USING DEBATE TO EMPOWER LANGUAGE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM

Anitha Devi Pillai National Institute of Education anitha@nie.edu.sg S. Anitha West View Primary School s_anitha@moe.gov.sg

He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) SYPNOSIS This study takes upon a genre-based approach to language teaching and learning and supports cooperative and self-directed learning strategies. The paper explores how debate can be used as a pedagogical tool to empower learners in the language classroom by providing practical ideas for teachers to use in primary, secondary and junior college classrooms. At all three levels students learn to rationalize, develop research skills, and incorporate gestures, tone and vocabulary tailored to audience and purpose as well as essential rhetorical strategies. Debate sharpens participants skills in critical thinking, public speaking, researching, writing and listening. Additionally it teaches participants the importance of being knowledgeable in current affairs. PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH Most language teachers will have used debate in their classroom at one point in time or other. For some, it is used as a filler activity which is a break away from routine activity after a stressful examination period. Habitually, they are used as an intra class or inter class activity with teachers pooling two or several classes together as a bonding activity. Thats the average students experience with debate (refer to Appendix A).
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On the other end of the spectrum, we have prestigious debating tournaments at both secondary and junior college levels which pit the brightest minds against one another with a lot of fanfare. External organizations play a huge role in sponsoring the debating series, training adjudicators and debaters and conducting the championships itself. Our national debaters have also done the nation proud in international events. The students who are involved in these exalted competitions are those who have generally been hand picked for their verbose speech and a formidable ability to think on their feet. Needless to say, all the publicity and glamour associated with exceptional debaters has given it a reputation of being a game of the elite. This need not be the case. Debate offers the language teacher a plethora of reasons for incorporating it as a pedagogical tool in the classroom. Many teachers will agree that debate like drama is relevant as it involves words, encourages teamwork and aids cognitive processes. It certainly does achieve that purpose, hence debate should not be used without much thought given to the linguistic possibilities and potential learning for students. One such learning point is the ability to engage in arguments effectively. In order to do so, students need to be taught to evaluate all factors thoroughly. It has become commonplace for many novice debaters to revolve around a series of prepared arguments pertaining to their own stand. This leaves little room for any serious form of debate. This phenomenon is also seen in the argumentative essays written by students in secondary schools and junior colleges. Essentially students merely list arguments for and arguments against the motion/question. They generally fail to think critically, effectively and strategically about both their own and their opponent's position. This leads to a superficial discussion outlining pros and cons on a given topic. Another common grouse that teachers at junior colleges have is that students have difficulty producing expository text types in their General Paper classroom. A vast majority of students are more comfortable with narrative text types and have managed to get by the first 10 years of their education by not paying much attention to demanding argumentative and discursive essay questions. This is generally a result of a fear of going out of point as well as the lure of the narrative piece in which they have had an extended amount of exposure to, throughout their lives. The only other popular expository pieces that students are exposed to are magazines that discuss movies, and perhaps Readers Digest. These are not sufficient motivating factors for students to attempt expository writing. With the move towards teaching of text types, debate holds endless possibilities in exposing young learners to the nuances of rationalizing and argumentative structures. THE ROLE OF DEBATE IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM Debate requires students to engage in research, encourage the development of listening and oratory skills, create an environment where students must think critically, provide a method for teachers to assess the quality of learning of the students and an opportunity for peer involvement in evaluation. It sharpens participants skills in critical thinking and analysis, public

