On May 19-23, classroom debates for English Foundations students were held in the Downtown campus of Khazar University. Most groups of all schools of the University took part in the debates. The students themselves helped a lot by suggesting a number of topics for discussions. So, they did research and were asked to vote for topics in advance. That helped to get them more engaged in the activity. Thus, all students were given a chance to speak up without fear in public, demonstrate their critical thinking skills and persuasive argument techniques. The debaters were not allowed either to read from papers or use any innovative tools during the discussions. Their English instructors just observed and helped run large numbers of students.

Here is the list of the debate topics that students discussed:

Is progress always good?

Is money the root of all evil?

Can computers replace teachers?

Is it better to live in the city (in the country)?

What is more important: love or money?