Good Learning Co.
SavannahYear 8
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LanguagesListening in French25 min★★★ difficulty

Gist, detail, fact and opinion

Not everything you hear is a fact — spotting opinion words helps you understand what a speaker really thinks.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Listening: Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

Key learning points

  • • Signalling opinion
  • • Signalling fact
  • • Getting the gist

This lesson at a glance

  • 25 minutes
  • 13 parts to scroll through
  • 3 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

detectpointsspokenpassagesdiscerning

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 13 · Discover8%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 13

Watch first

Gist, detail, fact and opinion

An English teaching video on this topic from We Teach MFL. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 13

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Signalling opinion

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 13

Learn

Signalling opinion

Phrases like 'je pense que' (I think that), 'à mon avis' (in my opinion) and 'je trouve que' (I find that) introduce a personal view, not a fact. 'Je pense que le film est nul' is an opinion, not a statement of truth.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 13

Learn

Signalling fact

Facts are usually stated plainly: 'Le film dure deux heures' (The film lasts two hours) is a fact that could be checked, unlike an opinion about whether it was good.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 13

Quick check

Which phrase introduces an opinion?

6

Reset break

Part 6 of 13

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
7

Quick check

Part 7 of 13

Quick check

'Je trouve que c'est intéressant' expresses...

8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 13

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Getting the gist

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 13

Learn

Getting the gist

For gist, ignore individual facts and opinions and ask: what is this passage broadly about? A review might be broadly positive or negative overall, even if it contains one or two mixed comments.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 13

Quick check

Getting the 'gist' of a passage means...

11

Challenge round

Part 11 of 13

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

12

Mastery quiz

Part 12 of 13

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Gist, detail, fact and opinion

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Which statement is an opinion rather than a fact?

  2. 2. Which phrase introduces an opinion?

  3. 3. 'Je trouve que c'est intéressant' expresses...

  4. 4. Getting the 'gist' of a passage means...

13

Lesson round-up

Part 13 of 13

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Extract

Une journée à Lyon

Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.

J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.

L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.

Original text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
  2. Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
  3. Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.

  • Written practice

    Writing

    Write the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.

    8–10 sentences

  • Vocabulary page

    Working out

    Copy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.

    15 words

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 13 · Watch & discover

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    Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

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