HOW TO DEBATE THE BASICS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN TONIGHT BASIC DEBATE STRUCTURE ROLES OF SPEAKERS TYPES OF DEBATES CONTENT OF SPEECHES HOW TO GIVE A SPEECH HOW TO WIN A DEBATE POINTS OF INFORMATION ID: 256578
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Slide1
Introduction Seminar
HOW TO DEBATESlide2
THE BASICS
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN TONIGHT Slide3
BASIC DEBATE STRUCTUREROLES OF SPEAKERS
TYPES OF DEBATES
CONTENT OF SPEECHES
HOW TO GIVE A SPEECH
HOW TO WIN A DEBATEPOINTS OF INFORMATIONFUNDAMENTALS
TOPICS TO COVER
GET EXCITEDSlide4
HOW TO NOT LOOK LIKE A NOOB
BASIC DEBATE STRUCTURESlide5
WHAT HAPPENS IN A DEBATE?
A debate is a
competitive, logical argument
between
2 teams on a given topicSlide6
BASICS OF THAT ARE…
Two teams – one for the motion, one against it
Figure out which one you are and STICK TO IT
LOGICAL argumentation – have points, be clear
ARGUMENTATION – be persuasive. Your goal is to convince the audience.
COMPETITIVE – you want to beat the other team.Slide7
MAIN ELEMENTS OF A DEBATE
First speaker
Second Speaker
[Third Speaker]
Replies (Negative always goes first, Affirmative always ends the debate)
Points of InformationSlide8
THEN…
Adjudicator observes
Decides who wins
Decides who is the best speaker
Gives you feedbackSlide9
BUT….
This is an organised, polite, and ACADEMIC debate
Westminster style
Don’t swear
Don’t shoutDon’t yell out when someone else is speaking
Don’t pull the fingersWear clothes (and continue to do so throughout the debate)
Don’t be drunk
Don’t’ be generally dumb/ridiculous
Respect the institution – it is a rich, historical act which has many followers around the world and stems from a noble tradition of intelligent discussion and fun. So do that. Not the other thing.Slide10
TURNS OUT THERE IS A POINT TO BEING A DIFFERENT SPEAKER
ROLES OF THE SPEAKERS Slide11
SPEAKER POSITIONS
Each speaker has a different role
First speaker – intro and 1-2 points
Second speaker – substantive arguments and rebuttal
Third speaker – advance
some arguments and mostly rebuttalReply – summarise and cogent analysis
Changes in turn if you are First Negative or First Affirmative speaker
Not a hard and fast rule – you just have to make your point the most convincingly and this formula has historically been the most convincing break-down of speaker allocations and roles.Slide12
FIRST SPEAKER
Introduction
Split
Points
NarrativeFacts and analysisContext and definition
Negative first speakerRebuttal
Own context and definitionSlide13
SECOND SPEAKER
Rebuttal
2-3 substantive points
DOES THE MOST IN TERMS OF ADVANCING THE CASE
Facts, argumentsSplit
Negative secondMore rebuttalSlide14
THIRD SPEAKER
Usually doesn’t have a substantive point
Depends the style of debating you are doing
Focus on rebuttal
BUT
Don’t do that thing that school kids do where they read out a list of points and tell the adjudicator why they are wrong
This is BADSlide15
REPLY
Can be first or second speaker
Generally tends to be first speaker
Summarises the debate
Outlines the main pointsOutlines the strongest arguments and who won them
Tells the adjudicator why their team won all the important pointsSlide16
TURNS OUT NOT EVERY DEBATE IS THE SAME….
TYPES OF DEBATESSlide17
SURPRISE SURPRISE
There is always a point to the debate
We don’t just want to sit around and hear all the stuff you know on a random topic
There is a principled argument at the heart of these debates
Find it
Debate about itSlide18
CHANGE/MODEL DEBATES
Debates where something is wrong/bad/not ideal
Saw WHY that thing needs to be changed
Propose to change it
Say HOW you are going to change
Say WHY that model for change will workSay WHY changing the thing will be good/better/amazing for the world/the country/a particular group of people/an institution in question.
If you are in the negative – say the opposite of all of these thingsSlide19
JUDGEMENT DEBATES
Debates where you have to evaluate something/say why something is good/bad
Will be indicated in the wording of the moot
Requires evaluation
Say what is goodSay why it is good
Say what a good x would be, and what about y makes it a good xIf you are in the negative, say the opposite of all of these thingsSlide20
WHAT KIND OF DEBATES ARE THESE?
