辯論課對於提升英語即席口語能力的實證研究

Abstract

本文為檢驗英語辯論課程對大學生即席口語能力影響的實證研究，並將其與傳統口語課程的效果做對比。本研究在一所研究型大學進行實驗，收集英語辯論課與傳統英語口語課學生期初與期末英語即席演講內容，並進行差異分析，研究結果發現辯論課對於學生即席演講的詞彙豐富性和句法複雜度有顯著提升，且其效果比傳統口語課更加顯著。本實驗證實了Cognitive ContentEngagement 理論，並顯示外語論辯活動是內容教學與外語教學的理想結合。本研究建議英語辯論課程應納入大學課程體系，如此英語辯論就不再局限於辯論社團的少數精英學生，而能嘉惠一般學生，以比傳統口語課程更有效的方式提高學生的英語即席口語能力。

This study explores the effectiveness of an argumentation and debate training course in comparison with traditional speaking course in improving university students’ English speaking ability. An empirical study was conducted in a research university to compare students’ impromptu speeches before and after one semester’s course of Argumentation and Debate with those of a control group in a traditional English speaking class. The results show that argumentation and debate training achieves a more noticeable progress in students’ impromptu English speaking ability in terms of lexical richness and syntactic complexity. This research confirms the Cognitive Content Engagement Theory by proving that with intellectually challenging and interrelated academic knowledge and depth of cognitive processing, an argumentation course is an ideal interface for both academic content and foreign language learning. Pedagogically speaking, argumentation as a course focus deserves to be adopted into university curricula so that it can be made accessible to not only elite student clubs but also common students in order to facilitate their language acquisition even more efficiently than traditional English speaking classes.