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SavannahYear 8
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LanguagesSpeaking French with confidence28 min★★★ difficulty

Expressing and developing ideas

A basic opinion is easy; a developed one — with reasons and examples — shows real progress in French.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Speaking: Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing

Key learning points

  • • State an opinion
  • • Give a reason
  • • Add a contrast

This lesson at a glance

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

Words to know

expressclearlyincreasingaccuracyorally

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 13 · Discover8%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 13

Watch first

Expressing and developing ideas

An English teaching video on this topic from French in Plain Sight. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 13

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · State an opinion

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

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 13

Learn

State an opinion

Start simply: 'Je pense que les réseaux sociaux sont utiles' (I think social media is useful). This gives a clear, direct opinion using 'je pense que' plus an adjective.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 13

Learn

Give a reason

Extend the idea with 'parce que' (because): 'Je pense que les réseaux sociaux sont utiles parce qu'on peut rester en contact avec des amis' (...because you can stay in touch with friends).

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 13

Quick check

Which word introduces a reason in French?

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

'Cependant' is closest in meaning to...

8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 13

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Add a contrast

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

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 13

Learn

Add a contrast

Use 'mais' (but) or 'cependant' (however) to show balance: 'Mais il y a aussi des dangers' (But there are also dangers). This kind of structured, developed answer scores far better than a single sentence.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 13

Quick check

What does adding 'parce que' to an opinion sentence achieve?

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: Expressing and developing ideas

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

  1. 1. Which answer develops an idea rather than just stating it?

  2. 2. Which word introduces a reason in French?

  3. 3. 'Cependant' is closest in meaning to...

  4. 4. What does adding 'parce que' to an opinion sentence achieve?

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

How this is going

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    Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing

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