1
 What is debate?
 Why debate?
 What skills are needed?
 How to design a syllabus that suits your
students?
2
 A formal method of presenting arguments in
support and against a given issue in which
debaters present reasons and evidence to
persuade an audience or a group of judges
 Governed by some explicit rules
3
 A game or mental gymnastics: participants
sharpen their thinking and speaking skills,
find best way to win
 A lab: one team tests its arguments against
the ones of another
 A way of finding truth: winning arguments
should be truest arguments
4
Common terms
 Resolution: a simple statement that is subjected to critical
analysis.
 Affirmative team: supporting the resolution (‘pro’ side);
speak first
 Negative team: opposing the arguments offered by the
affirmative team and offering arguments against the
resolution (‘con’ side)
 Rebuttal: explaining why one team disagrees with the other
team
 Judge: neutral third party, decides which side is most
persuasive
5
Resolution
6
Affirmative team Negative team
Present arguments
Listen & take notes
Prepare rebuttal
Present arguments
Listen & take notes
Prepare rebuttal
Break
Present rebuttal Present rebuttal
1
2
4
3
7
 Speech 1: first affirmative speaker introduces the topic and states the
affirmative team's first argument.
 Speech 2: first negative speaker states their first argument.
 Speech 3: second affirmative speaker states their second argument.
 Speech 4: second negative speaker states their second argument.
 Give a 5-10 minute break for each team to prepare their rebuttal
speech.
 Speech 5: negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative
team's two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.
 Speech 6: affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative
team's two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.
 Do your best to argue your side of the
debate, rather than relying on your personal
opinions
-> Sometimes argue something that is against
your personal views
8
 “Honest disagreement is often a good
sign of progress”
Mahatma Gandhi
9
 To provide meaningful listening, speaking,
writing practice
 To develop argumentation skills for
persuasive speech and writing
 To increase social skills and conflict
resolution abilities
 To enhance self-esteem and academic
confidence
 To lead to competitive success in the future
10
11
 Public speaking
 Critical thinking
 Note taking
 Organizing
 Researching
 Writing
 Listening
 Teamwork and
people skills
 Identify goals, length of the course
 Determine needed skills
 Compile input materials
 Select resolutions, suggested ideas for both
sides
 Brainstorm classroom activities
 Design test and assessment criteria
12
Support consists of evidence. There’re four
kinds of evidence
 Examples
 Common sense
 Expert opinions
 Statistics
13
 Repeat the argument you’re going to
refute
 Refute – explain what is wrong with
other team’s argument
 Replace the argument with your
argument
14
 thinking about how you think
 process of asking, answering questions
and trying to understand how and why
you come to the conclusions
 in debate: plan what to say, anticipate
other team’s response, think of an
argument to counter other team’s
arguments
15
 Compare viewpoints of other people to your
own ones
 Find ways to ask questions that apply to
many perspectives
 Understand why some statements are
correct, others are not
 Understand how problem solving works
 Establish criteria for making judgments
 Present arguments in a constructive way…
16
 Select a topic
 Choose a side: affirmative >< negative
 Discuss in your team:
 arguments,
 possible counter-arguments
 and find a way to refute them
 Start the debate
 Listen to the other team’s arguments
 Take notes
 Prepare to refute their arguments
17
 http://idebate.org
 http://wiki.idebate.org
 http://www.conservapedia.com/Debate_topics
 ttp://iteslj.org/Techniques/Krieger-
Debate.html
 http://teachingdebate.typepad.com
 http://www.educationworld.com/
18
 Rybold, G (2006). Speaking, Listening and Understanding
Debate. International Debate Education Association.
 Ziegelmuellerm, G., Harris, S., & Bloomingdale, D. (1995).
Advancing in Debates – Skills and Concepts. Clark
Publishing Company.
 Ruth Sunda, “Debate and Persuasive Writing”
 http://thepeoplespeak.org
 http://www.aracorporation.org/files/ARA_debates_Handboo
k.pdf
19
20
21
Contact me: hung.pt@hanu.edu.vn

