Lesson Plan

By Sanj Saigal

OPINIONS

“lessons designed for you”

“This lesson is audio supported at key parts, you can download the recordings onto any portable device so that you can practice.

Learning about the way you sound to others is very important. Your voice tones can change the meaning of a sentence or how you feel

about a subject or topic.”

Lesson Plan• Targeting key vocabulary

• Confidence Building

• Development of conversational skills

• Grammar structures

Express yourself

Opinion

Learning a language is a great accomplishment, but learning how to express yourself and provide opinion requires significant practice.

Voice Tones

A key factor in expression is letting your audience know how strongly you feel about a given topic or subject. The pitch of your voice can indicate

to others whether your opinion is strong or weak.

Monotone voice tones don’t give much away and this can let you down especially at work where others depend on how strongly you believe in something.

Body Language

We often use our body language as a form of expression, such as

facial expressions, hand and physical gestures. Unfortunately when using the telephone, we are not able to use our body language to help put our message across. This highlights the importance of voice tones used in everyday conversation.

Level

Opinion can be on different levels, general, specific or vague, this

depends on how strongly you feel about something.

This lesson plan has been especially designed to encourage students to display how they feel about a variety of different topics.

There are video and website links and it also includes a section with support notes on this topic.

Being able to express your opinion is

particularly useful with brainstorming sessions which are based on the ability to provide alternative solutions to different problems.

Writing

Look out for the second part of this lesson plan which really helps you to express yourself in writing.

By Sanj Saigal

1. Men never grow up, their toys just get bigger and more expensive.

2. People who are positive and optimistic do better in life

compared to people who are negative and pessimistic.

3. We only maintain a career in order to fund a lifestyle.

4. Everyone should work to live not live to work.

5. Money makes money.

6. Children lack social skills.

7.Having a good job is based on luck and personality, not skill.

8. People with money are happier than people who have none.

9. The global economical crisis is coming to an end.

10.It’s not as important to buy a house anymore, renting is more suited to modern day life.

11.You need to have a lot of money to fund a large social life.

12.Smart phones have reduced our social skills and redefined how we have relationships.

13.Children should have pocket money, or do you think that it’s an old tradition that has no place in modern society.

14.Learning English as a second language has become fashionable.

15.Inheritance tax should be abolished, it’s a form of double taxation.

16. The grass is greener on the other side.

17. Social networking is used as a medium to display wealth and status.

18. Education has less value than experience.

19. People are delaying marriage and having children in favour of a career.

20. For the generation above you, life was less complicated with fewer problems.

21. Men and women in the workplace are treated equally.

22. Divorce is more acceptable in 2013 than it was in the 1990’s.

23. We are all born with a personality and this cannot be changed.

24.It is possible to be extrovert in a mother tongue and introvert in a second language.

What do you think?

Express yourself

This part of the lesson plan is designed to evoke a response by defending your opinion.

There are always two sides to an

argument. Normally students can answer questions but are unable to disagree with a point of view.

Debate 1

Businesses hide behind the Global economic crisis to ensure cheap labour costs, short term contracts and minimal training.

Debate 2

The unemployed should be made to work for their unemployment benefit.

Debate 3

National service should be introduced to every country, it creates discipline, respect for others and helps to set goals.

Debate“ You don’t always have to agree with a point

of view just because you cannot present another point of view”

Finish the sentenses:

1. I wish

2. I hope

3. I never

4. I am worried about

5. I want

6. I love

7. I want to see

8. I enjoy

9. I get upset when I

10. I might

11. I am happy about

12. I hate

13. I get really angry when

14. I smile when I see

15. I always

16. I used to

17. I am happiest when

18. I get stressed out when

Describe:

1. How do you think you sound to others?

2. Can you be critical about the way you sound in English?

3. If you could change one thing about your ability to express yourself, what would it be?

What would you say?

1. Someone has pushed past you at a Supermarket checkout.

2. Someone has been sarcastic to you at work.

3. You are late for work and it wasn’t your fault.

4. You have a faulty product and you want your money back.

5. Your boss wants you to stay late but you can’t.

The Difference

Your Opinion• “I think”• “I feel that”• “in my opinion”• “From my point of

view”• “As far as I am

concerned”• “The way I see it is”

Strong Opinion• “I am so sure that”• I am convinced

that”• “I believe that”• “There is no

doubt in my mind that”

• “I really believe that”

Requesting Opinion• “What do you

think?”• “How do you see

it?”• “Whats your

opinion?”• “What do you

believe?”

Exit Statements• “Do you mind if

we change the subject”

• “Could we talk about something else?”

• “let’s change the subject”

• “Let’s talk about it another time”

Expressions

Resourcehttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/tone+of+voice

http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Friendly-Tone-of-Voice

FeedbackIf you have enjoyed this lesson plan, please leave a comment on one of our sites. Your feedback is very important to us, thank you.

The main problem with expression is to be able to use a voice tone that really reflects how you feel.

Softer voice tones are used when you need an audience to listen, or you want to side with opinion.

Aggressive voice tones are displayed when you feel that you want to dispute or argue a point.

The key is to practice and learn more about the way that you sound.

Empathy

“Say it like you mean it!”