The document discusses a study on using advertising analysis to support language learning. A teacher implemented a 4-week unit analyzing ads with ESL students. The unit aimed to develop critical thinking and language skills. Students analyzed print ads and composed analyses on a class website. Preliminary findings showed students struggled most with questions about subtext, diverse interpretations, and information omitted from ads.

1. Seeing, Believing & Learning to be Skeptical:
Supporting Language Learning through Advertising
Analysis Activities
Renee Hobbs Haixia He
Harrington School of Visiting Scholar
Communication & Media Temple University
University of Rhode Island School of Communications &
Email: hobbs@uri.edu Theater
Web: http://mediaeducationlab.com Email: haixia.he@temple.edu

2. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Goals for Today’s Session
Why advertising analysis is important for new immigrants and
others learning a second language
How one teacher designed and implemented a 4-week
media literacy unit focused on advertising analysis in an
urban public school
Specific instructional techniques used to promote critical
thinking and language usage
Preliminary findings from an online test of ad analysis skills

3. Learning to Analyze Ads is Important

4. Learning to Analyze Ads is Important

5. Reduce the Appeal of Advertising

6. Discourage materialism

7. Promote critical thinking

8. Support communication skills

9. ESL Teachers Make Extensive Use of
Media & Technology

11. Advertising and ESL Learning
A highly visual
form of
communication
New language
learners benefit
from talking about
familiar everyday
messages

12. Case Study
Michael RobbGrieco
Experienced high school
English teacher
Three years experience
teaching ESL learners
PhD student at Temple
University

13. Key Theoretical Concepts
Authors Messages Representation
& & &
Audiences Meanings Realities

14. M+M
A+A Messages & Meanings
Audience & Authors
Critical Questions
R+R
Representations & Reality

15. Research Project
RESEARCH DESIGN
Case study: observation and
interview
Pre-post measure of advertising
analysis skills
TREATMENT
4-week unit on advertising
analysis, one hour daily
SAMPLE
15 new immigrants, 14 – 18 years old, in a
Northeast Philadelphia public school

16. Case Study: Observation and Interview
• Explain the key questions
• Discuss the questions with students
• Put more emphasis on analyzing ads from the
aspect of M+M
• Conduct a quiz reviewing the student ability to
ask key questions about A+A, M+M and R+R.
• Practice the key questions A+A, M+M and R+R

17. Teacher Selections: Print Ads

18. Using the Close
Technique to
Support
Language Use

19. Answers and
Matching
Questions

20. Analyze Ads by
Answering Key
Questions

21. Students Select and Analyze Ads and
Compose on the Class Website

22. Students Select and Analyze Ads and
Compose on the Class Website

23. ONLINE TEST OF
ADVERTISING ANALYSIS
SKILLS
Pre-test – Post-Test

24. What is the main idea of this
ad?
What techniques are used to
attract your attention?
Who is the author of the
message in the ad?
What lifestyles, value or
point of view were
represented in the
message?
How can different people
interpret this ad in different
ways?
What information or ideas
are left out of the ad?

25. What lifestyles,
values and points of
view are represented
in this message?
This product has not more
nutrient. On the bottom of the ad,
Crunch product has the website.
You can go this website and got
more information about this
product.
This message are represents a
lovely lifestyle because the girl us
laughing so much.

26. How can different
people interpret this
in different ways?
The different people interpret this
ad in different ways because
somebody judge this, when you
like that.
The man skin color is black, so
make white people and yellow
people thinking this ad isn’t for
them. And old people think this
ad trying to say that old people
can’t eat this product.

27. What information or
ideas are left out of
the ad?
This product is good or bad
whether help people to be
healthy that is left out of the ad.
Information left out of the is that
this ad only shows one man and
a kid to introduction about a
chocolate. Why they don’t use a
cartoon for a chocolate? I think
this is ideas are left out of the ad.

28. Challenging Questions
Three questions appear to be most difficult for
students to answer:
Subtext. What lifestyles, values or point of view
were represented in the message?
Diverse Interpretations. How can different
people interpret this ad in different ways?
Omissions. What information or ideas are left out
of the ad?

29. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Goals for Today’s Session
Why advertising analysis is important for new immigrants and
others learning a second language
How one teacher designed and implemented a 4-week
media literacy unit focused on advertising analysis in an
urban public school
Specific instructional techniques used to promote critical
thinking and language usage
Preliminary findings from an online test of ad analysis skills

30. Seeing, Believing & Learning to be Skeptical:
Supporting Language Learning through Advertising
Analysis Activities
Renee Hobbs Haixia He
Harrington School of Visiting Scholar
Communication & Media Temple University
University of Rhode Island School of Communications &
Email: hobbs@uri.edu Theater
Web: http://mediaeducationlab.com Email: haixia.he@temple.edu