B2 Debate Motions for Young Learners (7-9)
Watch a tutorial on how to run this activity with your class
Explore More Questions
B2 Debate Motions for Young Learners (7-9)
B2 young learners are near-native speakers who benefit from debate as a thinking exercise rather than a language exercise. These 75 motions present ethical and practical dilemmas scaled to a child's world: 'It is wrong to keep fish in small bowls,' 'Children should help decide school rules,' 'It is better to read books than watch films.' These motions have no obvious right answer, which forces children to reason and justify rather than simply assert.
At B2, the language is not the challenge but the reasoning is. Children must learn to construct arguments with supporting logic, consider why someone might disagree, and respond to challenges. These are cognitive skills that debate develops uniquely well.
Reasoning and debate for near-native children
Extend to 45 seconds per speaker and introduce a simple rebuttal: 'Tell the other team why their best reason is wrong.' This is cognitively demanding for 7-9 year olds but B2 speakers have the language to handle it. The rebuttal teaches children that good arguments address opposing views.
Thinking skills through argumentation
These motions work well in gifted programmes, international school enrichment, and bilingual education contexts. The debate format provides the intellectual challenge that near-native young learners crave but rarely find in standard English materials.