WALSALL STUDIO SCHOOL DEBATE SOCIETY Debate Society Handbook 2023-2024 Unleash your voice at the
“Done right, a talk is more powerful than anything in written form. Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience’s world view. When we peer into a speaker’s eyes; listen to the tone of her voice; sense her vulnerability, her intelligence, her passions, we are tapping into unconscious skills that have been fine-tuned over hundreds of thousands of years. Skills that can galvanise, empower, inspire” (Anderson, C. (2016). TED Talks- The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. London: Nicholas Brealey, p.xi.) What is debating? The most basic definition of debating is that it is the statement of contrasting arguments and ideas. The type of debating that is practiced in universities is loosely based around the conventions of the Houses of Parliament and is referred to as ‘British Parliamentary’, usually abbreviated to ‘BP’. What is the structure of a British Parliamentary debate? There are two sides in British Parliamentary debate, the proposition and the opposition. The participants in the debate speak in turn: 1st proposition speaker, then 1st opposition speaker, and so on. Each speaker makes one speech only. There can be two, three or four speakers per side in BP debates. What is the format of speeches? Speeches are the core of debating. They are either of 5 minutes or 7 minutes in length in the formal setting of a debate, but in the training context some speaking exercises will be shorter in length. Your teacher will inform you of the length of speech that is required in good time before you are expected to speak. All speeches should have a beginning, middle and an end; or, if you prefer, introduction, exposition and conclusion. Most speeches have a three-section structure. This might consist of three arguments, three themes, or three headings, under which the substantive matter of the speech is presented. What subjects are debated? Any subject may be debated. Speakers are expected to argue whichever side of a debate they may find themselves in. Sometimes this means that you will have to argue something that you do not agree with. You should be prepared to do this (it’s really good practice and allows you to fully understand the counter-argument to your own thinking). Similarly, you should not assume that other speakers in the debate are arguing things that they believe in. They, like you, are simply advocates for the side that they find themselves representing. Once the debate is over, everybody just carries on merrily and we don’t hold grudges afterwards! Top Debating Tips! In every debate there is a motion: a statement, idea or policy that is disputed and framed within the prefix ‘This House’. Usually, the motion is either a policy which changes the status quo (e.g. This House Would Provide All Police Officers With Firearms) or a statement, the truth or falsehood of which is examined in the debate (e.g. This House Regrets the Decline of Marxism in Western Liberal Democracies).
There are two sides to the debate: the government and the opposition. The government, also known as the proposition, supports the motion whilst the opposition opposes it. After the debate, the judges will decide which debaters were most persuasive. What makes a good debater? Typically, judges decide how persuasive debaters have been through three key criteria: Content: What we say and the arguments and examples we use. Style: How we say it and the language and voice we use. Strategy: How well we engage with the topic, respond to other people’s arguments and structure what we say. How is the debate structured? There are many different formats of debate, each with their own rules. The format we use in competitive debating is called British Parliamentary, as it resembles a debate in the British Parliament. Points of Information are direct interjections made during speeches by other speakers in the debate. They are subject to the following rules: >You may only offer points of information to the side opposite to you in the debate (i.e., you are not allowed to offer points of information to your own side of the debate). >You may only offer points during unprotected time. >To offer a point of information you must stand up and indicate that you wish to give a point of information by stating “On a point of information” or simply “Information”. >If the principal speaker declines your point of information you must re-take your seat and you may not give a point at that time. >Points of information should last no more than fifteen (15) seconds and ideally should be as short as possible. If you are the principal speaker it is expected that you will take some but not all points of information that are offered to you. As a rule of thumb in a five-minute speech, you should always take at least one and never take more than two. In a seven-minute speech you should you should always take at least two and never take more than three. When to use points of information Points of information are crucial to gaining ascendancy in a debate. If you do not deal with them well in your own speech, you will look unconvincing, and if you do not offer good points of information you will look weak. A good point of information is short, succinct and puts the main speaker off balance. You should try to offer points that will expose the other side of the debate’s weaknesses. Types of point of information Clarification – if what a speaker is saying is not clear, or the full scope of their argument is not revealed, ask for clarification Factual objection – if a speaker uses a fact that is erroneous, or you can offer a competing fact that undermines the
