Hey y'all! I know that this is an English blog. However, considering that my extreme love of debate is intertwined with English, I thought that it would be appropriate to post this guide to debate. Hopefully it inspires you to debate some more! It is such an important skill, and can help you with everything! Presenting, writing, eloquence and improvisation can all be improved with debate! Try it out!
DEBATE TERMS AND IMPORTANT THINGS:
CROSS-EXAMINATION STYLE
BY: NATAŠA MIĆOVIĆ
UNIVERSITY HILL SECONDARY
SCHOOL
Vancouver, BC
September 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword………........………………...…………………....3
Resolution………………………………...……….…..…....3
Proposition/Affirmative…………….…...…….....………....3
Opposition/Negative…………….……..……….…..……....3
First Speaker……………………..…….……………...…….3
Second Speaker…….……..………………………………...4
How to Start…………….………………..…………………4
Hook……………………….………...……………..............4
Defining the Terms…………………………………….…...5
Signposting…………………………………………………5
Points/Argument…………...…………….…………….......6
Acronyms- S.P.E.R.M……………………..………………7
Acronyms- S.E.X.Y….……………………...……………..7
Cross-Examination….…………………..……….…………7
Question Line…….....……………...………………………7
Rebutal…………..…………………………………….........8
4 Kinds of Evidence………….……………………………..8
Closing/Summary Speech..………………………………...10
How to End…………………………..…………………….10
Always Use “We” ………………..………………………...10
Judges the Judges……………..……………………………10
FOREWORD: Hey
guys! These are some of the things that have really helped me in debate. They
are the important terms. I’ve written the definitions to the best of my
ability. I hope that you guys understand everything, but if you don’t feel free
to ask me. These are the things you need to know. I know that it’s really long,
but I slaved over this manual this weekend. Most of the stuff is basic. Good
luck to you on all your future debates! If you ever get lost, just remember
that debate is like an essay, the format is very similar. If I’ve missed
anything, let me know. I might just publish this one day, as the “GREAT
DEBATER’S HANDBOOK!”
THE RESOULTION:
Usually starts with “Be It Resolved That (BIRT),” “This House Believes That
(THBT),” “This House Would (THW).” It is the topic that you’ll be debating.
E.G. This House Would Decriminalize Cannabis
PROPOSTION/AFFIRMATIVE: The team that is arguing for the resolution. There is a first speaker and a second
speaker. The first speaker has two 4 minute speeches, the second speaker has
one 7 minute speech. Both speakers will also cross-examine a speaker from the other
team for 2 or 3 minutes.
Yes! Cannabis should be decriminalized!
OPPOSITION/NEGATIVE: The
team that is arguing against the resolution. There is a first speaker and a
second speaker. The first speaker has two 4 minute speeches, the second speaker
has one 7 minute speech. Both speakers will also cross-examine a speaker from
the other team for 2 or 3 minutes.
No! Cannabis should NOT be decriminalized!
FIRST SPEAKER: The
first speaker gives a 4 minute opening speech, and a 4 minute closing/summary
speech. They’ll have a cross-examination period in between, which lasts 2 or 3
minutes. They introduce the points, breifly elaborate on one in the opening
speech, and then prove why their team is right in the closing speech by
providing a summary of the debate.
SECOND SPEAKER: The
second speaker is the elaborator, their job is to elaborate on the points in
the second speech, bring in facts and solidify all the statements made by their
team. They also should use some time to rebut some statements from the other
team during their speech. They will also have a cross-examination period of 2
or 3 minutes.
HOW TO START: The usual way to start a debate and to introduce
yourself to the debate in a fancy way is a simple string of memorized words.
Both the first and second speakers can use a variation of this. The example,
however, is more suited to the first speaker. Through your time in debate
you’ll find that a lot of debaters like to start their debates like this:
Ladies and Gentlemen, honourable judges,
worthy opponents and esteemed colleague(s). We are gathered here today to
debate the resolution of: THW decriminalize cannabis. We on side proposition/opposition
firmly believe that the resolution must and will stand/fall. There are 3
main points that my colleague and I will be discussing during our speeches.
