COM PLETE
GUIDE TO
DEBA TING
FOR TEA CHERS VA NUA TU 2 0 1 6
COM PLETE GUIDE TO DEBA TING
FOR TEA CHERS IN VA NUA TU 2 0 1 6
Chapter 1 Introduction
What is a Debate?
Chapter 2. Roles within a Debate
1
1
2
Adjudicators
2
Chair
4
Time Keeper
4
Chapter 3. A Successful Debate
5
Matter
5
Method
7
Manner
9
Chapter 4. Hosting a Debate
10
Chapter 5. Setting up a debate competition in your school
11
APPENDIX 1. Vanuatu School Debate Official Rule book 2016
13
APPENDIX 2. School Debate Sample Motions
15
APPENDIX 3. Vanuatu School debate Adjudicators Criteria 2016
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CHA PTER 1
W HA T IS A DEBA TE?
A debate is a formal argument. It brings two teams together to discuss and argue different sides
of a topic. The aim of a debate is for each team to persuade the audience and the adjudicators
(judges) that their side of the argument is correct.
Each debate consists of two teams of 3 members. Both teams will be given the same motion to
debate. One school will be the affirmative ? debating for the motion, while the other will be the
negative, debating against the motion. A debate motion must be a neutral statement with
reasonable arguments on each side. That ?Dogs make better pets than cats?is a basic example of
a motion.
For this motion, the affirmative team would be arguing that Dogs DO make better pets than cats.
They could list reasons such as "a dog is a mans best friend? and ?dogs are loyal?. For the
negative team they want to convince the audience that dogs DO NOT make better pets than cats
and would argue with points such as ?cats are easier to take care of? and ?cats can catch mice?.
Here are some other examples of a debate motion:
-
Homework should not be compulsory
Living in the islands is better than living in a city
It should be compulsory to vote
There should be reserved seats for women in Parliament
In preparation for the debate, students should research the motion together as a team and come
up with the strongest examples possible to support their argument. They should rehearse their
presentation, as delivery of their argument is also important ? reading off a piece of paper is not
debating! There are many components that make up a good debate, of which are detailed in
Chapter 3.
In the debate, teams take it in turn to make their arguments. The first affirmative speaker always
begins the debate, and is then followed by the first negative speaker. This pattern is maintained
for the second and third speakers of each team. Each speaker speaks for a set time, with a
warning bell, to give them time to sum up and finish.
Each speaker has certain duties, both individually and within their team. During the debate,
speakers will present their prepared speech, but will also add in rebuttals. Rebuttal is a key part
of debating. It is how the two teams react and respond to each other. Teams should listen to
their opponent?s case and respond back to them ? pointing out the flaws or inconsistencies in
their arguments.
To determine the winner of the debate, selected trained adjudicators will mark a criteria sheet.
This will help them to determine which team has been most convincing and has argued their
case the strongest.
1
CHA PTER 2
ROLES W ITHIN A DEBA TE
Adjudicat or
Adjudicators are neutral and assertive. An adjudicator must understand and be very clear on the
rules of the debate. They should have good basic knowledge of the debate topic, but not let their
own personal opinions influence the decision. They need to have an open mind and not fall
victim to preconceptions and prejudices.
Debates should have between 2-5 adjudicators. During the debate, adjudicators work and score
individually, without assistance or influence from their colleagues. At the conclusion of the
debate, all adjudicators will compare notes and must come to a consensus.
The adjudicator has three functions:
(a) Reaching a decision
The first task of an adjudicator is to decide which team has won the debate. An adjudicator asks
?which team has better performed the process of persuasion (who convinced me better?), in
accordance with the rules of debate.?
Adjudicators must arrive at their decision after careful consideration. This will include listening
attentively to all speakers in the debate, taking notes during presentations and applying the
rules of debating.
In a debate there are only two possible results ? a win for the affirmative team or a win for the
negative team. There are no ties ? the adjudicators must make the final decision, even if points
are tied.
2
An adjudicator is required to award marks to speakers and teams based on a generic judging
criteria sheet (see appendix 4). Each adjudicator should mark the scores of the speakers as the
debate proceeds. It is also recommended that adjudicators take additional notes during the
proceedings, to help them in their final decision.
