“The most important tactic in an argument next to being right is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without an embarrassing loss of face.”
Stephen Jay Gould
We’re hard-wired to prefer consensus over conflict, safety in numbers, so we’re told. Scientists also say that we’re attracted towards opinions that mirror our own. Personal bias, therefore, combined with consensus, is a powerful thing.
And yet we also know from history, that not challenging personal bias and consensus can be a dangerous thing, to the individual yes, but also to populations.
There are lots of other fantastic positives about debate; it can:
- Improve ideas (excellent preparation for exams)
- Increases our knowledge as we learn about opposing views (ditto)
- Improves our empathy – vital for problem-solving (invaluable life skill)
The two essential skills needed for a successful debate are the ability to listen and to ask questions. When teaching debate, focus on these skills.
In this blog, we focus on developing superb listening skills; we’ll share ideas on asking excellent questions in the next blog.
Here are simple and effective ways of teaching debate by improving listening skills:
- Co-write (with your students) ground rules for listening
- Ask your students to recap so you can check their understanding
- Create engaging speaking and listening group activities; students are interested in what their peers have to say. The group activities mentioned in our ‘How to improve boys’ motivation, literacy, learning and achievement’ blog are great. For more ideas, check out The Literacy Handbook for Teachers p36
- Vary your praise and responses, referring to students’ inputs, so that students listen to your feedback, look forward to receiving it, and know you’re interested
- Have specific listening exercises, e.g. devise note-making grids for students to complete while listening to presentations; play bingo, replacing numbers with key learning objectives. For more ideas, see The Literacy Handbook for Teachers p 26, 35, 36, 38
Also, check out A Guide to Greatness:
The golden rules of speaking and listening p73
How to be a great listener p76
How to win at debate p80
Links to further reading
BBC’s ‘The Top Table’ has produced a nice introductory video on debate for teenagers
English-Speaking Union has guidance on how to set up a debate club
