Expressing Opinions

Overview

Unit: Mastering French Communication
Lesson: 17 of 20
Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 1 student
Stage: Year 11 (15–16 years old)
Curriculum: National Curriculum for England – Modern Foreign Languages (Languages)
Objective: Enable student to confidently express opinions and preferences in French, utilising key phrases and structures.

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National Curriculum Alignment

This lesson supports the following key aims and attainment targets from the National Curriculum for Languages (England):

• Programme of Study: Key Stage 4 (KS4)

  • Develop the student’s ability to communicate in writing and speech, expressing ideas and opinions clearly with some detail.
  • Understand and use a variety of familiar and unfamiliar phrases and structures, including those to express points of view.
  • Improve pronunciation, intonation, and spontaneity in spoken French.
  • Engage in conversations, providing extended responses with relevant supporting detail.

• Attainment Targets:

  • Speaking: Can express opinions and justify them using complex phrases such as je pense que, à mon avis, selon moi (AT4).
  • Writing: Can compose short texts giving opinions and preferences on familiar topics (AT3).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, the student will be able to:

1. Use key opinion phrases (je pense que, à mon avis, je crois que) accurately in spoken and written French.
2. Construct sentences to express personal opinions clearly on a chosen topic using relevant vocabulary.
3. Justify opinions with simple reasons to develop confidence in communication.
4. Demonstrate understanding of opinion expression through spontaneous language production.

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Success Criteria

• The student expresses at least three opinions on a chosen topic using je pense que or à mon avis.
• The student provides at least two supporting reasons for their opinions.
• The student’s pronunciation and intonation reflect confidence and understanding.
• The student can write 3–5 sentences coherently expressing opinions with supporting ideas.

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Resources

• Whiteboard or notebook
• Flashcards with opinion phrases and sentence starters
• List of relevant vocabulary on popular Year 11 topics (e.g., school life, technology, environment, media)
• Audio clips of native French speakers expressing opinions (optional)
• Student’s personal vocabulary notebook

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes)

Activity: Quick oral warm-up discussion

• Begin by asking student: “Peux-tu me dire ce que tu aimes ou n’aimes pas ?” (What do you like or dislike?)
• Write down any responses, then highlight phrases used that can be developed with opinion expressions.
• Briefly introduce or recap je pense que, à mon avis, and je crois que. Model pronunciation slowly and have the student repeat.

2. Presentation (7 minutes)

Activity: Demonstration and drilling of opinion phrases

• Write opinion phrases on the board/notebook with English equivalents.
• Present three example sentences on a familiar topic (e.g., “Je pense que les réseaux sociaux sont utiles parce qu’on peut rester en contact avec ses amis.”).
• Break down sentence structures: opinion phrase + clause + justification.
• Use flashcards to practise switching opinions/phrases and reasons to build sentence variation.

3. Practice (10 minutes)

Activity: Controlled speaking and writing task

• Topic choice: Student picks one from a list of relevant, engaging topics (e.g., school uniform, music, environmental issues).
• Speaking: Student makes three oral statements expressing opinions using approved phrases.
• Teacher provides prompts or asks for elaboration: “Pourquoi ?” (Why?)
• Writing: Student writes 3–5 sentences expressing their opinions with reasons.
• Immediate feedback given on accuracy, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

4. Independent Application (6 minutes)

Activity: Opinion journal entry or mini-presentation

• Student produces a short written or oral paragraph summarising their opinions on the topic, incorporating at least two different opinion phrases.
• Encourage use of conjunctions like parce que, car, or puisque to justify opinions clearly.
• Teacher listens or reads carefully, noting successes and areas for improvement.

5. Review and Reflect (2 minutes)

Activity: Self-assessment and teacher feedback

• Student reflects on their progress using the success criteria: “Est-ce que j’ai utilisé ‘je pense que’ correctement ?”
• Teacher highlights achievements and two targets for the final lessons of the unit.
• Praise for effort and accuracy to motivate.

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Differentiation and Personalisation

• One-to-one setting allows for immediate individualised support.
• Tasks and topics customised to student interests and language level to maximise engagement and challenge.
• Use of visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic methods (writing, speaking, listening) addresses diverse learning preferences.

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Assessment

• Informal formative assessment through oral responses, writing samples, pronunciation checks, and questioning.
• A brief oral quiz or flashcard recall at lesson start and end to check understanding of key phrases.
• Annotated written piece demonstrating controlled use of opinion language.

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Extension Ideas (Post-Lesson)

• Encourage student to listen to a French radio segment or podcast expressing opinions, then summarise in writing orally.
• Create a debate mini-project in the next lesson using opinion phrases as foundation.
• Introduce contrasting opinions with mais or cependant to prepare for extended discourse.

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Reflection for Teacher

• Did the student confidently use opinion phrases spontaneously?
• Were there stuck points in vocabulary or grammar to revisit?
• How engaged was the student with the chosen topic?
• What adjustments needed to advance fluency in Lessons 18–20?

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By honing opinion expression today, this session strategically uplifts pupil autonomy in French, meeting and exceeding National Curriculum requirements for creative and confident language use.