speech, two collocations and one example from the material. Translation alone is not enough.

Analysis tool: FRAME

Letter	Move	Question
F	Facts held constant	What information is shared across the materials?
R	Relevant selection	Which facts, voices or examples are included, omitted or placed prominently?
A	Agency and labels	Who appears as acting, affected, responsible or quoted, and how are they named?
M	Modality and wording	How do verbs, modifiers, connotations, metaphors and certainty markers differ?
E	Effect with evidence	What plausible emphasis results, and what exact evidence supports that claim?

Sentence frame: “By using the label ‘…’ rather than ‘…’, the headline foregrounds … . This is reinforced by … . The wording may lead readers to notice … first; the text alone does not establish the writer’s motive.”

Listening and Viewing

Viewing 1: How to choose your news

Before viewing: Predict three factors that might affect which news reaches an audience.

First viewing – gist: Write one sentence: What problem does the video address?

Second viewing – evidence: Note two distinctions the video makes between facts, opinions or source choices.

After viewing – framing link: Choose one example from the video and explain how selection or wording could alter emphasis without changing every underlying fact.

BF: Use a four-box note grid: source – selection – wording – effect.

LF: Add a fifth box: limitation / alternative interpretation.

Viewing 2: Media literacy

Task: While watching, collect verbs that describe what a media-literate user does. Turn them into an action chain for your own analysis routine.

Viewing 3: Language and categorisation

Transfer: This talk is about language and cognition, not a direct proof that every headline determines thought. Identify one example that helps you discuss why lexical choices matter, then state one limitation when transferring the example to news framing.

Viewing 4: Evaluating evidence

Evidence check: For each analytical claim you make, ask: “Does my quotation or visual detail actually support this claim?” If not, revise the claim rather than adding stronger adjectives.

Reading lab: same facts, different emphasis

All outlets, places, people and figures in this practice set are fictional.

Shared fact sheet: Riverton starts a six-month night-bus pilot. The budget cap is €1.8 million. The service runs on three routes on Friday and Saturday nights. The city will evaluate passenger numbers, costs and safety reports after six months.

Outlet	Headline	Lead
Riverton Daily	Night buses expand late travel in six-month pilot	The city begins three weekend night routes this month, with a budget ceiling of €1.8 million and an evaluation after six months.
Metro Watch	City puts up to €1.8m into night-bus experiment	Riverton will fund three Friday-and-Saturday routes for six months before deciding whether the service should continue.

Reading task 1 – facts: Underline only information that appears in the shared fact sheet.

Reading task 2 – wording: Compare expand late travel with puts up to €1.8m and pilot with experiment. Describe connotations cautiously.

Reading task 3 – selection: Which common facts are foregrounded in each headline? Which shared facts are left to the lead?

Reading task 4 – no motive guessing: Rewrite any sentence that begins “The outlet wants to …” as an evidence-based effect statement.

LF extension: Add a third headline that is factually accurate but foregrounds evaluation rather than cost or access. Then explain which evidence stays constant and which framing choices change.

Labels lab

Compare these possible labels for the same fictional people waiting for the night bus: passengers, late-night travellers, shift workers, revellers. The labels are not interchangeable because each activates different associations and highlights a different role.

Task: Write one neutral sentence for each label. Then identify which extra background fact would be needed before each label could be used accurately.

Wording lab

More neutral	More evaluative or interpretive	What changes?
said	warned	adds an interpretation of urgency or risk
change	overhaul	suggests scale and intensity
plan	gamble	introduces risk-oriented evaluation
group	movement	can imply organisation or broader purpose
may	will	changes degree of certainty

Important: These pairs are not fixed “good/bad” words. Their appropriateness depends on context and evidence.

Speaking

One-minute compare: Partner A explains the framing of Headline 1. Partner B explains Headline 2. Each speaker must use one quotation and one cautious effect phrase.

Challenge question: “Could a different reader interpret the same wording differently?” Give one reasonable alternative and say what evidence would decide between interpretations.

Recording option: Recording is voluntary. Keep recordings private unless everyone involved has explicitly agreed to sharing. No unrequested uploads.

BF support: Use the FRAME table and 60 seconds of preparation.

LF extension: Speak for 2–3 minutes and connect headline, lead, selection, wording and a limitation.

Writing

Practice paragraph – BF: Write 120–160 words comparing the two fictional headlines. Use one clear point, two short pieces of evidence and an effect statement.

Practice paragraph – LF: Write 180–250 words comparing the headlines and leads. Link at least three analytical features and include one alternative interpretation or limitation.

PEEL structure: Point → Evidence → Explanation → Link. Avoid device spotting without explanation.

Abi-style operator link: From examination year 2027, the IQB definition of analyze/examine requires detailed description and explanation supported by evidence and connected to relevant aspects of language and form. Check the current operator document for your examination year.