speaker’s example, challenge it Argumentative objection – offering a counter-argument to a point that the speaker is making creates difficulties for that speaker. If they do not respond well they will look weak (be careful though, because you only have a few seconds!) Argumentative challenge – if you can offer an argument for your side that has not been made yet it will create difficulties for the speaker. If your team is speaking second on either side this is a good way of pre-empting what the first team might say – and gives you the credit for saying it first! However, remember that the 1st team set the theme of that side of the house – do not contradict them. Remember also that you are competing against them, so do not help them by offering too many new arguments. A Joke – a well timed and witty line relevant to what the speaker is saying can throw them off balance and make you look good Some reminders/ debate society rules 1. Within a debate speakers should always be courteous and heckling is frowned upon. 2. At the end of a debate the conflict between speakers should be forgotten. 3. Speakers should take care to note that within debating there is no assumption of a particular world-view: you should be prepared to explain and justify through logic and argument everything that you include in a speech. 4. You should ensure that students get a fair chance to speak. This may mean that one week, you are part of the judging panel. 5. You should ensure that you are respectful to others at all times. School Competitions Throughout the year, the school will enter a series of external competitions and there will be some opportunities to debate through the MAT. You should check MS Teams and your emails regularly to see when opportunities present themselves. In order to take part in the team, you will most probably need to audition. The instructions for the audition will be made clear and it is imperative that you stick to the remit given. Debate Society Meetings The Debate Society will meet weekly on a Friday between 12pm and 1pm. The topics will be decided by the Debate Committee, in conversation with your teachers. Debate topics will usually be released prior to the meeting, so that students have time to prepare arguments/ complete necessary research. Loyalty We expect regular attendance from all members of the society, regardless of whether they are debating that week or not. Students will have a Debate Society Loyalty Card which is stamped each week to indicate their attendance. Cards must be stamped during the session and can not be stamped retrospectively. Debate Society Committee* Meetings The Debate Society committee will meet once every half term to decide debate topics, discuss progress and to ensure that all is running smoothly. These will be included on the Debate Society calendar (attached). Committee members
should be the only ones to attend these meetings. The Debate Committee 2023-24 Roles and Responsibilities President and Vice President The President is the leader of the Debate Society, who coordinates and oversees all of the society’s activity in conjunction with teachers. The President will need to provide support, advice and guidance to the other committee members throughout the academic year. As this is probably the most challenging role on the committee, you’ll need experience of what the society does, and a strong belief in the aims of the society. Personal skills checklist: 1. Communication 2. Dedication/Commitment 3. People Management 4. Motivating volunteers 5. Organisation 6. Delegation Key Responsibilities 1) Meet regularly with teachers to signal the direction of the society 2) Calling and chairing meetings making sure everything is covered and no-one dominates 3) Delegating tasks – you shouldn’t do everything yourself! 4) Understanding the broader picture keeping the aims of the society in mind at all times 5) Being a spokesperson/figurehead and represent your society at public events (such as assemblies/ Open Evenings) 6) Maintaining committee enthusiasm – if you’re not passionate, no-one else will be 7) Read society emails and disseminate messages to the group. Secretary The Secretary is the backbone of the organisation of any society and ensures that things run smoothly. Emails need to be written, rooms need to be booked, documents are filled out and above all you need to communicate what’s going on to your members so they stay interested and stay involved. Personal skills required: 1. Communication 2. Dedication/Commitment 3. Organisation and Time Management Key Responsibilities 1. Taking care of society admin - fill out all forms and return to teacher/President/ VP 2. Arrange meetings and book rooms or venues 3. Creating an agenda and keeping minutes of meetings as necessary 4. Communicate regularly with your members, let them know what’s going on 5. Maintain up to date membership/ attendance records via MS Forms 6. Be aware of key dates for your society throughout the year 7. Read society emails/ Teams messages and action where appropriate 8. Publicise your society through Teams and other advertisements.
