This document discusses debate skills and how to design a debate curriculum. It defines debate as a formal method of presenting arguments for and against an issue. Debate helps develop important skills like critical thinking, public speaking, research, and teamwork. A debate typically involves an affirmative and negative team, resolutions, and rebuttals. The document provides a sample debate structure and recommends teaching skills like argumentation, evidence evaluation, and refuting opposing arguments. It suggests identifying course goals and materials, selecting resolutions, and designing assessments when planning a debate curriculum.

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3. Conducted By:
Monir Hossen
Lecturer
Department of English
CCN University of Science and Technology
Email: monir.eng.cou@gmail.com
Phone: 01733873084
Facebook: Monir Hossen Cou
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4.  What is debate?
 Why debate?
 What skills are needed?
 How to design a syllabus that suits your
students?
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5.  A formal method of presenting arguments in
support and against a given issue in which
debaters present reasons and evidence to
persuade an audience or a group of judges
 Governed by some explicit rules
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6.  A game or mental gymnastics: participants
sharpen their thinking and speaking skills,
find best way to win
 A lab: one team tests its arguments against
the ones of another
 A way of finding truth: winning arguments
should be truest arguments
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7. Common terms
 Resolution: a simple statement that is subjected to critical
analysis.
 Affirmative team: supporting the resolution (‘pro’ side);
speak first
 Negative team: opposing the arguments offered by the
affirmative team and offering arguments against the
resolution (‘con’ side)
 Rebuttal: explaining why one team disagrees with the other
team
 Judge: neutral third party, decides which side is most
persuasive
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8. Resolution
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Affirmative team Negative team
Present arguments
Listen & take notes
Prepare rebuttal
Present arguments
Listen & take notes
Prepare rebuttal
Break
Present rebuttal Present rebuttal
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 Speech 1: first affirmative speaker introduces the topic and states the
affirmative team's first argument.
 Speech 2: first negative speaker states their first argument.
 Speech 3: second affirmative speaker states their second argument.
 Speech 4: second negative speaker states their second argument.
 Give a 5-10 minute break for each team to prepare their rebuttal speech.
 Speech 5: negative team states two rebuttals for the affirmative team's
two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.
 Speech 6: affirmative team states two rebuttals for the negative team's
two arguments and summarizes their own two reasons.

10.  Do your best to argue your side of the
debate, rather than relying on your personal
opinions
-> Sometimes argue something that is against
your personal views
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11.  “Honest disagreement is often a good
sign of progress”
Mahatma Gandhi
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12.  To provide meaningful listening, speaking, writing
practice
 To develop argumentation skills for persuasive
speech and writing
 To increase social skills and conflict resolution
abilities
 To enhance self-esteem and academic confidence
 To lead to competitive success in the future
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 Public speaking
 Critical thinking
 Note taking
 Organizing
 Researching
 Writing
 Listening
 Teamwork and
people skills

14.  Identify goals, length of the course
 Determine needed skills
 Compile input materials
 Select resolutions, suggested ideas for both
sides
 Brainstorm classroom activities
 Design test and assessment criteria
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15. Support consists of evidence. There’re four
kinds of evidence
 Examples
 Common sense
 Expert opinions
 Statistics
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16.  Repeat the argument you’re going to
refute
 Refute – explain what is wrong with
other team’s argument
 Replace the argument with your
argument
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17.  thinking about how you think
 process of asking, answering questions and
trying to understand how and why you come to
the conclusions
 in debate: plan what to say, anticipate other
team’s response, think of an argument to
counter other team’s arguments
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18.  Compare viewpoints of other people to your
own ones
 Find ways to ask questions that apply to
many perspectives
 Understand why some statements are
correct, others are not
 Understand how problem solving works
 Establish criteria for making judgments
 Present arguments in a constructive way…
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19.  Select a topic
 Choose a side: affirmative >< negative
 Discuss in your team:
 arguments,
 possible counter-arguments
 and find a way to refute them
 Start the debate
 Listen to the other team’s arguments
 Take notes
 Prepare to refute their arguments
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20.  http://idebate.org
 http://wiki.idebate.org
 http://www.conservapedia.com/Debate_topics
 ttp://iteslj.org/Techniques/Krieger-
Debate.html
 http://teachingdebate.typepad.com
 http://www.educationworld.com/
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21.  Rybold, G (2006). Speaking, Listening and Understanding
Debate. International Debate Education Association.
 Ziegelmuellerm, G., Harris, S., & Bloomingdale, D. (1995).
Advancing in Debates – Skills and Concepts. Clark
Publishing Company.
 Ruth Sunda, “Debate and Persuasive Writing”
 http://thepeoplespeak.org
 http://www.aracorporation.org/files/ARA_debates_Handboo
k.pdf
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Contact me: monir.eng.cou@gmail.com