Didukh O. Methodology of Teaching Debate to English University Teacher Trainees

The thesis deals with the problem of teaching debate to English university teacher trainees. In the thesis the modern scientific approaches to teaching debate have been analyzed; the key differences between the debate and the discussion have been investigated. The types and elements of the debate have been described as well as its psychological and linguistic peculiarities. The aim, content and principles of teaching debate have been detailed to guarantee the effective studying process. A new classification for speech skills of debating has been suggested. The direct studying cognitive strategies of debating have been thoroughly examined. Following the “bottom-up” approach to teaching speaking, five stages of teaching debate have been clarified, such as introduction to debate; teaching persuasion; teaching refutation; teaching mini-debate; and teaching debate. In accordance with the defined stages, eleven groups of exercises for teaching speech skills and logical and compositional skills of debating have been defined. The model for organizing the process of teaching the debate to English university teacher trainees has been developed. With the help of experimental teaching the validity of the suggested methodology has been proved. The data of the experiment have been presented and analyzed with the help of mathematical statistics methods. The methodological recommendations for organizing teaching debate to English university teacher trainees have been developed.