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Debate

The document discusses debating skills. It defines a debate as a structured contest over an issue where there are two opposing sides. Benefits of debating include improving public speaking, learning to create persuasive arguments, and considering different perspectives. A basic debate structure involves two teams, one supporting and one opposing a resolution, with speakers alternating sides. Successful debating requires presenting logical, evidence-based arguments and addressing counterarguments, while avoiding personal attacks or falsifying information.

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120 views4 pages

Debate

The document discusses debating skills. It defines a debate as a structured contest over an issue where there are two opposing sides. Benefits of debating include improving public speaking, learning to create persuasive arguments, and considering different perspectives. A basic debate structure involves two teams, one supporting and one opposing a resolution, with speakers alternating sides. Successful debating requires presenting logical, evidence-based arguments and addressing counterarguments, while avoiding personal attacks or falsifying information.

Uploaded by

Aj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Debating skills

What is debating?
A debate is a structured contest over an issue or policy. There are two sides - one
supporting, one opposing.

Benefits of debating include:

 Allowing you to think about aspects and perspectives you may not have
considered.
 Encourages you to speak strategically.
 Improving public speaking skills.
 Learning how to create a persuasive argument.
 When you have to argue against your personal view you realise that there are
two sides to the argument.

Debate structure
There are multiple formats a debate can follow, this is a basic debate structure:

 A topic is chosen for each debate - this is called a resolution or motion. It can
be a statement, policy or idea.
 There are two teams of three speakers:
o The Affirmative team support the statement
o The Negative team oppose the statement
 Sometimes you will be asked to take a position in the debate but in other
debates you will be allocated your position.
 Teams are provided with time to prepare - usually one hour
 Each speaker presents for a set amount of time
 Speakers alternate between the teams, usually a speaker in the Affirmative
team starts, followed by a Negative speaker, then the second Affirmative
speaker presents, followed by the second Negative speaker etc.
 The debate is then judged.
 There may be an audience present but they are not involved in the debate

Once you have learned how to debate in one format you can easily switch to
another.
Basic argument structure
There are various ways of dividing up cases according to groups of arguments, such
as, social/economic/political etc. You could assign each speaker to handle a group.

Place the most important arguments first, for example, "The media has more
influence on self-esteem than anybody else. This is true for three reasons. Firstly
(most important argument)… Secondly…, Thirdly (least important argument)..."

To structure an argument follow these steps:

1. Claim - present your argument in a clear statement. This claim is one reason
why you're in favour of/against the motion.
2. Evidence - the evidence supporting your claim, such as, statistics, references,
quotes, analogies etc.
3. Impact - explain the significance of the evidence - how does this support your
claim?

Important skills for debating


To meet the judges criteria you will have to develop certain skills, consider the
following:

 You points must be relevant to the topic.


 Provide evidence whenever you can and not your personal opinion.
 You must put aside your personal views and remain objective when you
debate so your argument remains logical. You can be passionate about a
topic but interest can turn into aggression and passion can turn into upset.
 Consider the audience's attention span - make it interesting, for example, don't
just present lots of complicated statistics.
 Use rhetoric to persuade - consider using the three pillars of rhetoric:
o Ethos - the ethical appeal
o Pathos - the emotional appeal
o Logos - the logical appeal
 Use notes but keep them brief and well organised. Use a different piece of
paper for rebuttals.
 Similar to looking at conclusions to create rebuttals, think comparatively by
asking yourself "How does my plan compare to what's happening now/what
would happen in the world if the other team won?" You can win the debate if
you can make comparative claims about why your arguments matter more
than the other team.
 Only tell jokes if you're naturally good at it otherwise this can backfire.
 Flexibility is important because you might get allocated the side of the
argument you don't agree with. You'll have to work hard to overcome your
views. Also use this insight to think of the potential arguments you might make
and then plan for counter arguments.

Voice

 Speak clearly and concisely.


 You must talk fast enough to have the time to deliver your speech but slow
enough so you can be understood.
 Project your voice to the back of the room.
 Incorporate dramatic pauses.
 Emphasise important words and vary your tone appropriately.

Confidence

 Have a relaxed pose and posture.


 Avoid filler words.
 Know your material.
 Emphasise using gestures and avoid nervous gestures.
 Maintain eye contact with the audience.

Language

 Keep your language simple to avoid confusion.


 Refer to the opposite side as: "My opponent".
 When making a rebuttal say: "My opponent said..., however..."
 Don't exaggerate - avoid the words "never" or "always" etc.
 Avoid saying that a speaker "is wrong", instead say that "your idea is
mistaken".

What to avoid

 Falsifying, making up or altering evidence.


 Publicly disagreeing with the judges' decision.
 Attacking a speaker rather than an idea.
 Acting aggressively or offensively towards debaters, judges, audience etc.
 Interrupting other debaters as this can suggest that your argument isn't very
strong.
 Disagreeing with facts or obvious truths.

Debate topics
Almost anything can be debated, here are some popular topics - these have been
written as questions but they can be easily adapted into statements:

 Is animal experimentation justified?


 Should we recognise Bitcoin as a legal currency?
 Should mobile phones be banned until a certain age?
 Does technology make us more lonely?
 Should we make internet companies liable for illegal content shared on their
platforms?
 Will posting students’ grades publicly motivate them to perform better?
 Should animals be used for scientific testing?
 Do violent video games make people more violent?
 Should the death penalty be stopped completely?
 Should smoking in public places be completely banned?
 Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
 Should consumers must take responsibility for the plastic waste crisis?
 Is the boarding school system beneficial to children?
 Can cellphone be educational tool?

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