Should Students Choose Their Own Seats in Class? | Debate class lesson

This debate lesson uses a classroom issue students know from the inside: who decides where they sit. Learners first predict and then study four key words — autonomy, distraction, favoritism and self-discipline — along with the phrases used to argue a case, such as “have a significant impact on” and “the costs outweigh the benefits.” They then read two blog posts by teachers who take opposite positions on free seating, comparing the strength of each writer’s evidence. The lesson introduces the Point, Reason, Evidence, Link structure for spoken arguments, and a set of phrases for answering somebody else’s argument. Students rank arguments by strength, rebuild the weakest one, and complete a timed drill answering challenges in fifteen seconds before the full three-round debate.

This is Lesson 11 in the Debate Class course.

Learning objectives

• Use topic vocabulary and fixed phrases to make arguments about classroom autonomy and fairness
• Identify Point, Reason, Evidence and Link in written arguments
• Structure a spoken argument using Point, Reason, Evidence, Link
• Respond to an opposing argument using accept-then-counter, concede-then-hold, challenge-the-claim, attack-the-assumption and reverse-the-logic phrases
• Judge why an argument is weak and rebuild it so it survives challenge
• Deliver an opening statement, answer challenges, and give a closing argument under time pressure

Lesson coverage

• Warm-up: where do you choose to sit among strangers?
• Four words prediction task: autonomy, distraction, favoritism, self-discipline
• Vocabulary cards with definitions, word families and common collocations
• Phrases for arguing with example sentences, plus a speaking task
• Two teacher blog posts arguing FOR and AGAINST free seating, with reading tasks
• Discussion questions on the two texts
• Point, Reason, Evidence, Link explained, with phrases for each part
• Re-reading task: locate PREL in each text and compare the strength of the evidence
• Phrases for answering somebody else’s argument
• Pronunciation and delivery drill: stress and pausing
• Ranking activity: order arguments from strongest to weakest and rebuild the weakest
• Quick answer drill: five challenges answered in fifteen seconds each
• The motion, with Round 1 opening statement (90 seconds), Round 2 challenges, and Round 3 closing (30 seconds)
• Four extension motions for extra time
• Reward game and teacher feedback form

Suitable for teenage and adult ESL learners at upper-intermediate to advanced level who are developing formal debating, argumentation and spontaneous speaking skills.