Spark Minds, Warm Hearts with Class Debates

Use a Zero-Prep Approach

Do you need a detailed plan for debates to work? Not always. They are flexible, so you can embrace spur-of-the-moment opportunities.

Maintain routines that make speaking feel safe: greet students by name, welcome all opinions, and include open-ended speaking tasks. When the right moment arises, pose a clear, binary question and let the conversation unfold.

During a group lesson on animals, I casually mentioned that dogs are by far the most loyal pets. Immediately, students disagreed. One praised the devotion of his cat; another claimed his cockatiel greeted him at the door after school. Sensing the opportunity, I quickly wrote on the board: Are dogs really the most loyal pets? And just like that, a spontaneous debate began.

Plan Ahead for Full-Lesson Debates

For lessons designed around debate, structure helps. In a 60-minute class, you might plan as follows:

• Language practice: 15 minutes
• Task set-up: 10 minutes
• Debate task: 20 minutes
• Feedback and wrap-up: 15 minutes

This balance ensures that language development, task engagement, and reflection all receive focus.

Focus on Language

Think carefully about the structures or vocabulary you want students to practice. For instance, you could target “agreeing and disagreeing politely” or “using present tenses.”

Provide clear instructions so students understand which language features to focus on. The debate becomes both an engaging activity and a scaffolded opportunity to apply specific language targets.

Account for Level

Tailor debates to the proficiency of your group.

For elementary learners, start with structured prompts such as “I like dogs more than cats because…” and supply simple phrases for agreeing, disagreeing, and giving reasons.

For higher levels, raise the challenge by asking students to defend the view they personally oppose. This sharpens rhetorical skills and builds empathy. I have even felt my own perspective shift when I tried this exercise myself.

Stay Fun and Simple

Choosing the right topic keeps debates lively. A good starting point is recent class material.

For example, in one lesson on food, the text discussed the negative health impacts of fast food. I remembered, however, eating a fresh salad at a McDonald’s in France and delicious pumpkin soup at one in New Zealand. So I asked: Can fast foods be healthy? The class leapt into a spirited discussion.

Alternatively, let students suggest themes they care about. Keep framing simple so both sides feel equally valid and interesting.

Here are a few prompts that work across levels with basic vocabulary:

• Food and drink: milkshakes vs. fruit juice
• Animals: cats vs. dogs (or T-Rex vs. Velociraptors)
• Work and life: work in an office vs. outdoors

Setting the Stage

Like any classroom task, debates succeed when expectations are clear. Some students will try to sit on the fence with answers like “both are true” or “it depends.” Gently remind them that they must choose and defend one side.

Expect some students to be shy, even in their own language. Have backup prompts ready, model a short argument yourself, and prepare an alternative activity if energy dips. If you are new to a group, wait a few lessons before attempting a debate to build trust and comfort.

Mix It Up

Variety keeps debates fresh and challenges students in new ways. Try these twists:

• Switch sides mid-debate: encourages flexibility and deeper reasoning.
• Devil’s advocate: one student challenges both sides and pushes for stronger arguments.
• Play judge: a student listens, takes notes, and decides which arguments were most convincing.

Summary

In a world of quick dopamine hits, it is thoughtful discussions and debates that activate our minds and build meaningful connections (Kennedy, 2007). Debates give students a reason to speak, listen, and think under gentle pressure, skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

The biggest risk? Your students might keep debating long after class ends, which is a brilliant way to continue learning beyond the lesson.

References

• Krieger, D. (2005). Teaching debate to ESL students: A six-class unit. The Internet TESL Journal, XI(2).
• Kennedy, R. (2007). In-class debates: Fertile ground for active learning and the cultivation of critical thinking and oral communication skills. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 19(2), 183–190.