It is crucial that adjudicators familiarize themselves with the judging criteria sheet before the
debate. Once the debate commences, there is very little time to both listen and mark, and this
job must be done simultaneously. After each speaker?s presentation, adjudicators have no more
than 1 minute to complete their notes. If the adjudicator is not familiar with the judging criteria
sheet, and it?s detailed specifics, the job will be a lot harder and final results unrepresentative.
It is not uncommon in a close debate to find that when the marks are first added, they reflect a
decision different from the adjudicator?s impression of the debate (ie. one team scored higher,
but the adjudicator actually believes the other team should be the winner). In this situation the
adjudicator should carefully review the notes of the debate and attempt to identify where the
marks and impressions differ. It might be that the adjudicator was too heavily based on a very
strong third negative speech. Once each individual adjudicator has reviewed his or her notes,
they should collate with their fellow adjudicators and as a collective come to a consensus on the
winning team.
Adjudicators should note that this is a team competition, and therefore should be careful not to
be swayed by individual efforts alone but to consider the team?s presentation as a whole.
Ultimately, the team of adjudicators can decide on the winner no matter what the points may be.
Points are a guide only, and the final decision by adjudicators cannot be changed or challenged.
(b) Explaining reasons for the decision
In delivering the decision, adjudicators must highlight the critical differences between the teams
rather than replay the whole debate. This should be discussed between all adjudicators initially,
and relayed to students by one or two selected adjudicators.
There may be one or several strategic issues which were critical in the debate; issues on which
the debate was won or lost. Focusing on these strategic issues allows the adjudicator to identify
the main reasons for the decision.
At the end of the decision, the debaters should have a clear understanding of why their team
won or lost. Most complaints arise because adjudicators are not able to clearly identify the
reasons for the result.
(c) Providing constructive feedback
Adjudicators are in a position to perform a valuable training function. Particularly with
school-student debaters, the feedback offered by an adjudicator is likely to be the most
substantial basis for improvement.
Feedback can affect the confidence of individual debaters. Adjudicators must take this
responsibility extremely seriously. An overly sarcastic or negative adjudication may undermine
the confidence of novice debaters to the point where they are fearful of speaking in public again.
Feedback should be constructive, not overly negative.
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Chair
Chair is a crucial role within a debate. It is the chair?s job to control the debate and ensure that
all proceedings are fair and in accordance with the rules.
Ideally, the chair should be located directly behind the podium, in between the two teams. The
chair should introduce the debate, the teams, the topic and the rules. Once the debate has
commenced, it is the chair?s role to ensure all correct proceedings are followed, rules are
adhered to and arguments are kept in line. The chair has the ability to stop the debate, or a
speaker on special occasions, if for example references are derogatory or personal.
Should there be no additional time keeper, the responsibility of keeping time will also rest on
the chair. Should there is space for question time at the end of a debate, it is the chair?s
responsibility to manage the floor and guide the discussion in an appropriate direction.
During all proceedings the chair should ensure all attendees ? audience and competitors to be
courteous, and should ensure a quiet environment for each speaker to present their case.
Time Keeper
Timekeeper is a simple job, but requires concentration. In this role you need to time speakers,
and notify them when their time is up. It is possible for the chair to double up as the time
keeper.
The timekeeper should start timing when the speaker starts, and signal when there is 1 minute
left, 10 seconds left, and when the time has expired. The timekeeper needs a timing devise, and
either a whistle, drum or cards. We recommend printing up large different colour cards that state
<1min> <10sec> and <STOP>. Signals must be visible/ loud enough to be heard or seen by
everyone including the adjudicators and audience.
Timekeepers should notify adjudicators of the time of each speaker after the debate.
The clock should only be stopped if there is an intervention by the chair.
Teacher / Team support
Debating is a new activity for most students in
Melanesia. To ensure they enjoy and learn from
their experience, teacher guidance is crucial.
Teachers can work with full classes to discuss
debate topics, giving more students the
opportunity to engage in the issues and discuss
the different perspectives.
For the students selected to debate, it is
important to provide sufficient support and
direction. Suggestions on research areas and tips
on how to improve their presentation are useful.
It is important however to make sure that all
content is collected by the students ? both
individually and as a team, and their
presentations are written independent of the
teacher.
