| Summary: | Debate is a language learning activity that requires the debater to choose effective oral
communication strategies to weaken the opponent. Thus, this study was conducted to
identify the oral communication strategies preferences among Arabic language debaters
consisting of non-native speakers. The respondents were the champions of the Higher
Education Institutions level debate, while the data were obtained from video recordings of
the debate competition and interviews. The data were then analysed using Communication
Strategies Theory. The results showed that the debaters preferred the strategies of message
abandonment, topic avoidance and appeal for assistance when short of time and
approximation and word coinage when faced with language constraints. Literal and
contextual translation and language switch strategies were chosen for debate preparations,
while circumlocution and mime strategies were preferred for reinforcing arguments. A new
strategy was also found, which is named as repetition strategy. The findings proved that the
preference of these strategies help the debaters to organize ideas, articulate and confidently
present arguments despite their own shortcomings and interruptions from opponents. This
study contributes to the structure of debate training activities focused on more systematic
oral communication strategies that can be applied to debaters in Arabic language learning
classes.
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