Lac Hong University Faculty of Foreign Languages

COURSE TITLE: THE ART OF DEBATING SKILL (SPEAKING 7) COURSE DURATION: 45 periods COURSE BOOK : For and Against by L.G Alexander REFERENCE: Talking with Confidence by Molly Travers; Functions of English by Leo Jones & C. Von Bayer; The Non Stop Discussion Workbook by George Rooks; A Series of Hot Topics by Cheryl Pavlik. Effective presentations by Cargill Asia Pacific Ltd, Body language Ho two read others thoughts by their gestures by Allan Pease, I think you think by L.G. Alexander & R.H. Kingsbury. LECTURER : Phm Th Linh WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO DEBATE 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Raising the awareness of the learners about the importance of debating skill in all aspects of their lives and their jobs. Providing learners with some ways of developing debating skill. 2. AIMS ( OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to consider the benefits of learning the debating skill and to learn how to generate reasons for opinions. Learners are supposed to learn how to recognize the strong reasons and the weak reasons. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Search the Internet to get some information about the art of debating skill. Watch some video tapes from the Internet to have some background of the debating skill. Think of some abilities that learners are able to get when learning debate (the ability of thinking critically and rigorously; the ability of self-directed learning, and dealing with the problems) Page 1 of 11

Think of at least one strong reason for the following topics. 1. Women should quit their jobs after they get married 2. It is better to be married than single. 3. Mobile phones in school- Should we ban them? 4. Single sex education system is better than a coed- system. 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Have a look at phrases or expressions that are used to give opinions or agreements and disagreements. Prepare some vocabulary for the given topics. WEEK 2: SUPPORTING YOUR OPINION 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Providing the four kinds of evidence that learners can use to support their opinions when making a debate. These kinds are adapted from Lebeau, Hamington, Lubetsky (2000) Providing learners with some common expressions that are often used to make their opinions more persuasive. 2. AIMS ( OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to recognize the different ways to give evidence to be for or against when making a debate. Learners are supposed to use these four kinds of giving evidence exactly and appropriately. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Make a list of expressions that are used to give examples, to express common sense, and to talk about the statistics. Search the Internet some famous quotations about married life, single life, and single sex-education. Think of some evidences for the following topics. Page 2 of 11

1. Women should quit their jobs after they get married. 2. It is better to be married than single. 3. Mobile phones in school- Should we ban them? 4. Single sex education system is better than a coed- system. E.g.: Women should quit their jobs after they get married Example: When visiting any family in Vietnam, women always do the jobs of taking care of the babies and do the housework. Common sense: Women were born to be in the kitchen and to please the others. Statistics: 9 out of 10 Vietnamese women do the cooking as well as the housework after coming home from working place. Expert opinion: Confucius says: Men make houses and women make home 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT: Read some Vietnamese magazines such as Women Magazines, Education Magazines to get more ideas about the above topics. Read some reading texts or English articles about Love & Marriage and Education from Hot Topics 3 by Cheryl Pavlik WEEK 3: DEBATE STRUCTURE 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Making an introduction to learners about the standard debate format and some rules Exploring different debate procedures and choosing an appropriate one. 2. AIMS ( OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to recognize the procedures and rules of each debater in a team. Learners are supposed to recognize the characteristics of a good debate propositions. Page 3 of 11

3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Discover the roles of debaters in a team. What are their jobs? Check up some debate terminology in a dictionary (Eg: status quo, burden of proff, cross examination, constructive speech, rebyttal, value debate, prima facie case, solvency) Read the debate formats and choose the appropriate one for your real class.

The first affirmative speaker introduces the topic and states their first argument. The first negative speaker states their first argument The second affirmative speaker states the second argument. The second negative speaker states the second argument. Give a 5-10 minute break for each team to prepare their rebuttal speech. The negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative teams two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons. The affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative teams two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons. (Adapted by LeBeau, Harrington Lubetsky (2000)

Affirmative constructive Cross examination Negative constructive Cross examination Affirmative rebuttal Negative rebuttal Affirmative rebuttal

4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Page 4 of 11

Read some sample debates on the Internet to see what they are like. Watch some video tapes on the Internet to see what is going on in a debate. Choose one of the following topics to make a debate with your partners. 1. Women should quit their jobs after they get married. 2. It is better to be married than single. 3. Mobile phones in school- Should we ban them? 4. Single sex education system is better than a coed- system. WEEK 4: PREDICTING AND REFUTING THE OTHER TEAMS ARGUMENTS 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Providing learners some techniques of predicting the other teams arguments. Developing the skill of writing rebuttals. 2. AIMS ( OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire four steps to rebut the other teams arguments. Learners are supposed to know some tips to write rebuttals. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Complete the following sentences: Smoking is harmful for nonsmokers. That may be true but I think that.Because nonsmokers..Therefore it is not the responsibility Choose one of the following debate topics. Compose short rebuttals based on the given samples. Smoking is harmful for nonsmokers. Personality is more important than looks. It is better to be single than married. Practice combining the rebuttals together using conjunctions. Page 5 of 11

4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? What is Rebuttal? What should be prepared before writing a rebuttal?

