What is a debate?
A debate is a structured contest over an issue or policy. There are two
sides - one supporting, one opposing. Debating can look intimidating
from the sidelines, with speakers appearing confident, passionate and
unwavering, but it consists of skills that anybody can learn. Debating
may not be something that you encounter in your everyday work but
these skills can be incredibly valuable. 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 is a method of education, focusing on intellectual contest with
specific rules for a stronger argument. We consider debating to be one of
the most effective tools for disseminating and teaching democratic
values as the central issues are comprehensive argument, tolerance
towards different worldviews, and skilful self-expression. Combining all
three in a good debate provides us the opportunity to analyze the
controversial topics of our society, without using manipulation to attract
attention. Debates do not look for “the one true answer” to controversial
issues, but rather seek to find all sorts of arguments and views on
different sides.
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. The motion is usually
a policy which changes the current state of affairs or a statement
which is either truth or false. The motion typically starts with "This
House..."
There are two teams of three speakers:
The Affirmative team supports the statement
The Negative team opposes 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.
Two factors which determine the definition of the debate:
1. Context: what is happening in the area that relates to this issue? For
example, maybe the government of a country is debating banning
smoking in public buildings and you decide to define the term "passive
smoking" during the debate. If a significant event related to the topic has
occurred then it should be the focus of the debate, for instance, a
shocking report may have recently been revealed in the media showing
the widespread effects of second-hand smoking.
2. Spirit of the motion: topics are chosen for a reason so what sort of
debate was imagined when the topic was chosen? Looking at the spirit
of the motion will ensure that you pick a definition that will produce a
well-balanced and important debate.
If the topic is vague then you will have more choice of definitions. You
have a duty to pick a clear definition and one that will create a good
debate. If not, this may cause a definitional challenge which will ruin the
debate and frustrate the judges.
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 judge’s 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.