K S Lane

This article demonstrates how to

structure and write a debate in six easy steps. By following this method you’re giving
yourself the best possible chance at coming out on top in your next verbal sparring
match.

Step One: A Strong Opening

A strong opening line, if you're dealing with something emotionally charged, then
starting with a similarly emotional opener is the best way to go. eg, if you were
arguing for your country to take in more refugees then an opening line might be
something like, "Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be forced to
leave your home? To be so scared of violence or other persecution that you and
your family have to leave behind everything you've ever known and travel to a new
country?"
Adding a powerful statistic to the opening line of your debate can work just as well.
For example, if you were arguing that your school should increase suicide
awareness you could start with, "Did you know that close to 800,000 people die of
suicide every year?"
You should be aiming to make your audience and your adjudicator sit up a little
straighter in their chairs.

Step Two: Defining the Topic

Then state your topic and your team's position on the topic.
eg,

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"Today we're here to discuss the topic X. As the affirmative/negative side, my team
firmly believes that Y."
Define any key words in your topic that is your view on what the word means in the
context of the topic to be on one page with your opponent, then you should use this
slot to either agree with or contend the definition that your opponent gave.

Step Three: Signposting

There are two main types of signposting: introductions, conclusions and outlining
main arguments/ the direction of the argument in paragraphs/opening phrases.
it's a way to simply and effectively remind your listener of what
you're talking about and where you're up to in your speech.
At the end of your introduction add a few sentences that tells
the listener how many points you're going to be making and in
what order you're going to be making them. eg,
At the start of each argument you can then remind the audience of what
you're talking about by saying, "Firstly, I'm going to be arguing X." While
this may seem simplistic and like you're expecting the audience to have fallen asleep
on you, it’s actually completely essential and makes your debate easier to follow.
Signposting is critical in any good debate. Without it, you might just find that your
audience gets lost.
Step Four: Rebuttal

Sometimes the best offence is a good defence

If you've ever watched a professional debate you’ll know that the most
compelling part is usually when one side takes one of the arguments of
the opposition and then absolutely shreds it to pieces.Rebutting
arguments forces you to think completely on the spot. Luckily,
there are some strategies that you can use while rebutting that make the challenge a
little less daunting. These include:
1. Pre-research: After you've crafted your own arguments put yourself in your
opponent's shoes and try to anticipate what the arguments that they're going
to use are. Once you have a good list write out a rebuttal for each of them.
2. "What's the point?" If your opposition is arguing for a change to be made
there is a key idea you can focus on when you’re rebutting them.

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 "My opponent has explained their proposed change in extreme detail.
However, they've failed to explain what the point of the change is." Or "My
opponent has stated that his/her proposed changes will have the benefit of X.
However, given the amount of effort that would be required to make the
changes X simply isn't worth it."
3. Economic Challenges: Bringing up economic challenges is so useful
because it works with virtually every debate topic imaginable, every topic will
have an economic link.
Eg,If your opponent says that your country should be letting in more refugees
rebut them by explaining the burden on the economy that it would create to
relocate so many more people. If they argue that your country
should stop letting in refugees, rebut them by talking about the potential that
skilled refugees benefit the economy. It's an incredibly durable argument
which is why it makes for a great on-the-spot rebuttal.
4. Use your own arguments: Twisting your own arguments to rebut an
opponent's point is a simple but effective way to mount a defence against your
own case. Of course, going overboard and rattling out your entire pre-
prepared argument is a huge mistake (what will you talk about later eg, your
opponent brings up the idea that refugees can cause societal unrest you can
reshape one of your planned arguments, that refugees contribute to
multiculturalism and allow the best bits of different cultures to be merged
Step Five: Your Arguments