4
CHA PTER 3
A SUCCESSFUL DEBA TE
The Pacific Institute of Public Policy has developed an adjudicators criteria aimed at secondary
school students and based off the Australasian Debating Guide published by the Australasian
Debating Federation. This criteria is a good guide as to how your team should prepare for their
debate, in order to come away extremely successful.
In our judging criteria there are three key components: Matter, Method and Manner. These make
up the basis of a debate, and help the adjudicators to look closely at the debater?s presentation
as a whole. This criteria is used in the Vanuatu School debate Competition.
Matter
Matter is the content of the speech. Matter includes rebuttal (responding to the other team), and
all evidence presented to support the team?s arguments, including examples and evidence.
Rebuttal is a crucial part of debate matter. It is what distinguishes debating from public
speaking ? it is the point of contact between two teams. Where there is no rebuttal, there is no
engagement and there is no debate.
The elements of matter are:
-
Rebuttal and responsiveness
Analysis and understanding of topic
Logic and engaging
Evidence and supporting examples
Persuasiveness
Rebuttal and Responsiveness
Rebuttal, and responding to your opponent?s arguments is a key part of a debater?s case.
Persuading an audience means that debaters must explain both why their arguments are right,
as well as why their opponent?s arguments are wrong.
Rebuttal may require establishing that the opposing argument is irrelevant, illogical, incorrect or
inapplicable to the context. Debaters should keep notes as their opponents speak, and should
include their response at the beginning of their case.
Analysis and Understanding of Topic
Analysis and understanding the topic is to deconstruct the different areas and arguments of the
motion. Strong arguments have been well researched, and are clearly understood by the speaker.
Drawing out the many different themes and selecting those that are most relevant and support
the case will increase the quality of the speakers argument.
5
Logical and engaging
A case that is easy to follow and on topic will result in a better score. Arguments should be clear,
rational and interesting to the audience.
Students should be forming a case that will be understood by their fellow peers. Material that is
too high level, including long lists of statistics or technical terms will often loose the audience,
and therefore be less effective.
Teams should look to define the motion ? drawing out and defining the specific terms. This
should set the parameters for the debate to ensure arguments are relevant and in line with the
intended topic. Relevance is especially important in debates given the short period of time
available to each speaker ? there is no time for irrelevance or rambling.
Student Hint
How to define the topic:
1. Select the key words from the topic and look up their meanings in a range of
dictionaries, choosing the most appropriate definition for each word.
2. Interpret ? what do these definitions mean relative to the motion?
3. Formulate a sentence which explains the motion using the most relevant
dictionary definitions
Evidence and Supporting Examples
Providing evidence is an important way to demonstrate that points are based on fact, and not
just made up! In the preparation to a debate, students should gather research from a range of
different credible sources. From this research, students can select examples and supporting
facts to strengthen their arguments. Students can quote from studies or people, but should work
to present research in their own words. Lots of numbers and data or very high level material
will be hard to follow to an audience that knows little on the topic.
Student Hint
When researching, there are lots of effective places to find information. Places to
look are:
-
Articles in newspapers or magazines
Books
Online reports and articles (make sure they are credible)
Organisations,businesses or Government offices or websites
Interviewing relevant people
Persuasiveness
Debating all comes down to being persuasive. You are trying to sell your argument to your
audience - convince them that you are right! Keeping your argument engaging and interesting is
key to helping you persuade your audience. Look at arguments from a personal perspective, that
appeal to peoples emotions.
6
Method
Method is the structure and organisation of the speech. Method includes the fulfillment of
speaker?s roles, the management of speaking time, the allocation of arguments between
speakers and the cohesion of the team.
The key elements of method are:
-
Timing
Team work
Speaker?s duties and Argument Structure
Timing
One aspect of effective speech organisation is the speaker?s ability to complete the material
within the allocated time. Speakers want to get as close as they can to the allocated time.
Going significantly over or under time (30 seconds +) will result in penalties in the judging
criteria. A very short case will loose points for timing, and most likely will also loose points in
Matter - as you have not presented many arguments or research.
An argument that is too long will loose points for timing, but the content will still be considered
by the adjudicators.
Student Tip
Before your debate, practice with your team and run through what you are to say so
that you can be confident of your timing.
