Can-Do Task: Hold Your Own in an Impromptu Debate

Can-Do Task: hold your own in an impromptu two-minute debate.

Notice

  • Task: take a position (for or against) on “Social media does more harm than good” and argue it for about two minutes, out loud or in writing.
  • Include: at least one full claim-evidence-warrant argument, one rebuttal phrase responding to an imagined counter-argument, and one polite interruption or floor-holding phrase.

Rule

Self-check: did you acknowledge the other side at least once (concede-then-counter) rather than arguing as if no other view existed? That balance is what makes spontaneous argument sound C2-level rather than simply forceful.

Practice

  1. Model claim-evidence-warrant for “against” social media:
    Answer: Example: “Social media does more harm than good [claim], because studies link heavy use to rising rates of anxiety in teenagers [evidence]; when a technology damages the mental health of an entire generation, its costs outweigh its convenience [warrant].”
  2. Model rebuttal phrase responding to “but it helps people stay connected”:
    Answer: Example: “That’s a fair point, but I’d argue that shallow, constant connection isn’t the same as genuine relationship-building.”
  3. Model polite floor-holding phrase mid-argument:
    Answer: Example: “If I could just finish this point — I think the mental health data really matters here.”

Connect

Draft your own two-minute debate argument in the Writing Practice Hub.

Try Writing Practice Hub →

CEFR: C2

Azizul Hakim
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