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In order to offer a POI, person must stand up, hold out hisher hand and say” On that point,SirMa’m” or “ on that point of information”. POI shoud be
offered politely, not used to hackle the speaker. When offered a POI, the speaker having the floor has full authority to either reject or accept the POI. If a person is
rejected a POI, heshe should sit down again. POI should be brief and expressed as a question so that the speaker is
required to provide an answer. Once accepted, the person offering POI has at most 15 seconds to deliver the POI. The speaker then must anwer or respond to that
POI right after it is given and not wait until later in hisher speech. It is advisable that the speaker does not answer POI more than 30 seconds as it would make
himher lost track of hisher speech. POI should be offered regularly and through out the course of the debate.
Offering POI shows that they understand the issues being discussed during the debate.
D. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Critical Debate.
Previously, it has been stated that applying a debate technique in teaching speaking skill may affect students’ learning motivation. In this case, students may
be more motivated to have more vocabulary, to read more information and to be courageous in telling their opinions. In addition, applying critical debate
continually in the language class activities enables the students to be more familiar with the situation in which it demands them to talk using English.
Talking about the value of critical debate technique in detail, Barkley, et al 2005: 126 elaborate that in a critical debate, individual students select the side of
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an issue that is contrary to their own views. They then form teams and discuss, present, and argue the issue against an opposing team. Preparing for, participating
in, and listening to debates offers many benefits to students. Debates can increase motivation, enhance research skills, promote critical thinking, and develop
communication proficiency. Debates expose the class to a focused, in-depth, multiple-perspective analysis of issues. Because critical debates have the added
dimension of requiring students to assume a position opposite to their own, they encourage students to challenge their existing assumptions. This can move
students beyond simple dualistic thinking, deepen their understanding of an issue, and help them to recognize the range of perspective inherent in complex topics. In
this way, critical debate may also build appreciation for diversity and develop tolerance for other viewpoints.
The above statements, critical debate is a medium where the students can train their argumentative competence in form of debating process that demands
them to communicate their opinions, argumentations, statements, and other substances which support their position in the debate process.
Advantages of Critical debate according to Barkley 2005: 126 as follows:
1 This kind of teaching technique also can give great contribution in increasing
motivation. 2
Enhancing research skills, promoting critical thinking, developing communication proficiency, attracting in-depth- multiple-perspective analysis
of issues.
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3 Encouraging students to challenge their existing assumptions, moving them
beyond simple dualistic thinking, deepening their understanding of an issue, helping to recognize the range of perspective inherent in complex topics,
building appreciation for diversity and developing tolerance for other viewpoints.
4 Thus, critical debate is appropriate to be applied as the medium of teaching
English mainly speaking skill. Meanwhile, disadvantages of critical debate accorarding to Barkely 2005: 126
are as follows: 1
Spend sufficient time selecting a controversial topic in the field with two identifiable, arguable, and opposing sides that are appropriate to debate.
2 Proposition statements sometimes ambiguous, so students are not flexible in
building arguments. 3
Students sometimes don’t have any background information to address the proposition.
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B. Rationale
