60 Debate Topics for ESL Students, A1 to C2, with Both Sides Ready
Open the 60 debate topics online or download the printable PDF: ten motions for every CEFR level from A1 to C2, each with a starting argument for each side and a line of useful language. No sign-up for either.
Most lists of ESL debate topics have the same problem: they're lists of topics. "Zoos." "Homework." "Social media." A topic like that tells you what the debate is about, but not what a student at A2 can actually say about it, and that gap is where debates die. The class stares at the board, two confident students do all the talking, and you end up running a discussion with yourself.
This set is built the other way round. Each motion is written for a level first, then given what students at that level need to start: a reason for, a reason against, and the phrases the task is meant to bring out.
What each motion gives you
Every one of the 60 entries has four parts:
- The motion, written as a statement to agree or disagree with: "Weekends should be three days long." A statement works better than a question, because a question invites a shrug and a statement invites a side.
- A topic label (Animals, Education, Technology, Work, Ethics…), so you can pick a motion that fits the unit you're teaching.
- One line for each side. These are starting points, not scripts. They exist so that a student who's given a side they don't believe in, or a topic they've never thought about, can still open their mouth in the first minute.
- A useful-language line: three or so phrases at the right level. I think… because… at A1. I take your point, but… at B2. It does not follow that… at C2. This is the line that turns the debate from a fluency activity into a language lesson.
How the levels change
The difference between levels isn't only harder topics. It's a different kind of argument. Each level has its own job, and the motions and language are written for it.
- A1: one reason, one sentence. "Dogs are better pets than cats." "Summer is the best season." Students state a side and give one reason with I think… because…. It's an opinion clash rather than a formal debate, and that's the point: the format is the same as the one they'll use at B2, with less language inside it.
- A2: two reasons, joined. "School uniforms are a good idea." "Online lessons are better than lessons in a classroom." The target is One reason is… Another reason is…, plus comparatives, which most of these motions ask for naturally.
- B1: opinion, reason and example. "Zoos should be closed." "Sports stars earn too much money." The step up is the example: For example… That is why… B1 students can usually give an opinion; supporting it is the skill to practise.
- B2: concede, then rebut. "Universities should be free for everyone." "Learning a language is pointless now that translation apps are so good." The useful language here is all concession: Admittedly… That may be true; however… This is the level where debate starts to be an exchange instead of two speeches.
- C1: qualify the claim and weigh the evidence. "Voting should be compulsory." "Nuclear power is essential to meeting climate targets." Students have to say how far a claim holds and what it depends on: This hinges on… It is far from clear that…
- C2: argue the principle, not only the case. "The right to be forgotten should be absolute." "Free will is compatible with a world governed by the laws of physics." At this level the motion is a way into an abstract question, and the language is the language of reasoning: It does not follow that… This conflates…
The topics move with the levels too: pets, food and school at A1 and A2; everyday society, work and the environment at B1; education, technology and cities at B2; then policy, law and ethics at C1 and C2.
Can beginners really debate?
Yes, if you shrink the debate, not the students. A full debate with opening speeches, rebuttal and a summary is too much at A1. A one-sentence opinion with one reason is not, and it practises the same three moves: take a side, give a reason, listen to the other side.
A simple A1 or A2 format that works:
- Read the motion. Students stand on one side of the room to agree, the other to disagree. (Or assign sides with a coin, see below.)
- Each student says one sentence using the frame on the board: I think dogs are better because they like to play.
- Every student then has to repeat one reason from the other side before the class votes again: Lena says cats are quiet.
Step 3 is where the listening happens, and it's what makes it a debate rather than a show of hands.
Running it: five moves that matter more than the topic
The free set includes a five-step routine on the page. In short:
- Shortlist three motions from one level and let the class vote. A motion they chose gets more effort than one you assigned, and a shortlist keeps every option inside their language.
- Assign sides at random. A coin or a card removes "but I don't agree", and teaches that arguing a position is a skill separate from believing it. Students use the For or Against line to start, then add one point of their own.
