Expressing opinions and justifying points of view

Expressing opinions and justifying points of view

Expressing Opinions

  • Start by carefully framing your thoughts. Be sure to phrase your opinions respectfully and assertively.

  • Use introductory phrases such as ‘In my opinion,’ ‘From my point of view,’ or ‘I believe’ to indicate sharing of personal thoughts.

  • Emphasize your statements with assertive phrases, such as “I strongly believe”, “I am certain that”, or “It’s clear that”.

  • Contextualize your opinion within the topic at hand to ensure it is relevant and pertinent.

Justifying Points of View

  • Present your justification as a continuation of expressing your opinion. The idea is to provide reasons for holding a particular viewpoint.

  • Use clear, logical reasons or evidence to validate your opinion. This could be factual data, logical assumptions or even personal experiences if relevant.

  • Engage in analytical thinking, consider all the factors and angles of the issue before sharing your point of view.

  • If there’s more than one supporting argument, present these in a sequence that makes sense, starting from the most strong to more ambiguous ones.

  • Rephrase and re-emphasise your opinion at the end,** tying back to your initial statement** to create a coherent argument.

Handling Disagreement

  • In case of a disagreement with the other participant, maintain a polite and respectful tone.

  • Use phrases like ‘I understand your point, however,..’ This shows you respect their thought process but have a different viewpoint.

  • Provide your counter-arguments with solid rationale and examples. It helps in emphasizing your point and maintaining a polite gesture in disagreement.

Tips for preparation

  • Practice expressing your opinions and justifying them on various topics to get comfortable with using a wide range of vocabulary and expressions.

  • Review examples of high-scoring speaking assessments to understand what worked well.

  • Lastly, always be aware of cultural sensitivities, especially when sharing and justifying personal opinions in Bangla.

Preparing well and practicing these steps will gradually make you proficient in expressing opinions and justifying your points of view in any given situation.