DEBATE: INSTRUCTIONS AND ASSESSMENT

1. Form groups of 3 students. Register your groups with the monitor,

who will assign number to groups.

2. Two groups work together to decide a topic (from the list) and the
position (e.g for/against, agree/disagree, etc) for the debate. Register the
topic of your debate with the monitor. You will also make an agreement
on the language used in the debate session, English or Vietnamese.

3. Each group prepares for the debate independently. The group leader
will send a brief of group argument to the teacher. According to the
position of each group as supportive (S) or negative (N) to the topic,
each member in the group is assigned a role as S1-3 and N1-3
respectively.

4. On the debate day:

- Each pair of groups debates on the chosen topic for 15-20 minutes,
leaving 3-5 minutes for transition between the pairs.
- All group members must attend the debate with their assigned role.

5. Your debates will be evaluated on the following criteria:

- quantity of arguments and counter arguments
- quality of arguments/counter arguments: deductively valid and
inductively plausible
- quantity and effectiveness of rhetorical devices
- conducts and behaviors
TOPICS FOR DEBATE

1. For many Vietnamese families sending their children to study

abroad is just educational or environment migration in its
nature.
2. parents or other trusted people, today youth turn to the
Internet first when they need advice. Is the situation worth
warning about?
3. Death penalty Not for producers and traders of unsafe food
products.
4. Government should reduce Corporate Tax rate to create more jobs.
5. Is college education worth it?
6. Public loudspeakers make a source of noise pollution in our cities.
7. In 21st century, critical thinking is considered the second most
important life skill after interpersonal skill. Thus the subject should
be introduced to all levels of national education.
8. Is peer pressure harmful or beneficial to individuals?
9. Standardized tests like TOEFL iBT or IELTS are nothing more
than an example of trade barriers.
10. College program with 3 years of study and 1 year of work
placement is a proved model in many countries. Vietnam’s higher
education should adopt this model.
11. Batman and Superman are misleading idols.
12. Should we name the streets after the names of famous
people?
13. Not for admission exams, is there a better way for colleges
to admit students?
14. Abundant harvest means plunged prices, which calls for
rescue years after years. Time to stop campaigns of rescuing
produces and farmers!
15. Developing AI systems should be treated as a crime against
humanity.

16. In recent years in Vietnam, on Earth Hours, more and more

youth join in the “Turn off the lights, light up the future”
campaign. Back to daily life, students leave lights, fans, and air
conditioners on when they leave class. Is Vietnamese young
people’s concern on environmental issues superficial?
17. It’s impossible to nurture passion in teenagers as they do not
have enough knowledge and experience to say exactly what their
future will be.