debate

Schools today are training their students in the art & skill of argumentation. Debating clubs exist for this purpose and those that are really serious in molding their students into excellent debaters set a regular training schedule so students can practice their skill.

This is the secret of schools that breed champion debaters----regular practice and training that give the students the opportunity to polish their speaking skills on a regular basis.

If you only start training your students only when you get challenged or invited to a debate, forget about winning. You will only be putting the name of your school to shame.

Practice and train even when there is no invitation. Be prepared always for any battle.

choosing a proposition for debate

Some topics may be too broad or too narrow for a debate. It is important that the proposition or resolution should be timely and controversial enough to allow the debaters to put into maximum use their argumentation skills. No topic is too elementary for debaters so long as the issues are debatable. If it is for academic exercise tackling issues that are of direct concern to the audience will naturally attract a bigger crowd of listeners.

Issues related to health, work, family, communication, education etc. are never too small for any debater. One wrong notion debaters have in choosing the topic is to only choose issues related to law and politics, such as political dynasties and republic acts that only concern a few and which majority of the audience cannot relate.

A word of advise: if you have not tried debating on what to you are small topics meant only for "grade schoolers" or "high schoolers", then, don't attempt to jump into big topics that do not directly affect you lest the debate will turn out to be one big bluff.

start them early

When does one start to train a child for public speaking? The earlier, the better. For as long as the child has already started to talk, the parents can condition the kid to like being on stage, that speaking in front of many people is a most pleasant experience. Onstage he will feel at home like fish is in water.

This was what happened to the kids who participated in the debate on June 9 when eight kids debated using Oregon-Oxford on whether poverty is a hindrance to success or not. Eight kids, ages 8 to 15, surprised the audience of parents with their impressive presentation of arguments and interpellation. It was one of a kind because kids as young as 8 already managed to stand up in front of an audience to debate. As the chairman of the board of judges Dr. Lacdo-o put it, it was a "breakthrough" because for the first time it was shown that children are also capable of showing their skills in public speaking.

It was a successful debate with the negative side winning over the affirmative.

Which is the better format of debate?

This issue should cause controversy among debate lovers---which is the better format? The traditional Oregon-Oxford or British Parliamentary type of debate? Basically, I love and enjoy debate regardless of form although I should say honestly that I am more inclined towards Oregon-Oxford because of the preparation allowed to debaters who have the chance to do extensive research and deliver their speeches read. On the other hand, BP, because the motion is given right there on the spot, gives only little time for the debaters to deliver a well-thought out speech. Thus, blunders and other errors occur. But let us walk through the details so we can truly see the merits of each.

Between the two the easiest to organize is BP. In fact, it can be done instantly with students relying only on stock knowledge. So debaters here are expected to be knowledgeable about controversial issues of the day. They have to read voraciously and vicariously. After the motion and the sides are given, debaters are only given 10 to 15 minutes to prepare 7-minute speeches delivered extemporaneously. The prime minister government side opens the debate, laying the grounds, defining terms and presenting his arguments. A minute after the delivery of his speech the opposing side can now make points of information. The same procedure is repeated all throughout the debate.

In Oregon-Oxford, students are given more time to prepare, say, one month at the very least. The proposition and sides are determined ahead of time so debaters know what to research on. The period of preparation is used in research and practice. All aspects of the issue are to be analyzed, questioned and answered. In preparing for this type of debate no stone is left unturned by the debaters who should anticipate the contentions of the opposing side. It is the affirmative side which opens the debate, laying the grounds, defining terms, and giving the assigned tasks. He tackles the necessity aspect of the proposition. After his speech of 7 minutes, the first negative speaker stands up to interpellate him for 5 minutes. The same procedure is followed all throughout.

Which is the better format? It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for one that you can easily put up because you have little time, then use British Parliamentary. But make sure that motions are within the knowledge of the students. If you have ample time for students to prepare, then you can have Oregon-Oxford. The BP method is ideal for classroom debates. Teachers of English, Political Science or Government, Science, Hele, Values Ed. can readily use this type of debate in their classes. It is a very good way of developing students' communication skills and awareness of issues that affect them and others. Teachers may incorporate debate as one of their teaching strategies and may assign a specific day for this activity, say, every Monday or Friday.

The role of teacher here should not only be limited to giving of grades to the students. First off, she has to make clear the rules of the game and how the grades are based. Then she should note down all the good and bad points she sees or hears during the debate and should make a feedback (very important) after the activity. She should tell them what they did best, the strong points and the things that needed improvement. The teacher should give specific or individual feedback to each debater. She should see to it that errors committed in matter and manner are corrected.

The better format of couse is one that brings out the best in debaters and this all depends on the organizer(s) or coach or facilitator who is there to see to it that students become better each time.

the use of "intimidation" in debate

When debaters feel competitive they usually employ the power of "intimidation" on their opponents. This is done on the belief that a debate is started not on stage but backstage or when you come face-to-face with your opponents for the first time.

How?

