4. What is debate?
Why debate?
What skills are needed?
How to design a syllabus that suits your
students?
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5. A formal method of presenting arguments in
support and against a given issue in which
debaters present reasons and evidence to
persuade an audience or a group of judges
Governed by some explicit rules
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6. A game or mental gymnastics: participants
sharpen their thinking and speaking skills,
find best way to win
A lab: one team tests its arguments against
the ones of another
A way of finding truth: winning arguments
should be truest arguments
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7. Common terms
Resolution: a simple statement that is subjected to critical
analysis.
Affirmative team: supporting the resolution (‘pro’ side);
speak first
Negative team: opposing the arguments offered by the
affirmative team and offering arguments against the
resolution (‘con’ side)
Rebuttal: explaining why one team disagrees with the other
team
Judge: neutral third party, decides which side is most
persuasive
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8. Resolution
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Affirmative team Negative team
Present arguments
Listen & take notes
Prepare rebuttal
Present arguments
Listen & take notes
Prepare rebuttal
Break
Present rebuttal Present rebuttal
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2
4
3
9. 9
Speech 1: first affirmative speaker introduces the topic and states the
affirmative team's first argument.
Speech 2: first negative speaker states their first argument.
Speech 3: second affirmative speaker states their second argument.
Speech 4: second negative speaker states their second argument.
Give a 5-10 minute break for each team to prepare their rebuttal speech.
Speech 5: negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative team's
two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.
Speech 6: affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative team's
two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.
10. Do your best to argue your side of the
debate, rather than relying on your personal
opinions
-> Sometimes argue something that is against
your personal views
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12. To provide meaningful listening, speaking, writing
practice
To develop argumentation skills for persuasive
speech and writing
To increase social skills and conflict resolution
abilities
To enhance self-esteem and academic confidence
To lead to competitive success in the future
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13. 13
Public speaking
Critical thinking
Note taking
Organizing
Researching
Writing
Listening
Teamwork and
people skills
14. Identify goals, length of the course
Determine needed skills
Compile input materials
Select resolutions, suggested ideas for both
sides
Brainstorm classroom activities
Design test and assessment criteria
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15. Support consists of evidence. There’re four
kinds of evidence
Examples
Common sense
Expert opinions
Statistics
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16. Repeat the argument you’re going to
refute
Refute – explain what is wrong with
other team’s argument
Replace the argument with your
argument
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17. thinking about how you think
process of asking, answering questions and
trying to understand how and why you come to
the conclusions
in debate: plan what to say, anticipate other
team’s response, think of an argument to
counter other team’s arguments
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18. Compare viewpoints of other people to your
own ones
Find ways to ask questions that apply to
many perspectives
Understand why some statements are
correct, others are not
Understand how problem solving works
Establish criteria for making judgments
Present arguments in a constructive way…
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19. Select a topic
Choose a side: affirmative >< negative
Discuss in your team:
arguments,
possible counter-arguments
and find a way to refute them
Start the debate
Listen to the other team’s arguments
Take notes
Prepare to refute their arguments
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