There are many types of debates, ranging from British Parliamentary, Asian Debate Format, Policy Debates to regular old backyard sparring sessions. Whether you're in a team or going at it solo, this article will go over some general facts about debating, as well as offer you tips on how to improve your technique.
1
Be ready to receive a topic to get to go debate on. One team must debate the "affirmative" stance, and the other must debate the "negative" stance. The team that agrees with the topic is called the affirmative, while the team that disagrees is called the negative.- Both teams will be seated near the front of the room they are to speak in — affirmative team (Government) on the left, negative team (Opposition) on the right.
- The chairperson or adjudicator will start the debate, and the first speaker will present their speech. The order of the speakers is generally affirmative, negative, affirmative, negative, and so on.
2
Define the topic, if necessary. Debating "That the death penalty is a just and effective punishment" is probably already pretty clear, but what if you're given a topic like "That happiness is a nobler trait than wisdom?" You might need to offer a definition before you proceed.- The affirmative always gets the first and best opportunity to define the topic. The first affirmative should offer the "person on the street"[1] test:
- How might an average person on the street define the topic? Is it reasonable to expect a "normal" person to think of the topic in a certain way?
- The negative team is given an opportunity to refute the definition (otherwise known as challenging the definition) and offer their own, but only if the affirmative's definition is unreasonable or it renders the negative's position obsolete. The first negative speaker must refute the affirmative's definition if s/he wishes to challenge it.
- 3Write your argument according to the designated time limit (Usually 7 minutes). Depending on what position you argue, you must follow certain protocol such as defining the topic or presenting a main argument.
- Support your opinions/contentions. If you say "I think the death penalty should be abolished," be ready to prove why this is the best course of action.
- Use religion only when appropriate. Things that are written in the Bible, Torah, Koran, etc, are not usually sound resources to use to prove your argument, as not everyone takes these sources to be the truth.
- If you don't know it, don't debate it unless you have no other choice. If you don't know much about the topic, try and at least come up with some vague, ambiguous information so that your opponents will have a hard time refuting your contentions. If they don't understand it, they can't refute it. Keep in mind that the judge probably won't understand you so well either, but trying is probably better than saying, "I know nothing. I give the case to my opponents."
- Don't use rhetorical questions. Always give a clear answer to every question you ask. Leaving a question open-ended gives your opponents room to refute.
4
Present your argument. When it is your turn, go ahead and present your argument. Be passionate in your speech—a monotone voice will cause people to drift off, and they may miss the point of what you're trying to say. Speak clearly, slowly, and loudly.- Make eye contact with whomever decides the winners of the debate. While it's okay to look at your opponents every once in a while, try to direct your argument at the judge.
- Give a layout of your argument before you make it. That way, your audience will know what to expect and your judge won't cut you off unless you run way overtime.
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5Strike a balance between presenting your team's point(s) and rebutting the opponents' point. Since teams take turns debating, it's always possible to offer rebuttals unless you are the first affirmative speaker. Here is a rundown of how both teams might organize their debate strategy:
- 1st affirmative:
- Define the topic (optional) and present the team's main line.
- Outline, in brief, what each affirmative speaker will talk about.
- Present the first half of the affirmative's argument.
- 1st negative:
- Accept or reject the definition (optional) and present the team's main line.
- Outline, in brief, what each negative speaker will talk about.
- Offer a rebuttal of a few of the points presented by the first affirmative.
- Present the first half of the negative's argument.
- 2nd affirmative:
- Reaffirm the affirmative's main line.
- Offer a rebuttal of a few of the points presented by the first negative.
- Present the second half of the affirmative's argument.
- 2nd negative:
- Reaffirm the negative's main line.
- Offer a rebuttal of a few of the points presented by the second affirmative.
- Present the second half of the negative's argument.
- 3rd affirmative:
- Reaffirm the affirmative's main line.
- Offer a rebuttal of any of the remaining negative's arguments.
- Offer a summary of the affirmative's case.
- Conclude debate for the affirmative team.
- 3rd negative:
- Reaffirm the negative's main line.
- Offer a rebuttal of any of the remaining affirmative's arguments.
- Offer a summary of the negative's case.
- Conclude debate for the negative team.
- 1st affirmative:
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6Note the three rules of rebuttal. When rebutting a team's argument, remember three essential rules:
- Offer evidence for your rebuttal. Do not rely on vigorous assertion alone. Show the chairperson why the other team's argument is fundamentally flawed; don't just tell.
- Attack the most important parts of their argument. It's not very effective if you pick bones with an obscure part of the opponent's argument. Go for the crux of their argument and pick it apart with the ruthless efficiency of a surgeon.
- No ad hominem attacks. An ad hominem attack is when you criticize another person instead of his or her ideas. Attack the idea, not the person.
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7Use up all your time (or most of it). The more you talk, the more you'll convince the judge. Note that this means you should come up with many examples, not that you should ramble. The more the judge hears about why you are correct, the more inclined s/he will be to believe you.
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8Know what aspects of the debate you will be judged on, if appropriate. For the most part, debates are judged on three main areas: matter, manner, and method.[1]
- Matter:
- Amount of evidence. How much evidence does the speaker marshall to support his/her claims?
- Relevancy of evidence. How strongly does the evidence used support the argument?
- Manner:
- Eye contact. How well does the speaker engage his or her audience? Does the speaker spend too much time on his or her cue cards?
- Voice. How well does the speaker's voice accentuate his or her argument? Does he or she offer a diversity of volume, pitch and speed to highlight important parts?
- Body language. How well does the speaker use his or her body to emphasize arguments and communicate authority and calmness?
- Nervous habits. How well does the speaker avoid verbal and bodily tics when he or she speaks? Does the speaker stammer, fidget, or pace?
- Elocution. How clearly does the speaker pronounce words? Does the speaker use words, or do the words use him or her?
- Method:
- Team cohesion. How well does the entire team organize their arguments and rebuttals? How well do the individual arguments mesh together, as well as the rebuttals? How clear and consistent is the team line?
- Individual prowess. How well does the individual stand out as he or she speaks? How clearly does he or she mark the end of one argument and the beginning of another?
- Matter:
