NOTES ARE RIGHTFULLY UNDER THE COPYRIFGHT OF MUHAMMAD NAZRIN BIN MUHAMMAD REDZA©
ENGLISH DEBATING FOR DUMMIES Hey there! Thanks for joining the Debating and Orator Club of UiTM Lendu. You are very fortunate to learn debate as it is a very educative mind sport and it will make you less vulnerable to verbal threats in the future. Kudos to you because you have made it here as one of UiTM Lendu’s debater and together we will have a lot of fun in learning. Here at UiTM Lendu’s Debating and Orator Club, we are like a family where we could both learn and have fun at the same time. Some say debates are for nerds and it is boring, well we’ve proved them wrong. You could always have fun and look cool while when you are in debate. Heck! Girls love guys who know how to debate (they say it makes them look sexy :D) and girls obviously what is the use of beauty without brains right? I’m sure both sexes here understood my point. So, it is my pleasure to present you this book entitled ‘Debating for Dummies’ (no offense taken :D) and let us all learn debate together my friends. Yg penting friendship. ☺
Before we start, I’ll introduce to you the most popular debating style here available: (1) ASIAN PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE STYLE:
Speaker speaks here! GOVERNMENT
OPPOSITION nd
st
Leader of Opposition (2 Speaker):
Prime Minister (1 Speaker): •
•
Introduce definition, parameter and status quo and team-split
•
Rebut on previous speaker
•
State what is wrong with the status quo and how the gov’s proposal is inadequate to solve the status quo
•
Introduce stance and 1 point
st
Introduce stance and 1 point
rd
st
th
Deputy Prime Minister (3 Speaker):
Deputy Leader of Opposition (4 Speaker):
•
Rebut on previous speaker
•
Rebut on previous speaker
•
Reaffirm and strengthen what PM has said
•
Reaffirm and strengthen what LO has said
•
Introduce 2 more points to support argument
•
Introduce 2 more points to support argument
th
th
Government Whip (5 Speaker):
Opposition Whip (6 Speaker):
•
Rebut on previous speaker
•
Rebut on previous speaker
•
Find engagement of debate
•
Find engagement of debate
•
State why your points are better than the oppositions and why you should win
•
State why your points are better than the governments and why you should win
1
NOTES ARE RIGHTFULLY UNDER THE COPYRIFGHT OF MUHAMMAD NAZRIN BIN MUHAMMAD REDZA©
Oh, I almost forgot. Before I teach you more about the proper structure of debate, there are 2 categories of debate which you need to know about. Here are the 2 categories of debate available: Categories of debate Value-judgment debate
Definition A debate where you focus on ‘WHY’
Proposal-solution debate
A debate where you focus on ‘HOW’
Examples ‘THW invade North Korea’ (obviously if you were to invade a country, you’ll have to tell people the reasons for your invasion -.-) ‘THW legalize prostitution’ (obviously for action this big, you’ll have to clarify your methods of legalizing it so that it will not bring more harm than good)
And of course we have motions! I am sure some of you have heard of it before. What are motions? Motions are the given title for the theme that you have to debate for. Here are the 3 basic types of motions: Types of motion Closed motion
What about these motions? When a debate is very specific, where you know the parameter
Semi-open motion
A not very specific motion where you can choose where to implement it
Open motion
A totally free debate where you can specify anything about it
Example ‘THBT Anwar Ibrahim is guilty of sexual exposure’ (obviously you know the parameter is in Malaysia, where Anwar Ibrahim is the Leader of Opposition >.<) ‘THW legalize prostitution’(you can choose almost any country to implement this) ‘THW burn Harry Potter’ (Obviously if these kinds of motions are out, you can either choose to debate on HP or abstractly)
In addition to that, debate is a very interesting mind sport where speaker must speak for 7 minutes only! (although I always exceed till 8 minutes sometimes, silly me haha :D). To further explain more about the time limit, I have created this table for you:
st
0-1 minute st th 1 -6 minute
th
th
6 -7 minute
Time limit for debate (no matter what speaker you are speaking as) At this minute, introductions are made and strictly no POI is available at this minute yet! Grr In this process, the most exciting part of a debate happens here because POI has already been available. In this process too, you’ll have: Points being introduced and exchanges of POI to interrupt the debate Elaborations and examples to support the case Exchanges of general knowledge (I just add this up, LMFAO :D) At this final minute, POI section has been closed and nobody could offer POI. This minute is very crucial to: summarize everything you have spoke for the past 6 minutes tell the adjudicators (the lines of judges) why your side should win and why your opponent is not worthy of winning
2
NOTES ARE RIGHTFULLY UNDER THE COPYRIFGHT OF MUHAMMAD NAZRIN BIN MUHAMMAD REDZA©
THE PROPER DEBATE STRUCTURE FOR ASIANS PARLIAMENTARY STYLE GOVERNMENT SIDE Agree with the motion and state stance of the debate Set Parameter State Status Quo Emphasize about Stakeholder Define the motion Conduct team-split on how to solve the status quo with your team’s points st Give out 1 point, elaborate and give examples Summarize and restate stance of the debate Rebut what the Leader of Opposition has said DEPUTY PRIME Reaffirm Prime Minister’s point and views on status quo MINISTER nd nd rd Introduce 2 and 3 points to help win the argument (2 speaker) Elaborate points and give examples Summarize and restate stance of the debate Rebut what the Deputy Leader of Opposition has said GOVERNMENT WHIP rd Use your team’s POI against them (3 speaker) Engage this debate: ST ST • (YOUR 1 POINT) VS (THEIR 1 POINT) ND ND • (YOUR 2 POINT) VS (THEIR 2 POINT) RD RD • (YOUR 3 POINT) VS (THEIR 3 POINT) 4. Identify main clashes 5. State why your side should win and why the opposition fails 6. Summarize and restate stance of the debate *In between the times the current speaker from both side is speaking, the opponent can offer POI. Be careful! As POI can sometimes be veryvery scary. Eek! PRIME MINISTER st (1 speaker)
LEADER OF OPPOSITION st (1 speaker)
DEPUTY LEADER OF OPPOSITION nd (2 speaker)
OPPOSITION WHIP rd (3 speaker)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3.
