Unit 31: Studies have shown
– Giving evidence to support opinions
– Giving examples to support opinions
Part 1
Vocabulary
Write answers to the questions below on a separate piece of paper.
Do you think banner ads and pop-up ads can persuade consumers to buy certain products?
Do you ever find yourself humming or singing jingles from TV advertisements? If yes, which ones?
Do you remember any slogans from advertisements? If yes, which ones?
How do you decide which brands to buy? List three things that affect your choices.
Do you think advertisements influence your buying habits? Why or why not?
What kinds of things do you think advertisers do to try to manipulate consumers?
Answer
Answers will vary. Sample answer.
- No, not really, because everyone ignores them.
- Actually, once in a while I do hum jingles, like the one for that car company.
- I remember tons of slogans, for example, Just do it.
- Three things that affect my choices in brands are price, quality, and style.
- Well, I wish they didn’t, but sometimes they do. For example, one time I saw a commercial for this new food. I saw it over and over until I just had to try it.
- I think advertisers try to manipulate us by making us think we can’t live without their products.
Discuss your answers to the questions above with your teacher. Give reasons for your answers.
Sample answer
A: Do you think banner ads and pop-up ads can persuade consumers to buy certain products?
B: No, not really, because I think everyone ignores them.
Part 2
Conversation
Listen and answer 2 questions.
1. What does Luiz think of banner ads at the beginning of the conversation?
2. What does he think of them at the end of the conversation?
Luiz & Kim
Transcript
Luiz: These banner ads are so annoying. I don’t know why advertising companies create them.
Kim: Actually, I read somewhere that banner ads do influence consumers.
Luiz: Really? But I don’t even pay attention to them. I only see them for half a second.
Kim: I know. Me too. But it’s been proven that if you see the same thing many times, it can affect you even if you don’t pay attention to it.
Luiz: Is that really true?
Kim: Well, studies have shown that if you keep seeing a banner ad over and over, you develop a positive feeling about that brand or product. For example, people tend to remember banner ads and they tend to shop for those brands.
Luiz: Wow, I didn’t realize that advertisements could manipulate consumers that much.
Example answer
At the beginning of the conversation, Luiz thinks banner ads are annoying and he can’t understand why companies make them.
At the end of the conversation, Luiz realizes how much banner ads can affect consumers.
Practice the conversation with teacher
Listen. Then find the best places to add the sentences
below to the conversation and practice it again.
I’ll have to pay more attention to them!
Then I scroll down and they disappear from my screen.
I’m sure they don’t have any effect on consumers.
It’s hard to believe.
Answer
Luiz: These banner ads are so annoying. I don’t know why advertising companies create them. (3) I'm sure they don't have any effect on consumers.
Kim: Actually, I read somewhere that banner ads do influence consumers.
Luiz: Really? But I don’t even pay attention to them. I only see them for half a second. (2) Then I scroll down and they disappear from my screen.
Kim: I know. Me too. But it’s been proven that if you see the same thing many times, it can affect you even if you don’t pay attention to it.
Luiz: Is that really true? (4) It's hard to believe.
Kim: Well, studies have shown that if you keep seeing a banner ad over and over, you develop a positive feeling about that brand or product. For example, people tend to remember banner ads and they tend to shop for those brands.
Luiz: Wow, I didn’t realize that advertisements could manipulate consumers that much. (1) I'll have to pay more attention to them!
Part 3
Language Booster
Notice the ways we give evidence and examples to support opinions.
Giving evidence to support opinions
| Studies have shown |
people tend to remember banner ads and they tend to shop for those brands. |
| I’ve heard that | |
| I read somewhere that | |
| It’s been proven that |
Giving examples to support opinions
| For instance, | if you keep seeing a banner ad over and over, you develop a positive feeling about that brand or product on the right side. |
| Like you know how | |
| It’s like when | |
| For example, |
Look at the statements below. Agree or disagree with the statements. Give evidence and examples to support your opinions.
