I like speaking classes in the format of formal debate. My arguments for:

 

• all students are involved
• learners take time to think over their arguments
• such classes bring up sence of content and achievement
• they are an effective way to practise speaking, listening and team work skills

I've been intensively working with this format recently, and together with my students we've come up with some useful tips for a successful formal debate. Here are the core stages of a formal debate speaking class with my comments on some of them.1. Select a topic

• You can find lots of them on www.busyteacher.org
• It's a good idea to involve students; get them to form a list of topics they would really love to discuss
• When the list is ready, choose a topic for a class at random. Otherwise, they'll waste too much of precious time choosing the one.

2. Form 2 groups: 'For' and 'Against'
3. Groups prepare their 2 minute presentations

• allocate enough time for this stage
• explain the importance of rehearsal stage when the presenter actually gives a talk to his groupmates 
• draw their attention to the timing of the presentation (learners tend to ignore this point)

4. Students present their arguments ( 2 minutes each side)

• What I like about formal debates is that the opponents can't respond directly. It helps to focus on what is being said rather than thinking over your counter arguments.
• It's better to set up a timer to make sure each side speaks exactly for 2 minutes

5. Teams prepare the rebuttal

• Remind them about the importance of conclussion. They often tend to ignore this part
• Highlight the value of the win-win position. Our focus is on practising speaking and exploring the issues rather than compeeting. Besides, it's better to involve all students into discussion. So there can't be judges in your formal debates.

6. Reflect on what has been done.
Happy debating!:)BTW, do you have any proven topic lists to share? I'd appreciate it a lot!

 

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