Listening: Listening for Inference, Attitude, & Opinion B1 - Lesson 3: Distinguishing Simple Facts from Opinions in Short Talks

Listening: Fact vs. Opinion CEFR Level B1 Lesson Goals In this lesson, you will practice the critical listening skill of distinguishing between facts and opinions in short talks. Clues to Identify Facts and Opinions A fact is a piece of information that can be proven to be true. An opinion is a belief or feeling that cannot be proven. When you listen, pay attention to the language the speaker uses for clues. Language of Facts (Objective) Facts are often presented with: Numbers, dates, or statistics Historical or scientific information Neutral, unbiased language Language of Opinions (Subjective) Opinions are often introduced with: Judgment words (e.g., beautiful, boring, delicious ) Signal phrases (e.g., I think, I believe, In my opinion ) Words of advice (e.g., should, must, best ) Key Tip: Listen for Bias Sometimes, a speaker will mix facts and opinions together to persuade you. This is called bias . They might use a fact to support their opinion. For example: "Angkor Wat was built in the 12th centur…