Key Stage 3 languages · Grammar and vocabulary

KS3 languages: giving opinions and justifying them

By Key Stage 3, saying “I like football” is no longer enough. Children are expected to give an opinion, support it with a reason and begin to discuss wider issues such as school rules, the environment or technology, both in speech and in writing. The skill combines vocabulary, grammar and confidence, and it prepares pupils for the longer spoken and written answers they will be asked for at GCSE.

Giving and justifying opinions, explained

The National Curriculum asks that pupils use vocabulary beyond their immediate needs to give and justify opinions and take part in discussion about wider issues. It also asks for points of view to be developed and justified in speech and writing, with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy. In Year 7 this may be as simple as “J’aime l’école parce que c’est amusant”. By Year 9 pupils are expected to weigh up two sides and reach a conclusion. The language is the one your child’s school teaches, and the examples here use French and Spanish.

Children are given a toolkit of phrases. For opinions: “à mon avis”, “je pense que”, “je suis pour” or “je suis contre” in French, and “en mi opinión”, “creo que”, “estoy a favor” or “estoy en contra” in Spanish. For reasons: parce que or porque. For contrast: mais, cependant, d’un autre côté, or pero, sin embargo, por otro lado. For examples: par exemple or por ejemplo. These small phrases make a big difference, because they turn separate sentences into an argument.

The topics are chosen by the school, but typical ones include school life and uniform, healthy living, technology and social media, the environment, holidays and future plans. They are called “wider issues” because they go beyond what children know in their daily lives. A child does not have to hold the opinion they express. Arguing a side they do not hold is a normal classroom task, and it takes the pressure off. The aim is to use the language, not to reveal beliefs.

Opinions need grammar as well as phrases. Liking something takes a different pattern in different languages: Spanish me gusta works backwards, as the thing liked is the subject, so it is me gusta el deporte but me gustan los deportes. French uses “aimer” with a definite article (“j’aime le sport”). Reasons often need adjectives that agree, as in “les matchs sont fatigants”, and examples may need the past or future. This is why opinion work draws on everything else children have learned.

Speaking about opinions also needs spontaneity. In a conversation, nobody asks only one question; they follow up with “Pourquoi ?” or “¿Por qué?”. Teachers therefore practise answering unexpected follow-up questions, as well as writing planned answers. A child who can say the first sentence will often keep going once the pattern, opinion plus reason plus contrast, becomes automatic.

Words your child will hear

Opinion: What you think or feel about something, such as “je pense que” (I think that).
Justify: To give a reason for your opinion, usually using parce que or porque.
Connective: A word or phrase that links ideas, such as mais (but) or cependant (however).
Contrast: Showing a different point of view with a phrase like d’un autre côté or por otro lado (on the other hand).
For and against: Two sides of an argument: je suis pour or estoy a favor (I am for) and je suis contre or estoy en contra (I am against).
Wider issue: A topic beyond personal experience, such as the environment or technology, that people discuss in society.
Conclusion: The closing sentence that sums up your view, often starting “pour conclure” or “para concluir”.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 3 says:

Pupils should be taught to develop and use a wide-ranging and deepening vocabulary that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, allowing them to give and justify opinions and take part in discussion about wider issues
Pupils should be taught to express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing
It should enable pupils to understand and communicate personal and factual information that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, developing and justifying points of view in speech and writing, with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: building a justified answer

A teacher asks, in French, “Que penses-tu de l’uniforme scolaire ?” (What do you think about school uniform?). Build a model answer of four or five sentences.

Give a clear opinion with a phrase from the toolkit: “Je suis pour l’uniforme scolaire.” (I am in favour of school uniform.) In Spanish: “Estoy a favor del uniforme escolar.”
Add a reason that gives new information. “Parce que c’est bien” would just repeat the opinion. Better: “parce que cela évite les comparaisons entre les élèves.” (because it avoids comparisons between pupils). Note that parce que is followed by a clause with a verb.
Add a contrasting point with a connective: “D’un autre côté, il n’est pas très confortable en été.” (On the other hand, it isn’t very comfortable in summer.) In Spanish: “Por otro lado, no es muy cómodo en verano.”
Show range with a different structure, such as the conditional: “Je voudrais avoir plus de choix.” (I would like to have more choice.) This shows a wider range than another “je pense que”.
Finish with a conclusion: “Pour conclure, je pense que l’idée est bonne.” Read the answer aloud once to check that each reason is new and adds something.

Je suis pour l’uniforme scolaire parce que cela évite les comparaisons entre les élèves. D’un autre côté, il n’est pas très confortable en été. Je voudrais avoir plus de choix, mais pour conclure, je pense que l’idée est bonne.

Common mistakes and how to help

Giving a reason that only repeats the opinion

Children know they must say “because”, so they write “C’est bien parce que c’est super”. It has the right shape but offers no real reason, and it is hard to extend.

What helps: Ask “Why is it super?” again. A good reason answers a question that a stranger might ask. Try finishing the sentence in English first, then translate the idea.

Mixing up the Spanish gustar pattern

English “I like sports” makes “I” the subject, so children write “Yo gusto los deportes” or “Me gusta los deportes”. In Spanish the thing you like is the subject, so it must agree: me gusta el fútbol, me gustan los deportes.

What helps: Link it to the English “sports please me”. Ask whether the liked thing is one or many before choosing gusta or gustan. A verb after gusta stays singular: me gusta jugar.

Memorising one paragraph and being unable to adapt it

Learning a set answer feels safe, but if the question changes slightly, the child cannot adjust or panics. The memorised block does not fit the new question.

What helps: Learn the building blocks (opinion, reason, contrast, conclusion) and practise fitting them to different topics. Ask the same question in several ways.

Following parce que or porque with a noun and no verb

In English, “because of” can be followed by a noun, so children write “parce que la pollution” and stop. In French and Spanish, parce que and porque need a whole clause, as in “porque la contaminación es peligrosa”. Spanish also has porque (because), por qué (why) and porqué (the reason), which are easily confused.

What helps: Check that every parce que or porque is followed by a subject and a verb. To say “because of” with a noun, French uses à cause de and Spanish a causa de: “à cause de la pollution”. Spanish por qué, written as two words with an accent, is only for questions.

How to help at home

Play the “why?” game. Ask your child their view on something small, like a meal or a film, then keep asking “why?”. In the second round, ask in the language if you can. They get used to giving a reason and then adding another.
Argue the other side. Pick a light topic, such as homework or screen time, and agree one side each. Even in English at first, practise phrases like “on the other hand”. Then try to say a sentence in the language.
Build a reason bank. Keep a page of reasons for common topics, such as why recycling matters or why sport is good. Reasons are the hardest part to invent, so having a store to draw from speeds up speaking and writing.
Record a 30-second answer. Ask your child to record themselves answering one opinion question, then listen back and add one more reason or one contrast. Hearing their own voice often shows what is missing.

Builds on

Key Stage 2: Building vocabulary
Key Stage 2: Using a bilingual dictionary
Key Stage 2: Masculine, feminine and neuter nouns
Key Stage 2: High-frequency verbs
Key Stage 2: Patterns and building sentences
Key Stage 2: Comparing a language with English