Fifty Ways to Teach Speaking by Janine Sepulveda

Author:Janine Sepulveda [Sepulveda, Janine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wayzgoose Press

How it Works

Make a list of controversial topics that might interest your students. Put students in pairs and allow them to choose one of the topics. (Just make sure that there are two pairs who choose each topic because they will debate each other later.) Tell pairs to come up with five arguments for each side of the controversial topic, not just the one they personally agree with. You may have to model this or do it once with the whole class, putting ideas on the board.

When all the pairs have completed their arguments for both sides, assign each pair a side to argue. This means there will be 4 people in each debate – make sure that every person speaks. Then the groups debate. You should be circulating while the groups debate to hear how they are doing and help support them.

Debate structure: Decide in advance (depending on the level of your students) how many minutes they will have to speak. Then stick to the time limits! Use a timer with a loud ringer so that all groups can hear it. 2-3 minutes is usually plenty for presentation, and 3-4 minutes for discussion.

One side starts with their position and their arguments. Then the other side has a chance to present its arguments. After that, groups discuss the arguments and try to convince the other side. Tell students you will take a vote at the end to see which side they agree with. You can also ask if anyone changed their mind by the end of the debate.

If students get good at the debates, you can transition to having them debate in front of the class. However, if you have a large class, it probably makes more sense to keep the debates in small groups, so everyone gets more time to speak.

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