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speaking, researching, writing and listening. Additionally it teaches participants the importance of being knowledgeable in current affairs. It is a structured contest of argumentation in which two opposing individuals or teams defend and attack a given proposition by forcing participants to consider not only the facts of a situation but the implications as well. The art of debating can be used as an instructional strategy and does not require teachers to teach debating per se eg. ways to tackle an opponents Point of Information etc. Instead, students can be given the necessary background to employ the techniques of debating as it serves as an excellent activity for language learning because it engages students in a variety of cognitive and linguistic ways. This paper shows how debate can be used as a pedagogical tool to empower language learners by providing practical ideas for teachers to use in primary, secondary and junior college classrooms within the genre-based approach framework. This discussion yields some insights into whether debate is a viable teaching tool for all three levels and suggests some effective ways of using this strategy. BRIEF REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE Apart from debate, there are several language activities that form the backbone of genrebased approach in the Singapore curriculum. Genre-based approach is purposeful communicative teaching in the larger context. It is concerned with the teaching of text types and what learners do when they write. Swales (1981) pivotal study on genre analysis of research articles led to a flurry of research in similar areas. Three schools of theorists: English for Specific Purpose, North American New Rhetoricians and Australian Systemic linguists have emerged since. Amongst these schools of thoughts, the teaching of genre has been most thoroughly articulated in Australia in the form of a systematic pedagogical approach in the language classroom. This is due to the fact that Australian Genre studies has evolved from Hallidays (1985, 1994) systemic functional linguistics which is concerned with the relationship between language and its function in social settings. Here genre is described as a staged, goal oriented, purposeful activity in which the speakers and writers engage as members of our culture (Martin 1984:25). This study follows the Australian theorists model of genre based instruction and suggests that debate is a viable tool in the genre classroom where it serves as a catalyst to empower students to rationalize and articulate their arguments in an organized manner. This in turn greatly increases the readability of students written argumentative texts. A coherent argumentative text can easily be a post-task of an effective classroom debate. Nunan (1989) defines a communicative task as a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form (1989:10). This is our premise for incorporating the rudiments of debating at the primary level. Once students become conscious of the form of debating and argumentation patterns, we will integrate some form focused instruction to compliment the learning of function.
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An explicit focus on form results in learners attempting to articulate their intended meaning accurately and coherently as possible (Swain and Lapkin 1995). Meaningful communicative tasks can lead learners to focus on form while constructing meaning required by the task. The focus in using debate in the language classroom is to guide students to engage in arguments which will they then transfer into their written expository essays. A diverse collection of materials are available online on how teachers could design and conduct a debate in the language classroom (see Appendix B). Most of the websites explain and explore the rudiments of debate as a stand alone lesson. However, it is our assertion that debate can be developed as a strategy with the text type syllabus and that it should begin at the primary level. In this paper, we report on an ongoing study in which debate was used with primary, secondary and junior college students in Singapore. Our goal is to build a systematic workplan from primary to junior college level which will support the teaching of expository text types as well as provide greater opportunities for independent and collaborative learning. DESCRIPTION OF PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH AND PROCESSES Debating can be employed as an instructional strategy whenever the circumstances are open to opposing points of view. Topic options are endless and can be garnered in any course of subject area. Examples include arguing the effectiveness of corporal punishment in a primary school classroom; the popularity of blogging in a secondary school classroom; or the ethics of stem cell research in a junior college (GP) classroom. At the primary level, debate can be effectively used to compliment the learning of expository text types, listening and speaking strategies. At the next level, students learn to formulate adroit judgments and deliver coherent presentations independently that convey clear and distinct perspectives and solid reasoning. At the junior college level, they learn to present clear thesis statements and analyze arguments. In addition learners will be exposed to fallacies in oral arguments and the art of crafting effective counter arguments. At all three levels, students learn to rationalize, develop research skills, incorporate gestures, and develop appropriate tone and vocabulary tailored to audience and purpose as well as essential rhetorical strategies. DEBATE IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL LANGUAGE CLASSROOM Surprisingly, pupils at the primary level are the most uninhibited group of debaters that one can find in a language classroom. They bring into the learning arena a vast amount of experience in negotiating with other children and adults. While this group may be novice speakers in formalized debating, they are old hats at arguing and rationalizing their actions and thoughts as seen below in the excerpt.

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Nick Ms June Nick

: Ms June, James took my pencil case. : Did you see James taking your pencil case? : YES!