And now we've reached the most important part of your debate; the arguments.
1. Deciding what to argue: Look into the background of the issue. Read
news articles and opinion pieces
and even try browsing some
debating websites for ideas. Once
you have a really good
understanding of the topic the right
arguments will jump out at you no
matter how difficult your position is.
2. The layout: Have at least three points,and write as an essay. You should
begin each argument by signposting, ie. "Firstly, I'm going to argue…" and
then follow up with a one sentence summary of your argument. After this you
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 need to elaborate on your point a little, give some facts and statistics to
legitimise what you're saying, and then at the end link neatly back to the topic
of the debate so it's clear to the audience that you're not just giving a
passionate rant, but instead are making a carefully calculated point that ties in
with a general thesis statement.
The general consensus is that you should lead with a strong argument and
end with one too. If you have an obviously weaker argument try to sandwich it
in between the two better ones.
3. Finding evidence: Inserting the right evidence into your debate makes you
more credible, but using the wrong kind of evidence from the wrong kind of
sources leaves you vulnerable to attack by the opposition. To find the right
sort of evidence to cite the first step is to check the source. If it's a website,
is it an educational one? A government one? If it's a news article, who wrote
it? Secondly, make sure that it's a recent fact or figure. If you're dredging up
numbers from the 1980s and your opposition realises it then you're in real
trouble. Thirdly, make sure that the evidence is backed up by at least three
or more sources. Your evidence is the backbone of your argument; if it's
not strong enough then the whole thing is going to collapse.
4. Persuasive strategies: Use humour, metaphors, and appeals to logic. You
can use similes and alliterations to your heart’s content to put the spark in
your debate. It goes without saying that you should keep things respectful-
don't insult your opponents and don't use humour where it's not
appropriate.

Step Six: Conclusion

It sums up the points you've made in the body of your text and leaves the reader
with a take home message that should make them feel as if they've gained
something by reading your piece. At the very end you could choose to firmly restate
your position on the subject or perhaps to reiterate to an emotional call that you
made in your introduction. Finally, you should thank your audience for listening and
your opponent for his or her time. You want to come across as grateful and humble,
even if you have just delivered a killer speech.

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 To Sum Everything Up:

Section Example

A Strong "Have you ever thought about X?"

Opening

Defining the "Today we're here to debate the topic X. I/my team has defined this topic
Topic to mean Y."

Signposting "I'm going to argue X. I'll then move on to demonstrate Y, and conclude
by examining Z."

Rebuttal "To begin, I'd like to rebut some arguments put forward by my opposition.
They've claimed X, which is false because Y."

Your "Now to move on to my arguments. Firstly, I'll be demonstrating X."

Arguments "Secondly, I'd like to examine the idea of Y." "Lastly, I'm going to argue
Z."

Conclusion "Today I argued X, Y, and Z. It's for these reasons that I/my team firmly
believe/s that X."

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What Are Debate Rules?

WHAT
There are two teams opposing each other in a debate competition.

The topic of debate is called the motion.

The team in favor of the motion is called the proposition or affirmative, and the
team arguing against the motion is called the opposition or negative

The burden of proof lies on the proposition, which is why the proposition team both
opens and closes the debate.

The proposition is charged with the responsibility of proving that the motion is more
true than it is false, which makes the proposition’s position more challenging
because building a strong case for something is harder than looking for holes in the
case, which is the responsibility of the opposition.

The first four speeches (two speakers from each side) are also known as
constructive speeches because each speaker is constructing or building an
argument. Any points or ideas that each side wants the judge or mediator to consider
must be presented during the constructive speeches

The final two speeches are known as the rebuttal speeches, which are designed to
summarize the main points for each side while simultaneously trying to poke holes in
opposing arguments. If the rebuttal speeches contain any new arguments that have
no foundation in the constructive speeches, judges are expected to disregard those
arguments when weighing the merits of each side’s case.

HOW
Once the topic is chosen, debate members have a certain amount of time to
research and prepare for the debate. While they can take limited notes, debaters
must truly comprehend the material so that they can refer to that understanding and
combine it with their own original ideas during their speeches. True debate is more
than people reading from a script. It is the expression of ideas and information in an
authentic manner, which is why prepared speeches have no place in a formal
debate.

The debate begins with the first speaker for the proposition making a case for the
motion and proceeds.

Then the first speaker for the opposition refuting the proposition’s case and
introducing new ideas.