Your Debating Toolkit Structuring your debate 1st Speaker Opening Speech: 1. Define your stance This house believes that... {insert your argument in one simple sentence here} Define your three/ four key arguments as clear statements. i.e. ‘ This house believes that it is an infringement on our human rights to… This house also believes that…( It’s usually best to propose/oppose on 3 points. (e.g. political, economic, social)). 2. Define your team’s approach ‘ I will be speaking about ___________________ and my partner [insert name] will be sharing her views on ____________________________’ 3. Now, crack on with your points Your points should have a clear structure, citing your thoughts/ ideas, your evidence (from reputable sources- see below!) and your reasoning. IDEA - EVIDENCE- REASONING (+ SOLUTION). (TIP: make sure that you have an argument. You have to propose something. Saying that something is ‘wrong’ and ‘this is how it should be’ is not enough. You must say that something is wrong and THIS is what you are going to do about it. “What you are going to do” is the debatable part of the definition!). Take POIs when they’re offered and keep reiterating your stance- it’s important that you are seen to welcome the challenge! When you hear the warning bell (1 min to go…): DO NOT start any new points. Finish the previous point as quickly as possible and summarise what you have said so far. Ideally, if possible, restate the single, core sentence as the last thing you say. Second Speaker: ‘ Thank you, firstly, I would like to start with some rebuttal’... Now take aspects of the opposing argument and explore reasons why they are untrue. Use evidence to support your ideas. Now, crack on with your points Your points should have a clear structure, citing your thoughts/ ideas, your evidence (from
reputable sources- see below!) and your reasoning. IDEA - EVIDENCE- REASONING (+ SOLUTION). (TIP: make sure that you have an argument. You have to propose something. Saying that something is wrong and this is how it should be is not enough. You must say that something is wrong and THIS is what you are going to do about it. “What you are going to do” is the debatable part of the definition!). Take POIs when they’re offered and keep reiterating your stance- it’s important that you are seen to welcome the challenge! When you hear the warning bell (1 min to go…): DO NOT start any new points., use this time to summarise your main arguments and give a call to action. Finish the previous point as quickly as possible and summarise what you and your partner have said so far. Ideally, if possible, restate the single, core sentence as the last thing you say.
Opening the debate Opening the debate: • [some nice opening, e.g. quote], ‘ It’ is universally accepted that...’ • Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to this debate. • Welcome from this side of the house... • The motion for debate today is: ... Defining the motion: • Now we as today’s proposition/opposition strongly believe that this is true/ not true, but before we come to our actual argumentation, let us first define some important terms in this debate. • We believe that what is meant by ... is... / that ... are ... • When we say ... should ... we mean that .. Presenting the teamline: We as today’s proposition/opposition have structured our case as follows: • I, as the first speaker, will be talking about ... • Our second speaker, ..., will elaborate on the fact that ... • And our third speaker, ..., will do the rebuttal. Rebutting arguments, rebuilding your case: But before I come to my own arguments, let us first have a look at what ... has said. • I will continue our case in a minute, but before that there are some things about the ... speech that need to be addressed. • The first prop/opposition speaker has told us ...; on the contrary ... • He/She also said that ...; but in fact.. He/She was claiming that ...; but as my first speaker already told you, ... Introducing arguments: • Let me come to my first/second/.../next argument: [concise label of argument] • My first/... argument is: • The first/... reason why we’re prop/opposing this motion is: explaining arguments: • [rather abstract explanation on how the argument should work] Your Debating Phrase Bank
Summarizing & linking the argument: • So as we have seen [argument label], and therefore [motion]. • Now because of this ..., we have to support this motion. Summarizing & ending your speech: • So Ladies and Gentlemen, what have I told you today? Firstly ..., Secondly.. • [some nice closing words] • And for all of these reasons, the motion must stand/fall. Giving examples • There are many examples for this/for ..., for instance. • In fact, you can find many examples for this in real life. Just think of... • And there are similar cases, such as ..., ... • So in this simple example we can clearly see the effect of ... Making/rejecting/accepting/answering points of information: • Point of information, Sir/Madam. • On that point. • Wouldn’t you have to agree ...? / Doesn’t what you’re saying contradict with ...? / What about the ...? / How would you explain, that ... ? • No, thank you, Sir/Madam. • Declined. • Yes, please. / Go ahead. • Thank you very much, Sir/Madam, I’m going to come to this very point in my second argument in a minute Giving reply speeches: • Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome for the last time from today’s prop/opposition. It is now my pleasure to summarize this debate, take a look at what both sides have said and see what the outcome of this debate actually is. • A first/second/... major clash was: ... Today’s prop/opposition told us ...; we had to find ... • [some particularly nice closing words] • And for all these reasons, I beg you to prop/oppose
