Résumé:
Dealing with controversial topics in EFL classes provides students with academic context
to think critically and communicate effectively. Nowadays, students are exposed to many
issues that raise strong and diverse viewpoints. Those controversial topics need to be
seen through the lenses of critical thinking; a cognitive ability through which those topics
are analyzed, evaluated and rationally judged. However, EFL teachers usually tend to
teach students what to think by focusing on transmitting the subject matter rather than
giving the students the opportunity to actually think by encouraging them to be active
participants. This study aims at investigating the role of controversial topics debates as a
learning strategy in enhancing EFL students’ linguistic, cognitive and communicative
competences as well as pointing out its importance in ameliorating their critical thinking.
Therefore, we hypothesize that students awareness of the effectiveness of engaging in
controversial topics debates will assist in developing their critical thinking skills. To test
the hypothesis a quantitative descriptive design is adopted through administering online
students’ questionnaire for first year Master students (N= 35 taken out from 160) at the
Department of English, University 8 Mai 1945, Guelma. Based on the collected data, it
has been revealed that EFL students recognize the significance of enhancing their critical
thinking skills and the immense benefits of discussing controversial topics; which should
be facilitated by their teacher in a supportive and comfortable classroom environment.
This will allow them to participate in deep, meaningful discourses that correspondingly
develop their self- regulation, argumentation, assessing claims, reasoning, emotional
understanding and adaptability
