8/10/2019 Handouts on Basic Debating

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Debating 101

What is debating?

Competitive discussion and exchange of

ideas in an attempt to prove and

defend your stance through persuasion

and reasoning

People win through wit and logicalreasoning. Not shouting nor name

calling.

Perks of being a debater

Ultimate lifehack

o Develop critical thinking and

learn how to use it for everyday

things

Essay writing

Thinking on your feet

during recitation Learn how to be more persuasive

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Theres a general

notion that if a person

is identified as a

debater, his/her

opinions have more

value

Being witty is very

attractive

What is in a debate?

Adjudicators (judges)

Speakers

o Representing both Government

(affirmative) side and

Opposition (negative) side

o Number of speakers per team

varies depending on the type of

debate

Stances

o The side each teams are

representing

Arguments

o The ideas and contributions

that contribute in defending

one side

o Tells the judge why our side is

right Rebuttals

o The ideas and contributions

that attack the opposing side

o Tells the judge the other side is

wrong

Point/s of Information(POIs)

o An opposing bench may offer a

POI to the current speaker in

the form of a question in whichthe aim is to undermine the

speakers speech

o Lasts for 15 seconds

o Speaker may accept or reject

the offer

o A speaker is expected to accept

at least 1 POI per speech

o

Speaker Positions and Roles

Speaker positions for government

o

Prime minister

o Deputy prime minister

o Member of government (bp)

o Government whip

o Government reply (asians)

Speaker positions for opposition

o Leader of opposition

o Deputy leader of opposition

o Member of opposition (bp)

o Opposition whip

o

Opposition reply (asians)

Prime minister

Sets up the debate

Provides the definition, limits, and

opening arguments of the debate

Leader of opposition

Provides the clash, initial responses

against government, and the necessaryarguments of oppostion

Clash - The opposing stance of the

opposition

Deputy prime minister

Responds to the stance of opposition

Provides extensions for the prime

minister through different arguments

Deputy leader of the opposition

Responds to the extensions of the DPM

Gives extensions for the leader ofopposition

Member of government (BP)

Offers summary of the debate so far

Delineates from government line of

argumentation

Responds to the previous opposition

speaker

Provides exclusive extensions for

government case line

Member of opposition (BP) Responds to the extensions of

government

Delineates from the line of

argumentation of opening opposition

Provides exclusive extensions for

opposition case line

Government whip

Summarizes issues of the debate in

favor of government bench

Deconstructs the arguments of

oppostion side

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Highlights the extensions of member of

government (BP) or the general

contributions of government bench (Am

Par and Asian par)

Opposition whip

Summarizes issues of the debate in

favor of opposition bench

Deconstructs the arguments ofgovernment side

Highlights the extensions of member of

opposition (BP) or the general

contributions of opposition bench (Am

Par and Asian par)

Government Reply(Asian Parliament)

Last speaker of the debate (Opposition

reply goes first)

Lasts for 4 minutes

Cannot take a POI Highlights the pros in the Government

bench

Opposition Reply(Asian Parliament)

Goes immediately after opposition whip

Lasts for 4 minutes

Cannot take a POI

Highlights the pros in the opposition

bench

Types of Debates

American Parliamentary Asian Parliamentary

British Parliamentary

American Parliamentary

2 houses(teams) :

government(affirmative) vs

opposition(negative)

2 speakers per house

7 minute speeches

Rarely used

Focus: defense of stances May offer a point of information(POI)

after the first minute and until the sixth

minute

Asian Parliamentary

2 houses(teams) :

government(affirmative) vs

opposition(negative)

3 speakers per house, 4 speaker roles

7 minutes til whip

4 minutes for reply Usually focused on the second semester

Focus: defense of stances

May offer a point of information(POI)

after the first minute and until the sixth

minute with the exception of reply

speakers

British Parliamentary

4 houses(teams): opening government,

opening opposition, closing

government, closing oppostion

2 persons per team

2 teams per house

Focus: contributions to issues

May offer a point of information(POI)

after the first minute and until the sixthminute

Speeches

Characteristics of a Speech

Manner

How you speak

Rhetoric or convincing factor or way

with words

Has the lowest value when it comes to

adjudication compared to matter ormethod

Matter

The content and ideas of your speech

Your main points and messages

Has the heaviest weight when it comes

to adjudication

Method

Refers to the execution of presentation

of ideas

General structure and flow of a speech

What happens after a round?

The round ends when all speakers have finished delivering

their speeches

Debaters leave the room to the adjudicator/s to give time

for deliberation

After deliberation, debaters go back to the room to hear the

oral adjudication

The adjudicator announces the win, and explains and

justifies how he/she/they reached that decision