(Ms June turns to James) Ms June James Nick James Nick James Nick : Why did you take Nicks pencil case? : I just want to see Superman on pencil case : But you got see that before. But now you never ask permission : I see quickly and return already what! : You see and you never put back on my place and never tell : Tell you for what? I am your partner I never steal one : I never say you steal; only say you never ask permission

As seen in the above excerpt young pupils are able to ride on their opponents arguments and to develop their points logically. This form of reflective judgment can only be developed if opportunities are given to them at a young age. The teacher plays an important role by providing intellectually stimulating probes that can help learners articulate their point of view clearly. This was not necessary in the excerpt above, as the interlocutors were able to pick up on each others arguments effectively. However, most arguments are not as clearly structured as the one above nor do they always occur in similar uncomplicated scenarios. In such instances, teachers should make a conscious effort to probe students with essential questions which will encourage them to rationalize their actions (Refer to Appendix C for ideas/lesson plans). DEBATE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL LANUGAGE CLASSROOM Students seem to become more guarded in their argumentation patterns in secondary school as compared to primary school students. Many of them are quite restrained in their responses to probes and challenges posed by teachers. At this juncture, students need to be provided with more opportunities to participate in activities that will develop their reasoning skills in a non-threatening environment. Hence it will be fool hardy to force every child to debate in front of an audience without providing adequate pedagogical support. As in the case of primary school students who were provided with speaking and listening activities as a prelude to argumentative writing, secondary school students need to be taught how to organize their arguments in a sequential manner, to substantiate their arguments with concrete supporting evidence and to evaluate arguments. In other words, they must be shown the ropes of successful debating (refer to Appendix D for ideas/lesson plans). While conducting the lessons, there are two groups of students whom teachers must look out for in their classrooms. This first group consists of students who are effective and experienced debaters with a commendable command of the English language. This group may participate
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in the discussion actively or may feel that the activities are pitched at a low level. Teachers can empower them by making these students facilitators in group discussions whilst actively ensuring that they call upon other members of the class to participate as well. A fairly large proportion of students may not be confident in voicing their opinions or may merely be disinterested in the activities. In such instances, we found that teachers who were able to select motions that were close to the hearts of students had a better chance of eliciting responses from the class (eg. American Idol Cowell deserves to be whipped/ Every child must have a television set in his/her room). It is also of paramount importance that teachers provide feedback to their students and refrain from over correcting their students amateurish efforts at argumentative speech and writing. DEBATE IN A JUNIOR COLLEGE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM At the junior college level, students are fairly familiar with the rudiments of debates either as participants or as audience. The use of debates in the classroom is another medium through which students are able to discuss issues from different perspectives. It is especially an effective strategy to explore controversial subjects ie. This house believes that the environment is constantly at the mercy of Man/ This house believes that equality between sexes can never be achieved. At this level, debate can be used as a prelude to writing their General Paper essays as they share many common features such as formulating topic sentences, linking arguments, paragraph development etc. A typical GP essay is like a teams set of speeches which are delivered by 3 speakers. Teachers can ensure relevance by selecting motions from the themes or topics that are discussed in GP lessons (CPDD, 2005). At this juncture the focus of debate related activities are to provide the clash of ideas that differentiates engaging with the arguments from merely listing a series of pros and cons on the given topic (refer to Appendix E for ideas/lesson plans). Rebuttals require speakers to listen to opponents arguments and to respond appropriately. Students often find this the most difficult aspect of debating. It is easier to present their case with a series of arguments that dont connect with one another. However, the ability to rebut an argument effectively will enhance the quality of the discussion both in speech and in the written form. A good GP essay should generally consist of arguments which are raised in response to opposing arguments. Rebuttals require students to analyze arguments and to explain why those arguments should not be supported. Debate allows listeners to pick out the team that establishes an advantage over the other by effectively dealing with all the major points raised by the other team.

