Best Debate Tips and Tricks

12 Best Keys As A Good Debater

WHAT IS DEBATING?

We live in a world where we communicate with others all the time. Debating is a more formal way of communicating. It builds confidence and self-esteem in people. If we can speak publicly and convey our ideas and thoughts coherently and passionately, we have a valuable tool that can aid us in our public, private and future lives.

A debate is a structured argument.  Two sides speak alternately for and against a particular contention usually based on a topical issue.  Unlike the arguments you might have with your family or friends however, each person is allocated a time they are allowed to speak for and any interjections are carefully controlled.  The subject of the dispute is often prearranged so you may find yourself having to support opinions with which you do not normally agree.  You also have to argue as part of a team, being careful not to contradict what others on your side have said.

Why debate? Because it is an excellent way of improving speaking skills and it is particularly helpful in providing experience in developing a convincing argument. Those of you who are forced to argue against your natural point of view realize that arguments, like coins, always have at least two sides.

So here I’m gonna share about the tips and trick how to debate tremendously. Stay ahead with these debating keys!

1.                 1. Matter, Manner and Method

To make sure that every element of your speech does its job, you can think about it being made up of three parts: matter, manner and method.

•        Matter is what you say, the arguments you make and the evidence you show to support them. It doesn’t matter how well you speak, if it isn’t solid it won’t stand up to counter arguments. Make sure you’ve thought about all the arguments against you, if you don’t, your opponents will!

•         Manner is how you say it. There are a few techniques that make any speaker more engaging: make eye contact with the audience, don’t speak too quickly and don’t just read from your notes! You also have to think about what style suits you. Are you a natural comedian, or are you better at tugging at the heartstrings? Either way, remember it has to suit the subject matter too, an inappropriate joke could lose you the debate, however funny you think it is.

•          Method is the way you put everything together. Is your speech in the right order, so your arguments follow on from each other? If you’re part of a team, is each member taking a different approach, and how do they fit together?

A good debater needs to work on all three of these factors, none of them will win a debate on their own, but they can all make you lose it!

2. “If you don’t win the ballot, you didn’t win the round.”

No whining. Fundamentally, all debate is a persuasive communication activity. If you didn’t win the round, even if you were sure you were going to, it’s because you messed up somewhere. Maybe the judge was wrong, but if they were wrong it can only be because your explanation wasn’t clear to them. Figure out what you needed to do to persuade this particular judge, and regroup. Sulking and blaming others for your losses will never help you grow.

3. “Think like a human, not like a debater.”

Too often, debaters freak out when they hit an unfamiliar argument, and the round completely breaks down. This is because they’re scrambling to find “the right debate argument” to make, instead of keying in on obvious responses. The next time you see something new, take a deep breath and think to yourself “how would I respond to this if my friend said it to me?”

4. “Most good debates are ties. You gotta give the judge a reason to break the tie.”

Once you get to the level of evenly-matched debates between talented competitors, the truth is that there are many rounds where the judge could easily vote either way. Your job is to figure out why they should pick you, and explain that to them clearly, early and often.

5. “Look and sound right, no matter what you’re saying.”

Fake it until you make it. It’s much better to actually know what you’re talking about, but everyone occasionally stumbles into unfamiliar territory. In these situations, confidence is key. Judges want to make the “right” decision, and seeming like you’re certain you’re winning is a good way to capitalize on that.

6. “Debating your way will work better than debating the ‘right’ way.”

You’ll always do better when you keep the debate in your wheelhouse. If you’re just not a fast-talking, technical person, you’ll do better by tailoring your arguments to suit that style than by trying to transform yourself into someone who runs 12-off. The reverse is also true. Do an honest self-assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, and then work on emphasizing your strengths, while downplaying your weaknesses.

7. “When the round is going off the rails, hard stop and reboot.”

We’ve all had those debates where mid-round we were sure we were destined to lose. Fight those feelings! Never give up. Instead, stop, and take a minute to figure out what new direction you can take. You can always go for theory. And so on.

8. “Know where the debate is headed before it starts.”

Ask yourself before the round even begins, and then again when you start prepping for every speech “how am I most likely to win the debate? How are my opponents most likely to win the debate?” Your goal should always be to place yourself in your opponents’ and judges’ shoes, and then cover the flow accordingly.

9. “You’re always telling the judge a story. Make it one they want to believe in.”

Whether you’re an LDer talking about Kant, a policy kid reading 8 politics disads, someone rocking a nontraditional argument about identity, or anything in between, you are ALWAYS telling the judge a story. The winner is usually whoever told the most salient, believable story. Don’t forget to tie everything together into one neat little package, and never underestimate the power of a good story.

10. “Research should be open and honest.”

Don’t just research by trying to find a specific card. Even if you find it, you may miss out on a cool position you never anticipated. A better technique is to begin your research process open to anything you might discover. This will help you develop a strong foundation of background knowledge in the topic, as well as give you opportunities to stumble upon unique, creative arguments. And, yes, it will also make it easier to choose good search terms when eventually you need to find that one special card.

11. “Winning is important, but it isn’t everything.”

The skills you learn and the friends you make will stick with you a lot longer than your record will. As we’ve said before, the people you meet in debate will probably become your best friends, so you should start treating them that way now. Above all else, never sacrifice your integrity for a winning. You have to be able to live with yourself at the end of the day.

12. “When in doubt, just say the opposite of what the other team said.”

The strategy of just asserting the contrary is surprisingly underutilized. Sometimes, the best argument is simply “no, the opposite.” If they say “economic growth is good,” why not say “economic growth is bad?” You should always be ready for that direct clash.

https://www.debatingsa.com.au/Schools-Competition/Documents/Debating-An-Introduction-For-Beginners.pdf

https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/130d1/HOWTODEBATE.htm

http://debate-central.ncpa.org/the-12-best-debate-tips-weve-ever-heard/

https://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/study-support/homework-and-study-skills/debating-tips-and-tricks