DEBATING
~ An Introduction ~
SO, WHAT IS THE
DEFINITION OF
‘DEBATE?’
“An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered
or formal setting, often with more than two
people, generally ending with a vote or other ...”
“A formal, oral confrontation between two
individuals, teams, or groups who present
arguments to support opposing sides of a question
...”
HOW WILL DEBATING
HELP ME IN REAL LIFE?
You can be more
confident about speaking
in public.
You learn to listen to
other people’s points of
view.
You become better at
creating and sustaining
arguments!
HOW WILL DEBATING
HELP ME IN REAL LIFE?
The following jobs need good debating skills:
• Politicians
• Lawyers
• Journalists
• Salespeople
• Businesspeople
• Teachers!
• Website and internet managers
• And the list keeps growing…
HOW DOES A
DEBATE LOOK?
THE VENUE.
Positive Team. Negative Team.
Speaker 1 Speaker 1
Speaker 2 Speaker 2
Speaker 3 Speaker 3
Speaker 4 (silent) Speaker 4 (silent)
THE VENUE.
The adjudicator will sit with the audience (at the bottom
of the diagram) as she or he is supposed to see the
debate as the audience does.
When the adjudication is delivered, however, the adjudicator
will come to the front of the room and address all present.
When speaking, speakers should come out from behind
the desk and stand in front of, and with their backs to,
the chairperson and timekeeper.
WHAT ARE THE
JOBS AND
ROLES OF
EACH TEAM?
THE
AFFIRMATIVE
TEAM.
THE AFFIRMATIVE TEAM.
The job of the affirmative team is to agree with (or
'affirm') the topic.
The team should sit on the right hand of the chairperson.
The affirmative team should prepare by:
Brainstorming ideas together and develop a strong and clear
point of view.
Looking up definitions using a dictionary.
Researching the topic together.
Formulating an argument and team line.
Exploring a variety of views.
THE FIRST AFFIRMATIVE
SPEAKER:
Defines the topic.
Presents the affirmative's team line.
Outline briefly what each speaker in their team will talk
about.
Presents the first half of the affirmative case.
THE SECOND AFFIRMATIVE
SPEAKER:
Reaffirms the affirmative's team line.
Rebuts (disagrees) with the main points presented by the
1st negative.
The 2nd affirmative should spend about one third of their
time rebutting.
Presents the second half of the affirmative's case.
THE THIRD AFFIRMATIVE
SPEAKER:
Reaffirms the affirmative's team line.
Rebuts (disagrees) with all the remaining points of the
negative's case.
The 3rd affirmative should spend about two thirds to three
quarters of their time rebutting.
Presents a summary of the affirmative's case.
Rounds off the debate for the affirmative.
THE NEGATIVE
TEAM.
THE NEGATIVE TEAM.
The job of the negative team is to disagree
with (or 'negate') the topic.
The team should sit on the left hand of the chairperson.
The negative team should prepare by:
Brainstorming ideas together and develop a strong and clear
point of view.
Looking up definitions using a dictionary.
Researching the topic together.
Formulating an argument and team line.
Exploring a variety of views.
THE FIRST NEGATIVE
SPEAKER:
Accepts or rejects the definition. If you don't do this
it is assumed that you accept the definition.
Presents the negative team line.
Outlines briefly what each of the negative speakers will say.
Rebuts a few of the main points of the first affirmative
speaker.
The 1st negative should spend about one quarter of their time
rebutting.
Presents the first half of the negative team's case.
THE SECOND NEGATIVE
SPEAKER:
Reaffirms the negative's team line.
Rebuts (disagrees with) some of the main
points of the affirmative's case.
The 2nd negative should spend about one third of their
time rebutting.
Presents the second half of the negative's case.
THE THIRD NEGATIVE
SPEAKER:
Reaffirms the negative's team line.
Rebuts (disagrees with) all the remaining points of the
affirmative's case.
The 3rd negative should spend about two thirds to three
quarters of their time rebutting.
Presents a summary of the negative's case.
Rounds off the debate for the negative.
Neither third speaker may introduce any new parts of their
team's cases.
WHAT ARE THE
OTHER JOBS
AND ROLES IN
A DEBATE?