If your speech is too short, expand on some of your material; give examples, facts or a
story that supports your point. If your speech is too long try to cut down on any
repetitions or irrelevant material. Don't forget to leave time to rebut!
Team work
Debating is a team activity and each speaker must be considered in their team role as well as
their individual role. A cohesive approach means that the speakers are more easily able to link
their individual cases to the overall argument.
When preparing for a debate, teams should come together as a group regularly to discuss points
and ideas. Students should choose at the start who will speak first, second or third and allocate
points to the first and second speaker. The third speaker needs to know the arguments so they
can include them in their concluding summaries.
Student Hint
A team line can be a great way to enhance you debate. After collecting all arguments,
work out what is the most important overall idea that your team is focusing on. Then
try and come up with a phrase that captures that idea. It should be a short catchy
phrase that all speakers can add into their presentation, that the audience will
remember once your presentation in done!
An example for a team arguing that all teachers should have a Tertiary education:
"Quality Qualifications equals Quality Kids"
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Speaker duties and Argument Structure
Argument structure includes two aspects. The first of that is individual case structure. An
effectively structured case will tend to have the following features:
-
An interesting opening, which captures audience attention
A clear statement of the purpose and general direction of the speech
A logical sequence of ideas which is easy for the audience to follow
Prioritised arguments with time allocated according to their importance
A conclusion or summary of the major points made in the speech
A second aspect of a speaker?s structure is the performance by each speaker of certain duties
within their team. A summary of these duties is set out below:
First Speaker Affirmative
-
Define the topic and key terms in the motion, set out affirmative?s interpretation of the
topic, identify issues which will be discussed
Present team structure team line
Present arguments allocated to the first speaker
No rebuttal
First Speaker Negative
-
Identify major areas of initial disagreement with the affirmative case, include any
disagreement about the definition, but do not redefine terms.
Rebut the affirmative arguments.
Present team structure ? team line
Present arguments allocated to the first speaker
Second Speakers (Affirmative and Negative)
-
Rebut major arguments
Defend own case against rebuttal by previous speaker(s)
Present arguments allocated to second speaker
Third speakers (Affirmative and Negative)
-
Present an overview of the debate
Identify the essential issues upon which the teams disagree, rebut the important aspects
of the opposing team?s case , defend own team?s case against attack
Summarise own team's case
Can also list recommendations (optional)
NOTE. The final speaker in the debate may not introduce new matter. They should summarise
their teams argument and points made by the first and second speaker presentations, including
their rebuttals. The purpose of the rule is to prevent unfairness in the debate. It is unfair for an
issue to be raised at a point in the debate when the opposing team has no opportunity to
respond.
8
Manner
Manner is the presentation style of the speech
Manner includes the aspects of a speaker?s presentation, which contribute to or detract from
their effectiveness as an oral communicator.
The elements of manner are:
-
Body language and presentation
Vocal style
Body Language and Presentation
The speaker?s presentation and body language is a crucial part of an effective and engaging
case. Presentation is how a speaker presents himself or herself. Speakers should have neat hair
and clothing, good posture and a calm, confident and mature manner.
Body language is very important when speaking to an audience. Interaction with the audience
can be made in a number of ways. Eye contact is extremely important; speakers should not be
reading directly off a prepared paper, but can be prompted from personal cue cards. The speaker
should be able to add to their case with gestures and express themselves with confidence and
enthusiasm.
Student Hint
Don?t write your full debate down. Instead keep notes short and succinct on small
cards. Notes are a little reminder of what you want to say ? a prompt only. Number
each card so that if you drop them, you can sort them easily.
Vocal style
Vocal style is central to ensuring the speaker?s message is heard and understood. The greatest
arguments in the world won't win you a debate if no one can hear them! Vocal style includes
volume and pace, tone and clarity. The speaker?s case should be delivered clearly, so that the
entire audience can hear. They should use the volume and pitch of their voice to add interest,
and drive home important points. Language should be clear and well pronounced, at a rate that
is not too fast so that the audience can easily follow.
Student tip
Present like a champion! Try to remember these tips when presenting:
-
Develop eye contact with the whole audience ? don?t just look at one person
Use your hands and body naturally to emphasize points
Speak clearly and loudly
Vary your voice pitch- make it sound interesting
Don?t speak too quickly
Stand up straight ? make sure you are not moving from foot to foot.
