Beginning Debate

Business English Workbook

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Professor Becky Bosshart
Beckybosshart@gmail.com
becky.bosshart@unlv.edu
(Photos from http://mooseexchange.org/site/?p=4471)

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Debate topics on career and the workplace
Table of Contents

1. Introduction.……………………………………………………………………….………3

2. Draft Class schedule.…….………………………………………………………………..5

3. Class 1 Debate Terms.……………………………………………………………………..6

4. Class 2 Rebuttal; open questions………………………………………………………..15

5. Class 3 First debate………………………………………………………………………26

6. Class 4 Analysis…………………………………………………………………………..27

7. Class 5 Logical fallacies………………………………………………………………….35

8. Class 6 Second debate……………………………………………………………………44

9. Study questions …………………………………………………………………………..47

10. APPENDIX: class evaluation……………………………………………………………48

11. Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………49


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 Introduction

Debate is a speaking intensive class designed to improve critical thinking, listening, and
speaking skills by providing students practical guidance in conversing in modern American
English in preparation for board room presentation and dialogue. Students progress from
personal expressive speaking to topical expository conversation appropriate for business
situations. All examinations will be oral. Students develop strategies for turning their experience,
observations, and analyses into evidence suitable for speaking in front of business leaders. The
focus for the first half of the semester is strategies for debating topics on career and the
workplace. The second half of the semester will be devoted to interpersonal communication
relating to business topics.
Course Objectives: Among the specific abilities you should learn:
· To demonstrate in conversation with peers and instructor effective communication and
critical thinking skills
· To identify and understand the audience and purpose in speaking
· To use speaking skills as tools for informed communication
· To incorporate knowledge from research into a debate
· To adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality in debate and formal
conversations

Projects: Debate
Objectives
♦ To use rhetorical tools of personal expression, research, and analysis for informed debate
♦ To develop effective critical speaking skills through research and analysis of data taking on both
an academic (distant) perspective yet calling on skills of personal expression
♦ To benefit from peer response to your speaking
♦ To identify and understand the audience and purpose in speaking
♦ To engage in a question and answer demonstrating vocabulary aquisition and critical thinking
skills, clearly communicate your topic and defend your stance and persuade
Critical Thinking Objective Speaking Objectives - Rhetorical Strategies
♦ To evaluate the validity of an ♦ to use personal experience and analysis of research in
argument by distinguishing order to convince an audience to adopt a particular attitude
between fact and opinion, broad or initiate a particular action
generalities and specific ♦ To use peer-reviewed academic research as evidence by
evidence, and levels of relevance, selecting specific details that support your thesis and create
identification of logical fallacies a unified focus
♦ To adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality in
your speaking

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Attendance and Assignment Policy
Attendance is mandatory. If you miss my class for any reason, you are still responsible for the
material and content of the class and for any assignment given for the next class — ask your
group mates for the assignment and their notes so you can review. Assignments late by one
week will be deducted by half. Assignments that are over a week late will not be accepted.
You are allowed three absences for the semester, use them wisely. If you miss four classes,
you will receive 0 points. Keep in mind that the allowed absences are intended to be used
for unavoidable absences due to illness or emergencies. Please arrange your schedule so that
you can arrive on time and stay for the entire class period. Repeated late arrivals or early
departures will translate to absences. If you or sick or have any illnesses in your family that will
take more than three weeks of absences, I recommend that you talk to the dean and/or head of
the department and arrange for a dismissal from the class. You are responsible for arranging this
and communicating it to the head of the department so that I am informed. I am not responsible
for policing your health nor granting you an excuse.
Technology policy—only use tech in relation to this class. If you have a personal message or call
leave the class to take it.
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Academic Misconduct

Academic integrity is a legitimate concern for every member of an educational community; all
share in upholding the fundamental values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and
professionalism. By choosing to join the community, students accept the expectations of the
Academic Misconduct Policy and are encouraged when faced with choices to always take the
ethical path. Students assume the obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with
an educational institution.
An example of academic misconduct is plagiarism. Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of
another, from the Internet or any source, without proper citation of the sources. This includes
copying work from other students. By signing off on this policy you agree to maintain a high
honor code in presenting work and interacting with other students in the classroom.
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STUDENT_________________________________________ DATE____________________

INSTRUCTOR______________________________________ DATE____________________


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 Class assignment schedule

Reading and assignments will be covered in class that day, any homework is
due that day

