Leisure and Culture (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Advertising
Vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| un anuncio | an advertisement |
| lanzar una campaña | to launch a campaign |
| vender productos | to sell products |
| el poder de una imagen | the power of an image |
| mensajes subliminales | subliminal messages |
| manipular | to manipulate |
| los consumidores | consumers |
| la autoestima | self-esteem |
These core vocabulary terms appear frequently in exam questions about advertising and consumer culture. Focus on learning both the Spanish terms and their usage patterns.
Using vocabulary in context:
- Los anuncios pueden influir en la autoestima de los jóvenes. (Adverts can influence young people's self-esteem.)
- Las empresas lanzan campañas para vender más productos. (Companies launch campaigns to sell more products.)
- El poder de una imagen es muy importante en la publicidad. (The power of an image is very important in advertising.)
Note that "manipular" follows the same pattern as other -ar verbs: manipulo, manipulas, manipula, etc.
Useful phrases for discussion
These phrases help you express different viewpoints about advertising. They're particularly valuable for essay questions that ask for balanced arguments.
- La publicidad está en todas partes. (Advertising is everywhere.)
- Muchas veces, los anuncios manipulan a los consumidores. (Many times, adverts manipulate consumers.)
- Los anuncios pueden influir en la autoestima de los jóvenes. (Adverts can influence young people's self-esteem.)
- El poder de la publicidad es enorme porque puede cambiar nuestra manera de pensar. (The power of advertising is huge because it can change the way we think.)
- No se puede negar que la publicidad es necesaria para la economía. (One cannot deny that advertising is necessary for the economy.)
High-value expressions and idioms
These sophisticated expressions will help you sound more natural and earn higher marks in your exam. Pay attention to the idiomatic phrases marked in bold.
- A mi modo de ver (The way I see it)
- No se puede negar que... (It cannot be denied that...)
- Tiene ventajas y desventajas (It has advantages and disadvantages)
- El poder de persuasión (The power of persuasion)
- Es un arma de doble filo (It's a double-edged sword)
Using expressions in context:
- A mi modo de ver, la publicidad es necesaria pero problemática. (The way I see it, advertising is necessary but problematic.)
- Es un arma de doble filo porque ayuda a la economía pero también manipula. (It's a double-edged sword because it helps the economy but also manipulates.)
The expression "arma de doble filo" is particularly useful for discussing topics with both positive and negative aspects.
Important grammar point
When expressing opinions about advertising, you'll often use the subjunctive mood after expressions of influence or opinion.
Key structure: Es importante que + subjunctive
- Es importante que los anuncios no manipulen a los niños. (It's important that adverts don't manipulate children.)
Here, "manipulen" is subjunctive because it follows "es importante que". The subjunctive is used because you're expressing what should happen, not what definitely happens.
Other similar expressions that trigger the subjunctive:
- Es necesario que... (It's necessary that...)
- Es mejor que... (It's better that...)
- Espero que... (I hope that...)
Model sentences
These sentences demonstrate how to use your vocabulary effectively while showing different tenses and structures.
Worked Example: Complex sentence structures
-
La publicidad crea deseos que a veces no necesitamos satisfacer. (Advertising creates desires that we sometimes don't need to satisfy.)
-
Muchos jóvenes piensan que para ser felices tienen que comprar lo que ven en la tele. (Many young people think that to be happy they must buy what they see on TV.)
-
Aunque nos engaña a veces, la publicidad también ayuda a las empresas a crecer. (Although it deceives us sometimes, advertising also helps businesses to grow.)
Notice how these sentences use different structures: relative clauses, infinitive constructions, and concessive clauses with "aunque".
Sample exam response
Worked Example:
Prompt: ¿Crees que la publicidad tiene más aspectos positivos o negativos? (Do you think advertising has more positive or negative aspects?)
En mi opinión, la publicidad es un arma de doble filo. Por un lado, ayuda a las empresas a vender productos y a crear empleo, lo cual es positivo para la economía. Además, algunas campañas publicitarias promueven mensajes importantes como la igualdad de género o la protección del medioambiente.
Sin embargo, no se puede negar que la publicidad también nos manipula. Muchas veces está llena de mensajes subliminales y engañosos que hacen creer a los jóvenes que necesitan cosas innecesarias para ser felices. Lo peor es que está por todas partes, en la televisión, en internet y hasta en las calles.
En resumen, a mi modo de ver, la publicidad tiene ventajas, pero hay que verla con espíritu crítico para que no nos manipule demasiado.
Translation:
In my opinion, advertising is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps businesses sell products and create employment, which is positive for the economy. In addition, some advertising campaigns promote important messages like gender equality or protecting the environment.
However, one cannot deny that advertising also manipulates us. Many times it is full of subliminal and misleading messages that make young people believe they need unnecessary things to be happy. The worst thing is that it is everywhere: on TV, on the internet, and even on the streets.
In summary, the way I see it, advertising has advantages, but it must be viewed critically so that it doesn't manipulate us too much.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "un anuncio" for advertisement and "lanzar una campaña" for launching campaigns
- "Es un arma de doble filo" is perfect for discussing topics with both positive and negative aspects
- After "es importante que" always use the subjunctive mood
- Include phrases like "a mi modo de ver" and "no se puede negar que" to sound more sophisticated
- Balance your arguments by discussing both advantages and disadvantages of advertising