100 Example Debate Motions 1. Teachers should wear a uniform 2. School strikes for climate change should be supported 3. All 10 year olds should have a mobile phone 4. Teachers should not tell their pupils which party they will vote for 5. School Uniform Policies Should Be Gender Neutral 6. It is worse to eat too much than to eat too little 7. We should ban junk food for children 8. Competitive sports should not be played in schools 9. We should ban cars from city centres 10.The voting age should be lowered to 12 11.All UK police officers should carry guns 12.First past the post electoral systems should be reformed 13.International adoption should be banned 14.It is better to live in the countryside 15.Scientists should be ethically responsible for the consequences of their research 16.The world would be a better place if more women were in charge 17.Teen defendants should be judged by teen juries 18.Books should be realistic not fantastical 19.Film versions are never as good as the original books 20.We should stop giving prizes for the arts 21.Schools should be responsible for children’s moral education 22.Peaceful protest achieves nothing 23.The NHS should be privatised 24.There should be children and teenagers in government 25.Extremist political parties should be banned 26.New immigrants should have to swear an “oath of integration” 27.We should donate to charities that support humans over those that support animals 28.The US president should be elected by popular vote 29.Voting should be compulsory 30.Britain should rejoin the European Union 31.This house believes that we shouldn’t teach art and music in schools 32.Children should be allowed mobile phones in school 33.Children should not start school until they are seven years old 34.The electorate should not care about a politician’s youth 35.Affluent nations should accept more refugees 36.All children should attend a summer school 37.It is better to be a teacher than a pupil 38.King Charles should be the last British monarch 39.Children should only get pocket money if they do their chores 40.We would welcome robots into our homes 41.We should ban plastic carrier bags 42.We should blow up boats used for trafficking immigrants across the Mediterranean 43.Sports stars are bad role models for young people 44.We should scrap SATs 45.Nobody should have to wear school uniform 46.We should ban violent video games 47.Party leaders should be required to take part in pre-election debates 48.Scientists should be responsible for the ethical consequences of their work 49.Individuals should not be allowed to have bonfires in their gardens
50.There has never been a better time to be a woman 51.Childhood vaccinations should be compulsory 52.We should allow the creation of babies with three parents 53.Alcohol harms society more than illegal drugs 54.The world will be a better place at the end of 2023 than at the start 55.We should all be vegetarian 56.We should only eat food produced in Britain 57.Children can make a big difference to the environment 58.All secondary schools should be single sex 59.We support a manned mission to Mars 60.There should be a curfew for under-sixteens 61.This House believes community service is a better punishment than prison for non-violent crimes 62.This House would ban scientific testing on animals 63.England should have its own parliament 64.Scotland should be independent 65.Unhealthy food should not feature in children’s television programmes 66.We should fine parents when their children don’t do their homework 67.Pubs should be allowed to open late to show World Cup matches 68.The rich should pay a lot more tax 69.The use of television cameras in courtrooms should be supported 70.Space exploration is a waste of money 71.Science is the answer to our problems 72.Parents should be allowed to use technology to choose characteristics of their babies 73.Animal testing is scientifically unnecessary 74.We should use more nuclear energy 75.University education should be free 76.Disney films provide bad role models for children 77.We should ban smoking in cars when children are present 78.Sugar is worse than fat 79.There should be no censorship of the arts 80.Prizes for the arts (such as the Booker prize or the Turner prize) should be stopped 81.The Internet has done more harm than good to the arts 82.Art and music should not be taught in schools except as optional extra-curricular activities 83.Beauty pageants are demeaning towards women 84.Child beauty pageants should be banned 85.We should respect the privacy of public figures 86.Children should not be allowed to wear religious symbols in schools 87.There should be quotas for women in top business positions 88.Fireworks should be banned 89.We should invest in more green energy 90.The media provides poor role models to young girls 91.Faith schools should not be funded by the Government 92.Universities should set higher admission criteria for students from private schools 93.Only British history should be taught in British schools 94.The voting age should be lowered to 16 95.Size zero models should be banned 96.Footballers are paid too much money 97.Television is a bad influence on young people 98.Coursework is better than exams 99.We should shut down zoos 100. Catfishing should result in a prison sentence
My favourite killer phrases...