OPPOSITION SIDE Disagree with the motion and state stance of the debate Accept parameter and status quo and comment a little bit on it Define the motion Rebut what the Prime Minister has said Conduct team-split on how to solve status quo from your team’s point of view st Give out 1 point, elaborate and give examples Summarize and restate stance of the debate Rebut what the Prime Minister has said Reaffirm Leader of Opposition’s point and views on status quo nd rd Introduce 2 and 3 points to help win the argument Elaborate points and give examples Summarize and restate stance of the debate Rebut what the Government Whip has said Use your team’s POI against them Engage this debate: ST ST (YOUR 1 POINT) VS (THEIR 1 POINT) ND ND (YOUR 2 POINT) VS (THEIR 2 POINT) RD RD (YOUR 3 POINT) VS (THEIR 3 POINT) 4. Identify main clashes 5. State why your side should win and why the government fails 6. Summarize and restate stance of the debate
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3.
3
NOTES ARE RIGHTFULLY UNDER THE COPYRIFGHT OF MUHAMMAD NAZRIN BIN MUHAMMAD REDZA©
KEY TERMS FOR DEBATE (THE DUMMY VERSION, *again no offense taken please haha*)
1 2 3 4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The most common key terms used in debate (and maybe my own English essay too haha =D) Key term Explanation Examples Motion The given title for the theme that you have to Theme: Marriage debate on Motion: THW ban early-marriage Stance What you hope to achieve at the end of the debate “I would like to do ‘this’ because it (more like your direction in the debate) brings more good than harm Parameter Where you wish to implement your debate Any given country that you wish :D Status Quo What is happening in the parameter that leads to What is wrong with the country the debate in the first place you chose that leads to the debate in the first place Stakeholders The people affected by the outcome of the debate Let’s say parameter is in Malaysia (obviously Malaysians will be the stakeholders) st Team-split Segregation of tasks towards your team member in “As the PM I will give my 1 point, nd solving the status quo supported by the DPM with his 2 rd and 3 point and my whip will clear you of any doubts you have in whatever we’ve spoke” Point Your mechanisms or reasons in addressing the status If it’s a ‘HOW’ debate, quo your points would be your mechanism If it’s a ‘WHY’ debate, your points would be your reason Rebut The action of proving the previous speaker wrong Let’s say the PM’s point has said something about prostitution being legalized in Malaysia. We all know that is ridiculous so you can rebut by saying what he said was wrong POI POI is an interruption to stop the momentum of the Imagine the scenario where PM is (Point of current speaker or maybe correct whatever mistake saying that prostitution has already Information) the current speaker has made (this is considered been legalized in Thailand, as the embarrassing the current speaker, haha) opposition you can stand up at the same time and offer POI. If Okay, there are 2 golden rules for POI: accepted, embarrass his sorry ass st 1. It’s available after the 1 minute and tell him the real truth of th 2. It’s not available after the 6 minute Thailand’s prostitution scenario ST Engage Your side’s engagement of points towards the • (YOUR 1 POINT) VS ST opponent’s point (THEIR 1 POINT) (This is often used to prove your side’s points are ND better) • (YOUR 2 POINT) VS ND (THEIR 2 POINT) •
11
Main clashes
The main clashes of points in the debate. This is often found when you constantly heard it from almost all speakers
4
RD
(YOUR 3 POINT) VS RD (THEIR 3 POINT)
In the motion of beauty, you kept on hearing internal VS external beauty. That is the main clashes!
NOTES ARE RIGHTFULLY UNDER THE COPYRIFGHT OF MUHAMMAD NAZRIN BIN MUHAMMAD REDZA©
So ladies and gentleman, after reading vigorously and constantly the past 4 pages, what have I taught you? Oh nothing? You Mother f#$%&r! (haha just kidding :D, yeah so funny rite -.-). It has been a fun process writing this guide and before I move on into the next chapter I would love to summarize or recap what I have wrote for this guide in this first chapter. st
What have I covered on the 1 chapter? 1.
ASIANS PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE STYLES
2.
CATEGORIES OF DEBATE
3.
TYPES OF MOTION
4.
TIME LIMIT
5.
THE PROPER DEBATE STRUCTURE FOR ASIANS PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE STYLE
6.
KEY TERMS FOR DEBATE
Therefore, I have written enough for this first chapter and I hope you guys could learn the most out of it. I am sorry if I have offended some of you through this first guide and let us all learn together with peace and harmony even though Osama bin Laden is already dead (huh??!! Apa kena mengena doe?!! WTF! Ahaha -.-). Assalamualaikum, peace and good luck in learning debate peeps! ♥
5