Improving EFL Students’ Speaking Skills Through Debating Techniques

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Thelal Iqab Oweis, Kawther Ali Karain,

Abstract

Language is an elemental tool in society through which effective communication can be achieved. Throughout history, English has remained one of the most influential languages across the world. Thus, it is used as the language of instruction in a number of universities in Jordan; among these is the German Jordanian University (GJU). In recent years, debate has been found to be an effective method for improving speaking skills among English as a foreign language (EFL) students. Little attention has been paid by researchers to developing speaking skills by using debate as a teaching strategy in the Arab countries. This paper presents a study carried out using a sample of 27 students enrolled in a first semester, foreign -language English course, over four months during the 2019/20 academic year and was administrated by the School of Basic Sciences and Humanities. The results indicated statistically significant differences between the pre and post-tests, and an improvement in EFL students’ speaking abilities after attending debating sessions over an extended period of time. The results of the study, regardless of limitations, indicate that debate may be an effective strategy to foster language speaking skills.  The results of the study may be valuable for further studies and investigations in this field.

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