The Affects of Academic Controversy Method on Students’ Speaking Skills

This study aimed at investigating the effect of Structured Academic Controversy(SAC) on students speaking skill. Academic Controversy is a cooperative learningactivity that leads students to argue different sides of an issue. Academic controversy islearning to take a position and defend it with reason is an essential skill in democraticsociety. The method involves a cooperative form of debate in which groups of four,divided into two groups, take turns representing two opposing views on an issue beforeattempting to reach a consensus on the issue. Students work in pairs to become familiarwith one side of an issue, and then debate with another pair who has become familiar withthe opposing side. Pairs then switch “sides,” become familiar with the opposingargument, and debate again. Finally, the two pairs come together to discuss the strengthsand weakness of each side of the argument, come to a consensus about their collectiveopinion about the argument, and present that idea to the other quads. Finally, one othercooperative learning principle that can inform the use of Academic Controversy is‘cooperation as a value’. Academic controversy method canimprove students’ speakingskill, by academic controversy, the students will be taught step by step to argue . Theteacher can apply Academic controversy method to overcome the students’ speakingskill.