HOW TO BECOME A
GOOD DEBATER
TEAM – RHYTHM
ANAMIKA BHATTAACHARYA
CHETHAN SHARMA
NISHANTH
PROF- ANALA PADMANABHA
CONTENT
DEBATING INTRODUCTION
BASIC SKILLS OF DEBATING
DEBATE STRUCTURE
ARGUMENT STRUCTURE
REBUTTAL
QUALITIES EVERY GOOD DEBATER NEEDS TO HAVE
HOW TO BECOME A GREAT DEBATER USING YOUR
VOICE
THINGS TO AVOID
HOW DEBATING IS GOING TO HELP FOR BUSINESS
EDUCATION
What is Debating?
A debate is a structured argument. Two sides speak alternately for and
against a particular contention usually based on a topical issue. Unlike
the arguments you might have with your family or friends however, each
person is allocated a time they are allowed to speak for and any
interjections are carefully controlled. The subject of the dispute is often
prearranged so you may find yourself having to support opinions with
which you do not normally agree. You also have to argue as part of a
team, being careful not to contradict what others on your side have said.
Why debate?
It is an excellent way of improving speaking skills and is particularly
helpful in providing experience in developing a convincing argument.
Those of you who are forced to argue against your natural point of view
realize that arguments, like coins, always have at least two sides.
The Basic Debating Skills
Style
Style is the manner in which you communicate your arguments. This is the most basic
part of debating to master. Content and strategy are worth little unless you deliver your
material in a confident and persuasive way.
Speed
It is vital to talk at a pace which is fast enough to sound intelligent and allow you time to
say what you want, but slow enough to be easily understood.
Tone
Varying tone is what makes you sound interesting. Listening to one tone for an entire
presentation is boring.
Volume
Speaking quite loudly is sometimes a necessity, but it is by no means necessary to shout
through every debate regardless of context. There is absolutely no need speak any more
loudly than the volume at which everyone in the room can comfortably hear you.
Shouting does not win debates. Speaking too quietly is clearly disastrous since no one
will be able to hear you.
Clarity
The ability to concisely and clearly express complex issues is what debating is
all about. The main reason people begin to sound unclear is usually because
they lose the “stream of thought” which is keeping them going. It is also
important to keep it simple. While long words may make you sound clever,
they may also make you incomprehensible.
Use of notes and eye contact
Notes are essential, but they must be brief and well organized to be effective.
There is absolutely no point in trying to speak without notes. Of course, notes
should never become obtrusive and damage your contact with the audience,
nor should they ever be read from verbatim. Most people sketch out the main
headings of their speech, with brief notes under each.
When writing notes for rebuttal during the debate, it is usually better to use a
separate sheet of paper so you can take down the details of what the other
speakers have said and then transfer a rough outline onto the notes you will
actually be using.
Eye contact with the audience is very important, but keep shifting your gaze.
No one likes to be stared at.
basic debate structure:
A topic is chosen for each debate
There are two teams of three speakers
Teams are provided with time to prepare
There will be a judge
There may be an audience present but they are not
involved in the debate
BASIC ARGUMENT STRUCTURE:
claim
Reason
Evidence
impact
Example:
Resolution: attending academies is good for children
Claim: children enjoy learning at academies
Reason: academies have a positive effect on their
education
Evidence: a study from nitte national university in 2020
said that 69% of children were satisfied with their
private school classes additionally 73.9% of children also
thought that academies had a positive effect on their
public school grades and abilities
Impact: my argument is…..this means that academies are
not only helpful for students to prepare for their future
but also is fun for them to be in.
rebuttal
• Response to the
opposing
argument’s
• Logical , well
expressed and
passionate the
attack
Construction of rebuttal
Using the signposting state the opposing argument or
fact
Explain why it is incorrect
Link this it to your argument
Example: the opposing team has stated a number of
inaccurate details firstly , the first affirmative speaker
started that nuclear power is dangerous and stipulated
statistics about its dangers.
However , they did not include the source of their
information. In fact, our research has identified that
nuclear power is extremely safe. Research from the
university of nitte found that nuclear power is 80% safer
than coal mines.
what to do:
Prepare rebuttals, including evidence
Make your rebuttal meaningful
Work as team when writing rebuttals
What not to do:
1. Don’t concede
2. Don’t be overly ambitious
3. Don’t drop or ignore important arguments
4. Don’t spend too much time on your opponent’s
arguments
5. Don’t give another constructive
QUALITIES EVERY GOOD DEBATER NEEDS TO
HAVE
FOCUSED AND STEADY
GOOD LISTENER
HAVE AN OUTLINE READY
RESPOND WELL
HOW TO BE A GREAT DEBATER USING YOUR
VOICE
Your speech must be clear and concise;
Talk quite fast to deliver all of your arguments but
quite slow to be understood by the audience;
Always project the voice to the room’s back;
Use dramatic pauses;
Don’t forget to vary tone and emphasize words or
phrases you find important
Things to avoid
Making up and falsifying evidence;
Disagreeing with decision of the judges;
Attacking the speaker, not the idea;
Being aggressive or offensive;
Interrupting opponents and judges. In such a way you
will not only show that you don’t know how to be a
good debater but also that your arguments are not
strong enough;
Disagreeing with commonly known facts.
By constantly working on your speech and debating
skills you will notice a lot of benefits in along run:
Your critical thinking skills will improve drastically
You will gain an ability to clearly render your thoughts
You will get new knowledge and educate yourself
You will get a boost confidence
You will learn how to present yourself properly
You will find a way out of any difficult situation and
much more.
HOW THIS TOPIC IS GOING TO HELP FOR
BUSINESS EDUCATION?
Business education needs to prepare students to think critically and
abstractly about their own organization, and how it fits with the external
environment. A deep intellectual understanding of the socioeconomic
and geopolitical realities of today’s world, and the complex,
interconnected impact of future changes, enables leaders in practice to
make better choices in adapting their business strategy and ensuring
success over time. Without that deeper understanding of their
environment, many leaders will be at risk of making poor decisions
which cause their business to fail.
Pouring resources into innovation, to disrupt competitors or drive
change in markets, is a high-risk but crucial activity. Again, deep
intellectual skills are essential for leaders to critically analyze risk and
predict where successes will lie, and to develop innovation strategies
which capitalize on the changes which will occur in the outside world.
THANK YOU!