REFLECTIONS This is a working paper which discusses the incorporation of debate into the language classroom and marks the beginning of our research into the role of debate in genre-based
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language teaching classrooms. We hope to develop a comprehensive set of lesson plans incorporating debating skills that will spiral up to the junior college level and beyond. We have provided some sample lesson plans and worksheets in the appendix of this paper. They are not exhaustive and should serve to inspire teachers to create their own lesson plans and ideas which will cater to the needs of their students. In the course of the research, we found debate to be an excellent form-focused languagerelated activity. It is also an exciting and intellectually stimulating way to engage bright young minds. We also noticed that apart from being a valuable tool to use to teach expository writing, it also teaches students to use language in an increasingly sophisticated manner. Furthermore, the competitive aspects encourage engagement and a commitment to a position. In the course of promoting debate as a language tool in our classrooms, we also noticed that debate helps students to acquire the emotional maturity to win and lose graciously and to be able to gain the social skills necessary to work with peers. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bygate, M, Skehan, P. and Swain, Merrill (2001) Researching Pedagogic Tasks Second Language Learning, Teaching and Testing Edinburgh: Pearson Education Limited Curriculum Planning and Development Division (2005) The Beginning General Paper Teachers Guide Singapore: Ministry of Education Halliday, M.A.K. (1985) Spoken and Written Language Geelong, Vic: Deakin University Press (republished by OUP 1989) Martin, J.R. (1984) Language, Register and Genre. A Reading in the Deakin University B.Ed Childrens Writing Course, Course Reader Geelong: Deakin University Press Swain, M. and Lapkin, S. (1995) Problems in Output and Cognitive Processes they Generate: A Step towards Second Language Learning Applied Linguistics 16: 371-391 Swales, J.M. (1981) Aspects of Article Introductions Birmingham: University of Aston, Language Studies Unit Nunan, D. (1989) Designing Tasks for Communicative Classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

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APPENDIX A: Debate /dbet/

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Etymology: Middle English debaten, from Old French debatre A Transitive and intransitive verb (past debated; past participle debated; present participle debating; 3rd person present singular debates)

1. talk or argue about something: to talk about something at length and in detail, especially as part of a formal exchange or opinion 2. to consider something/ deliberate upon something B Noun (plural debates)

1. Public meeting for discussion Education is the current focus of our debate. 2. Argument A debate is a discussion about a subject on which people have different views. There has been a lot of debate among scholars about this. Types of Reasoning Generalization: Reasoning from facts This sort of argument assumes that if individual members of a general class of items share a characteristic among them, then the characteristics will apply to all other members of that class. If you draw a general conclusion based on some specific example, then you have made a generalization. Hasty generalization is one in which there is an insufficient number of instances on which to base the generalization eg. Peter has been to Malacca several times over the last few years and the temperature was always ideal. Hence the weather in Malacca is perfect all the time. Sweeping generalization is one in which there seems to be sufficient evidence offered to draw a conclusion, but the conclusion drawn far exceeds what the evidence supports eg. The profit margin on Cannon's printer line has been a steady 25% for two years. We can assume, then, that the profits company-wide have also been 25%. Analogy: reasoning from a similar model. This approach makes a comparison between two specific examples. It claims that two situations are similar when they arent eg. Singapore is a relatively crime free state with clean
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water, hygienic food and an excellent education system. Hence, why have we failed to monitor online pornography? Cause-Effect: Reasoning from process relationships; trying to use one cause to explain something, when in fact it had several causes. This is a common approach that students use where they assume that IF one thing occurs THEN it will result in something else eg. The accident was caused by the taxi which was parked on the narrow street." (But other drivers went around the taxi. Only the drunk driver hit the taxi.) Authority: Reasoning from source credibility. This approach assumes that if an authority stated something, then it is true eg. Dr. Adolf stated that more accidents occurred in 2005 as a result of more youths being given a driving license. The assumption is that Dr. Adolf is an authority on such matters when he could be an academic in a completely unrelated field like natural healing!

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APPENDIX B: Disclaimer:

RESOURCES ON CLASSROOM DEBATES

This list is by no means exhaustive of all the resources available to teachers. Teachers may wish to visit the websites stated below to explore practical activities and suggestions on incorporating debate into their language classroom.

