The Use of Debate in ESL Class as a Strategy of Engagement

Background Debates are great tools for livening up a curriculum. Students learning English as the second language require activities which propel them to practice English properly in and out of the classroom.. Debate is a form of public speaking which is interactive and requires a higher level of coordination and preparation. Debates require a higher level of organization compared to other speeches or tasks like public speaking. Public speaking requires addressing a rally or an audience. Debates are held between two or more students , and can be highly structured or simple. Debate tasks cover different language objectives. Debates require that ESL students master conceptual knowledge and content. This demands that the students make decisions regarding what to include in the presentation as they sort through information. Using debates, will benefit ESL students in many ways. These benefits include; enforcing their language skills as learners become effective speakers and they also learn to listen to others. In addition to this, students develop the skills to take notes and strong reading skills during the preparation of the debate. However, using debate in the classroom could be a two-edged sword, that is, choosing a too controversial topic by the ESL instructor could result in traumatizing one or a group of students who have the similar background. Following most of our class discussions, one of the most important duties of an ESL is to make sure that the classroom is a both culturally and mentally safe setting for students to learn English, which would not be an attainable goal if the instructor does not consider all the aspects of adopting such a strategy. 1. Does the use of debate in ESL classrooms promote engagement? 2. Do ESL learners face difficulties in engagement with other students?      

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