Speaking Activity with Google Meet (Google Hangouts): Four Corners Debate
- Dec 30, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 13, 2023
My speaking activity is called "Four Corners Debate" and it is fluency-oriented. The teacher shares a statement with students. This statement can be like "Smartphones have made our lives easier" or "Video Games are a waste of time". Keep in mind that the statement should be debatable. Then, let students choose one of the stances. Those stances; strongly agree, agree, strongly disagree, and disagree. Students can share which stance they chose via mic or type in the chatbox. Next, divide students into breakout rooms according to their preferred stance. Students will discuss their ideas and why they chose that stance in the breakout rooms. Also, they need to choose one or two representatives to speak on their behalf. Finally, when everyone finished their breakout room meeting, they will share their developed arguments and debate.
The pre-speaking stage contains individual tasks. Firstly, ask warm-up questions like "What is debate?". By asking questions, students can also recall their prior knowledge. After listening to students' answers, the teacher shares the debate topic (statement) with them. Later, gives a little bit of time to think before asking students to choose one of the stances.After everyone shares their stances, the teacher reminds the responsibilities such as everyone should discuss and participate in both breakout rooms and the whole-class debate. Also, they need to have one or two representatives. Next, the while-speaking stage contains group tasks. First of all, students join their breakout rooms. While they are discussing and sharing their ideas, the teacher joins these breakout rooms. The teacher can comment and give little feedback, as well. After students are ready, they will join the main classroom meeting. As each stance (group) selected their representatives, the debate starts with them. However, other students can join and speak, as well. In this "Four Corners Debate" activity, the teacher's main goal is to focus on fluency. For homework, students will upload their individual reflections on their online blogs. These reflections should include their defended argument, new things that learned, and whether they changed their opinion (stance) or not?They can also comment on each other's reflection posts. The learning outcomes: communication skills and it is fluency focused, collaboration, debating skills, critical thinking, and project-based learning (debating).
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