Web-Based Interactive Resources 1. Kelly, Melissa How to hold a Class Debate http://712educators.about.com/cs/lessonsss/ht/htdebate.htm

A useful website which provides teachers with a step by step guide on how to organize class based debates as well as links to other websites which provide a variety of ways in which debate can be incorporated within the language classroom. 2. Snider, Alfred (2000) Code of the Debater http://debate.uvm.edu/code/001.html

This website provides step by step guide on the fundamentals of debating. The author has 35 years of experience as a debate educator. This book is much more suited as a guide for coaches of competitive debates. Nevertheless its reader friendly approach makes it a handy book which teachers can re-visit to familiarize themselves with the various components of debate. 3. http://www.education.tas.gov.au/English/debating.htm

This Tasmanian site explores the idea of debating as a teaching strategy. The rationale of debates, debating rubrics and classroom management are discussed in the site. 4. http://www.webenglishteacher.com/debate.html

This site provides twelve other sites on debating skills and classroom management. Rubrics and topics for debating are discussed in these sites. 5. http://712educators.about.com/cs/rubrics/l/blrubricdebate.htm

This site explores the various possibilities of using debates for language development. 6. http://www.dushkin.com/usingts/guide/method4.mhtml

This site displays chapters from a book that discusses the various objectives and activities to sharpen the various skills needed for debating. It is a quick read and provides lots of debating activities.

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OTHER SOURCES 7. Creffield, G. and Maniam, A. (2006) From Disagreement to Discourse: Debates in a General Paper Classroom. In Ho, C., Teo P., and Tay May Yin Teaching the General Paper: Strategies that Work. Singapore: Pearson Education

This article provides descriptions of debating activities which are suited for the junior college classroom and discusses some of the key concepts in the junior college debating arena. 8. Lubetsky, Michael; LeBeau, Charles; Harrington, David (2000) Discover Debate: Basic Skills for Supporting and Refuting Opinions US: Language Solutions Inc

The text starts with the basic exchange of opinions, moves through supporting opinions with reasons, supporting reasons with evidence, and organizing opinions into a coherent message. To address the heart of intelligent argumentation, the text covers refutation, challenging of evidence, and rebuttal. It presents the fundamentals of critical argumentation and parliamentary-style debate using an extended house-building metaphor without becoming bogged down in an overwhelming or distracting lexicon of logic.

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APPENDIX C: IDEAS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL Lesson Plan Topic Level Duration : Have a Talk Fight! : Primary Level : 1 1/2 hr

Instructional Objectives : Pupils should be able to :develop basic cognitive skills by simple reasoning develop pupils in expressing own opinions sharpen language skills through oral communication participate confidently in class discussion work as a team based on Co-operative Learning Strategies Thinking Skills Brainstorming in groups Inferring / Induction Co-operative Learning Strategies Carousel Brainstorming. Resources 1. Lesson Plan 1 2. Student Worksheets

Warm Up Activity (30 minutes) 1. A simple worksheet will be given. This worksheet contains a multiple choice exercise. 2. Pupils in pairs will discuss the topic and choose a strong reason which has the g following qualities: it logically supports the opinion.

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 3. 4. 5.

it is specific and states the idea clearly. it is convincing to a majority of people. They then decide on strong reasons and weak reasons. The pupils will discuss as to why they have chosen the reason they have chosen. They must be able to support as to why their reason is a strong reason and the others are weak reasons.

Air Time ( 30 minutes) 6. With their partners, pupils are to be ready with at least one strong reason for the following resolutions which can be written on the white board. Writing by hand is better than using the computer Watching television helps us to learn the right things Cars do more harm than good. 7. Each pair to be given one minute to state a strong reason for the given statement. Eg for Topic 1 Using hands to write is much faster than using computers 8. Tr to write down as many supporting reasons as possible on flip chart so that pupils do not repeat reasons. 9. Tr can then conduct a simple poll as to how many of them support the various reasons listed. 10. Tr can declare the strongest reason by picking out the reason with the highest support. That pair will be declared the winners. In Court Session (30 minutes) 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Pupils will now work on the worksheet given earlier. Each pair will be given one minute to give a reason for their choice in the multiple choice exercise. This will be taken down on a flipchart. Pairs with the same reasoning will be noted with a tick against the same statement. The reason with the most number of ticks will be declared the strongest reason. Pupils must also be able to state their opinion as to why they have chosen that particular reason.

