ADVANCED DEBATING SKILLS With Michael Rees HOW TO
‘ADVANCED’ DEBATING SKILLS With Michael Rees
HOW TO STRUCTURE AN EXCELLENT PREP Brainstorm: 5 minutes � Thinking of arguments (principled and practical), stakeholders, and the worldview of your team. Download: 10 minutes � Listen to content of all other team members, write EVERYTHING down. Allocate Arguments: 2 mins Write 1 st Speaker’s speech: Rest of Prep
How to have a cracker in prep Brainstorm Download First speech
COMING UP WITH XLNT PRINCIPLE ARGUMENTS Principle Argument Structure: � What is the right/principle that we are advocating for? � Why is it important? � What are analogous rights/principles? � What are conflicting principles? Make sure that principle arguments are situated in a particular worldview. E. g. AFF on the Debate: That this house would legalise all drugs. More Complex: AFF: That this house would impose a 100% death tax.
JAZZING UP YOUR PRINCIPLE ARGUMENTS � What is the right/principle that we are advocating for? Make this very debate specific. Use the language of the debate rather than generic language � Why is it important? Give multiple reasons why the right or principle you are defending is important. Ensure that they are seperable. � What are analogous rights/principles? Make sure that you establish EXACTLY WHY these rights/principles are analagous. What is principally consistent between the right you are defending and existing rights? � What are conflicting principles? Establish why your principle is more important than theirs.
MAKING GOOD PRACTICAL ARGUMENTS Structure: � What is the benefit/harm that we arguing for? Again, make sure that you use the language of the debate. � What does the situation look like at the moment? Describe the situation. Make sure that you characterise the important actors/features of the situation here to suit your argument. � How does our model change the situation? Load the reasons up at this point. Usually 2 -3 numbered reasons. On the NEG, you are obviously arguing how the AFF model makes the current situation worse. � Who benefits/is harmed by this change and how? Focus on substantive benefits to stakeholders. Use emotion.
BUILDING IN PRE-EMPTIVE MATERIAL: Should be done in ALL First AFF speeches. � Ensure that you briefly address what you know they will say. Try to target their most important argument. � Either: Build this into your principle argument. Or, have a brief (1 minute, 30 seconds) third argument at the end of 1 st Aff responding to what you think will be the major contention of their case. Advantages: � Puts opponents on back-foot. � Removes structural disadvantage of 1 st Aff in having no rebuttal. � Makes you address the important clash in the debate.
WHAT DO DO WHEN YOU CAN’T THINK OF GOOD MATERIAL • Think about the clash in the debate. What arguments will the opposition make and what do we need to do to win those issues? • Analyse stakeholder interests. Who does this debate effect and how? Make sure that you haven’t missed anyone. • Think about the principle of your case. What type of arguments are consistent with this principle?
DEALING WITH CONFLICT IN PREP There will be disagreement in prep. � Egos, mistakes, conflicting worldviews etc. Four steps to resolve disagreements about arguments: � Highlight the exact arguments/pieces of analysis that conflict. � Work out whether they are truly inconsistent or merely misphrased. � If they are inconsistent, work out which is more principally consistent with your case. � If this does not work, defer to experience. People who have seen more debates will usually be better judges of an argument’s quality.
E C I V ST A E S S ER I C E P D A FIC
DEALING WITH A WILD PRO Many institutions send Pros to Easters. These are often people who are very experienced debaters and will usually speak at 2 nd. � You will know them when you hear them. � Deal with them as follows: Make sure that you identify the way in which they have changed the debate. Look for shifts in emphasis in the opposition case. � When you are rebutting, make clear the way that the debate has changed and rebut all of the material they have brought. � Ensure that you work together as a team to come up with rebuttal for this speech. There will be a lot of material and detailed analysis. Literally, all members of the team should be chipping in with rebuttal for the speaker who follows the pro. It is ok to spend more time rebutting a pro than you would another speaker. If you nullify the importance of their material in the debate, you will win.
OTHER RANDOM ADVICE Inflate your speaker scores by scripting your intros. � Make them emotive. � Avoid debaterisms. � Hit at the big issues in the debate. � Don’t make them sound like rebuttal. � Example of a great intro: That this house would display the full horrors of war. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=SAmea 9 zwx 1 Q&index=8&l ist=PL 05 AF 9907 B 98 B 59 A 8
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