Arab Educational Information Network

The current study aimed at developing communicative competence of EFL student teachers at faculties of Education through using a debate-based program. The participants of the study consisted of fourth year student teachers enrolled in the English department at the faculty of Education, Arish University (N= 35). The study followed the one group pre- posttest design. The instruments used in the current study included: an EFL speaking and writing skills lists required for fourth year EFL student teachers, an EFL speaking and writing skills pre and posttests, a rubric for assessing fourth year student teachers' performance in EFL speaking and writing skills. The pre-tests were administered to the participants before the intervention, and then they were taught through using the debate program. After the implementation, post- tests were administered to the participants. It was revealed that debate based program is effective in developing the communicative competence (speaking and writing skills) of EFL fourth year student teachers. (Published abstract)