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DISCUSSION TIPS 17. Facilitators [Teachers] to go through with pupils how they can convey their opinions carefully so that reasons are well supported. Examples can be cited for them Eg Mothers are better cooks than fathers Reason : Option 1 mothers put in more effort to cook for their loved ones. Opinion: This is true as special effort is made by the mother to ensure that the family eats healthy food.

DEBATE

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Name : ______________________( Class : ______________________ Read the motions carefully..

Date : _____________________ School : ___________________

Money is the most important thing in Life!

It is a good thing to live in a modern city!

Computer Games must be encouraged in schools!

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Choose the best reason for each motion.

Motion 1 Money is the most important thing in life! Reasons 1. Everything in modern society is based on money. As the saying goes, money makes the world go around. 2. People do anything in their power to earn money to buy their houses, furniture, cars, etc. 3. Many young people marry for money rather than love. 4. If you are rich, many people want you for a friend.

Motion 2 It is a good thing to live in a modern city! Reasons 1. Life is never dull; there is always something to do. 2. There are more chances for employment. There is a greater range of jobs and the pay is higher. 3. It is easier to earn more money. 4. The shopping has a wider variety and prices are better. Motion 3 Computer games must be encouraged in schools! Reasons 1. Computer games are good to develop motor skills. 2. They help to develop quick reflexes. 3. Computer games can be used to reward good pupils as a form of motivation. 4. Computer games keep children away from trouble.

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APPENDIX D: IDEAS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL Lesson Plan Topic Level Duration : Constructive Arguments : Secondary Level : 1 1/2 hr

Instructional Objectives : Pupils should be able to :set clear objectives for speaking and organize talks in a logical manner present arguments and information comprehensively and in a logical manner demonstrate the ability to find and select relevant text for evidence consider various types of reasoning participate confidently in class discussion develop language skills through writing Thinking Skills Brainstorming in groups Inferring / Induction Co-operative Learning Strategies Think-Pair-Share Resources 3. Lesson Plan 2 4. Student Worksheets

Warm Up Activity (30 minutes) 18. A simple worksheet will be given. 19. This worksheet is for pupils to go through various sources such as newspapers or magazines to come up with topics for debate.
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20.Students in pairs will then discuss and write down at least 3 propositions of their interest. 21. Teacher then picks out at least 3 propositions and discusses as to whether they are good propositions. Good propositions must have Scope for argument i.e. can be argued on both sides No biasness towards a particular race or gender contains a single idea is relevant and significant is controversial.

22. Teacher is to point out there are 2 types of debate propositions: One is based on action or policy -that something should happen Eg Students should not be seen roaming in the streets after 11pm The other is based on values that one position or belief is qualitatively better than another Eg 20th century music is not beautiful to the ear 23. Teacher may want to pick out a few more of pupils propositions and discuss as to whether they are good propositions. . 24. Students are then given a few minutes to refine their propositions Getting Ready For an Argument (30 minutes) 25.Students are now to select one of their good propositions. 26.Using the Think-Pair-Share Co-operative Learning Strategy, students in pairs will list down all the arguments for and against the proposition individually in Worksheet 2. 27.They will return to their groups and argue their reasons for or against the proposition. One student in the pair will argue for and the other will argue against the motion. 28.They will then prioritize the most probable reason for or against as the main reason for their argument. This is based on whether the reasons are: logical argument specific and clear ideas convincing ideas

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29. Students may now want to follow similar procedure for the next proposition. Argue Aloud (30 minutes) 30. In pairs they will now select one of their propositions and exchange with another pair. This new pair will work on the arguments for and against the motion exchanged. They will prioritize and write down their arguments with reasons/ evidence to support their arguments. They may even make reference and bring in various tools such as graphs, articles to support their argument. One pair can be asked to present their stand for and against to the whole class. Two pupils will list these arguments on the whiteboard. Teacher then uses this script to go through with pupils as to how they can organize their thoughts in a coherent manner. Pupils may not process the reasons in a logical manner. It is the onus of the facilitator to show this skill so that pupils can model the procedure of organizing their thoughts for an argument in a calm and collected manner.

