} UNIT 1: TEACHERS TRAINING AND ADVISING.

Date: Febrary 2022

Universidad Pontificia Comillas

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 What is
competitive
debating?
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 What is debating?
• Opinion: Viewpoint or personal idea about something
questionable.

• Oratory: The art of eloquent speech.

• Rethoric: The art of good speaking, giving the written or

spoken language effectively enough to delight, persuade or
move.

• Debating: The discussion of opposite opinions between two

or more people.

“They who know how to speak, they know when to speak.”

(Archimeds, 287 B.C. – 212 B.C.)

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 When is it that we debate?

• We debate EVERY DAY… We do it with our teachers, our

friends, our partners…

• Learning how to debate. Is it useful?

• What is the debater´s aim? Whom must we persuade?

How to convince the judges? How to get the attention?

“A man well prepared for struggle is halfway through victory.”

(Miguel de Cervantes, 1547 – 1616)

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 How can we learn to debate?
• Practice is essential: The lack of oratorical skills is a great
problem for Spanish young people. The fear of speaking in
public is noticeable all the time.

• In fact… Did you know that "debater" has no literal translation

into Spanish? The words “debatiente" or "debatidor" are not
recognized by the RAE ...

• But , if we are good speakers... What should we say?

? 1
Important

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Urgent 5
 But… what is competitive
debating?
1. A duel of words
• Topics
• Positions
2. The battlefield
• Lectern
• Stopwatch
• Tables

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 But… what is competitive
debating?
3. Rules:
• Penalties
• Time
• Captains
• Judges
• The public
• Opponents

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 But… what is competitive
debating?
4. Parts of debate
• Opening statement: 3 minutes (no questions)
• Rebuttal I: 4 minutes (questions allowed)
• Rebuttal II: 4 minutes (questions allowed)
• Concluding speech: 3 minutes (no questions)

5. Feedback

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 Advice from a good debater…

6. Documentación
• Where to research: Is Google the one and only possible tool?
• What must I look for? What must I compel students to look for?
• Shall you teach them or shall you work for them?
• Should students make their own mistakes?
• Make your own information packet
• Let them work… yet learn how to correct their mistakes
• Beware sources! Teach them accurate researching

“Being surprised by something is the first step to reach a find.”

(Louis Pasteur, 1822 – 1895)

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What can I do with
this question?

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 How to analyze motions

1. Analyze the debating question

Does the current tendency for political

correctness excessively limit freedom
of thought and speech?

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 How to analyze motions
1. Tense:
1. The motion is in past tense… is it an analytic?
2. The motion is in present tense…is it propositional?
3. The motion is in future tense or condtional…is it reasonable?

Does the current tendency for political

correctness excessively limit freedom
of thought and speech??
Verbal Tense = Present Simple; it means now, today.
Reinforced by the term “current”

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 How to analyze motions
2. Active subject: The essential issue to be debated should
be defined and also the status quo which is the starting
point.

Does the current tendency for political

correctness excessively limit freedom
of thought and speech?
Active subject = Political correctness
Avoid expressions that are considered offensive to members of certain
vulnerable groups or that "invisibilise" them.

When defining concepts…is the RAE/OED the only

reliable source?
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 How to analyze motions

3. Key concept: Which is the action to be enforced with the

active subject? What aspects in it are crucial for the
debate?

Does the current tendency for political

correctness excessively limit freedom
of thought and speech?
Key concept = Excessively
Too much / It causes more harm than it solves problems.

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 How to analyze motions
4. Passive subject: It delimits the debate by focusing on a
particular aspect of the active subject. If it is not heeded, the
debater risks talking about issues that may be true, but are
outside the spirit of the motion.

Does the current tendency for political

correctness excessively limit freedom
of thought and speech?
Passive Subject = Freedom of thought and speech
It is one of our fundamental human rights and an
undeniable exercise of each person's autonomy of will.
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 How to analyze motions
Key concept

Does the current tendency for political

correctness excessively limit freedom
of thought and speech?
Tense
Active subject

Passive subject

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 How to analyze motions

2. Brain storming
• No idea is a bad idea
• Three or four final ideas are enough
• Refute your own arguments = assured arguments
• In other words…If I were your opponent, how would I attack my
arguments?

“There´s always a bigger fish.”

(Qui-Gonn Jinn)

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How to outline your thesis
LINE OF
ARGUMENT

A. A. A.
R. (t) R. (t) R.
E. E. E.

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 Opening statement

1. This is the speech used to introduce our position.

2. It is made by thinking in our listeners, not the speaker.
3. Making understanding easier for our listeners is essential:
clear and well-ordered ideas with accessible ideas.
4. A.R.E.(t) is pretty efficient to easily explain complex
concepts.
5. I must fulfil everyting that is required by protocol
(introduction, standard greetings,…)

“Under equal conditions, the simplest explanation is the right one.”

(Ockham´s Razor, 1280 – 1349).

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 Rebuttals

1. Attack comes first: Our opponents line should not look

strong.
2. Examples prove our attacking arguments and help them
look “entertaining”.
3. Every question is a chance: Go look for a weaker link in
your opponents argument, then smile and attack.
4. Demolishing is not enough… You must take advantage of it
to show your solutions are the right ones: Direct and
Indirect Rebuttal.
5. Let´s mark the end of our speech: I control my time, I´m
not controlled by it.

“Ocham´s Razor is bullshit. Just so simple. I can´t think of any other rebuttal, so
this must be the right one.”
(Doctor House)

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 Concluding speech

1. Thank you all... Yet not too much.

2. Do not refute, it´s time to summarize.
3. Negative first: what your opponents said.
4. Analyze the debate as it has been…not the way you would
like it to have been.
5. Yet don´t forget to give your own version of events.
6. Show the end of your speech.

“Conclusion is the place I reached after I grew tired of thinking (Anonymous)

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And good luck!!

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