Listen
Think
Debate
Why formal debating?
• Develops on the spot critical thinking skills
• Huge amounts of speaking practice, building
confidence & presentation skills
• Fantastic for helping you plan essays
• Can spur you on to become well informed
about world issues you didn’t even know
existed
• Looks great on a CV
Plan for today
• Short introduction to British Parliamentary
debating.
• Split off into groups of eight.
• Discuss motion as a group.
• Have a three minute speech debate.
• Feedback from judges.
• Casual drinks at the Dirty Duck.
I’m scared by the prospect of speaking
• Don’t be, almost everyone in this room has
never given a public speech before
• Almost everyone is worried they’re bad at
public speaking
• If English isn’t your first language that’s fine,
it’s a great way to practice
• Even if you do freeze on the spot and can’t
think of anything to say or how to continue,
everyone has done it – even me
What does this training programme
teach you?
• To succinctly and clearly express your own ideas
• To spot the assumptions in what people say and
respond accordingly
• To improve the style and way in which you give
speeches
• The modest aim of learning all about the world:
International relations, social policy, labour rights,
feminism, moral philosophy and lots lots more.
AN INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE!
Overview
• Every round/game has a motion which will be
debated. An example motion you may debate
is: “This House Would Pay Smokers to Quit
Smoking”.
• Four teams are involved in each debate. Each
team is made up of two speakers.
• All speeches are of the same length.
Teams
• There are two teams on the Government
bench: Opening Government (OG) and Closing
Government (CG).
• The two teams on the Opposition bench are:
Opening Opposition (OO) and Closing
Opposition (CO).
• Despite there being two benches, ALL four
teams compete against one another.
Opening Government (OG)
Opening Opposition (OO)
1. Prime Minister
2. Leader of Opposition (LO)
3. Deputy Prime Minister
4. Deputy Leader of Opposition (DLO)
Closing Government (CG)
Closing Opposition (CO)
5. Member of Government (MG)
6. Member of Opposition (MO)
7. Government Whip (GW)
8. Opposition Whip (OW)
Dates for the diary
• Social meal in varsity after session TODAY!
• All Wednesday’s in H0.52 and Friday’s in Lib 1
as these are our training sessions
• UCL Pres cup this Saturday (week 2) – the
chief adjudicator is our very own president,
Edward Mancey – anyone with school’s
experience eligible
• Saturday week 4 – NAMDA novice in Hull –
open for all novice speakers
NAMDA Novice and Pres Cup
• Both great starting competitions for people new
to university debating.
• Great way to meet people from all over the other
country and visit cities
• Everyone there have schools experience at most
• NAMDA Novice is for people who either haven’t
debated before, or had only a little experience in
school, if you’re more experience you want to go
to Pres cup – talk to exec if unsure
• Both are great fun and promise an awesome
weekend, reply to a society e-mail to sign up