On December 15th, 2017, the English Presentation 3rd year International Class held debates in English for the first time. There were six debates that focus on issues that the students had chosen. There was a team that supported the issue and one that was against. They had three weeks of preparation which included basic debate techniques i.e., introducing an argument, rebuttal, and conclusion. Teams were judged on Matter, Manner, and Method. Issues ranged from ‘raising the Japanese consumption tax’ to ‘lowering the voting age to sixteen’. The students researched data to support their arguments. The debates show their ability to give their opinions and support them by means of data. They executed the issues very well and showed confidence in their English skills.
