Debating Tips and Strategies

does not use cards at all, the other is already on

A. Before The Debate the brink of losing.
1. Brainstorm together with team members so that 10. Prepare blank note paper, palm cards and pens
everyone knows about the points and any to bring into the quarantine room.
rationale. There is no time for private 11. Always assume that your opponents will be as
explanations while you are onstage. One of the prepared and as articulate as you.
worst things a debater can do is bring in a point
that his teammates have not been told about. Preparation of Presentation
2. Do research. Intensive, extensive and 12. A good basic structure for the points of your
exhaustive. Know anything and everything about speech would be : Point A : Topic Sentence +
your topic and anything else that may be related. Explanation + Example
When you are informed about your topic, you will 13. Pick and choose the words that are going to
find it very easy to talk around your opponents. come out of your mouth. If Lady Margaret
3. Prepare an overview (team strategy & summary Thatcher can spend days over her choice of
of points) to help you focus during your words in a ten-minute speech, so can you.
quarantine hour. This overview will also help the 14. Use Plain English. In a booklet written for the
team stay on one common track. then Victorian Premier Sir Rupert Hamer, Plain
4. Ensure that you know the marking scheme. English was described as
Make sure that you fulfil your quota for “the use of the right words, in the right way,
marks/points. to convey our meaning in the clearest,
5. Ensure that you know the rules in place during simplest, shortest and most courteous way
the debate. It is a pity to lose because of that is possible. It is the job of Plain English
disqualification for reasons such as incorrect to tell the other person
clothing or late registration. naturally & unaffectedly,
6. Learn about logical fallacies for these will help pleasantly & persuasively,
you analyse opponents’ logical development and what we want him to know.”
pinpoint mistakes. 15. Ensure that you have no problems with the
7. Prepare palm cards or flip notepads. The pronunciation of words. If you have a problem
notepads should fit nicely into a debater’s palm. with a particular word during practice, you are
Palm cards should be numbered to help keep bound to mispronounce it during the debate.
them in order. Keep them neutral in colour. 16. Make it clear that the intention of any
8. Keep one point on one card or note page. presentation is to persuade and not to inform.
9. Ideally, a debater uses cards only as prompting Use persuasive phrases and tones.
devices. A good debater never ever resorts to 17. Keep points clear and simple. If you cannot
extemporaneous speech. Should both teams make your point within the first two sentences,
use cards as a crutch, the winner will be the one you will ‘lose’ the judges and your audience.
with the better points or delivery. But if one team Elaboration can be done AFTER you have made
your point.
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Debating Tips and Strategies
18. Try to end by restating your team’s stand so as to 4. Do not fiddle with the mike. If there is
leave the audience/judges clear where your interference, do not apologise for it. Let your first
stand is concerned. words be ringing words of persuasion.
19. Use clear verbal markers in your speech. Such 5. Stand squarely on your feet. Do not shuffle and
as ‘My first point.’ Or ‘Number one.’ This is to move around. This makes you look anxious.
ensure that the judge knows where you are in 6. When seated, try not to slump or hang over your
your speech. compatriots. If you need to talk, just lean slightly
20. Understand and believe your points before any to your side and whisper the minimum of words.
attempt to memorise your speech. If you don’t Keep your face turned towards the judges, the
believe your points, it will show during the speaker or whoever is speaking at the moment.
debate. Although parliamentary style debate 7. When speaking & using cards or loose paper, do
implies that there should be no memorising, it not place unwanted pieces on the table. Move it
can help for you to work out the logical sequence to the back of your handful of cards/paper.
of your persuasion. 8. Clothing. Men should be in long sleeves and
21. Try your best to think of at least 20 rebuttal points pants. Women should pay attention to necklines
for each stand. You won’t have time to think of and hem lengths. When onstage, hemlines look
them during your debate. Write each rebuttal at least two inches shorter than they actually are.
point on a piece of heavy card for easy Remember, judges will be seated with a bird’s
distribution during the debate. A piece of paper eye view of the stage.
tends to fly away, which may amuse the 9. Listen attentively to debaters. Judges get a
audience but to your detriment. negative impression when they notice that those
22. Prepare a rebuttal for every point. seated are too busy talking or writing to listen.
23. Prepare a rebuttal for EVERY rebuttal. Remember that a debate is about responding to
other people’s points and not the delivery of
PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE….! prepared points.
10. ‘Bite down’ on your words and choose which
B. During The Debate words to emphasise. If you emphasise
1. Always bear in mind that while onstage, you are everything, then there will be no ‘punch’ in your
being judged. Even while you are seated. presentation.
2. Show team solidarity through your dressing and 11. Make sure that you keep your rising tones to a
your actions. For example, the team members minimum. A rising tone, especially at the end of
may dress in similar blazers and sober colours. a sentence, implies that you are not sure.
The other team members may stand as their 12. Keep in mind that you are trying to persuade your
compatriot goes to the microphone. audience. So try to sound warmly persuasive
3. If possible, test the mike before the debate. Pay and keep the artfully chosen hostility to a
attention to any echo or sound feedback. If there minimum.
is an echo, speak slowly so that you do not ‘fight’ 13. Work out the timing of your points delivery and
with your own echo. always give yourself an extra two minutes for the
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Debating Tips and Strategies
opposition to ‘waste’ on POI. As long as you speech written down, do it on palm cards or flip
have delivered your points, it doesn’t matter if notepads.
you sit down ahead of time. Take your time; it 17. Always always look confident and sure even if
belongs to you. However, bear in mind that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
judges may penalise you for not making full use 18. Don’t ever use yourself as a model or example
of your time. for you are NOT infallible or perfect. You should
14. Black Out Moments. Never say ‘ah.. ah…’. use generally accepted examples such as our
Say ‘Ladies and gentlemen’ and give everyone Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, Tunku Abdul
offstage a good stare (as if you’re driving a point Rahman etc.
home) or just keep quiet. 19. Never apologise or admit that the opposing team
15. POI : is correct.
 Take your maximum and do not accept extras. 20. Try not to say anything about the other team
 When you give the opposition a chance to open wasting your time. Unless this is cleverly said, it
their mouth, you give them the chance to impress merely makes you sound as if you have nothing
the judges. Remember they are sitting safely at better to say.
the side and you are in the middle. 21. Leave the stage in a manner that does not invite
 Keep a list of phrases or sentences for the negative criticism and be polite at all times.
purpose of rejecting or cutting them short.
 A good strategy would be to take the first two C. After The Debate

