A few days before class, students vote for the topic they want to debate. Possible topics: Work & Productivity Is punctuality a sign of professionalism? Should promotions be based on performance or seniority? Are morning people more productive? Is online learning as effective as face-to-face learning? Money & Lifestyle Is cash becoming obsolete? Should people spend money on experiences instead of things? Is living with roommates a good idea? Technology & Society Is technology making us less social? Is cancel culture harmful? Should governments regulate social media? Relationships & Well-being Is sleeping eight hours realistic? Is happiness a choice? Is jealousy ever healthy? Should couples spend all their free time together? Lighthearted Window seat or aisle seat? Preparation Assignment Once the winning topic is announced, students prepare both sides. They should bring: 3 arguments FOR 3 arguments AGAINST At least 2 examples 1 fact, statistic, article, or piece of evidence 2 questions they could ask someone who disagrees 5 useful words or expressions related to the topic Important: They don't know which side they'll defend until class. This prevents them from simply memorizing a speech.

Start with something completely unrelated to the main debate. Students have 30 seconds to convince a partner of something ridiculous or trivial. For example: Coffee is better than water. Mondays are the best day of the week. Everyone should own a cat. Vacations are overrated. Breakfast for dinner should be normal. Being late is better than being early. The partner then has 30 seconds to argue the opposite. Switch several times. The emphasis is on thinking quickly rather than having the "right" opinion.

Since they already learned basic expressions during Debate I, introduce more sophisticated language. Acknowledging an argument I understand where you're coming from, but... That's a fair point; however... I can see why you'd say that, although... There's some truth to that, but... Challenging an argument But doesn't that assume that...? How would you explain...? What about situations where...? Do you think that's true in every case? What evidence do we have that...? Rebutting The problem with that argument is... That doesn't necessarily mean that... I'd argue the opposite. I don't think that addresses the main issue. Even if that's true... Bringing the conversation back The main issue here is... What we're really discussing is... Let's go back to the original question.

Now reveal the teams: Team A — FOR Team B — AGAINST Give them 10 minutes to organize. They should decide: Their three strongest arguments Who introduces each argument Examples/evidence Possible weaknesses in the opposing position Questions for the other team Who delivers the closing statement New Rule Every student must speak during the debate.

This time, give the debate a clearer competitive structure. Round 1 — Opening Statements | 4 min FOR: 2 minutes AGAINST: 2 minutes No interruptions. Round 2 — Arguments | 10 min Teams alternate presenting arguments. FOR → AGAINST → FOR → AGAINST Students should support their points with examples or evidence. Round 3 — Rebuttal | 8 min Now teams respond directly to what they heard. They cannot introduce completely new arguments. Instead: "Earlier, you said that..." "I'd like to respond to the point about..." This tests listening as much as speaking. Round 4 — Cross-Examination | 8 min This is the major addition to Debate II. Teams question each other directly. For example: Team A: If technology makes us less social, how do you explain people maintaining friendships across countries? The other team has approximately 30–45 seconds to respond. Then they can ask a question back. Rule You cannot answer: "I don't know." You have to attempt a response. Round 5 — Closing Statements | 5 min Teams have a couple of minutes to quickly regroup. Then one representative delivers the closing statement. The closing should answer: Why should we believe your side? 5. Switch Sides! | 10 min Here's where I'd make this second debate particularly interesting. After the formal debate, announce: "Now you're switching sides." Team FOR becomes AGAINST. Team AGAINST becomes FOR. Give them 2 minutes to prepare. Then ask each team to present one convincing argument for their new position. This forces students to separate: "What I personally believe" from "What I am capable of arguing." That's excellent speaking and critical-thinking practice.

Instead of only choosing a winning team, vote in several categories. 🏆 Most Convincing Team 🏆 Strongest Argument 🏆 Best Rebuttal 🏆 Best Question 🏆 Best Spontaneous Response 🏆 Best Use of English The teacher can also select an MVP Speaker based on overall performance. Ask: Did your personal opinion change at all? Which argument was hardest to respond to? Was defending the opposite position difficult? What did the other team do effectively? Were you better at this debate than Debate I? What do you still need to improve? That last comparison is especially useful because Debate I and Debate II can become another piece of evidence of progress during the course. Teacher Progress Check Since this is their second debate, I would actually compare their performance with the first one. Skill Debate I Debate II Fluency /5 /5 Clarity & Organization /5 /5 Vocabulary Range /5 /5 Supporting Arguments /5 /5 Interaction/Rebuttal /5 /5 Spontaneous Response /5 /5 Total: /30 The most important category to watch for improvement is Interaction/Rebuttal. In the first debate, students may primarily deliver prepared ideas. By Debate II, you want to see them genuinely listening to each other and reacting in real time, rather than waiting for their turn to speak. That progression fits the purpose of the course very well: moving from prepared English → spontaneous, flexible communication.