SPEAKING 2

FINAL EXAM
TEAM DEBATE GUIDELINES
 The motion/resolution is provided two weeks before the debate contest for the teams to prepare.
The 2 teams will be randomly assigned to be the Affirmative/ Government or the Negative/
Opposition.
 There are 2 teams of 3 speakers each. The team that supports the topic is called the Affirmative/
Government, and the team that opposes the topic is called the Negative/ Opposition.
 Each speaker speaks for 3 minutes, in alternating order. First speaker from Affirmative/ Government,
then first speaker from Negative/ Opposition, then second speaker from Affirmative/ Government,
then second speaker from Negative/Opposition and so on.
 Overall, the debate should be in about 20 minutes.
ROLE OF EACH SPEAKER

ROLE AFFIRMATIVE/ GOVERNMENT NEGATIVE/ OPPOSITION

 Introduction + Thesis statement  Introduction + Thesis statement

 Definition of the motion’s key terms  Agreement/Disagreement upon the
 Preview of the speakers’ roles definition of the motion’s key terms
1st speaker  Argument 1 given by the Affirmative
 Ending  Preview of the speakers’ roles
(3 minutes)  Rebuttal of the Affirmative’s
Point 1
 Argument 1
 Ending

 Introduction
 Rebuttal of the Negative’s Point 1  Introduction
 Recap of Argument 1  Rebuttal of the Affirmative’s
2nd speaker Point 2
 Argument 2
(3 minutes)  Ending  Recap of Argument 1
 Argument 2
 Ending

 Introduction  Introduction
 Rebuttals of the Negative’s Point 1  Rebuttals of the Affirmative’s
3rd speaker and 2 Point 1 and 2
(3 minutes)  Summary of Argument 1 & 2  Summary of Argument 1 & 2
 Ending  Ending

 There is a TIMEKEEPER who keeps the time in a debate. He or she times how long each speaker
speaks and presses a buzzer/shows some signal to indicate that the speaker has 30 seconds left.