In one inter-school debate we had participated, the debaters were asked to stay in one room about an hour before the debate started for briefing and clarification of debate rules. The debaters were introduced to each other and they got to "see" and even speak with their opponents. One of my debaters was really nervous to meet her opponent who looked like he had read all the books in the world because of his thick scholarly glasses. She later on learned that those glasses were gradeless and only served as "prop" to give him that "look". Indeed the debater on the opposing side succeeded in intimidating one of my debaters.

In order to avoid these tricky traps debaters use to make the other side feel "inferior", let us try to walk through the different things that intimidate debaters:

1. the look

Do not be deceived by looks. Thick glasses? Earnest facial expressions? Big books? nice suit?Most likely, he or she is just trying to cover up what she does not have in there. Good looks, fair skin, height, beauty----they have nothing to do with debating skills, relax. We are notlooking for a Miss Universe here but good debaters.

2. big voice

This one really intimidates. If your voice sounds like the squeak of a baby rat and youropponent's voice registers like a lion's roar, you can be in trouble. Work on your volume.Take advantage of the microphone, project your voice, speak with a punch.

3. many sources---books, magazines

This can be tricky. The piles of books could either represent the bulk of their research or they are there only for display. A good debater does not take chances. He or she preparesthrough extensive reading and research.

Again, if you are prepared, nothing can shake you ---- not even looks, books, or voice.

overkilling "Madam Chair"

Every meeting as I listen and watch with amazement at my summer kids speak and debate with improved public speaking skills, I notice that while some had junked "ladies and gentlemen" and "at the end of the day" in place of "uh--uhmm.." some had sneaked in a new crutch in place of those redundancies and are now dotting their speeches with "Madam Chair" after every short phrase.

This being the case, Madam Chair, I strongly suggest Madam Chair, that using too much of this expression Madam Chair will blur the meaning or the message that you are trying to express Madam Chair.

When the overuse of this expression Madam Chair becomes too much Madam Chair we are actually "overkilling" the phrase Madam Chair and that if we do not do something about this Madam Chair to eradicate this nasty phrase Madam Chair then I am afraid Madam Chair that we might end up not saying anything Madam Chair.

Redundancies and unnecessary body movements seldom happen in the Oregon-Oxford type of debate where students get to do research, write, edit and practice delivering his or her specch a month or so before the debate.

a thousand "Ladies and gentlemen"

It is amazing to hear how young debaters, learning the skill of debating for the first time, had absorbed the bad habits of their predecessors. I do not only mean the dancing and the bouncing while driving their arguments but the profuse use of certain terms and expressions that can easily irritate the ears of the audience after listening to all of them.

In a short speech of 5 to 7 minutes, you would hear a deluge of "ladies and gentlemen" rattled by all 8 debaters. Multiply that by 7 and that's almost an hour of hearing "ladies and gentlemen" used freely all throughout. "At the end of the day" I thought I heard the expression a thousand times.

Another favorite expression which will most likely take the place of "ladies and gentlemen" is "at the end of the day" which I heard 20 times running second to everybody's favorite "ladies and gentlemen".

When their attention was called regarding the obvious and profuse use of "ladies and gentlemen", the new debaters have found another clutch on a new phrase, "at the end of the day".

Needless repetition and redundancy are discouraged anywhere whether in writing or public speaking. An expression should, as much as possible be only used once during the entire speech. Repeating it may not be a very good idea. Saying it more than twice will make you sound like a bore to say the least.

what is it about BP debating that makes students sway and rock while speaking?

I still don't get it. Is it the method of debating or the wrong training students are getting which makes them eat the words, speak too fast, sway and rock while speaking which I see rampant among those using the parliamentary style of debating? The skills or the manner is not there---poor audience contact, weak voice/delivery, rocking and swaying---what is that? There is too much haste in the delivery and the message, if there is any, is either lost in the effort or not understood at all. Students spend so much time and effort learning the wrong skills. In the end, it turns out to be a futile exercise teaching students the incorrect way by focusing only on the technicalities or format of the debate and neglecting to lay the important foundation of good public speaking or effective delivery which should be the end goal of all types of debate.

the manner AND the matter in debate

One cannot possibly separate one from the other without screwing the overall skill of a debater. He either has both or he doesn't. Judging from the way modern-day debaters are trained in the "latest" method of debate, I can easily see that much has been taken for granted. While it is true that the open display of stock knowledge in almost flawless rhetorics can put any traditional debaters to shame, but the manner by which these beautiful or erudite lines are delivered leaves many unsatisfied and confused.

What, exactly, is good debating? Is it just a mere show of knowledge, facts and stored information delivered in lightning speed because you have so much to say within only 7 minutes? In debates watched by a big audience, this kind of speaking is a no-no. Public speaking, as in debating for a big audience, requires proper pacing of phrases, appropriate gestures, and a lot of audience contact. No matter how well-researched or well-informed a debater is, but if he or she delivers her speech faster than the speed of light, looks everywhere except the audience, rocks and sways, uses only one hand to gesture, and whose voice lacks enthusiasm or power, then he better consider retiring from this activity.