Speaking and listening in English - formal debating teams
Speaking and listening in English - formal debating teams
One of the most memorable English topics in Year 6 is the debate topic in the Spring term.
To begin with, the children were taught how a formal debate is conducted, including the roles of chairperson, team captains and timekeeper. They were also required to learn the conventions and etiquette of formal debates.
The pupils were then given an opportunity to practise their skills of persuasion, by conducting mini-debates on light-hearted topics, such as “We should ban all pets” and “Pupils should be paid to attend school.” These were a great deal of fun, although they lacked formality.
Once the children were confident with the structure of formal debates, they were introduced to the motion which they would be writing points of view for: “We should build 100 new houses on the edge of Roundhay Park.” Due to its proximity to school, Roundhay Park is a familiar and much-used landmark for the children and the instinct of most was to protect it; however, others appreciated the significant number of homeless people, who needed somewhere to live. More points drew out the potential damage this project would have on wildlife, which contrasted with the financial benefits to local businesses. This challenging motion forced the children to think from different perspectives.
The children were allocated a team – either for or against the motion – without being given a choice. Often, this meant they had to advocate a point of view they did not actually hold. To sound persuasive the children used elaboration, repetition, rhetorical questions, facts and quotes. To make the tone appropriate, the children were asked to include formal vocabulary, the passive voice and the subjunctive form.
After planning, writing and editing their argument, they were asked to present it in a formal debate. For this, the classroom was moved around to create a platform for those who were speaking. Each child was given a set amount of time to speak, before others were able to rebut them.
At the end of each debate, the audience asked questions from the floor, which teams had to respond to on the spot. Finally, the audience voted for the proposing or opposing team based on the strength of the team’s arguments and delivery. After the debates, children wrote a short reflection about hoe they found the experience.
It was an ambitious task, but many children said that they would like to join debating teams at high school, as they found the challenge so enjoyable.
