Prepared by:
Ruchi Joshi
Assistant Professor
Career Development Cell
Parul Institute of Engineering and Technology
Debate
“Don't raise your voice, improve your
argument."
Desmond Tutu

We will discuss….
1. What is Debate?
2. A formal debate involves two sides
3. “Don't raise your voice,
improve your argument.“
4. Structuring Arguments to Occupy Space
5. Three Minutes debate planner
6. Basic Strategy and Skills
8. Functional Language
9. Difference Between GD and Debate
10. A Few Dos and Don’ts
11. Elements
12. Post-debate Discussion and Assessment
13. Rubric

What is Debate?
A debate is a discussion or structured contest about an issue or a resolution.
The debate, which means scratching and digging,
is a kind of dialogue to find answer or solution.
In other words, two or more people are talking
about a topic, exchanging ideas to deliver
opinion. The debate is meant to explore, and
exploring the truths through interactions have a
significant impact on the mental aspect of the
human mind
(Soraya, 5002).
The "debate" includes regular and targeted verbal exchange of concepts and ideas that can be done by a
group of people. This form of learning is used in formal systems to collaborative learning processes. The
"debate" is a specific training methods that has specific steps.
(Rahimi, 5002), which are discussed in this study.

A formal debate involves two sides
one supporting a resolution and one opposing it.
• Debates may be judged in order to declare a winning side.
Debates, in one form or another, are commonly used in
democratic societies to explore and resolve issues and
problems.
• Decisions at a board meeting, public hearing, legislative
assembly, or local organization are often reached through
discussion and debate. Indeed, any discussion of a resolution
is a form of debate, which may or may not follow formal
rules (such as Robert’s Rules of Order).

“Don't raise your voice,
improve your argument."
(Desmond Tutu ,Address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in
Houghton)
• Debate is a contest of
interpretations and, therefore,
arguments.
• Evaluation of arguments is a
subjective activity. Like any
effort to persuade, the
success of the arguments

Structuring Arguments to Occupy Space
Just as a carpenter uses scaffolding to hold the pieces of a building together
while it is being assembled debate planner need to use plan!

Debate Preparation
• Develop the resolution to be debated.
• Organize the teams.
• •Establish the rules of the debate, including timelines.
• Research the topic and prepare logical arguments.
• Gather supporting evidence and examples for position taken.
• Anticipate counter arguments and prepare rebuttals.
• Team members plan order and content of speaking in debate.
• Prepare room for debate.
• Establish expectations, if any, for assessment of debate.

Three Minutes debate planner
Debate teaches useful skills for other academic pursuits and life more generally.
Most obviously, debaters build confidence speaking in public and expressing their ideas eloquently.

Basic Strategy and Skills

Functional Language

Difference Between GD and Debate

Preparing for a Debate

A Few Dos and Don’ts
Dos:
• Wear school uniform or neat casual clothes to the
debate.
• Arrive ten minutes prior to the commencement
of the debate.
• Go to the Information Desk upon arrival to
confirm the location of your debate.
• Ensure that your first and last name is written on
the Official Score Sheet and Chairman’s Sheet.
• Stand in front of the Chairman and Timekeeper
when you speak.
• Wait for the Chairman to introduce you before
getting up to speak.
• Be ready to get up straight away when your name
is called by the Chairman.
• Applaud each speaker.
• Number your cue cards.
• Remain quiet while other debaters are presenting
their speeches and the Adjudicator is writing.
• Listen to the feedback from the adjudicator.
Prepare a “thank you” speech.
• Shake the hands of your opposition after the
debate.
• Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
• Have fun.
Don’ts:
• Address the adjudicator individually. The
adjudicator is a member of the audience.
• Use sheets of paper for your notes.
• Use mannerisms that will be distracting to
the audience.
• Interrupt other speakers while they are
speaking.
• Use personal attacks towards the
opposition in your speech.
• Shout.
• Use inappropriate language.
• Include false evidence or facts in your
speech.
• Turn around and look at the Chairman or
opposition when speaking.
• Use ‘um’ and ‘er’.
• Interrupt the adjudicator during feedback.