CLASS WEEK TOPIC ACTIVITY & NOTES

ASSIGNMENT

Class 1 Introduction to the

class and workbook;
debate terms
Class 2 How to craft a Analyze types of
rebuttal; open support used in a
questions debate; debate topics
assigned
Class 3 Debate 1 team:
careers
Class 4 Introduction to Debate 1 team:
analysis careers, continued (if
needed); students
score each other
using grading sheet
Class 5 Logical fallacies Close reading
worksheet due. Assign
presentation topic.
Class 6 Student presentations
on fallacies. Debate
topics assigned
Class 7 Debate 2 individual:
workplace issues
Class 8 Debate 2: workplace
issues, continued
Instructor can take out assignments depending on the class level and substitute class discussion time or simplified
activities (adjust point scale over remaining assignments). Grades will be recorded on the students’ grading rubrics
located in the appendix. This workbook must be printed out and brought to every class.

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Class 1

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4h30kKfJM

Break down the parts of this simple debate.

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Example: .30 - 4:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrvYhhulewY

What signal phrases are used?

Common sense: 1:35 - 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEIjgocw4vk

How does common sense change between people? What is “common ground”?

Expert opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuacIj2uMuQ

What do the four experts say? How does this contrast with the official company stance?

Statistics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9SYRa57SVs

How are statistics used in this report?

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Write your own example:

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Write your own example:

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Looking online, write your own example:

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Looking online, write your own example:

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Careers
My debate topic:
Affirming/opposing
My team:

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Structure of debate:
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• Affirmative team: argument 1
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• Negative team's rebuttal
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• Affirmative team's response to rebuttal and open discussion
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• Negative team: argument 1
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• Affirmative team's rebuttal
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• Negative team's response to rebuttal and open discussion
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• Affirmative team: argument 2
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• Negative team's rebuttal
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• Affirmative team's response to rebuttal and open discussion
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• Negative team: argument 2
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• Affirmative team's rebuttal
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• Negative team's response to rebuttal and open discussion
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• Affirmative team's closing comments
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• Negative team's closing comments
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Class 4

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3 Steps to Mapping Your Career Path
This exercise will help you determine who you are, where you're going and
how you'll get there.
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By Hallie Crawford
July 2, 2015 U.S. News and World Report
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You are your greatest asset, and as an extension of that, your job is one of your best assets, too.

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Like any asset, your career is something you must take care of and nurture so that it keeps its
worth over the long haul. When you treat your job like an asset – one you will give to, but also
one that you want to work for you in return – you will be better able to make the right decisions
about your career in the long term.
In order for your career to be an asset, it must be fulfilling to you and provide the rewards you
want – financial and otherwise. And in return, you must remain challenged and marketable to
continue to be successful.
How can you make sure your career is truly an asset, and treat it as such? Making a strategic
career plan is a critical first step.
What is a career plan? A career plan is a map we develop to plan for where we want to be in the
future. To begin, you must understand and be able to visualize where you see yourself in the
business world in one year, three years and five years. (Start by envisioning where you see
yourself in five years, and then work your way back.) Review your career plan quarterly to
ensure you are on track and make adjustments as necessary to your plan.
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When you are ready to work on your career plan, start the process by informally working
through the following three exercises. Simply journal about these for 30 minutes to get some
thoughts down on paper.
What you come up with will help you formulate your more formal strategic plan. It will also get
your thoughts and ideas flowing first, so that you can shape them into that structured plan.
Sometimes if we sit down and try to create a structured plan right away, it stifles our creativity
and our ability to think outside the box. So begin with a free-flowing exercise using the questions
below:


Who are you? Self-awareness is critical to having a successful career plan that will leave you
feeling fulfilled. Your values, strengths, interests and compensation are building blocks that make
up the cornerstone of fulfillment in your career.
Other building blocks to a successful career include your education, experience and knowledge
of your personality type and the right work environment for you. Knowing these things about
yourself helps you understand the elements you want in a career and personal brand.
Action tip: First, identify your career values by asking yourself which work tasks you truly enjoy.
Also identify your strengths and interests. Then clarify how you can honor your career values in

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a job long term; which strengths you want to use on a regular basis and how often during the
course of your workday; and finally, which interests you want to incorporate into a job.


Where are you going? To answer this question, you need to define what success means to you.
Is it becoming an entrepreneur, helping others in some way, being part of a thriving department
in a large organization or something else?
By identifying what success means to you, you may find that your current job is not giving you
what you want. For example, if you are not using any of your strengths in your current job, or if
your work lacks meaning, it's not the right fit. Or if success to you means also having a family,
and your current job is impeding that, it's not a long-term fit.
If you will not make as much money as you'd like to on your current trajectory, you need to
evaluate whether or not that's OK with you. The key is understanding what you want and need
and actively choosing your course based on those criteria.
Action tip: Write down what success means to you, and then ask yourself if your current job and
its long-term trajectory will help you achieve that success.


