What Makes A Good Debater? 🗣️

Growing up, I was always the shy kid. I had major stage fright (I sometimes still do) and it was nerve-wracking just to go talk to my own school teacher. So, I made it my goal that I would face my fears in high school: I joined debate. At first, I was not entirely intrigued by the idea of practicing public speaking twice a week and sacrificing my own after school time to it. But I have come to realize how pivotal debate has become in my life and I continue to encourage others to try new things because you never know where it can take you. So, for my first blog, I have compiled key advice I have acquired over my years of leadership.

1. Confidence

Although this may seem difficult at first - and it definitely was for me - confidence is key to a strong argument. Even if you aren't familiar with the topic that is being debated or you don't have much written down on your paper, confidence and composure can only be an advantage for you when you state your argument. Outward confidence can mask your inner confusion or nervousness and "tricks" the judges and your opponents into believing you know the best about this topic - and therefore you win this debate.

2. Organization

When presenting your argument, you need support evidence and analysis. Just like how you would write a typical English essay, having three main points of contrete, factual evidence to support your claim. If your first or second point about the argument is strong on its own, stick to expanding and the weighing out the effects of those few arguments. Don't jump from one point to another or go back and forth between topics. Sign-posting is a common term used in Parliamentary debate which is used to lay out what the order you will be presenting your points before you start your time. This way when your opponents are noting your points and the judges are keeping track of your argument, they have a clear understanding and there is no confusion (which can lead to a messy debate and you don't want that)!

3. Acknowledgement

When creating an argument for one side of the topic, always consider refutations that the opponents might have for your points or think of any counterarguments that you could argue for on the other side. In Parli debate tournaments, sides, called Affirmation or Negation are chosen for you, and you need to be prepared to defend whichever side you are assigned. By thinking of counterarguments and refuting them in your speech, it leaves little flaws in your argument that your opponents may potentially use to their advantage.

4. Impact

Before crafting a stance on the issue at hand and researching supporting evidence, think about who this most impacts or who it will most likely have the most servere impact on. Does this impact the global citizens, exclusively US citizens, teens, adults? Knowing who will most be impacted by this issue can help guide you through your reasoning behind your position. Impacting explains how your arguments do more good than harm or more harm than good to everyone. For example, "Increasing greenhouse gase emissions can lead to more pollution in the air and climate change. Animals lose their homes and food supply due to increased temperatures and constant natural disasters. So, investing more in fossil fuels will only do more harm than good to the environment and to the organisms inhabitting earth." Listing a chain of reactions that happen because of this one problem, it highlights the serevity of the issue and how much more indirect harm it can cause. This helps the judges visualize the short term and long term effects of the topic and if it appeals to them, can influence their choice on who they vote for.

5. Be Yourself

Lastly, always be yourself. No, debate is not a flippant and light-hearted activity, but including an essence of personal experiences can help you resonate more with the judge and increase your possibilities of winning the round. For example, if the judge is a parent of high schoolers, tell them in your speech that you are a high schooler as well and connect your shared characteristic to how teens are the most affected by the topic at hand. This way, the judge feels more sympathy for you and understands the topic on a personal level as well.

Each month, I will be releasing new resources on debate topics, tips, and advice.

Always remember to have fun and be passionate about things you care about!

Welcome to the Young Voices Now community,

Katelyn Lee