Mediation

A German school media group asks for a short English guide titled “How to compare two headlines without guessing motives.” Mediate the five most useful ideas from this aiMOOC into 80–120 English words for visiting exchange students. Do not translate sentence by sentence; select and reformulate for the audience.

Help ladder

Use help in this order:

Context: Reread the sentence, headline and lead. Mark contrasts, repetitions and nearby clues.
Word formation: Identify root, prefix/suffix, part of speech and related forms.
Visualisation: Put the two versions side by side and highlight only changed words.
English explanation: Paraphrase the unknown term with simpler English.
Dictionary: Use a monolingual dictionary first; check collocations and examples.
German help: Use a bilingual dictionary or brief German explanation only if the earlier steps do not solve the problem.

Feedback and self-correction

Use this five-question feedback loop:

Did I compare the same underlying topic or fact?
Did I quote or point to exact wording, selection or layout?
Did I explain an effect instead of only naming a device?
Did I use cautious language such as can, may, foregrounds, suggests when certainty is limited?
Did I avoid claiming intention or bias without sufficient evidence?

Fehleranalyse

Weak move	Why it is weak	Repair
“This headline is biased.”	No comparison baseline or evidence	Name the wording or selection and explain its effect
“The journalist wants to scare people.”	Motive is inferred without evidence	“The verb ‘warns’ foregrounds risk and may increase perceived urgency.”
“There is a metaphor.”	Device spotting only	Explain what the metaphor makes more salient
“The article ignores X.”	You may not know the full editorial context	“X is not included in this excerpt / front-page presentation.”
Long quotation	Evidence replaces analysis	Quote only the decisive word or phrase and explain it
“This proves readers think …”	Reception is overclaimed	State a plausible effect or ask for audience evidence

Transfer: digital selection

A platform feed adds another selection layer. Compare two hypothetical feeds about the same event. Ask which items are ranked first, which labels recur and which voices are absent. Keep editorial framing, algorithmic ranking and user choice conceptually separate unless you have evidence linking them.

Transfer task: Create a three-column chart: textual choice – possible effect – evidence needed. Add one row for a headline, one for an image caption and one for feed ranking.

AI, sources and academic integrity

Your analysis must remain your own. AI output can contain invented quotations, false source claims or overconfident interpretations. If AI tools are permitted by your school, verify every quotation, statistic, definition and source against the original material. Do not use AI to produce a replacement essay.

Do not upload private recordings, unpublished class material, personal data or copyrighted full texts to external services without explicit permission. This aiMOOC itself does not require an external AI service.

Abi-Check

Mini mock, 25–35 minutes:

Reading: State the shared facts in the Riverton material in 3–4 bullet points.
Analysis: Analyze how the two headlines create different emphases. Focus on selection and use of language.
Visual link: Explain how a caption or image could strengthen one of the emphases without changing the factual core.
Evaluation: Assess which additional evidence you would need before calling one version misleading.
Reflection: Identify one sentence in your own answer that overstates effect or intention and rewrite it more precisely.

BF: Complete tasks 1–3 and one of 4–5 with the FRAME scaffold.

LF: Complete all tasks and connect at least two materials independently.

Folgekurs

Continue with ABI - Non-fiction text analysis, ABI - Communicative strategies analysieren, ABI - Visuals and captions analysieren, ABI - Argumentation and evaluation and ABI - Mediation.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which statement is an evidence-based framing observation? (The headline foregrounds cost by placing the budget figure first) (!The journalist secretly wants to stop the project) (!All readers will reject the project) (!The outlet is dishonest)

What does selection mean in framing analysis? (Choosing which facts voices or examples are included and made prominent) (!Checking only spelling and punctuation) (!Translating every sentence into German) (!Guessing the writer's personality)

Which phrase is the most cautious effect statement? (The wording may make the risk more salient) (!The wording brainwashes every reader) (!The writer definitely intends panic) (!The headline proves the outlet is biased)

What is a label in media analysis? (A word or phrase used to name or categorise a person group or event) (!A numerical source reference) (!A paragraph break) (!A dictionary definition only)

Which feature mainly changes degree of certainty? (Modality) (!Font family) (!Paragraph length) (!Publication date)

What should come before German translation in this course? (Context word formation English explanation and dictionary work) (!Immediate machine translation) (!A guessed meaning with no check) (!A full German version of the text)

What does foregrounding mean? (Making one aspect especially noticeable) (!Removing all viewpoints) (!Proving an author's motive) (!Changing a source after publication)

Why compare two reports about the same event? (To see which shared facts are emphasised differently) (!To decide which writer is a better person) (!To avoid using textual evidence) (!To prove that all news is false)

What is the strongest evidence for a wording claim? (The exact word or phrase and its context) (!A guess about the author's private beliefs) (!A comment unrelated to the text) (!The length of your own answer)

