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Writing
Practice of debating develops learners’ writing skills too. While writing debate
scripts, students practice writing composition in an organized way. To make debate
scripts, they need to brainstorm on the topics and jot down points. Thus, they learn
how to think about a topic in a systematic manner and also to link between points.
Moreover, they learn the process of prioritizing the points. If students get debate
topics one or two days earlier, they usually collect information and write the whole
script. Debate-scripts are like argumentative essays. Thus they learn writing
argumentative paragraphs and essays. Furthermore, students practice limiting
topics and making them controversial enough for arguments and counter-
arguments. When students make the final debate-script, they retain only the main
points, not the details. In this way, they master limiting topics, writing topic
sentences and also making outlines. To sum up, debating entices students to write
composition in English.
The countries where English language is treated as a foreign language are laden
with many problems that prevent students from using the language outside
classroom. Moreover, in most of the cases, EFL teachers fail to implement properly
the best methods, approaches and classroom activities to teach students the skills
of the English language. In such cases, students in these countries need to go
through some practices that make them practice English language in real-life
situations. Debating can be used to learn English in both formal and informal
settings. It is such an activity that engages learners in practicing all skills of the
English language. Debating students learn both the English language and
presentation skills which will make them confident users of the English language in
academic, social and professional settings.
Bibliography:
Davidson, Bruce. (1995). Critical thinking education faces the challenge of Japan.
Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 17(3), 33-42.
Nesbett, Richard E. (2003). The geography of thought. New York: The Free Press.
Oxford, R. (1990).
Language learning strategies. New York: Newbury House.
Chamot, A. U., & O’Malley, J. M. (1994). The CALLA handbook. New York:
Addison-Wesley.
https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/shutel/2014/09/02/debate-an-approach-to-teaching-and-
learning/
(link last accessed on 29 September 2018)
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