Important elements of debate
(1)The parties
(2)The speeches
(3)The judge
(4)The decision
(5)The argument
Important elements of
the argument
• Perspective
• Development
• Shock of ideas
• Refutation
• Defense

The proposition
• The proposition is the resolution that the parties must
support or refute. It usually comes in one of the
following formats:
• Having accepted that X , so Y Is true / false.
• Yes to is B Y B is C , so to is B .
• That the X They are Y .
• Propositions are always presented in an affirmative
format, this does not mean that they must be taken for
granted.
• One of the most common problems that arise around the
proposition is that the parts of the debate use arguments
that are not 100% related to the proposition.

The parties
• The parties are the individuals or groups
involved in the debate. Every debate must
involve at least two parts: one in favor of one
affirmation and one against it. The work of the
parties is to convince the judge that their
position is the right one.
• In addition, the parties should study their
opinion in depth. Debating is not about taking a
side and then saying that this is better. The
debate includes a thorough research process by
the participating individuals.

The speeches
• The debate game revolves around discourses that are presented by
each of the parties. In these discourses, the arguments that support or
reject the proposition are presented.
• Speeches are usually subject to time: in most debates there is a time
limit, which regulates the intervention of each of the participants.
Usually, these interventions do not exceed ten minutes.
• Because the intervention time period is short, the parties must be able
to present their arguments correctly, relying on the economy of
language and persuasion to achieve the desired effect.

The judge
• On many occasions, debate participants and viewers consider that it is the duty of
the parties to convince the opposing party. This idea is false. There is no debate
to convince the opponent, he debates to convince a third party: the judge.
• The duty of the parties is to present their arguments in such a way that they are
able to convince the judge or the judges.
• The judge's duty is to determine which of the parties has presented the arguments
in the most efficient manner, which has used 100% arguments related to the
proposition. In short, which of the parties has won the debate.

The decision
• In general, it can be said that the debate is a subjective
game. Repeatedly, the loser feels that he presented his
arguments better than his opponent.
• This is largely because the decision of who wins and
who loses depends on the judges, who are human beings
with preconceived ideas and opinions.
• In any case, the number of judges is usually more than
one, so that the decision of the winner is more or less
impartial.
• You may be interested Who Participates in a Debate?

Central element of the debate
THE ARGUMENT
Every argument must have five aspects:
(1) Perspective
(2) Development
(3) Flash of ideas
(4) Refutation
(5) Defense

Perspective
The perspective is the
point of view taken by
the parties in the
discussion when
presenting their
arguments. If the party
is in favor of the
proposition, then his
outlook will be positive.

Development
This refers to the way in
which the ideas that
support our point of view
are exposed. It is not
enough to present the
argument however well
that it is, but must be
developed.
“You never change things by fighting the
existing reality. To change something, build a
new model that makes the existing model
obsolete.”

Shock of ideas
This is the moment in
which the ideas of one
side are faced with those
of the other side, which is
an essential part of the
debate.

Refutation
• The refutation occurs when one of the
parties presents arguments proving that
the opinion of the other party is not valid.
These are known as counterarguments.
• In order to be able to refute correctly, the
party must pay careful attention to the
intervention of its opponent. It is the duty
of the party to find weaknesses,
inconsistencies and flaws in the
arguments of the opposing party.

Defense
• Counter arguments can not be ignored by the defense, but must be
answered. The part whose argument is being refuted defends its
opinion through arguments that invalidate the counter arguments.
• Refutation and defense are repeated in cycle: ideas are presented,
refuted, defended and refuted again until the conclusion of the
debate.
• Other elements of the arguments that are also worth mentioning
are description, explanation and demonstration.

Arguments and Argumentation
When many people think of an argument, they
imagine a dispute between individuals. Often thought
to be unpleasant, argument—as most people imagine
it—may involve anything from a polite difference of
opinion to a screaming match between bitter rivals. In
the context of debate, none of these conceptions of
argument is accurate. Here an argument is the
fundamental building block of persuasion. An
argument is a collection of statements organized in a
way that highlights connections between those ideas
to demonstrate that because some of the statements in
the collection are believed to be true, other statements
in the collection should be accepted as true.

Post-debate Discussion and Assessment
When the formal debate is finished, allow time for debriefing and
discussion. Members of the audience should be given an opportunity
to ask questions and to contribute their own thoughts and opinions
on the arguments presented. Members of the debate teams may also
wish to reflect on their performance and seek feedback from the
audience, including the teacher. If some form of assessment was part
of the debate plan, it would be conducted at this time. Assessment
could be conducted by the teacher, the judging team, or the entire
class. (See BLM G-15: Debate Assessment Rubric.)

Rubric

Thank You