To Understand How Language Can Be Used to Influence Meaning

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Teacher sheet

7The hard sell

Teacher input required / High/active teaching
Framework substrand / 6.2 reading
Lesson level / A
National Curriculum ref. / 2.2a extract and interpret information, events, main points and ideas from texts
2.2b infer and deduce meanings, recognising the writers’ intentions

Learning objective

To understand how language can be used to influence meaning.

Resources required

Student instructions, student resource sheets, scissors, glue.

Lesson guidance

Starter – students read the shampoo advert text on the student sheet and answer the two questions. (5 mins)

Development – give pairs of students the fictitious magazine adverts on the resource sheet (with supplementary images from real magazines if available). Students need to look at how language is used in the adverts to influence meaning. Record findings in a table.
(30–40 mins)

Plenary – pairs report back their findings to the rest of the class. They need to explain what the language in their adverts suggests about the product/people who use the product. They should also decide which advert is most effective in its language use and why. (15 mins)

(Target audiences: Advert 1 = sporty man, Advert 2 = over 50s woman, Advert 3 = teenage girl, Advert 4 = busy woman, Advert 5 = teenage boy, Advert 6 = 20+ woman)

Notes for SEN students

Ask lower ability students to complete the first and second columns of the grid only, in order to make the task more accessible. They may need support in reading adverts that contain a lot of copy.

Extension activities / notes for gifted and talented students

As an extension task, get pairs to write the text for an advert for a product of their choice. They must consider how they are going to use language to make suggestions about the quality of their product.

Studentinstructions

7The hard sell

Learning objective

To explore how language is used in adverts to influence you to buy the product.

Success criteria

By the end of the lesson I will have:

understood how language can be used to suggest things about a product
explored how language is used to influence the reader in a range of adverts.

Warm up

Read the following text for a shampoo advert:

Four different varieties, each with a tempting fragrance.

It’s kind to the scalp and gives maximum shine – for women on the go!

What does this advert suggest about:

a) The quality of the shampoo?b) The type of person who might use it?

Your main task!

You have probably seen lots of adverts in magazines and on the television that use language carefully to suggest to you that the product is the best one on the market.

Look at the words used in each ‘made up’ advert on the resource sheet and think about what they are suggesting about the product. Draw out the table below to record your findings.

Product in the advert / Words used in
theadvert / What do the words suggest about the product? / What do the words suggest about the user of the product?
Shampoo / Tempting, kind, shine / It is irresistible: you have to have it! It will leave your hair in good condition. / Someone who likes to take care of their hair but doesn’t want to spend hours on it.

Take Cover7 The hard sell

Round it off with this

You will need to explain to others in the class what you have found out about the language used in adverts. Decide from your chart which advert you think used language most effectively. Explain what the words suggest about the product and the user of the product. How does the language used influence you to buy the product?

Extra challenge

Decide on a product that you want to create an advert for. Write the text that will be used to sell the product. Remember to choose your words carefully so that you influence the reader into believing that your product is the best one available!

Student resource sheet