THE CHAIRPERSON.
The role of the chairperson is to control the debate. She
or he should sit between the two teams.
The first duty of the chairperson is to call the debate to
order and to welcome all that are present. He or she
should then proceed to announce the topic of the
debate, the name of the adjudicator, and the names of
the teams which are participating.
Next she or he should tell the speakers and the audience
how long each speech will be for, giving the minimum
and maximum times, and calling upon the timekeeper to
demonstrate the sound of the bell.
THE CHAIRPERSON.
The chairperson should then introduce the first speaker of the
affirmative to open the debate, then sit down.
After that speaker has concluded his or her speech the
chairperson should then wait for the adjudicator's nod to
proceed and then announce the first speaker of the negative
team.
This process should continue throughout the debate calling
the speakers in the following order:
1st Affirmative.
1st Negative.
2nd Affirmative.
2nd Negative.
3rd Affirmative.
3rd Negative.
THE CHAIRPERSON.
At the end of the debate the chairperson should:
Wait until that adjudicator indicates his or her readiness
and then announce the adjudicator to give the result of
the debate.
At the conclusion of the result the chairperson should
congratulate everybody for attending and ask for
applause for the winning team.
THE TIMEKEEPER.
The timekeeper keeps the time in a debate.
This means that he or she times how long each speakers
speaks and rings a bell to indicate that certain amounts
of time have passed.
To ensure fairness in a debate each speaker is given a
minimum time which she or he is expected to speak for
and a maximum time that he or she is allowed to speak
for.
The standard equipment of the timekeeper is:
1 digital stopwatch
1 bell
Pen and paper
THE ADJUDICATOR.
The adjudicator decides the outcome of the debate.
The adjudicator will mark each speaker according to the
prescribed marking scheme and will announce at the end
not only who has won but why.
The adjudicator does not bring with him or her any
expert knowledge of the topic, and always presumes the
average knowledge of the average person. However they
will bring along expert knowledge of debating.
THE AUDIENCE.
The role of the audience is to enjoy the debate.
The audience should applaud as each speaker is
announced, as each speaker finishes speaking, and when
the result of the debate is announced.
The audience should participate as any polite audience
would, applauding, laughing and so on at appropriate
times.
The chairperson may ask any poorly behaved audience
member to leave the room.
WHICH PART WOULD
YOU LIKE TO PLAY IN A
DEBATE?
SCHOOLS EVERYWHERE ENJOY
DEBATING!
Competition at Glenmore Road Korea… stylish!
Samuel Terry Public School, NSW Public School
New Zealand!
Woollahra Public School Team Hong Kong!
WHAT ARE SOME
EXAMPLES OF DEBATE
TOPICS? (EASY!)
•That homework should be banned.
•That school uniforms are good for us.
•That television is too violent.
•That television does more harm than good.
•That terrorism can be justified.
•That the earth can look after itself.
•That the IOC made the wrong decision for Sydney.
•That a woman's place is in the home.
•That Australia is a nation of bigots.
•That the car is a luxury we can do without.
•That all our woes have come from science.
•That people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
WHAT ARE SOME
EXAMPLES OF DEBATE
TOPICS? (HARDER!)
•That spectator sports are a waste of time.
•That organised team sport is legalised violence.
•That we are Uncle Sam's nephews and nieces.
•That education is the key to success.
•That education starts after school.
•That there is strength in diversity.
•That peace depends on fear.
•That we should try, try, try again.
•That we should be vegetarians.
•That we should put the environment first.
•That green is a nice colour to be.
•That good news is not news.
•That pets are a pest.
•That the comics are the best part of the newspaper.
•That beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
WEBSITES.
http://www.actdu.org.au/ - ACT Debating online
http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/debating.htm -
Dept of Education Tasmania – Teaching Strategies –
Debating
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teaching
resources/english/literacy/strategies/tsvels3speak.htm#3 –
Education Victoria
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinnis@ozemail.com.
au/debates.htm - The 5 minute debate planner (and topic
ideas)
http://www.debating.netspace.net.au/resources/itd_defini
tions.php - Debaters Association of Victoria (great school
resource guide!)
