Hannah Snyder

Capstone
10/27/2020
1
Public Speaking and Debate Education in the United States

If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence, you can change lives. These

words by Rob Brown, bestselling global author and professional public speaker, convey the

power of simply being able to speak. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito,

Stephen Breyer, and Sonya Sotomayor; entertainment icons Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, and Adam

Sandler; government leaders Richard Nixon, George McGovern, Karl Rove, and Margaret

Thatcher. All of these people have one thing in common: involvement in speech and debate. 1

Because public figures are often associated with this activity, people often think that it is only

beneficial for those pursuing a career in entertainment, law, business, or public service, but this

is far from the truth. In a world that is becoming increasingly connected and heterogenous, now

more than ever we need our next generations to be able to stand up for what is right and most

importantly, to be able to compromise and communicate properly. In order to achieve these

goals, one must first understand the importance of public speaking and debate, the current status

of this type of education in United States secondary schools, and the steps necessary to increase

the prevalence of this type of education.

The benefits of Public Speaking and Debate expand across multiple facets of one’s life

including lasting personal impacts, career impacts, and community impacts. Confidence is one of

the major personal impacts that students’ experience. A study performed by California State

University found that upon implementing a public speaking intervention in numerous middle

school curriculums, the mean self-reported confidence scores for the treatment group increased. 2
1 Kay, Ruth. “Developing Invaluable Life Skills Through Speech and Debate.” NFHS, 20 May 2019,
www.nfhs.org/articles/developing-invaluable-life-skills-through-speech-and-debate/.

2 Kellam, Kimberly, "Middle School Students’ Confidence in Public Speaking" (2018). Capstone Projects
and Master's Theses. 296.
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This means that upon receiving just four weeks of public speaking practice, students’ anxiety and

negative thoughts regarding public speaking decreased, and their overall self-reported confidence

levels increased.3 Along with an increase in personal confidence, public speaking and debate

education has been found to greatly improve reading skills, academic grades, school attendance,

and interest in learning.4 These personal impacts open an endless amount of doors as one pursues

higher education and enters the workforce. A 2014 Forbes magazine article expressed that

business leaders are actively looking for people with education in public speaking and debate, to

be their future leaders.5 Not only are these career impacts secluded to the business field, but the

University of Michigan finds that training in these soft skills boosts productivity, employee

retention, and returns on investment in almost every career field.6 The personal and career

benefits directly associated with a public speaking and debate education, allow young students to

gain the skills and experiences necessary to pave a path towards success no matter their interests.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold

two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” Debate in

particular, is one of the only opportunities that challenges one's ability to see the opposite side of

an argument. As of 2020, the United States is polarizing faster than ever before. Political divide

is manifesting its way through every aspect of our lives- our jobs, our schools, our places of

worship, our neighborhoods, our news, and our social media. 7 Most dangerously, it is fueling the

3 Kellam, Kimberly, "Middle School Students’ Confidence in Public Speaking" (2018). Capstone Projects
and Master's Theses. 296.

4 Duffin, Frank, Latitudes in Learning, “Debate Across the Curriculum Results” (2005)
5 Sher, Robert. “How To Find The Millennials Who Will Lead Your Company.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine,
4 Mar. 2014, www.forbes.com/sites/robertsher/2014/03/02/how-to-find-the-millennials-who-will-lead-your-
company/.

6 Denny, Mellessa. “Speech and Debate: Opportunity Should Be Provided for All Students.” NFHS, 2017,
www.nfhs.org/articles/speech-and-debate-opportunity-should-be-provided-for-all-students/.

7 MacDonald, Evan. "A polarized America: How the partisan divide grew over
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rapid growth of hundreds of hate groups.8 Because of this, now more than ever young students

need to be able to assess different viewpoints, tease out biased and false information, and have

productive political discourse. Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan explains that debate

is uniquely imperative for developing the critical thinking, collaboration, and communication

skills necessary to carry out civic duties as a modern citizen. 9 By training our next generations to

research and use evidence to form their arguments and opinions, not only will this greatly impact

political participation as a whole, but it will provide for a more knowledgeable and civil

citizenry. When 17 innocent people were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

just 30 minutes away from my home, survivors took to the streets and demanded change within

the Florida legislature. It was their speech and debate program that gave hundreds of students the

confidence and ability to coherently articulate their gun control demands.10 When public

speaking and debate skills can be the difference between life and death, change and no change,

one quickly realizes how incredibly important this education can be for the community.

