What is Debating?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Debating is not just having an argument. It involves skills such as research, preparation, teamwork, speaking skills, and persuasion. There are rules for the way the debate is organised, and the kind of arguments you may use.

Topic (Moot)
A debate is about a topic, usually called the moot. The moot is a claim that something is true.

There are two teams with three speakers each. One team agrees with the moot (the Affirmative) and the other team disagrees (the Negative).

Usually you are given the topic and told whether your team is affirmative or negative. This means you may be debating a position you personally don't agree with. This is the skill of debating, and it helps you understand that there are two sides to most questions.

Affirmative and Negative
Each team divides up the job of researching the evidence and preparing the case. Each team member writes speech notes. The first people to speak use their notes more, while the later speakers will be answering what their opponents have said (rebuttal).

The teams speak in this order: 1. Affirmative leader Define moot, introduction
2. Negative leader
3. Affirmative second speaker Further arguments, rebuttal
4. Negative second speaker
5. Affirmative third speaker Mostly rebuttal
6. Negative third speaker
7. Negative leader Summary (no new arguments)
8. Affirmative leader


Purpose
What is the point of the debate? Each team is trying to win by doing the best job of arguing their case. This does not mean that one team must be right and the other one wrong. There are two sides to any debate, and either side could win.

Adjudication
A debate is judged by an adjudicator. This is a list of features that adjudicators will look for

Matter:

Subject knowledge
Relevance
Logical Reasoning
Quoted Authorities
Definition
Refutation

Manner:
Personality
Persuasiveness
Language
Appearance
Stance / Gestures
Use of Notes

Method: Speech Structure
Introduction
Peroration
Technique
Strategy

Teamwork :
Compare teams as a whole
Collective presentation of case
Continuity of argument
Reply
Summary and Refutation
Individual Assessment

Your team doesn't have to win the debate for you to achieve a credit. You will be assessed on your own debating skills. If the debating skills of all six debaters are high enough they can all achieve credits, regardless of who won.

哇, 高手都来啦, 快去投票选题和角色啊, 你们一定我就可以跟边站了, 哈哈!

请大家注意, 第一页有两个投票帖子, 一个选话题, 一个选辩论角色, 请去登记一下. 人够了我们就开始! :D

精神支持可不够, 老乡快来参加吧 (当评委也好呀)! 游戏嘛, 好玩第一. 反正每人只能发一帖, 等都结束了就开始自由吵架. :D