What is a debate?
A debate is a discussion about a subject on which people have different views. Each speaker tries using essential skills to convince the audience of his views on the topic of discussion. The goal of every debate is to persuade your listeners that your arguments are superior and presented effectively and convincingly.
Debates provide essential skills for students. It helps them build confidence, develop critical thinking skills, and fosters collaboration and respect for their peers. Through debate training, students learn to communicate confidently and effectively, think critically, and work together as a team. In the long run, these skills not only benefit them academically but also in their personal and even future professional lives.
To agree or to disagree?
That is the question.
And when it comes to debate, this may become a longer discussion.
In a debate, there are two opposing sides:
One side supports the issue/statement, also known as The Proposition Team or Team Government.
The other side represents the group that opposes the motion/statement, also known as The Opposition Team.
Both sides must discuss based on facts and support their arguments logically, while also disproving the opposing side’s argument.
Why is debate important?
In classrooms, a debate is a widely-used activity because of the benefits that it brings. More than creating student champions and winners, it develops several attributes and skills that go a long way. Some of these are:
Confidence and communication
In a debate, students have to stand and speak in front of an audience. Typically, each speech is delivered within a set time limit. Others even get interrupted in between speeches when points for clarification are raised by their opponents.
To deliver a clear and compelling argument, student debaters need to maintain composure at all times. With constant practice, they become more and more confident. Their public speaking skills get enhanced and they become comfortable verbally articulating their thoughts. Over time, student debaters stand to develop great communication skills which can be very useful later on as they grow older. Whether this involves presenting a report in a college class or acing an interview with their future employers, the foundation debate training creates is an important gem that students will be able to carry on in life.
Critical thinking and argumentation
During debates, students learn to think quickly on their feet. When presented with arguments and evidence from the opposing side, they get to practice critical thinking skills as they evaluate the logical soundness of each premise. Students learn to be more objective instead of simply taking in information at face value. In turn, they become better decision-makers who make informed decisions, exhibit resilience, and are competent problem solvers.
Teamwork and collaboration
Debates are also the perfect avenues for fostering collaboration and team work among students. While each speech is given individually, students also have to coordinate with their teammates to ensure that their arguments are cohesive and build upon each other. Similarly, they are trained to listen intently to each argumentative speech, gathering facts and listing down points for rebuttal along the way. This, in turn, helps prepare them for life’s real challenges such as hearing and respecting a colleague’s differing opinion and engaging in a constructive dialogue.
Setting up a debate team in your school
Setting up a debate team in your school can be a great way to develop the benefits of debating among students. Here are some steps you can follow to set up a debate team:
Gauge interest then find a faculty advisor
Conduct a survey, interview fellow students, or have a sign-up sheet posted on your school’s bulletin board to see if students express interest in forming a debate club. Once you have established that there is a group of interested students in your school, you will need to find a faculty advisor. Look for a teacher who can help you organize the debate team and provide guidance. Often times, these are teachers who are known to take interest in public speaking, those who are former debaters themselves, or even those who have experience coaching debate teams.
- Choose a debate format and develop a team structure
There are several debate formats practiced and used in school debate tournaments. Some popular ones include Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Public Forum debate, and Parliamentary-style debates. Familiarize yourselves with the format, speaker roles, and rules of the debate. Once you have chosen a debate format to follow, you may hold tryouts to select and form team members.
- Prepare for debates and participate in tournaments
Set-aside common times to practice so you can prepare for debates. Make sure each student hones the three M’s, namely: manner (of speaking), matter (material or research on the topic), and method (the logic and premise of argumentation). You may also consider attending workshops or friendly debates hosted by other schools.
Lastly, find and join local and regional debate tournaments where your team can participate. You can also consider hosting your own tournament and inviting other schools to participate as inter-schools debate competition.
Our Debate Prompt Cards are just what you need! Designed to introduce your students to the art of debating and improve their speaking and listening skills, these cards are perfect for a whole group task and even for those looking to enhance their persuasive writing lessons.
Engage your students in a thought-provoking debate about environmental and contemporary issues using our set of cards that include arguments both for and against a variety of scenarios. These cards are not only perfect for persuasive writing prompts but also serve as an excellent starting point for further research, allowing your students to explore different perspectives on environmental issues.
Want to get your students thinking about the issues that matter? Check out our article on debate preparation on the next pages.
In conclusion, debates provide essential skills for students. It helps them build confidence, develop critical thinking skills, and fosters collaboration and respect for their peers. Through debate training, students learn to communicate confidently and effectively, think critically, and work together as a team. In the long run, these skills not only benefit them academically but also in their personal and even future professional lives.
Judy is a renowned English Language teacher and a Debate Coach for national and international debate competitions. A model for young adults in this 21st century. A Content Executive for debatetopics.org . She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English Language Education, major in Phonetics. She later on pursued a career in SEO content writing.