This house would vote Republican
This house would legalise Euthanasia
This house would abolish all forms of taxation
This house would criminalize adultery
This house supports the use of force against Syria.Slide21
HOW TO SAY STUFF GOOD
CONTENT OF SPEECHESSlide22
WHAT YOU SAY IS IMPORTANT
Potentially the most important
Always a rough divide between what you say and how you say it
Usually comes down to what you say
Be clear
Be slowBe convincingSlide23
WHAT TO SAY IN YOUR SPEECH
Facts
Analysis
Reasoning
ArgumentsDevelop pointsRebut other points
Use examplesDon’t just make unqualified assertions Back up what you saySlide24
SAY SOMETHING GOOD
HOW TO GIVE A SPEECHSlide25
SPEAKING GOOD
Combination of what you say and how you say itSlide26
WHAT YOU SAY
Largely covered already
Make sure you FULFILL YOUR ROLE
Do all of the things I said you should do PLUS
Have pointsHave a structure
Have numbersHave a clear introductionHave a clear conclusionSlide27
HOW YOU SAY IT
Say all the things I told you to say PLUS
Speak clearly
Speak slowly
Look upDon’t read off paper
Look around (don’t creepily stare at the adjudicator)Speak loudly (or at least command attention)Be engaging
Don’t walk around
Don’t gesticulate like a crazy personSlide28
REMEMBER
All the things you do with your body detract from your persuasiveness as a speaker
Make sure that you are engaging and interesting and BE CONFIDENTSlide29
IF ONLY IT WAS THIS EASY…
HOW TO WIN A DEBATESlide30
BE THE BEST AT DEBATING
That isn’t meant to be a joke – literally debate well
Fulfill
your role better than the other team does
Respond to all their argumentsBe consistent down your team line
Reiterate points that the other team hasn’t responded toMake points stronger if they have been responded to
Tell the adjudicator why your understanding/conception of reality is more convincing than the other teams
Persuade the adjudicator that you are correct and the other team is wrongSlide31
HOW DO YOU DO THAT
Adhere to the team line
Be clear
Be confidentSlide32
THE BLACK HOLE OF DEBATING
POINTS OF INFORMATIONSlide33
WHAT ARE POINTS OF INFORMATION NOT?
THEY ARE NOT
A chat
A chance for you to make a point you forgot about
A chance for you to heckle the other team
An opportunity to crack a jokeA mini-debate within a debateA conversation about something unrelated to debating
An angry yelling session
A make or break element of debating
A time-filler when you run out of things to saySlide34
POINTS OF INFORMATION
You will not lose a debate because of POIs
But it is a way to be exceptionally more convincing than the other team AND a way to emphasise key aspects of the debate when the other team is trying to pull the debate onto their terms.Slide35
THE BASICS
Ask a question in the POI
Call out ‘Point of Information’ or ‘On that point’
Stand up
Put your hand outWAIT TO BE ACCEPTED
Sit down if declinedIf standing for more than 30 seconds, ask againBe polite and respectful
Don’t give more than one every 20 secondsSlide36
IF YOU ARE SPEAKING
Don’t leave the opposition hanging
Accept or decline as soon as possible
Accept at least two in your speech
Don’t accept more than twoActually answer the question
Tell the adjudicator why it is wrong or doesn’t prove anythingSlide37
POINTS OF INFORMATION ARE ARGUMENTS IN DISGUISE
Start off with ‘wouldn’t you agree…?’
‘But isn’t it the case that…?’
‘What would you say to …?’
They are your arguments phrased as questions in such a way that the person speaking has to DIRECTLY ENGAGE with a key plank of your case
It is a way to make your main points continue to seem relevant throughout the debate, and to hammer home when the other team doesn’t have an adequate answer to your argument.Slide38
KEY THINGS TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS
FUNDAMENTALSSlide39
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Have points
Have structure
Have an argument
Have something your team STANDS FORCollaborate in the prep room
FIND THE PRINCIPLEDebate about that.Slide40
IF WE GET TIME….
Tips for the prep room
Practice at identifying the principle in debates.Slide41
PRINCIPLES
THW criminalise Holocaust denial
THW criminalise abortion
THS animal testing
TH would legalise necrophiliaTHW eat meat
THW abolish religious schoolsTHW abolish all forms of censorshipTHW invade and capture Joseph
Kony
THW abolish the permanent seat on the UNSC
THW
allow judges to be elected.