Debate Activity - Topics

[SkyRider]

I'd like to do a debate activity with my Thai students. (Adults)

Does anybody have any ideas for Thailand topics to debate?

[Rhys]

The EUTH debating championships is a great resource for old motions debated during the events.. just goggle it EUTH debate champions 2010, or what ever year.. the motions are listed.. go through the webb site..

Additional the chula debating society is an excellent resource as well.. Debate is alive and well in BKK...

All has been said and done..

[Loaded]

Culturally, it's difficult to get Thais to debate. Debate implies differences of opinion and discussion of possibly contentious subjects. It's rarely worked for me.

[richard10365]

ASEAN (AEC, ASCC, APSC)

• How they feel graduating into an job market of 600 million people and not the same job market their parents graduated into?
• How will ASEAN benefit them?

[SkyRider]

Culturally, it's difficult to get Thais to debate. Debate implies differences of opinion and discussion of possibly contentious subjects. It's rarely worked for me.

I wouldn't attempt to have them debate anything too sensitive, such as Thai politics, or anything that might be too culturally sensitive.

Something light, just to get them to have some fun and practice their English.

[SkyRider]

ASEAN (AEC, ASCC, APSC)

• How they feel graduating into an job market of 600 million people and not the same job market their parents graduated into?
• How will ASEAN benefit them?This could be a good debate topic.

This could be a good debate topic.

And the counter argument could be, how ASEAN might not benefit them?

[zeichen]

One thing that I have done with some adult business classes is take whatever listening exercise or reading exercise we did and then set it up as a debate. Breaking News English or VOA are both great for listening activities and they also have a lot of lesson plans revolving around the listening.

As others stated keep it light. You could have them debate in teams why Mama is a great snack or a bad snack. Who is better male or female students. Or why studying English is useful or not necessary.

Cultural, political, religious charged discussion may or may not do well. They can back fire with the wrong class. Also a lot of issues that are common for debate in the West are not issues here.

I have done abortion before but not really anything interesting came from it.

[youreavinalaff]

The best debate about ASEAN could be " If there was a debate among ASEAN members and you,the Thai debate team, were the only team that didn't understand, how would you feel?"

[SkyRider]

One thing that I have done with some adult business classes is take whatever listening exercise or reading exercise we did and then set it up as a debate. Breaking News English or VOA are both great for listening activities and they also have a lot of lesson plans revolving around the listening.

As others stated keep it light. You could have them debate in teams why Mama is a great snack or a bad snack. Who is better male or female students. Or why studying English is useful or not necessary.

Cultural, political, religious charged discussion may or may not do well. They can back fire with the wrong class. Also a lot of issues that are common for debate in the West are not issues here.

I have done abortion before but not really anything interesting came from it.

Breaking News English or VOA -- I love that idea. Do you by any chance have any links for the lesson plans revolving around them?

[SkyRider]

One thing that I have done with some adult business classes is take whatever listening exercise or reading exercise we did and then set it up as a debate. Breaking News English or VOA are both great for listening activities and they also have a lot of lesson plans revolving around the listening.

As others stated keep it light. You could have them debate in teams why Mama is a great snack or a bad snack. Who is better male or female students. Or why studying English is useful or not necessary.

Cultural, political, religious charged discussion may or may not do well. They can back fire with the wrong class. Also a lot of issues that are common for debate in the West are not issues here.

I have done abortion before but not really anything interesting came from it.

Breaking News English or VOA -- I love that idea. Do you by any chance have any links for the lesson plans revolving around them?

Sorry, I see the lesson plans now - that is excellent material!

Edited September 23, 2013 by SkyRider

[rct99q]

Areas I have covered with older subjects are......safety helmets.......water conservation..........recycling...........dangers of (pick one, msg, sodium, sugar, palm oil) in the thai diet.......

[tingtong]

debate with them about the pros and cons of ASEAN, what they think about it?

debate with them about the current education, grading system vs. all has free pass. the importance of grading as a tool?

debate with them about buying habits...can afford it vs. buying on credit?

just a few ideas, i think most adults should have some opinion, current matters for most as well, and connected to their everyday life too.

[Scott]

I once did a debating exercise with a high school class. It was rather difficult, but it worked out well. I found some rather inane topic for them to debate and then I wrote up both sides, the pro and the con. They could just speak off the notes I gave them. I did this because they just didn't know how a debate worked. I then had them change sides and they then argued the other side. I did give both sides a few additional points when they changed sides.

I then gave them another inane, uncontroversial topic and they did their own research and debate. This was followed by them choosing topics to debate. They took on some controversial topics, but I had to be quite careful because it was a little bit of a pandora's box.

Take it slowly and easily and remember that it's not in their nature to debate, that is why I had to walk them through the first one.

Best of luck.