Q&A for How to Begin a Debate

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  • Question
    How can I improve my public speaking?
    Lynn Kirkham
    Lynn Kirkham
    Public Speaking Coach
    Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others.
    Lynn Kirkham
    Public Speaking Coach
    Expert Answer
    Set your intention before you even step into the space. How do you want to be? Intend to make great great eye contact, love the audience, be loved by the audience, and hit your presentation out of the park. Treat the experience like an opportunity rather than obligation.
  • Question
    What is the importance of debating if I am in high school?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Debate can help kids feel confident voicing their opinions in front of others, which is important in the development of self-confidence.
  • Question
    What should I do if I forget the words?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Just think about what you're debating about; it's not a speech, it's an arguement. As long as you've researched your side, you'll be fine. Note cards are also helpful.
  • Question
    Should I first greet all present and wish them a good morning? And/or introduce myself?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You could start with: "Good morning to all of you present here. I am [name] from house [name] to speak on the topic of [title]."
  • Question
    Should I start my debate with a quote or by greeting the audience and then adding the quote?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It's great to start a debate with a quote. I think it sounds more natural to greet the audience and then recite the quote. Something like "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here," then pause a moment, then "Benjamin Franklin once said ______" or whatever the quote is.
  • Question
    What is a good introduction for a negative first speaker?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Start by almost rebutting the affirmative team. As part of your introduction, say something against their arguments, pause, and continue on to more direct rebuttals. For example, if the topic is that social media should be accessible to children in year 5 and over, and you are negative, you could say something like, "Young children, people who haven't even been exposed to the true dangers of life, should be plagued with predators and cyberbullies on social media. Ladies and gentlemen, that is what the opposition is promoting, and we as the negative team..." and then go on with specific rebuttals.
  • Question
    How do I introduce myself in a debate?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You don't have to. In fact, people and adjudicators will rarely feel excited if a speaker begins by stating his or her name. Get straight to the point, for you probably would already have been introduced by a chairperson. Begin with a thought-provoking quote that will really entice the audience to listen to you.
  • Question
    How do I start a debate without doing Internet research?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can use your teacher's opinion and facts, along with some books and articles. You could have some group discussions with the people with whom you are gonna perform the debate with to better understand each others arguments.
  • Question
    What should I start with and what should be the main points if I am against online shopping?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Online shopping is not as accurate as in-store shopping. It's not always what you see that's what you get delivered on your doorstep. Sometimes it's more expensive and ends up being the wrong color, size, etc.
  • Question
    How do I debate sugar vs. salt?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Talk about the benefits and risks of both.
  • Question
    How do I start a debate that country life is better than town life?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Firstly, just briefly state what is country life and what is town life, and then say your points about each.
  • Question
    How should I start a debate on whether India should allow sex-selective abortion?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Start off with a powerful statement that outlines your stance. Remember to maintain eye contact with an audience at the end of a sentence. Hold eye contact with an individual for only three to five seconds, then move on to someone else. Then continue on with your supporting arguments.
  • Question
    How should I introduce my topic in an inter-school debate?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    First, come up with a topic sentence--something that introduces the problem and your stance on it. It doesn't hurt to be creative with it, as it captures your audience's attention from the start.
  • Question
    What does the last speaker in a debate do?
    Sk Asad Ullah
    Sk Asad Ullah
    Community Answer
    He/she sums up the case of their team, rebuts and supports crucial arguments.
  • Question
    How can I begin a debate about homework being bad for kids?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Greet the audience and judges first, then define the key terms. Pose the question "Is homework actually bad for kids?" and then roughly outline how you will prove this is so.
  • Question
    What should I do to convince the audience to believe what I am saying?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Act like you know what your talking about even if you don't. If the audience sees that you look sure of what you're saying, then they are more likely to lean towards your side.
  • Question
    How can I start and end a debate about women being better than men?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Come up with statistics and facts about other times where there was no equality and bring up facts about today. Give some quotes about feminism.
  • Question
    How to start a debate on "do it today or regret it tomorrow"?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Start by talking about the pros and cons of both approaches.
  • Question
    How do I start a debate on the topic arguments against slavery?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    That does not seem like the best topic for a debate. After all, how can you justify arguing in favor of slavery? But to start any debate, make an interesting first paragraph to hook the audience. You can find pros and cons on Google or YouTube.
  • Question
    How do I start a debate with someone?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Simply pose a question in relation to hot topics and current affairs. Discuss it and speak your opinion. Speak about something you know that your friend or opponent would be interested in—this will result in an interesting debate.
  • Question
    How can I start a debate for primary school pupils?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Ask a simple question, such as, "Would you rather live in the past or the future?" Have students go to different sides of the room to explain why they chose what they chose. You will be surprised at how creative they can be.
  • Question
    What is the strongest way to start my debate on the topic, "geniuses are not born, but made"?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can use a quote or say a universal statement to begin your debate. For example; "Most of the genius personalities were not born genius, but tough times made them so."
  • Question
    What should I say when I am giving the introduction to all those who are presented?
    Anne Manohar
    Anne Manohar
    Community Answer
    Good evening adjudicator, chairperson, fellow debaters, ladies and gentlemen. My name is [NAME], and I am the 1st/2nd/3rd speaker for the negative/affirmative team.
  • Question
    How do I start a debate when in favor of the topic?
    Anne Manohar
    Anne Manohar
    Community Answer
    Start of with an introduction: "Good evening adjudicator, chairperson, fellow debaters, ladies and gentlemen my name is NAME and I am the 1st/2nd/3rd speaker for the negative/affirmative team. We the negative/affirmative team strongly believe that/We the negative/affirmative team strongly agree with the given topic for tonight's debate, which is...
  • Question
    How do I start a debate on the impact of road safety?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Bring up a fact about road safety to begin.
  • Question
    Can I use strong words in a debate to hide the meaning of what I'm saying?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can use whatever words you want, as long as you keep your language appropriate for the occasion. You never want to hide your meaning from the audience in a debate, though.
  • Question
    How do I argue that a good student is not always a good worker?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Well, if academics come naturally to a person and they easily receive good grades without trying, they will not put in much of an effort, therefore they will not be a good worker.
  • Question
    How do I make eye contact when I'm reading notes during a debate?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Make sure you know your argument. A better understanding of your topic will help you maintain your train of thought. It is also helpful to double space your notes. By doing this, you are less likely to lose your place after looking up at your audience.
  • Question
    How do I start a debate about how money can't buy happiness?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Start off by greeting the judges, chairperson, and co-debaters, then ask a rhetorical question. In your case, maybe something like, "How much money would you need to be happy forever?" Then you can work your way through your points about how there's no amount of money that would make someone happy forever.
  • Question
    What do "weighing" and "framework" mean in a debate?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Weighing means to weight the pros and cons, while framework means the structure of a debate.
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