What's In A Name?
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Practice English with your teacher
Warm-up
Talk about these questions with your teacher.
선생님과 이야기해 보세요.
- Do you personally choose national brand products over store brands? What factors influence that decision beyond price?
- The passage challenges the saying "you get what you pay for." Can you think of a product where the cheaper option was actually equal to or better than the expensive one?
Vocabulary
Listen and repeat after your teacher.
선생님을 따라 읽어보세요.
Reading
Read the passage with your teacher.
선생님과 함께 지문을 읽어보세요.
Supermarkets now carry their own products to compete with the national brands. These “house” brands are not in a felicitous position because they cannot be advertised widely. Supermarkets overcome this encumbrance by making these brands less expensive. Many people believe the shibboleth, “You get what you pay for,” and they purchase items on the premise that quality varies as the price does. Are the claims made by nationally advertised brands bogus. How can one bread company substantiate its nutritive superiority over another? As there is no incontrovertible evidence, the more expensive bread (or coffee, etc) must compensate by increased advertising. They make inordinate claims, using those raucous techniques proven so successful in convincing the frugal customer to switch to a more costly brand.
Dialogue Practice
Practice the dialogue with your teacher.
선생님과 대화를 연습해 보세요.
Do you think that supermarkets that carry their own brands have an edge over brands that are advertised widely, since these supermarket brands are less expensive?
Do you believe that brands that are widely advertised make false claims about their quality and value?
How do you buy your goods? Do you buy goods depending on how much expensive the good is, believing that it has more quality and value?
Do we really get what we pay for? Or do we get less value?
Do you think that advertisements on goods really influence our choices?
Do you believe advertisements of all brands, or the messages of these advertisements
Korean Trap! / 한국인 실수 교정
Common mistakes Korean speakers make.
한국인이 자주 하는 실수를 알아봅시다.
'cheap'은 1음절 형용사이므로 'more cheap'이 아니라 'cheaper'로 비교급을 만듭니다. 'more'는 2음절 이상 형용사에만 쓰세요 (more expensive, more beautiful).
Discussion
Share your thoughts with your teacher.
선생님과 의견을 나눠보세요.
- The passage asks whether claims by national brands are "bogus." How can consumers distinguish between genuine quality differences and marketing hype?
- The author argues that expensive brands compensate for lack of evidence with increased advertising. Is advertising fundamentally manipulative, or does it serve a legitimate informational purpose?
- The text calls "you get what you pay for" a shibboleth. Are there other widely accepted consumer beliefs that may be equally misleading?
- Store brands now compete effectively with national brands. Has this shift been positive for consumers, or has it led to a race to the bottom in quality?
- In Korean consumer culture, brand loyalty is particularly strong. What psychological and social factors drive this loyalty?
Lesson Summary / 수업 요약
Today's Topic: WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Level: Low Advanced (L.A)
Review this lesson before your next class! / 다음 수업 전에 복습하세요!