Avoid slang ? use good conversational English
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CHA PTER 4
HOSTING A DEBA TE
Whether you are running internal school debates, or are a host school for a debate, there are a
few things to remember when setting up the debate venue.
Prepare the debating room
-
-
The debating room should be located in an enclosed and quiet space that can seat the
competing teams, adjudicators, chair and if possible an audience.
A sound system can be helpful but is not crucial.
Each team must be provided with chairs and a table that comfortably accommodates
three speakers. The two tables should be placed at angles so that speakers are easily
visible.
The chair and timekeeper must sit at a separate table near the teams.
There should be adequate space for speakers holding the floor to stand in front of the
team tables.
The judges must have a table, which easily accommodates all people. The adjudicators
table should be positioned in between the speakers and the audience.
Chairs for the audience should be set up in rows facing the speakers.
Provide jugs of water and glasses for speakers and judges.
Arrange a small team of students from your school to welcome and seat the participating
teams, and members of the audience.
You are welcome to provide refreshments to visiting teams, but it is not compulsory.
10
CHA PTER 5
SETTING UP A DEBA TE COM PETITION IN YOUR SCHOOL
Setting up a debate competition within your school is great way to help more students get
involved, and improve the standard of everyone?s debating skills. Internal school debates are
quick to set up, and can easily be included into classes such as English or social science. They
assist students in a range of areas that are important in core curriculum, including public
speaking, language skills, teamwork, individual research and writing. To organise an internal
school debate there are a few things to consider.
Rules
Develop your competition rules. It is crucial that students and teachers have access to the rules
and debating criteria so everyone is clear. You can follow the formal rules and adjudicators
criteria of the Vanuatu School Debate (Appendix 1 & 2). Or for less formal class debates you can
make use of PiPP's classroom resource"Debate It; a Students guide a class debates" which includes
simplified rules and adjudicators criteria sheet .
Motion
Develop neutral debate motions. When thinking of a topic it is crucial to make sure that there are
points on both sides of the argument. For example, the debate motion ?It is important to stay
healthy?is not neutral. There are very few points the negative side ? how does one argue that it is
not important to stay healthy? As a teacher, when you write a topic, try to think of a few
arguments on each side to make sure it will make for a good debate. For prepared debate topics
see Appendix 2.
Competition Format
This depends on how much time, or how many teams you have. If you have lots of teams, and not
much time you can run a simple knockout format. Here, every team competes in the first round,
but only the winners move through to the next round. This continues until only two teams are left,
who can compete against each other in the Grand Final. The drawbacks however, is that teams
that are unsuccessful at first do not get a chance to improve and practice.
Another option is a round robin format. If you have lots of teams you can divide teams into two
pools. Each team will compete against all the other teams within their pool. When points are
added up, the teams that finish on top of their pool will compete in the grand final. If you don?t
have enough for two pool,s all teams can compete against each other and once the scores are
added up first and second in place move through to the grand final.
Adjudicators and Chairperson
You will need to ensure that all your debate competitions have at least two adjudicators and one
chair. They should be provided with the debate rules and the adjudicator marking criteria. In
serious debate, these roles should be held by teachers. In social debates these roles can be filled
by students.
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Make it fun
The aim of a debate competition is not only to learn but also for student to have fun. Try to think
of some ways to make the competition enjoyable. If you school has houses you can make it an
inter-house competition to add some competition! You could have a social debate with a fun
topic, or maybe where a team of students competes against a team of teachers. There are lots of
ways to make the debating enjoyable. And the more fun students have, the harder they will try
and the more likely they will want to compete again next year.
Organise an audience
Make sure other students come to watch the debates. This is good experience for both the
competitors and those listening. It can also be valuable to have question time at the end. This
should be led by the chair, and should be kept in line with the debate topic. You can also ask
students to vote before and after the debate on the motion.This will help students to think
about the debate motion and their own personal opinions.
Certificates or prizes
Add some extra excitement by awarding prizes to the winners, and best speaker or a team shield.
Participation certificates are also a good way to make sure everyone who participated is
acknowledged.
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A PPENDIX 1 .