Debate As a Teaching Strategy

  • 1.
  • 2.
     What isdebate?  Why debate?  What skills are needed?  How to design a syllabus that suits your students? 2
  • 3.
     A formalmethod of presenting arguments in support and against a given issue in which debaters present reasons and evidence to persuade an audience or a group of judges  Governed by some explicit rules 3
  • 4.
     A gameor mental gymnastics: participants sharpen their thinking and speaking skills, find best way to win  A lab: one team tests its arguments against the ones of another  A way of finding truth: winning arguments should be truest arguments 4
  • 5.
    Common terms  Resolution:a simple statement that is subjected to critical analysis.  Affirmative team: supporting the resolution (‘pro’ side); speak first  Negative team: opposing the arguments offered by the affirmative team and offering arguments against the resolution (‘con’ side)  Rebuttal: explaining why one team disagrees with the other team  Judge: neutral third party, decides which side is most persuasive 5
  • 6.
    Resolution 6 Affirmative team Negativeteam Present arguments Listen & take notes Prepare rebuttal Present arguments Listen & take notes Prepare rebuttal Break Present rebuttal Present rebuttal 1 2 4 3
  • 7.
    7  Speech 1:first affirmative speaker introduces the topic and states the affirmative team's first argument.  Speech 2: first negative speaker states their first argument.  Speech 3: second affirmative speaker states their second argument.  Speech 4: second negative speaker states their second argument.  Give a 5-10 minute break for each team to prepare their rebuttal speech.  Speech 5: negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative team's two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.  Speech 6: affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative team's two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.
  • 8.
     Do yourbest to argue your side of the debate, rather than relying on your personal opinions -> Sometimes argue something that is against your personal views 8
  • 9.
     “Honest disagreementis often a good sign of progress” Mahatma Gandhi 9
  • 10.
     To providemeaningful listening, speaking, writing practice  To develop argumentation skills for persuasive speech and writing  To increase social skills and conflict resolution abilities  To enhance self-esteem and academic confidence  To lead to competitive success in the future 10
  • 11.
    11  Public speaking Critical thinking  Note taking  Organizing  Researching  Writing  Listening  Teamwork and people skills
  • 12.
     Identify goals,length of the course  Determine needed skills  Compile input materials  Select resolutions, suggested ideas for both sides  Brainstorm classroom activities  Design test and assessment criteria 12
  • 13.
    Support consists ofevidence. There’re four kinds of evidence  Examples  Common sense  Expert opinions  Statistics 13
  • 14.
     Repeat theargument you’re going to refute  Refute – explain what is wrong with other team’s argument  Replace the argument with your argument 14
  • 15.
     thinking abouthow you think  process of asking, answering questions and trying to understand how and why you come to the conclusions  in debate: plan what to say, anticipate other team’s response, think of an argument to counter other team’s arguments 15
  • 16.
     Compare viewpointsof other people to your own ones  Find ways to ask questions that apply to many perspectives  Understand why some statements are correct, others are not  Understand how problem solving works  Establish criteria for making judgments  Present arguments in a constructive way… 16
  • 17.
     Select atopic  Choose a side: affirmative >< negative  Discuss in your team:  arguments,  possible counter-arguments  and find a way to refute them  Start the debate  Listen to the other team’s arguments  Take notes  Prepare to refute their arguments 17
  • 18.
     http://idebate.org  http://wiki.idebate.org http://www.conservapedia.com/Debate_topics  ttp://iteslj.org/Techniques/Krieger- Debate.html  http://teachingdebate.typepad.com  http://www.educationworld.com/ 18
  • 19.
     Rybold, G(2006). Speaking, Listening and Understanding Debate. International Debate Education Association.  Ziegelmuellerm, G., Harris, S., & Bloomingdale, D. (1995). Advancing in Debates – Skills and Concepts. Clark Publishing Company.  Ruth Sunda, “Debate and Persuasive Writing”  http://thepeoplespeak.org  http://www.aracorporation.org/files/ARA_debates_Handboo k.pdf 19
  • 20.
  • 21.

Editor's Notes

  • #2 Phnom Penh, Feb 21-22
  • #4 Phnom Penh, Feb 21-22
  • #11 Phnom Penh, Feb 21-22