31. 32.

33.

34. 35. 36.

37.

PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION

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Name : ______________________

Class : ____________

1.

Plan It! Laying Out The Arguments

Introduction
a) Define key terms.

b) Why do you reject / support this proposed motion?

c) Are the arguments well-substantiated?

d) Have the limitations been recognized?

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Main Arguments The main arguments giving proof for / against the motion are: 1a. b. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

2a.

_______________________________________________________________________

b. _______________________________________________________________________

3a. _______________________________________________________________________ b. _______________________________________________________________________ 4a. _______________________________________________________________________ b. _______________________________________________________________________

5a. _______________________________________________________________________ c. _______________________________________________________________________ 6a. _______________________________________________________________________ d. _______________________________________________________________________

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Conclusion The motion should be accepted / rejected because . _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
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APPENDIX E: IDEAS FOR THE GENERAL PAPER CLASSROOM Lesson Plans Topic Level Duration : Counter Arguments : Junior College : 1 hr X 3

Instructional Objectives: to teach counter arguments to model argument structure to highlight the relevance of substantiation to present effective definition and arguments focus on both form and function to provide an alternative means to learning from a teacher-fronted classroom and to a student-centered classroom Resources: 1. 2. 3. Lesson 1 1. 2. 3. Powerpoint presentation on Counter Arguments 2 World Series Debate Video/CD Worksheets Modeling 40 mins

Introduce students to the concept of effective counter arguments Explain the rudiments of effective argumentation Show snippets of discussion from World Series Debate VCD and pick out key arguments with students a. Identify key counter arguments used by both teams b. Evaluate the counter arguments used by both teams Identifying and Analyzing Valid Counter Arguments 1 hrs

Lesson 2 1.

2.

Students to watch a live debate (In our case, the debating society had a live sparring session. This requires a fair bit of coordination of schedules of members of the debating society, GP teachers and classes. Alternatively, teachers could opt to watch a VCD of either National or International Debates.) Students are to be given the relevant worksheet (on pg 26 -30) to complete while watching the debates.

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Lesson 3 1. 2.

Analyzing Counter Arguments

(1 hrs)

3. 4.

Students will discuss their answers with their GP group members In their discussion they will evaluate the counter arguments for relevance, structure and assess the strength of the arguments put forth by the teams, based on the teams ability to substantiate the points stated by them (see Table 1 for a sample of the rubric that students will work on). When assessing the arguments, students will be asked to provide suggestions on how these arguments could be improved. Each group will present 2 pairs of arguments to the rest of the class. Table 1

Pair of Counter Arguments Evaluation For Against Relevance of Counter Argument Strength (well-substantiated)

Modified Argument for:

Modified Argument against:

Lesson 4

Argue with Style (1)

40 mins

1. In order to maximize effectiveness, this should be a timed activity (30 mins). The remaining time is to be used for introducing the activity and to revisit learning points at the end of the lesson as well as to rearrange the furniture in the classroom. 2. Teacher to introduce a motion to the class (For starters it is essential that teachers choose topics that are close to the hearts of their students. Ethical issues are generally the best catalyst in eliciting candid responses from students). The Teams 3. Teacher to divide the class into 2 groups (It is best to break up cliques and move students away from common grounds) 4. Both groups of students are to sit on 2 sides of the class facing each other. 5. Each student is only allowed to present 2 arguments for their team. 6. Each argument presented will gain 10 points for the team.
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7. Each team is only given 2 mins to respond. After which they will forfeit their chance to be heard resulting in the other team gaining an additional 10 points for having presented an irrefutable argument. 8. The Proposition will start the discussion by presenting their case and an argument supporting their stand. 9. One member from the Opposition will refute the statement Secretaries of the Teams 10. Each group needs to nominate one person who is expected to type out the arguments presented into 2 columns (in order to be fair to both teams) 11. It is essential that the selected students have good typing speeds. Lesson 5 Argue With Style (2) 40 mins

1. Teachers should merge both documents that were prepared by the secretaries. 2. The arguments presented by students should be evaluated on a similar rubric as the one shown in Table 1. 3. Students will discuss their answers with their GP group members 4. In their discussion they will evaluate the counter arguments for relevance, structure and assess the strength of the arguments put forth by the teams, based on the teams ability to substantiate the points stated by them (see Table 1/ Lesson 3) 5. When assessing the arguments, students will be asked to provide suggestions on how these arguments could be improved. 6. Each group will present 1 pair of arguments to the rest of the class.

