Enhancing integrated persuasive language skills among university students

Lesson Overview

Topic

This lesson aims to help students develop their persuasive skills, using the appropriate language needed to persuade others to take actions.

Description

Module Description

In this Module, students are introduced to persuasive language that would help them to plan, design, and create a commercial using a task-based approach that would facilitate students' interaction in small groups. This module would take four stages, meeting once a week. The first is introducing the topic to students via reading and listening materials. Then students will be asked to analyze the persuasive language of different commercials. In the second lesson, students will be introduced to more examples of commercials and adds that would help them produce a written slogan, and justify their production. By the end of the session, students will be divided into groups of five to seven students, and brainstorm the topic of their commercial, and assign roles. In the third session, students will hold further discussions of their topics, and fill in any gaps that existed during their previous preparations with the help of the instructor. In the last session, students will display their recorded videos, and all the pre-recorded commercials will be celebrated by the whole class.  

Lesson 1 Description

This lesson is the first lesson in a module of four successive lessons that are designed to teach students commercial techniques including slogan design, and commercial production.

In this lesson, students are introduced to persuasive language techniques of advertisements, and are trained to design slogans.

Student Characteristics

Student Group

University students; seniors with the basic technological skills, and upper intermediate English language skills.

Skill and Language Level

B2 students with varied language skills

• Can read, comprehend, take notes and summarize.
• Have upper intermediate to advanced writing and speaking skills.
  
• Cannot manipulate their voices to serve several functions. 
  

Curriculum Alignment with Learning Outcome(s)

Supported Outcomes

• Students will learn  effective persuasive strategies for writing a slogan.
• Students will acquire collaborative skills that would help them work in a team.
• Students will enhance critical thinking, and creative thinking.

Student Learning Objectives

 Students are expected to be able to...

• identify different characteristics of persuasive language used in commercials
• differentiate between persuasive and non-persuasive commercials
• analyze different persuasive strategies via tone, voice and body language
• design a slogan that reflects some characteristics of persuasive language .

Teaching Materials

Commercial Samples (written and video-recorded).

Stuffies

Evian commercial + 

An example of catchy slogans

Student Materials

Handouts of the reading materials.

Comparing commercials worksheet (similarities and differences)

Persuasive techniques worksheet

Blank wall charts 

Homework sheet

Technology Requirements 

• Classroom computer with loud speakers. Students' laptops, tabs, or cell phones can be helpful.
  

Lesson Plan

Knowledge Check

 (5-10 minutes):

1. The teacher asks the students if they have watched or participated in a commercial before. Elicit student-provided examples and stories.
   
2. The teacher puts students into small groups of 2-3 for a short discussion. The teacher provides question: "What is the difference between everyday language and commercial language?". 

Introduction/Warm-up

 (10-15 minutes):

1. The teacher plays two commercials, one of them went viral on media, and the other did not. After watching both commercials, students will be asked whether they like them or not, and why. 
2. In groups, students will tell their opinions about the reasons they think they were beyond the success and failure of both commercials.
   

Guided Practice

(10-15 minutes):

1. The teacher points out some of the ideas that students discussed during the previous activity.
2. The teacher asks the students to work in groups filling in a Venn diagram about the devices used in the commercials, showing the similarities and differences in the language used, the tone, and the body language.
   
3. The teacher discusses students' answers highlighting the key characteristics of persuasive language.
4. The teacher provides written commercials with famous slogans, and asks the students to identify the key characteristics discussed beforehand. (Think-pair-share).

Independent Practice (or Student Production)

(20-25 minutes):

1. Students are divided into groups of five to seven. 
2. Student groups are directed to choose a product they want to advertise, and create their own slogan.
3. Students hang their slogans on the wall, and have a gallery-walk to decide which slogan they like the best according to the key characteristics they were provided before. 
4. Students return to their groups, have a minute to review their notes and suggest any necessary changes to their groups' slogans.
5. The teacher should monitor student groups during production. The teacher scaffolds students when needed.
   

Feedback

(15 minutes):

1. The teacher brings the class back together for focused discussion.
2. The teacher provides examples of specific errors that s/he observed students making during the previous segment. 
3. The teacher provides examples of students'  points of strengths, highlighting the key characteristics of the most successful slogans.
4. The teacher elicits the helpful features that characterize successful teamwork.

Closing Activity/Wrap-up

(5-10 minutes):

1. The teacher asks students to think about the difference between their draft slogan and their final one. (e.g. "What did you do differently after your classmates' feedback?")
2. The teacher distributes the homework worksheet and dismisses the class.

Extension and/or Differentiation

Students who have little to no difficulty with the activity can be individually encouraged to think of other slogans of different products that signify the language characteristics they have been introduced to. Then, they join other groups who have difficulty to help them.

Assessment

Assessment Methods

Students will be asked to work in their groups to design a slogan that displays the key characteristics of effective slogans.

Grading Criteria and/or Rubrics