Debate answering the challenges of migration and

multiculturalism, Slovenia, 20 – 28th November 2010

WHAT IS DEBATE
The project »DEBATE ANSWERING THE
CHALLENGES OF IMMIGRATION AND
MULTICULTURALISM« is supported by
European Commission, Europe for citizens
program,
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index
_en.php Information and views expressed
in this material do not present the official
statements of the European Commission
and European Commission does not take
any responsibility for them,
 DEFINITION
• A structured communication event about a
specific topic of interest, which promotes
presentation, and analysis of various
points of view before an opportunity is
given for decision.
• It is a process, does not have to be a
formal event or a contest.
 COMPONENTS
1. Structured communication event
• - two or more sides,
• - affirmative/negative,
government/opposition,
proposition/opposition
• number of the speakers: 1, 2, 3, 4 …
• time
 COMPONENTS
2. About a topic
3. Presentation of various points of view
4. Analysis of points of view
5. Opportunity for decision
 PROCESSES
Debate intellectual processes
• Development: make a case.
• Clash: criticize and analyze opposing
ideas.
• Extension: answer criticisms specifically.
• Perspective: compare and contrast
positions, urge a decision, though no
decision is final.
 SKILLS
• RESEARCH
• ORGANISING NOTES
• MAKING AN ARGUMENT
• MAKING A CASE
• CRITICAL ANALYSES OF OPOSING
VIEWPOINTS
• DECISING MAKING
• ORAL COMMUNICATION
• LISTENING, NOTE TAKING
 RESEARCH
• Investigation of the topic
• Keywords list
• Holistic reading
• Evaluations of sources
• Organising notes
 MAKING AN ARGUMENT
• ARE is an acronym that stands for Assertion,
Reasoning, and Evidence——the three vital
parts of making an argument.
• Assertion is the central claim of an argument.
• Reasoning is the warrant or reason that the
statement is true.
• Evidence is some kind of support for the
assertion and reasoning.
 MAKING AN ARGUMENT
• Assertion: Cats are good companions.
Reason: Cats provide psychological support and friendship
to those they trust.
Evidence: My aunt Geeba has lived with a cat for ten
years and she considers the cat to be her best friend.
• Assertion: NATO should extend membership to the
Baltic States.
Reason: NATO provides stability through alliance building
that will prevent any Eastern European nation from
attacking any other.
Evidence: The long-standing respect that all of the current
NATO members have for one another suggests that the
organization provides stability.
 MAKING A CASE
• Teams should conceptualize and organize their
research into the format of the case. The case is a
cohesive set of arguments that justify the side of the
topic that they have been assigned. More importantly,
the case allows debaters to choose the ground that they
would like to defend. The debate case allows debaters to
focus on the arguments they think are important and how
to interpret the topic to defend these arguments. The
case is important because it sets up the framework for
the rest of the debate. Making a debate case depends in
large part on the kind of resolution being presented.
Participants in a debate must focus their ideas on the
central topic to be debated.
 MAKING A CASE
• INTRODUCTION
• CONCLUSION
• BODY
• SIGNPOSTING
• MAJOR POINTS
• SUBORDINATE POINTS
• LIST OF REASONS
• CHAIN OF REASONING
• ARE- ASSERTION, REASONING, EVIDENCE
 Critical Analysis of Opposing
Viewpoints
• It is vital that each team be prepared to
respond to the arguments made by the
other side. The easiest way for students to
do this is to brainstorm the best arguments
on both sides and then during the
research phase use holistic reading to
keep track of these ideas. Students should
make a list of all the arguments they would
use if they were on the other side.
Decision Making in the Debate
• CALL FOR THE DECISION
• WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT
ISSUES
• WEIGHING THE ARGUMENTS
• EXPLAIN TO THE JUDGE WHY YOU
WIN THE DEBATE
 ORAL COMMUNICATION
• Overcoming the fear of public speaking
• Analysing the audience
• Becoming a powerfull speaker
• Increased self- esteem
 ORAL COMMUNICATION
DYNAMISM
• VARIATION
• EMPHASIS
• NATURALNESS

- Voice (tone, volume, pitch)

- Body (gestures, moving, face)
 LISTENING AND NOTE TAKING

- LISTENING IS A KEY TO GOOD

DEBATING
- DEBATE LISTENING AS AN ACTIVE
LISTENING
- NOTE TAKING IS A KEY TO GOOD
DEBATING
 TEAM WORK
• DEBATE IS A TEAM EFFORT
• WORKING TOGETHER
• HELPING EACH OTHER TO GROW
• DEBATE FRIENDS