Firstly, {INSERT YOUR FIRST POINT HERE}, which I will elaborate on. Secondly,
{INSERT YOUR SECOND POINT HERE}, which my partner will elaborate on. And
lastly, {INSERT YOUR THRID POINT HERE}, which my partner will also be
elaborating on.
HOOK: A hook is a fairly effective way to start a debate. It’s a go to
option for novices and experienced debaters alike. This
is the first speaker of both sides job in the first speech. The second speaker
pretty much never uses a hook, nor does the first speaker in his/her closing
speech. A hook is meant to entice the people
to listen and care about your debate. It's usually really cheesy, but it works.
These are the hooks I used last year for a Child Labour debate:
PROPOSITION: Imagine! A world of equality, one
in which there is no such thing as child labour. One in which no certain
country is superior to it's neighbouring nation. One in which no one human is
better than his fellow man. Ladies and Gentleman, honorable judges, worthy
opponents and esteemed colleauges, such a world is not out of reach. It can be
achieved; how? Simple: by allowing child labour in developing nations, and
allowing them to develop to the extent of Canada, or any other developed
country.
OPPOSITION: Imagine! 250 million more
children in school, at home, not being abused and not being exploited. Having
one of the most important things a child could have: a childhood. It's not
impossible, all we have to do is abolish child labour.
OR:
Imagine waking up after just 6 measly hours of
sleep, walking miles to your job, just so that you can be abused and exploited.
Now imagine 250 million children -some as young as 4 years- going through that suffering each and every day!
DEFINING THE TERMS: This
is the first thing you do in your speech as first speaker of the proposition.
However, if you fail to do it, it becomes the first speaker of the opposition’s
job. This is where you take the words in the resolution and define their
meaning.
NOTE:
YOU CANNOT DEFINE THE TERMS SO THAT THE DEBATE BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR
THE OTHER SIDE TO DEBATE. THAT IS CALLED “SQUIRRELLING,” IF THE OTHER TEAM
CALLS YOU OUT FOR IT, YOU LOSE POINTS. IF JUDGE NOTICES YOU DOING THAT THEY CAN
REALLY MESS UP YOUR SCORE. DEFINE THE TERMS FAIRLY, OR SLIGHTLY AND SUBTLELY TO
BENEFIT YOU. NEVER GO TOO FAR WITH HELPING YOURSELF.
We, the proposition, would like to clarify some of
the confusing major terms in the resolution before we get into our arguments.
We define “This House” as the Federal Government of Canada. We define
decriminalizing as not being legal, but not being a law enforcement priority.
This is for recreational marijuana use. This would only apply for small
amounts, like 2 ounces or less. We also would not allow it to be sold in
stores. Lastly, we define Cannabis as a slightly psychotropic drug that can be
smoked.
SIGNPOSTING: Sign
posting is the second thing you do as the first or second speaker of either
side. Since you have your arguments prepared, you state them in the order that
you’ll be speaking about them in. You can also VERY briefly say what they’re
about, if that isn’t already clear. This is to help the judges follow you, and
to break up your speech a little, so that it doesn’t seem like a long blabbing.
Also mention who will be speaking about each point.
Today we have 3 major points that we will be
speaking about. Our first point, which I will elaborate on further in my
speech, will be that decriminalizing cannabis will greatly contribute to our
economy. The second point, which my partner will be elaborating on, will be how
decriminalizing cannabis will help our global reputation by making us a more
progressive and liberal nation. And the third point, which my partner will also
elaborate on, will be that decriminalizing cannabis is part of a free country
and technically included in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
POINT/ARGUMENT: These
are the main things that your team will be speaking about in your speeches.
They are what you want to focus on, and they are what you mention for your
signposting. There are usually 3 main points on each side of a debate. The
proposition has their 3 points for the resolution. The opposition has their 3
points against the resolution.
