Debate as a Teaching Strategy for Language Learning

The paper focuses on the potential of debate as a teaching strategy for language learning, as wellas an innovative, student-centered technique, aimed at engaging the learner with interactive, collaborativeand effective tasks. Literature on the role of debate as a teaching format for language learning will bediscussed, highlighting its potential in enhancing the learners’ motivation, language skills and soft skills(critical thinking, cooperation, collaboration, creativity etc.). In order to show how debate can be perceivedby teachers and students as a method for improving language learning, initiatives at international andnational level will be described. In particular, data collected from a survey in Italy will be analyzed,highlighting the potential of this technique, as reported by teachers and students. The main provisionaloutcomes will be presented, analyzing some of the data gathered, using qualitative methods: the interviewswith the teachers and a questionnaire delivered to a class of students. The results of the survey, even iflimited, indicate that debate may be an effective strategy to foster both language skills and soft skills. Theseoutcomes may be useful for further studies and investigations in this field.