Each side takes turns presenting their speeches.

The speakers in the constructive speeches are responsible for refuting their
opponent’s case while using evidence and arguments to strengthen their own ideas.

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The speakers in the rebuttal speeches are charged with summarizing and making
sense of the debate in a way that will persuade the judge to vote for their side.

D E B A T E T IP S F OR S T U D EN T S
Focus on attacking ideas rather than people. Attacking an opponent on a personal
level only weakens the argument. Instead, debaters should look for flaws in their
opponent’s reasoning and call the logic into question rather than the person.

Students should avoid the use of words like “always,” “never,” “often” or “generally”
because they make their arguments more vulnerable to attack from opponents.

If they believe that their opponent is wrong about something, they should point it out
in a tactful manner. For instance, instead of simply saying that an opponent is wrong,
students should state that their opponent’s idea is mistaken and then back that up
with support for why the idea is flawed.

Students should not disagree with truths that are obvious or try to exaggerate
evidence to suit their case. While it is acceptable to present an opinion, students
should be careful to acknowledge that it is just an opinion rather than trying to
present that opinion as a fact.

Students should use appropriate tone of voice, maintain their composure throughout
the debate and avoid bickering. If students remain focused on supporting their ideas
and refuting the ideas of their opponents, they are likely to succeed.

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Classroom debate formats A Spar Debate ensures wider student engagement by
providing students with multiple items from one or more topics that they can debate
one-on-one with their peers

In the Full-Class Debate, the teacher divides the class into two teams that will
debate a given topic. A Three-Question Debate focuses arguments to three specific
questions related to a single topic and divides the class into two teams to argue each
side of the topic.

A Chain Debate divides the class into two teams but is unique because each
debater must either present a new supporting or opposing argument, attack a
previously presented argument, defend an attacked argument or extend an existing
argument. Another classroom debate option is the town hall format in which
students are assigned specific roles to represent and “citizens” are responsible for
voting on the cases presented.

T H E D E B A T E F O R MA T
In the Public Forum format, a coin toss usually determines which team will get to
choose the side they argue. The cases for each side are presented according to the
standard rules that provide a set time limit for each speaker to argue his points.

A Lincoln-Douglas debate is the preferred format for the National Speech &
Debate Association. This debate format is named after the Lincoln-Douglas debates
of 1858 during the Illinois senatorial campaign. The series of seven debates between
democratic senator Stephen Douglas and his republican challenger Abraham Lincoln
revolved primarily around the issue of slavery. This format requires students to
debate a given topic on a one-on-one basis. Like Public Forum debates, Lincoln
Douglas debates allow limited research time before students take turns presenting
their ideas. Each student gives a constructive speech and rebuttal speech and can
cross-examine her opponent.

A Policy Debate is designed to challenge students to enhance their research,

analytical and delivery skills. The Policy Debate format involves a two-on-two debate
that centers on a specific policy question. The affirmative debater must propose a
plan to enact a given policy. The negative debater, on the other hand, is responsible
for offering reasons why the affirmative side’s proposal should be rejected. Students
participating in a Policy Debate are given multiple opportunities to cross-examine
each other. A judge or sometimes a panel of judges will use the arguments
presented to determine a winner.

A Congressional Debate simulates the U.S. legislative process. In the

Congressional Debate format, students produce a series of bills and resolutions for
debate. Then, in a group setting, debaters take turns delivering speeches for or
against the topic. This format requires the appointment of a student to moderate the
debate to ensure a smooth flow. Students participating in a Congressional Debate

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are judged on their knowledge and use of parliamentary procedure in addition to the
research, argumentation and delivery skills that other formats assess.

A World Schools Debate involves a more dynamic debating format that combines
both rehearsed and unrehearsed topics. This combination of prepared topics with
their more impromptu counterparts shifts the focus away from debate theory or
procedural arguments and instead emphasizes specified issues. The World Schools
Debate format is more interactive than other formats because it gives debaters the
freedom to engage each other even during speeches. Strong teamwork and high-
quality argumentation are vital components of an effective debate using the World
Schools Debate format.

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