POIs for these would come early in your 1. Keep notes and scripts in a clearly labelled file.

presentation and the opposition would not have These should go into your debate archive which

heard much of your points yet. (Less of your own should be under the care of a particular teacher

words for them to ‘play’ with). or student. The archive should have a secure

 Be careful of sounding as if you are merely and permanent place in the school resource

evading the question. centre. Regard the loss of such invaluable and

 Keep rejections to words of a single syllable. irreplaceable material as a tragedy.

2. Have a post mortem and view the videotape of
 Keep poetry for the literature class.
the debate. If possible, convert the tape into a
 Learn to cut people short in a polite and decisive
VCD so that it can be stored longer without fear
manner.
of deterioration.
 Judges are keeping their eye out for how quick
3. Compile a list of strengths and weaknesses as
teams are at responding to any of the opposing
well as strategies for improvement. Make a plan
teams’ rebuttals for this would mean that they
for improvement. For example :
can think fast on their feet (a requirement of any
 Begin exposing students to the debating culture
excellent debate team)
by opening a Gavel Club (Toastmasters’
16. Don’t ever bring a sheet of paper out to the front
programme)
with you. It flaps noisily, reflects light and
 Organise debating sessions at school
distracts people. If you need to have your

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Debating Tips and Strategies
 Be more aware of teaching students to be  Avoids over-dramatisation and shouting for
sensitive to the logical development of an emphasis
argument. Even if this means that they will be  Avoids distracting mannerisms
practising on you (re : Love is a Fallacy, by Max  Uses pace, pause and projection to good effect
Shulman)  Employs the effective use of gesture, posture and
 Start cultivating a pool of debaters, rather than eye contact
leaving it to chance. A good speaker is trained,  Is done with impeccable timing
not born.
4. Record the conclusions of the post mortem for Online Resources
future reference.  A book ‘Influencing Through Argument’ by Robert
Huber http://debate.uvm.edu/huber/huber00.html
Good Rebuttals All Around  Tips on Learning How To Debate; policy debating
The opposing speaker was giving an analogy, and parliamentary debating
comparing students with chickens. http://debate.uvm.edu/learndebate.html
POI
 Tips on Learning How To Coach a Debate Team
False Analogy! A chicken is not a student. You
http://debate.uvm.edu/learncoach.html
cannot compare a student to a chicken.
 An Article About Parliamentary Debating
Response
http://debate.uvm.edu/meanyparli.html
I am aware that a chicken is not a student. But I am
 Logical Fallacies : The Fallacy Files
focusing on the underlying message.
http://gncurtis.home.texas.net/
 Fallacies http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
Possible rebuttal to that ?
 Stephen’s Guide to the Logical Fallacies
You cannot draw a supportable conclusion from
http://www.datanation.com/fallacies/
premises that are not true.
 Max Shulman’s Love Is A Fallacy
http://www.dissension.com/logic/loveisafallacy.ht
An effective presentation
ml
 Has decisive openings and conclusions
 Exhibits a logical development of theme
It’s a good idea to read Max Shulman’s short story so
 Is original
that you will have an idea how knowledge of logical
 Avoids cliches, buzz words and colloquial
fallacies can be used to defeat an opponent in an
expressions
argument. That is, IF the opponent opens himself to
 Uses words which are carefully chosen such a defeat.
 Uses accepted pronunciation (Oxford or
Macquarie dictionary)
 Pays attention to the use of correct grammar
 Contains a careful and limited use of quotations

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