Follow Up Activity: Summary (Homework) As a follow up activity, teachers can set a summary exercise for their students. While the focus of this activity is dissimilar, it serves as an excellent means to test students ability to summarize and PARAPHRASE key arguments of a discussion and text. This can lead to another series of comprehension skills based activities. The possibilities are endless for an enterprising teacher! Happy Teaching! Discuss how society is well served by the maintenance of a deaf culture? (120 words)

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Name: ___________________

Class:________

This House Believes that Society is Well-Served by the Maintenance of a Deaf Culture

Definition of key terms of the motion:

Proposition Identify some of the arguments of the Proposition

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Opposition Identify some of the arguments of the Opposition

State any other interesting points that were raised during the debate.

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Opposition Identify some of the arguments of the Opposition

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Name: ___________________

Class:________

Getting Ready for Counter Arguments

Identify and elaborate on the rebuttals for the arguments stated below. Do remember to substantiate your arguments with appropriate examples on your own.
Arguments for 1 Arguments Against A separate culture is bound to result in prejudice and conflict.

Integrating deaf culture into mainstream society is a means to attain unity in society.

We should provide them with an opportunity to integrate with society. An integrated culture gives everyone a common identity. The hearing impaired community becomes visible and hence prone to attacks from insensitive members of society at large.

If you treat them as a separate society, were entrenching the view that they are different & separate.

With the current advancement in technology we are able to cater to the needs of the deaf community already, unless the proponents are suggesting creating low paying jobs eg. KFC for this community.

Follow Up Activity: SUMMARY Discuss how society is well served by the maintenance of a deaf culture? (120 words)
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SOME SUGGESTED ANSWERS DEFINITION: Deaf Culture: The term Deaf (capitalized) refers to people with hearing loss who identify as part of the Deaf socio-linguistic and cultural group. Deaf culture does not perceive hearing loss and deafness as a disability, but as the basis of a distinct cultural group. Members of the Deaf cultural group may be deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. Not all people with hearing loss identify with the Deaf cultural group. Generally, Deaf culture identifies with American Sign Language as a first language. Culturally Deaf people may also use speech reading, gesturing, spoken language and written English to communicate with people who do not sign. (http://www.oayec.org/research_youthdynamicFS01.html) COUNTER ARGUMENTS
1 Arguments for Not necessarily, many cultures have proven that they are able to live together in peace while celebrating each others differences eg. Singapore Integrating deaf culture into mainstream society is a means to attain unity in society. Arguments Against A separate culture is bound to result in prejudice and conflict.

Deaf culture reinforces the difference between the deaf and the non-deaf, thus leading to discrimination Thats an idealistic view of the society as it is undeniable that they are different and will always be. Their needs are different from the majority of the society.

We should provide them with an opportunity to integrate with society. An integrated culture gives everyone a common identity.

It is undeniable that they are different like any other culture and that need not necessarily mean that they would be ostracized. By maintaining it as a separate culture we will be able to raise the awareness of the existence of a Deaf culture in the society. By giving them a separate identity we can ensure that we celebrate their differences in many ways eg. holding beauty pageants for the Deaf community By maintaining a deaf culture more can be done for the community eg. jobs created for them, better facilities provided with higher standards of teaching etc in the hearing impaired schools.

The hearing impaired community becomes visible and hence prone to attacks from insensitive members of society at large.

If you treat them as a separate society, were entrenching the view that they are different & separate.

With the current advancement in technology we are able to cater to the needs of the deaf community already, unless the proponents are suggesting creating low paying jobs eg. KFC for this community.

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