Former les élèves à argumenter et à prendre leur place dans l'espace public : l'enseignement du débat à l'école

This contribution illustrates how, by the use of oral debates in the classroom, Swiss francophone students are progressively introduced to the public space. After a brief historical survey of educational practices in argumentation, we present our theoretical framework based on Socio-Discursive Interactionism. From this perspective, we demonstrate how concepts such as discursive genre, didactic sequence and the didactic model are necessary tools in teaching and learning oral argumentation. Using data from different studies, we also illustrate how public debate can be used practically in the French classroom and how it strengthens learning in argumentation.