What is a good LF extension? (Link several materials and discuss alternative interpretations) (!Use fewer sources and fewer analytical categories) (!Replace analysis with a translation) (!Avoid AFB II and III)

Memory

Framing	Organising a topic through a particular perspective
Selection	Choosing what enters the presentation
Label	A naming expression for an actor group or event
Modality	Language marking certainty possibility or obligation
Foregrounding	Making an aspect especially salient
Register	Language style suited to a situation and audience

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Headline	What is foregrounded first
Label	How an actor or group is named
Selection	Which facts voices or examples appear
Modality	How certainty or possibility is expressed
Evidence	Which exact textual or visual detail supports the claim

Kreuzworträtsel

Frame	What word names a perspective that organises a topic?
Headline	What short text usually introduces a news story?
Modality	What term describes language of certainty possibility or obligation?
Selection	What term describes choosing facts voices or examples?
Register	What term describes a level and style of language?
Salience	What noun means special prominence or noticeability?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Headline markieren: Take two headlines on the same non-sensitive local topic and highlight nouns, verbs, numbers and modifiers. Describe one difference without judging it.
Label-Sammlung: Collect six labels from school, sports or culture reporting and explain what role each label foregrounds.
Neutral umformulieren: Rewrite three evaluative fictional headlines in more neutral wording and explain what changed.
Visual prominence: Use a freely licensed news-related image and annotate which elements attract attention first.

Standard

Framing-Paar: Compare two short reports on the same event using the FRAME method and a 150-word analysis.
Listening notes: Watch one embedded video, create a gist-detail-analysis note sheet and verify two claims from the video against another reliable source.
Headline workshop: Write three factually accurate headlines for the Riverton data that foreground access, cost and evaluation respectively.
Speaking feedback: Give a two-minute comparison to a partner and revise one overclaim after feedback. Recording remains optional and private.

Schwer

Multimodal comparison: Compare headline, lead, image and caption across three sources and distinguish textual framing from visual prominence.
Evidence audit: Take one of your older analyses and classify every sentence as observation, interpretation or evaluation; repair unsupported motive claims.
Mediation guide: Produce a concise English guide for German-speaking younger students on how to detect framing without equating it with deception.
Mini research design: Design a small anonymous classroom study testing how two fictional headlines affect recall. Use fictional data only and discuss limitations rather than claiming real-world causation.

Lernkontrolle

Controlled comparison: You receive two fictional headlines based on one fact sheet. Explain which facts are held constant and which framing choices differ, then justify your interpretation with evidence.
Transfer to visuals: Analyse how an image caption could shift emphasis even when the image itself stays unchanged. Distinguish wording effects from visual effects.
Alternative interpretation: Give two plausible readings of the same label and state what additional context would help decide between them.
Source and selection: Explain why the absence of a fact in one short headline is not by itself proof of deception. State what comparison evidence would be needed.
BF-LF transfer: Turn a guided BF analysis into an LF response by adding a second material, deeper language analysis and one limitation.
Self-correction: Find one unsupported causal or motive claim in a sample paragraph, rewrite it cautiously and explain why the revision is stronger.

Lernnachweis

For a strong learning record, show that you can:

compare at least two texts or multimodal materials on the same topic;
distinguish headline, label, selection, wording, modality, order and visual prominence;
use precise evidence and explain its function;
separate observable choices from claims about intention;
write a coherent analytical paragraph in English;
adapt breadth and depth to BF or LF;
use dictionaries and sources responsibly;
reflect on one error and document a meaningful revision.

The Lernnachweis contains no external embeds or uploaded private recordings.

OERs zum Thema

Further open / official resources: Wikimedia Commons: Newspaper headlines Wikimedia Commons: Filter bubbles IQB: Abiturprüfungsaufgaben Englisch

Medien- und Quellenhinweise

The Commons files used above are hosted on Wikimedia Commons with the licence information shown on each file page. The embedded videos are linked through YouTube and no transcript or film sequence is reproduced here. For compulsory literary works or films, use only lawfully provided classroom copies and permitted excerpts.

Media used: Headlines.jpg; 1918 Headlines from Chicago newspapers - Spanish flu - 1918 influenza pandemic.jpg; A newspaper stall in Kolkata.jpg; Filter bubble versus echo chamber.svg; Social media apps.jpg; TED-Ed “How to choose your news”; Crash Course Media Literacy; TED “How Language Shapes the Way We Think”; Crash Course “Evaluating Evidence”; Crash Course “Media Skills”.

Verknüpfte Lernbereiche

ABI - Framing and wording analysieren

aiMOOC-Projekte

Inhalte werden geladen ...

Mediathek wird aus dem Wiki geladen ...

Frag mich zum aktuellen Lerninhalt oder wähle eine kurze Hilfe.

Textmodus bereit

Sprache