Despite the numerous studies, articles, and testimonies indicating the importance of a

public speaking and debate education, the current states of this type of education in the United

States does not reflect that same sentiment. When looking into the Common Core State

Standards, the guidelines followed by most public schools in the United States, the English

decades, and why liberals and conservatives just can't get along."
Cleveland, 1 Sept. 2020, www.cleveland.com/open/2020/08/
a-polarized-america-how-the-partisan-divide-grew-over-decades-and-why-liberals-an
d-conservatives-just-cant-get-along.html. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.
8 MacDonald, Evan. "A polarized America: How the partisan divide grew over
decades, and why liberals and conservatives just can't get along."
9 "The Power of Speech & Debate Education." Stanford National Forensic Institute,
snfi.stanford.edu/skills. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.
10 Kay, Ruth. "Developing Invaluable Life Skills Through Speech and Debate."
National Federation of State High School Associations, 20 May 2019,
www.nfhs.org/articles/
developing-invaluable-life-skills-through-speech-and-debate/. Accessed 22
Oct. 2020.
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section is split into four categories: reading, writing, speaking/listening, and literacy. 11 One

would think that each category would be given 25% of the section. However, the

speaking/listening category takes up just 5%.12 Most shockingly, listening and speaking makes

up 75% of adult communication.13 5% of what’s taught, 75% of what’s needed. Let that sink in

for a moment. In the catalog of the National Council of Teachers of English, out of 200 titles in

the table of contents, none is focused on speaking or listening.14 This is why it is very rare for

teachers and students alike to be able to say, “Wow. Those presentation skills were really

impressive.” Most schools and teacher-preparation programs have little to no focus on public

speaking and debate education. Similarly, there is a large push within the secondary school

system to eliminate requiring in-class presentations entirely, referencing anxiety and

uncomfortableness.15 However, there is a common trend that if this education exists at all, it

primarily takes place in private schools.16 This brings into question the social equality impacts

that this trend has on the world. In an effort to improve the current status of public speaking and

debate education in the United States, the National Speech and Debate Association has begun to

push for reforms in the education system. One of these major reforms is the official recognition,

by the U.S Senate, of National Speech and Debate Education Day. 17 This day is meant to

11 Palmer, Erik. "Why Schools Need to Do a Better Job of Teaching Speaking Skills."
Education Week Teacher, 10 Feb. 2016, www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/02/
10/why-schools-need-to-improve-teaching-speaking.html. Accessed 23 Oct.
2020.
12 Palmer, Erik. "Why Schools Need to Do a Better Job of Teaching Speaking Skills."
13 Palmer, Erik. "Why Schools Need to Do a Better Job of Teaching Speaking Skills.”
14 Palmer, Erik. "Why Schools Need to Do a Better Job of Teaching Speaking Skills."
15 Gallo, Carmine. "Don't Abolish In-Class Presentations, Teach Students To Enjoy
Public Speaking." Forbes Magazine, 23 Sept. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/
carminegallo/2018/09/23/
dont-abolish-in-class-presentations-teach-students-to-enjoy-public-speaking/
#3a2da697ccb8. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.
16 Hoyland, Rosie. "Why Public Speaking Should be Taught in Schools."
Presentation Guru, 1 Mar. 2017, www.presentation-guru.com/
why-public-speaking-should-be-taught-in-schools/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.
17 National Speech and Debate Association. "U.S. SENATE RESOLUTION FOR NATIONAL
SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY." National Speech and Debate Association,
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recognize the importance of speech and debate skills for youth development and advocacy,

exercising one's voice and character, and practicing professional and civil discourse. 18 In addition

to recognizing these characteristics, it is a day to encourage schools across the country to adopt

long-term plans to teach and utilize these skills. 19 The purpose of secondary school is to teach

students the skills necessary to take on higher education and/or go into the workforce. The

current status of speech and debate education in the United States secondary schools is not

upholding this purpose.

While this education is not apparent in secondary schools, public speaking and debate

summer camps, workshops, and organizations, are increasing in popularity. As the community

becomes more and more aware of how speech and debate access is drastically different among

social classes, work is being done to make positive changes, but this inequality is far from being

solved. Currently, debate camps and workshops serve as a mechanism by which people already

involved in the public speaking and debate community, can improve their skills and abilities.

These camps are particularly popular for those students who compete in the activity, to work

with renowned coaches in order to achieve new levels of competition. However, there are very

few camps and workshops geared towards beginners who’re solely interested in building a

foundation of skills. Additionally, many are often extremely competitive and are not the calm

and healthy learning environment that many new speakers need. While there are a few

exceptions such as the Global Debate Symposium and the Cornell International Speech and

Debate Institute, these are the exceptions rather than the rules. Not only is a non-competitive

learning environment hard to find, but most camps and workshops entail very large expenses that
www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-NSDE-Day-Resolution.pdf.
Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.
18 National Speech and Debate Association. "U.S. SENATE RESOLUTION FOR NATIONAL
SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY."
19 National Speech and Debate Association. "U.S. SENATE RESOLUTION FOR NATIONAL
SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY."
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many cannot afford.20 Unless the institution offers financial aid, which is often limited to a select

few students, they’re typically only accessible to those who can afford it. These environmental

and financial factors make it very difficult for students to dip their feet into speech and debate

unless it is taught in secondary schools. Thus, a crucial area of improvement in the speech and

debate community is making these camps and workshops more accessible to all financial and

competitive capabilities. One possibility is utilizing online platforms as many did this year due to

COVID-19, to reduce expenses overall and allow people to participate from the comfort of their

own homes. Many organizations are taking part in pushing this community to find solutions to

the activity’s inherent issues such as accessibility, inclusivity, and classism. An example of one

of these organizations is Debating for American Youth, a non-for-profit organization geared

towards offering free speech and debate resources produced by nationally recognized

competitors.21 Another milestone organization for the speech and debate community is called

Beyond Resolved, which not only offers resources, but advocates for many marginalized groups

that experience discrimination within the activity. 22 If developed and implemented properly and

fairly, these camps, workshops, and organizations, will grow to play an even more important role

in the advancement of public speaking and debate education, as well as the competitive activity.