VA NUA TU SCHOOL DEBA TE OFFICIA L RULES 2 0 1 6
Students:
Students eligible to participate in the debates competition must:
-
-
Be enrolled in year 10-13 (Anglophone) and year 10-14 (Francophone) in a registered
government run or private secondary school. Schools that only have up to grade 10 are
permitted to enter students from year 8-9.
Are permitted to compete again even if they competed in previous years
Teams
-
Each team will comprise of 3 members per debate.
Each team will have least one female and at least one male. .
All teams should have at least 1-2 reserves in case of illness or absence.
Speakers may be substituted between rounds.
Speakers may not be substituted during a debate.
Adjudicators
Adjudicators shall:
-
-
-
Be objective and neutral, not influenced by preconceived opinions of the motion or teams.
Have expert knowledge and understanding of the adjudicators judging criteria and rules of
debating, including the glossary of terms.
Complete the adjudicator judging criteria sheet independently, to the best of their ability
during the proceeding of the debate. The criteria sheet should not be left and filled out at the
conclusion of the debate.
Not take into account any arguments made after the debate. Should there be a question and
answer session after the debate, these points cannot be included in the final decision.
Provide a useful constructive feedback to students that is not overly negative
Not display non-hostile or inappropriate behavior towards debating teams
Chair
Chair shall:
-
Ensure the debate runs smoothly
Manage and coordinate the debate and delegate duties including timekeeper.
Regulate behavior of all present during the debate to ensure a quiet environment for speakers
to present.
Monitor and intervene to obscene behavior, personal remarks or mocking.
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Debate:
-
Two Teams of three persons each will participate in each debate.
Each speaker will be given a maximum of 5 minutes to talk.
Students are not permitted to read from whole sheets of paper. Palm cards are permitted.
One team will be ?for the Motion - Affirmative?and the other team ?against the Motion negative?.
The debate will always commence with the affirmative team
After 4 minutes a 1 minute card will be shown by the time keeper to signify ?last minute?.
A 10 Second card will be held at 4min 50 to indicate that the student must wrap up their
debate.
A Stop card will be held up to indicate that the student has run out of time and needs to
conclude their debate.
Students will be penalized for going severely under or over time (30 seconds +). If students go
well under time they also risk the chance on loosing points in terms of content.
Content presented after the 5 minute mark will still be considered, although the speaker will
loose points for timing.
Students are permitted to take notes during other speakers, however must remain respectful
to the other team.
Inflammatory language, or personal remarks are not permitted After each speaker a
maximum of 1 minute will be given to allow adjudicators to finalise their scoring.
At the conclusion of both team?s cases adjudicators will be given as much time as needed
(within reason) to come to a consensus.
There will always be a winning and a loosing team. There cannot be a draw.
The adjudicators must come to a decision together. Once a decision has been made it cannot
be un-made or challenged.
Every debate there will be a best speaker awarded. The best speaker can come from the
winning or loosing team. It does not necessarily have to be based on points.
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A PPENDIX 2 .
SA M PLE DEBA TE M OTIONS
Beginner
-
Living in the islands is better than living in town
School should be taught in Bislama, not English or French
Mobile phones should not be allowed at school
Sport should be compulsory at schools
Both primary and secondary school should be free
Intermediate
-
It should be compulsory to vote in Vanuatu's national election
Kava is good for Vanuatu
There is no such thing as poverty in Vanuatu
International aid after Cyclone Pam was effective and useful
International fishing should be banned from Vanuatu waters
There should be seats reserved for women in parliament
Poverty is increasing in Vanuatu
Sexual health education is a critical part of the Vanuatu schools curriculum
Vanuatu should give aid to other Pacific countries in times of need
Tertiary scholarships are the best way to provide employment opportunities to youth in
Vanuatu
Vanuatu Government should be given complete control over incoming international aid
Advanced
-
Vanuatu must globalise to succeed
Mining, either at land or at sea should not be allowed in Vanuatu
Traditional Practises are the way forward for an environmentally sustainable Vanuatu
Vanuatu can be a friend both to Indonesia and West Papua
The traditional Westminster system of governance is incompatible with our Melanesian
Kastom
Vanuatu should accept climate change refugees from other Pacific Island countries
Vanuatu should serve as a non permanent representative to the United Nations Security
Council
Vanuatu should forge stronger ties with Asian Neighbours
Vanuatu benefits from sending UN peacekeepers to international conflict zones.
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