Abstract

In order to enhance students’ language and generic skills and to introduce elements of popular culture into English teaching in preparation for the senior secondary curriculum, a number of secondary schools have implemented projects in which students invent their own products and produce TV advertisements to “market” them. The students learned about the features of TV advertisements. They also learned how to write jingles and slogans for their products. They worked together in groups to develop scripts for their TV advertisements and to film them. It was found that, by employing strategies to build students’ confidence, engage them in self-assessment and provide support for independent learning, teachers could successfully use this project as a means of helping students of all abilities to develop the generic skills typical of successful learners.