Example
A: In Japan, you shouldn’t wear shoes into someone’s house. People in Japan usually take their shoes off at the door.
B: In South Korea, it’s also customary to take off your shoes at the door.
Part 4
Listening
Listen to people give their opinions about ads. For each speaker, check Supports opinion well or Doesn’t support opinion well.
| Supports opinion well | Doesn’t support opinion well | |
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 |
Answer
| Supports opinion well | Doesn't support opinion well | |
| 1 | ✓ | |
| 2 | ✓ | |
| 3 | ✓ |
Answer 1: Supports opinion well
A: You know, I think television ads have more influence on consumers than radio ads do.
B: Why do you think that?
A: Well, I’ve heard that if you experience something with more than one sense, you remember it better. You can watch and listen to TV ads, but you can only listen to radio ads.
B: Yeah, that’s an interesting point, but I don’t know.
A: Like you know how when you read a news story and see it on the TV news, you remember it better than if you just read it?
B: Yeah, that’s a good point. Or if you read an article and then your professor talks about it, you remember the details of it better.
A: Exactly.
Answer 2: Doesn't support opinion well
A: I don’t think there should be ads on social networking sites. They’re not very effective.
B: Well, a lot of those ads are chosen specifically for particular people, so they’re probably really effective.
A: What do you mean?
B: I read somewhere that marketers get information about people from social networking sites and make sure that people get ads for things that they’ll be interested in. It’s called target marketing.
A: Yeah, but sometimes I get ads for makeup and women’s shoes, and I’m a single male.
B: That’s weird. I get ads that are targeted for me. For example, I like video games and soccer, and I always get ads for products related to sports and video games.
A: Well, my sister told me that she gets ads for video games all the time, and she hates video games. I’m not sure target marketing always works like it’s supposed to.
Answer 3: Supports opinion well
A: This ad drives me crazy.
B: Why?
A: Because of the jingle. I don’t think commercials should use jingles. They’re kind of annoying.
B: I think they’re really effective.
A: You do? Why? They don’t usually say anything important about the product, and I don’t think they persuade consumers to buy the product. I think slogans have more influence on consumers.
B: Well, I read an article about the effectiveness of advertising recently. It said that when people listen to the words from an advertisement, 62% of them remember the advertisement that the words came from. But 83% of people remember the advertisement when they hear ten seconds of the jingle from the ad. For example, everyone remembers that advertising jingle for ice cream that was popular when we were kids.
A: Yeah, I still remember it.
B: Me, too. I also read somewhere that jingles and music in advertisements can set a mood for a product. For example, if the jingle sounds happy, it can make consumers associate the product with happiness.
A: That’s fascinating.
Listen again.
Think about the speakers for who you checked Doesn’t support opinion well. What kind of evidence or examples do you think might help each speaker support his or her opinion better? Discuss your answers with your teacher.
Answer
A: In the second conversation, the speaker talks about how he and his sister don’t get ads for things they like. That’s the only proof. It’s not very strong.
B: Yeah, some information from a study or examples from a larger group of people would be more effective.
Part 5
Speak with confidence
In your opinion, what is more effective – funny advertisements or sad advertisements? Why?
Your opinion: ____________________________________________________________________.
Evidence: ____________________________________________________________________.
Examples: ____________________________________________________________________.
Sample answer
My opinion about the advertisements.
Your opinion: I think funny advertisements are better because they make people happy.
Evidence: People remember funny ads. They like to watch them again and share them with friends.
Examples: For example, Doritos makes funny ads for the Super Bowl. Many people watch and enjoy them.
Questions & Answers
Teacher: What kind of advertisements do you think are better?
Student: I think funny advertisements are better.
Teacher: Why do you think funny ads are better?
Student: Because they make people happy and they are easy to remember.
Teacher: Do people like to watch funny ads?
Student: Yes! They like to watch them again and share them with friends.
Teacher: Can you give an example of a funny advertisement?
Student: Yes! Doritos makes funny ads for the Super Bowl, and many people enjoy them.