As we look towards the future of the United States education system, steps need to be

taken in four different areas: the department of education, individual school districts, teachers,

and students/parents. The U.S Department of Education primarily establishes policy, coordinates,

and helps execute federal assistance within the field of education. 23 Thus, the most effective way

20 Padillow, Cormell. "Debate Camps Keep Low Income Kids Out." The Black Wall
Street Times, 21 June 2019, theblackwallsttimes.com/2019/06/21/
debate-camps-keep-low-income-kids-out/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.
21 Fair, Nathaniel. "Debating for American Youth." Debating for American Youth,
debatingyouth.wordpress.com/who-are-we/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.
22 Beyond Resolved. beyond-resolved.org. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.
23 "An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education." U.S Department of Education,
www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/what.html. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.
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to encourage an increase in public speaking and debate education is from the top-down. This

would require not only the addition of these skills to the Common Core State Standards, but

financial assistance to help school districts train and if necessary, hire an additional teacher to

carry out this task. Prior to any of this being done, the Department of Education must formally

recognize the importance of public speaking and debate within the secondary school system.

Subsequently, individual school districts must make the appropriate changes to ensure that their

schools are incorporating the public speaking and debate standards set by the Department of

Education. Additionally, because they are the primary entity that communicates with

administrators of each school, it is crucial that they actively encourage the incorporation of these

skills wherever possible and check-in on the schools to ensure that their guidelines are being met.

However, the means by which this education will get taught to students, is by the teachers. This

requires teachers to play an active role in planning and carrying out activities that will make

students use their research, critical thinking, and presentation skills. Alternatively, if a designated

public speaking and debate teacher is employed, it’s crucial that they are properly trained and

encourage their colleagues to incorporate these skills into their curriculums. Lastly, at the end of

the day, increasing education in public speaking and debate can’t take place without the

cooperation of students and parents. Because of this, it’s imperative that students and parents

approach this change with an open-mind and recognize the positive impact that this change will

have on every individual and community for generations to come.

Speaking and articulating one’s thoughts and opinions is one of the most essential parts

of any human being's life. At the same time, it is one of the most dreaded and under-estimated

skills. The importance of public speaking and debate in secondary schools has been studied and

proven for many years, but the US education system still does not mirror this fact. It will take
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drastic changes within the Department of Education, school districts, teachers, students, and

parents, to incorporate this education into the curriculum. The speech and debate community has

work to do to make the activity a more accessible and inclusive space. However, as Henry Ford

once said, “coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is

success.”
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Works Cited

Beyond Resolved. beyond-resolved.org. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.

Fair, Nathaniel. "Debating for American Youth." Debating for American Youth,

debatingyouth.wordpress.com/who-are-we/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.

Gallo, Carmine. "Don't Abolish In-Class Presentations, Teach Students To Enjoy Public

Speaking." Forbes Magazine, 23 Sept. 2018,

www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2018/09/23/dont-abolish-in-class-presentations-

teach-students-to-enjoy-public-speaking/#3a2da697ccb8. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

Hoyland, Rosie. "Why Public Speaking Should be Taught in Schools." Presentation Guru, 1

Mar. 2017, www.presentation-guru.com/why-public-speaking-should-be-taught-in-

schools/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

Kay, Ruth. "Developing Invaluable Life Skills Through Speech and Debate." National

Federation of State High School Associations, 20 May 2019,

www.nfhs.org/articles/developing-invaluable-life-skills-through-speech-and-debate/.

Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

MacDonald, Evan. "A polarized America: How the partisan divide grew over decades, and why

liberals and conservatives just can't get along." Cleveland, 1 Sept. 2020,

www.cleveland.com/open/2020/08/a-polarized-america-how-the-partisan-divide-grew-

over-decades-and-why-liberals-and-conservatives-just-cant-get-along.html. Accessed 22

Oct. 2020.

National Speech and Debate Association. "U.S. SENATE RESOLUTION FOR NATIONAL

SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY." National Speech and Debate

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Association, www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-NSDE-Day-

Resolution.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

"An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education." U.S Department of Education,

www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/what.html. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.

Padillow, Cormell. "Debate Camps Keep Low Income Kids Out." The Black Wall Street Times,

21 June 2019, theblackwallsttimes.com/2019/06/21/debate-camps-keep-low-income-

kids-out/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.

Palmer, Erik. "Why Schools Need to Do a Better Job of Teaching Speaking Skills." Education

Week Teacher, 10 Feb. 2016, www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/02/10/why-schools-

need-to-improve-teaching-speaking.html. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

"The Power of Speech & Debate Education." Stanford National Forensic Institute,

snfi.stanford.edu/skills. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.