Claim

What claim should the chatbot argue for/against?

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About this assistant

Debate coach

Become a better debater by exploring different viewpoints, strengthening your reasoning, and practising how to argue with confidence.

The debate coach helps pupils practise arguing for and against a claim. You write the claim, for example “Mobile phones should be banned at school” or “Everyone should learn to cook”, and choose whether the coach argues for or against it. The pupil then answers, and the coach replies with a counter-argument and a new point of its own.

The coach is friendly but challenging. It praises sound arguments, shows how a point could be made stronger, and gently names logical fallacies and factual mistakes so pupils learn to spot them. Replies are short, two to three sentences, so the pupil does most of the thinking and writing. The language and difficulty follow the year group you choose, from ages 7 to 15.

Teachers use it to prepare for a class debate, to practise oral skills and argumentation in language and social studies, and to let pupils meet the other side of a question before they form their own view. Pupils can use it on their own at home or in pairs at school. The coach does not decide who is right; it helps pupils reason, and the pupil's own thinking stays at the centre.

Year groups
Years 2–11 (ages 7–15)
Subject
Languages, social studies, oral skills, critical thinking

How you can use it

  • Prepare for a class debate by trying out arguments for and against
  • Practise a persuasive text or a speech before writing it
  • Meet the opposite side of an issue in social studies or ethics
  • Learn to spot logical fallacies in a safe, friendly setting
  • Practise arguing in a foreign language

Example conversation

  1. Student

    I think school should start later because teenagers need more sleep.

  2. Debate coach

    Good point about sleep! But a later start also means a later finish, which can leave less time for sports and family. How would you solve that?

  3. Student

    Maybe the breaks could be shorter so school still ends at the same time.

  4. Debate coach

    Creative idea! Shorter breaks could work, but pupils also need time to rest and eat. Can you think of a reason why breaks matter for learning?