For the Proposition: “*” is a sub point
1.
Economy
*Less police needed
*Money can be put towards more important things
like social services
2.
Global Reputation
*Other countries look up at Canada
*Canada will seem more liberal
*We will be on the forefront of modernizing laws
and seem like a progressive country.
3.
Freedom for the People
*We should do let our people do what they want,
when they want according to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
*It’s dictatorial of us to not allow the people
something they want.
For the Opposition:
1.
Harmful to Health
*Cannabis can cause various health problems.
*We can’t allow our people to have preventable
health problems
2.
Harmful for Children
*Children will start to use it from an early age
*Sets a bad example
3.
Protect People from Themselves
*The government has a duty to protect its people
from making the wrong choices
*They can do what they want, but only to an extent.
So what do you do when you can’t think of
enough/any points? You follow the acronym: S.P.E.R.M.
S: SOCIAL
P: POLITICAL
E: ECONOMY,
ENVIRONMENT, AND ETHICS
R: RIGHTS, RELIGION
M: MORALS, MILITARY
These
are the aspects that our society finds important, thus it is most relevant to
bring up points relating to those aspects.
How to state a point and in what order:
Follow the acronym: S.E.X.Y.
S: Statement
E: Explanation of the
statement
X: Example of the
statement
Y: Why? Why is it
important?
CROSS-EXAMINATION: This is the 2 or 3 minutes after your opponent's speech that you have
to ask them questions. You should be taking notes during their speech, so that
you can remember what they said and what you want to counter with. Don’t go
directly into telling them that they’re wrong. Try to get them to admit that
they are. This is called a QUESTION LINE.
It is when you start off your questioning with a question that has an obvious
answer.
Do you believe in the fundamental freedoms?
{They’ll
say yes!}
Then don’t you think that the people should have
the right to choose what they want to do with themselves. And that a government
that imposes upon what the people can freely do is in a way a totalitarian
government?
{They’ll
say yes!}
AND
NOW YOU HIT THEM!:
So then shouldn’t people be allowed to smoke
cannabis, if they wish?
{Now
you’ve put them in a corner, they can try and squirm out by saying “no,” but they probably won’t succeed.
The judges will have noticed it!}
REBUTAL: When
you criticize/poke holes in your opponent’s arguments. This happens during your
own speech, not during the cross-examination time.
1. Logic - to say that the other side is wrong is not enough. You have to
show why the other side is wrong. This is best done by taking a main point of
the other side's argument and showing that it does not make sense. Because a
lot of the thinking for this needs to be done quickly. This is one of the most
challenging aspects of debating.
2. Pick the important points - try to rebut the most important
points of the other side's case. You will find that after a while these are
easier and easier to spot. One obvious spot to find them is when the first
speaker of the other team outlines briefly what the rest of the team will say.
But do not rebut those points until after the other team has actually presented
them.
3. `Play the ball' - do not criticise the
individual speakers, criticise what they say. To call someone fat, ugly or a
nerd does not make what they say wrong and it will also lose you marks.
Before I go into my constructive speech, I would
just like to point out some of the flaws in my opponent’s speech. They said
that if we decriminalize cannabis our global reputation will improve, however
this is false. If we allow our people to harm themselves by using a gateway
drug, our global reputation can only decline.
EVIDENCE:
Evidence can win or lose a debate, and it usually
does. {Now this doesn't mean that you should pack your speech with so much
evidence that peoples' heads start to explode.} Even if you're the smoothest
talker out there, you still have to have some evidence to back up your points,
otherwise the other team is going to win. The evidence is the proof that you're
not just making up everything. There is evidence for every point, you just have
to dig deeper to find it in some cases. Finding evidence is much easier in
prepared debates, as you have the internet and other sources on hand. In
impromtu debates however, you have to rely on those things that you've
heard/saw/read sometime before to provide evidence. There are 4 main types of
evidence that are used in debates, they are:
STATISTICS: The numbers. They are the hard, undisputable facts. This is the most valid
form of evidence since it can't be denied, only countered with other
statistics. Use it wisely, though. Use a few, strong numbers, but don't
over-do-it. You don't want to have a lot of crazy numbers in the judges' head,
but you want to have enough to make him feel that you're right. Remember that
this is a speech debate, not a math/probability competition.