How will you get there? This is where your one-, three- and five-year plans will start taking
shape. Based on what you wrote about above, start to identify what action steps you need to take.
Consider the experiences and skills you will need to acquire over the next few years to achieve
what you want. Brainstorm how networking, training or education can help you achieve those
goals. Think about what skills you can acquire or perfect, such as communication skills,
motivating others or managing change. What kind of support system do you need to create to get
there? Which friends and family members can help keep you on track?
It's also important to identify any roadblocks you may encounter on your way to career success
for each year's plan. Think about how you can handle them or even avoid them if possible. Take
a few minutes in this step to brainstorm all possible ways you can achieve your goals, and just
get your ideas on paper.
Action tip: In this final step, keeping your five-year vision in mind, write down five big goals,
and two or three action steps under each goal to start framing your more formal plan. Next, talk
to a supportive friend, partner or family member about your plan this week. Using their feedback
and input, make changes to your thoughts, then get started on your formal plan!
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Hallie Crawford is a certified career coach, speaker and author from Atlanta whose coaching company,
HallieCrawford.com, helps people identify their ideal career path, navigate their career transition and nurture their
careers. Her team of coaches works with people of all ages, has clients worldwide and has helped thousands of
people achieve their career goals. She is also regularly featured as a career expert in the media, including CNN, Fox
Business News, The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger and forbes.com.
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Close reading worksheet
1. From your assigned article, identify these aspects.
• Vocabulary – Were you confronted with any new words and phrases?
How did you discover the meaning? Find one word/phrase that you
defined by context. Now, look up the word in the dictionary. Did your
definition correspond with the denotative (defined) meaning? Do you
think your meaning fit better with what the author is trying to say?
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• Structure – What is the basic structure of the article?
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• Thesis—What is the main idea of the piece? Is the thesis clearly stated
or merely implied? What idea do you think the author is trying to
advance?
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• Patterns – What patterns exist in the text? This can be repeated images
or themes.
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• Textual evidence – Who does the author seem to refer to and why?
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• Development & Support —Besides textual evidence, what strategies
and evidence does the author use to make his points? (definitions,
examples, explanations, etc.)
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• Humor—Does the author try to use humor? What would the reader
need to know in order to appreciate the jokes?

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• Nuances—What subtle points does the author make that would be easy
to miss if the reader does not pay close attention?
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Class 5

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Logical fallacies
My presentation topic:
My partner:

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Workplace issues
My debate topic:
Affirming/opposing
My research source:

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 Study questions

• Define the basic debate terms: resolution, argument, and rebuttal.

• Identify the four types of evidence. Which types are research based? Give an example of each

type of evidence using the phrases we learned in class.

• Define fact and opinion. Give an example of each.

• What is an open question? Give an example of an open question and a closed question.

• What is a rebuttal? Give an example of a rebuke or an accommodation.

• What does it mean to analyze? Why is it important to analyze your debate sources?

• Evaluate the reliability of an advertisement. Is the company reliable? Does the source stand to

gain or lose anything? Does it have any biases?

• Define these education vocabulary terms: criteria, essay, evaluation, program, module.

• Identify one workplace issue. What is your opinion?

• What do you believe is the most important aim of a career?

• Explain what a logical fallacy is. Describe one. Who often uses logical fallacies? Why?

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 APPENDIX

Class evaluation

1. What was the most effective lesson in this debate class?

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2. What was the least effective lesson? How could it be improved?
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3. Do you feel like you learned to debate? Why or why not?
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4. Do you feel like the grading methods were fair? Why or why not?
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5. What would you like to have more of? Y/N
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games/activities____ out-of-class listening assignments _____
lecture _____ assigned reading and homework _____
conversation practice ____ debate topics relevant to me______
What topics would you like to debate?!
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 Bibliography
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Crawford, Hallie. “3 Steps to Matching Your Career Path.” U.S. News & World Report. 2 July
2015. Web. 7 July 2015.
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Krieger, Daniel. “Teaching Debate to ESL Students: A Six-Class Unit.” Retrieved from http://
iteslj.org/Techniques/Krieger-Debate.html
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Sunda, Ruth. “Appendix 1: Introduction to Debate Stylistics and Rhetoric.” Listening and
Speaking Skills for English Philology Majors Terms 3-4.

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