Teachers can direct language learners to use debate strategy in any classroom either in the intermediate or the advanced levels depending on the purpose of communication the learners are involved in both formal and formal manners.  While learners discuss simple topics and ideas in the intermediate levels, abstract and complex ideas are tackled when learners reach advanced levels.  Thus, this is an excellent strategy to develop communication in the target language for real purposes.

Tips for the debates

• Either the teacher or the learners can suggest  topics and issues for discussion, and learners search for information from various resources.

• Learns can work in groups or individually to search for information.

• The teacher helps in arranging the debates, fixes time limits, and equally distribute the time between the participants.

• Objective questions about the debates include:  How logical were the arguments?  How persuasive? What examples? What evidences? What facts? How strong were the counter arguments?

• After the debates, students can prepare written summaries for their debates and thus improve their writing skills.

Benefits of debates:

Help learners think critically, express their views, feel proud of their participation, discuss real issues, learn to speak persuasively, and listen respectfully. Moreover, debates challenge learners understand multiple points of view and find solution for real problems that exist in their lives.