- Teach the useful language before anyone speaks. Put the phrases on the board, ask each student to use two, and tick them off as you hear them.
- One round of rebuttal, then swap sides. Each team answers the strongest point from the other side, then everyone argues the opposite case for two minutes. The swap takes the heat out of strong opinions.
- Close with feedback on language, not on who won. Two phrases used well, two errors worth fixing for the whole class.
If you want more on the structure itself, such as speaking order, judging and keeping the room under control, the guide on how to run a classroom debate in English covers it in detail. This page is the topic bank; that one is the method.
Choosing topics for adults and teens
Every level has some motions that suit adults better and some that suit teens, and it's worth picking deliberately.
For adults, the work and society motions are the easiest sell: working from home versus the office (B1), remote work and the future of big cities (B2), every graduate doing a year of national service (C1), caps on tourism in popular cities (C1). Adult classes also tend to handle the C1 and C2 ethics motions well, because they bring their own experience to them.
For teens, motions about their own lives get the most energy: bedtimes (B1), smartphones for under-14s (B2), whether exams test what students know (B2), and at lower levels homework, school lunch and pets. Be careful with motions that ask a teenager to argue against their own freedoms in front of peers; random sides help, because nobody has to own the position.
Sensitive topics. A few C1 and C2 motions (climate reparations, redistribution, free speech) can touch real convictions. That's what makes them good at that level, but know your group. The arguments on the page are deliberately balanced, and you can always pick a different motion from the same level.
From debate to writing
A debate is good preparation for an argumentative essay, because students have already heard both sides out loud and practised the language of concession. After a B2 debate on free university, for example, the natural next task is a short opinion essay on the same motion, using two phrases from the board.
The ESL writing prompts include essay and opinion tasks by level that work as that follow-up, and the four-skills lesson plan template shows how a speaking stage and a writing stage fit into one lesson. If the class needs a warm-up before the debate, the ESL conversation questions give them something lower-stakes to say first, and peer-to-peer speaking activities work well earlier in the same unit.
When you need a fresh motion
Sixty motions go a long way, but sooner or later you'll want a debate on the topic of this week's unit, at your class's level, with arguments the class hasn't seen. That's what Class Clash does. You give it a topic and a CEFR level; it writes a debate statement, a pro team and a con team, each with keywords and short bullet-point arguments, and an intensity setting decides how controversial the statement is, from Mild ("pineapple belongs on pizza") to Strong. You enter each team's names, and it sets the speaking order and runs a turn timer of one, two or three minutes per speaker, so you can stand back and listen.
Class Clash is one of the Speaking apps on the paid suite plan, which is one account and one plan across Speaking, Writing and Listening. The pricing page has the current plan and what's included.
Download and use
- ESL debate topics online: all 60 motions, grouped by level, with both sides and the useful language.
- Printable PDF: A4, black and white, seven pages, in level order, ready to photocopy or cut into motion cards.
FAQ
What are good debate topics for ESL students? A good ESL debate topic is arguable, so both sides have something real to say, and sayable at the class's level. "Summer is the best season" works at A1 because students can argue it with I think… because…; "Voting should be compulsory" works at C1 because students there can qualify a claim. The 60 motions on this page are written level by level for that reason.
Can A1 and A2 students take part in a debate? Yes, in a smaller format: one sentence and one reason at A1, two reasons at A2, then each student repeats a reason from the other side before the class votes again. The full structure with rebuttal works better from B1 and B2 upwards.
Should students choose their own side? Usually not. Assigning sides at random stops the debate becoming two groups repeating what they already believe, and it makes students listen to the other case. The For and Against lines on each motion give everyone a starting point, whichever side they get.
Is there a printable PDF of the debate topics? Yes. The printable has all 60 motions in level order on seven A4 pages, black and white, free to download and photocopy for your classes.
Written by Prof. Vito Schiuma, designer of English, no kidding.