WEEK 5: THE MANNER OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Providing learners some presentation techniques: how to say and what to say Developing the speakers confidence when speaking in public. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire some tips to use cue cards to present. Learners are supposed to learn how to use non-verbal language. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Watch some video tapes on the Internet to see the ways the speakers use non-verbal language. Describe their body gesture, eye contact, and voice. Suggest the appropriate gestures for both female and male speakers. Should the speakers use the microphone to present or not? 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read the chapters from the books Effective Presentations and Body Language to see the ways how to use the body language more effectively. Stand in front of the mirror and practice doing the gestures. WEEK 6: THE DEBATE PRACTICE Page 6 of 11

1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Developing the argumentation skill of the learners. Enhancing learners confidence and their language competence. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire the harmfulness of smoking cigarette for the smokers as well as the non-smokers. Learners are supposed to acquire the danger of watching television. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read Unit 2 and Unit 3 from the course book For and Against by L. G. Alexander Choose one of the two topics and the role-plays that you have to do in a debate (a defender or a prosecutor) Select the strong reasons from the course book to support your opinion. Select your partners and practice making a debate with him or her. 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read some Vietnamese articles on the Internet related to the topics to get more ideas. Read the given reference materials to learn more about debate structures. WEEK 7: THE DEBATE PRACTICE 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Developing the argumentation skill of the learners. Enhancing learners confidence and their language competence. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire the important roles that fashion clothes play in our society.

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Learners are supposed to acquire their responsibility for obeying the traffic laws. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read Unit 6 and Unit 9 from the course book For and Against by L. G. Alexander Choose one of the two topics and the role-plays that you have to do in a debate (a defender or a prosecutor) Select the strong reasons from the course book to support your opinion. Select your partners and practice making a debate with him or her. 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read some Vietnamese articles on the Internet related to the topics to get more ideas. Read the given reference materials to learn more about debate structures. WEEK 8: THE DEBATE PRACTICE 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Developing the argumentation skill of the learners. Enhancing learners confidence and their language competence. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire the important roles that parents play in a family Learners are supposed to acquire the benefits of advertising programs on TV or on the radio. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read Unit 10 and Unit 11 from the course book For and Against by L. G. Alexander Choose one of the two topics and the role-plays that you have to do in a debate (a defender or a prosecutor) Select the strong reasons from the course book to support your opinion.

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Select your partners and practice making a debate with him or her. 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read some Vietnamese articles on the Internet related to the topics to get more ideas. Read the given reference materials to learn more about debate structures. WEEK 9: THE DEBATE PRACTICE 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Developing the argumentation skill of the learners. Enhancing learners confidence and their language competence. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire the pros and cons of evaluating learners through the various ways of testing at school. Learners are supposed to know what are the best ways to entertain themselves. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read Unit 20 and Unit 21 from the course book For and Against by L. G. Alexander Choose one of the two topics and the role-plays that you have to do in a debate (a defender or a prosecutor) Select the strong reasons from the course book to support your opinion. Select your partners and practice making a debate with him or her. 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read some Vietnamese articles on the Internet related to the topics to get more ideas. Read the given reference materials to learn more about debate structures. WEEK 10: THE DEBATE PRACTICE Page 9 of 11

1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Developing the argumentation skill of the learners. Enhancing learners confidence and their language competence. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to acquire the danger of living in a large modern city in the 21st century. Learners are supposed to acquire the different ways to deter criminals in our society. 3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read Unit 24 and Unit 27 from the course book For and Against by L. G. Alexander Choose one of the two topics and the role-plays that you have to do in a debate (a defender or a prosecutor) Select the strong reasons from the course book to support your opinion. Select your partners and practice making a debate with him or her. 4. WHAT STUDENTS MUST DO WITH REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Read some Vietnamese articles on the Internet related to the topics to get more ideas. Read the given reference materials to learn more about debate structures. WEEK 11: THE MID TERM TEST 1. FOCUS (OF THE UNIT): Developing the argumentation skill of the learners. Enhancing learners confidence and their language competence. 2. AIMS (OF THE UNIT): Learners are supposed to speak English naturally and confidently in class about current events without any preparation.

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3. WHAT STUDENTS MUST PREPARE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNIT? Students jot down strong reasons to be for and against the following topics. Do games online really cause bad behaviour in children? Recycling should be compulsory. Is co-habitation the replacement for marriage? Does violence on television influence the way children behave?

THE END!

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