EXPERT
OPINION: The opinion's of the smart people in the
world. This is the second strongest kind of information. Our society -and the
judges- value the thoughts of published authors, philosophers, world leaders
etc.. They'll believe you if you quote/note that somebody that's considered
intelligent said/confirmed what you just stated. Keep in mind that whoever you
mention should be well respected. You should NOT quote infamous people like
Hitler (unless your debating, and your judge is a member of the Aryan
Brotherhood – this is HIGHLY unlikely.) Think about how the person is percieved
by Western culture, then decide if it's smart to quote them.
COMMON
SENSE: This is the third most effective kind of
evidence, purely because it's not universally agreed upon. What may be common
sense to you, may be totally foreign to your judge, so beware when doing this.
Only use things that seem REALLY obvious, like “everybody knows that smoking
can put you at higher risk for respiratory illneses.” This makes sense,
just about everybody agrees on that statement. And you don't even need a number
to prove it because it's such an obvious statement. On the other hand, something
like “Gabrona is the capital city of Botswana,” is not known/considered
by the majority, and therefore it is not common sense.
YOUR
OPINION: This is the type of evidence that you should
use the least. Why? Well to put it simply, unless you've won a Noble Prize on
the topic you're debating, nobody cares what you think – okay, maybe your mommy
does, but that's about it. Also, if you use too many personal opinions it can
seem like you haven't prepared, or as if you don't have any hard facts to
support your statements. Remember that your debating, not telling your life
story. Don't use anecdotes unless they'll really help, or unless you have
NOTHING better to say.
“When
I pass by some stoners I can smell their weed. I don't like weed and I don't
want to feel as if I'm getting high, too. By permitting cannabis, I'm going to
feel like I'm getting forced to inhale the poison, when I don't want to!”
See,
you can complain, but it doesn't really have any weight on the debate.
SUMMARY SPEECH: A
summary speech is given by the first speaker. The oppostion will give their
summary speech first, usually after a brief intermission. In the summary
speech, you need to show that your team has won the debate. There are 2
strategies that I like to use, and I find that they’re effective. The first one
is the 3 points, the second is the 3 questions. In the 3 points, you bring
in the 3 main/most debated points, and you show how your team was right on all
3. In the 3 questions, you bring up the points in question format, and say that
your team answered them correctly. This gives the judges a really clear idea of
your speech, and helps them see why you were right. You also want to say how
the other team failed to rebut your points, and how you managed to rebut their
most important points. My old coach used to say that in your summary speech, you need to seem like
somebody who watched the debate, not like someone who participated in it.
You restate what was said in the debate, and how your team was right on all of
it, and how the other team was wrong on all of it.
HOW TO END: This
is the usual way to close your speech as both the first and second speaker. It’s
also a good way to reitirate for the judges your points and make them feel like
you’re right!
Ladies and gentleman for the reasons brought forth
to you today by the proposition/opposition {INSERT FIRST POINT HERE},
{INSERT SECOND POINT HERE}, {INSERT THIRD POINT HERE}. We believe that the
resoluton must and most definetly stand/fall. Thank you!
ALWAYS USE “WE”!: In
debates, it’s imporatant to talk in 1st person plural form. This
makes your team look like it’s united and as if what you’re saying reflects
that of everybody in your team.
JUDGE THE JUDGES!: Judging
the judges can really make a difference in your debate. If you see a woman who
looks really emotional and not very logical, then you know that you should
include more emotional notes in your speech. On the other hand, if you see a
stiff, rigid businessman, you know that you should focus more on the numbers.
