Hi,
I �ve done a couple of debates with an advanced class preparing for IELTs, they can be great fun and are really good at improving speaking skills and confidence.
To facilitate the debate the students will probably need to do a little research first, so it �s a good idea to set some homework before the debate- one that worked well for me was asking them to produce a list of the top 10 most significant events of the 20th Century. Doing this as homework meant that they were much better informed for the debate.
In class the students then had to come up with and agree upon a top 3 in small groups (like a balloon debate) and finally debate with the other groups the reasons for their choices. Doing the small group work first helps them to firm up their ideas and arguments for the whole class debate.
Another technique that helped to ensure a good level of English during the debates was to review the language for giving opinions, agreeing, disagreeing and persuading people.
e.g. Personally, I think...
In my opinion...
That �s a good point, but... etc.
Hope that �s helpful.
