Debate is not only a political tool that allows representatives of a particular party to win the sympathy of the electorate. It is also a form of teaching communication, the ability to express one’s point of view. This practice is very common in European educational institutions, and today it is becoming increasingly popular in Russia.
Instruction manual
1
The debate organizer, first of all, needs to decide on the topic, which is the "foundation" of the game. It can be like a controversial thesis statement, for example: “Television destroys morality, ” “Media must be under state control, ” etc. However, you should avoid wording that contains the particle "not." The topic can also be a variable saying: "Censorship or freedom of speech", "Urgent service: school of courage or a waste of time." The main thing is that it be clearly formulated and promising for further discussion.
2
The preparation of the debate begins with the introduction of the participants to the original thesis and the distribution of roles. First of all, teams of debaters are created, consisting of 3-4 people, who are called speakers. They must defend their position, trying to convince others of their own right. Judges the panel of judges. It includes an odd number of judges who, in the course of the debate, fill out a special protocol, evaluating the arguments and ways of proving them. Judging criteria: substantiveness, validity of theses, reliability of facts, eloquence, diction, gestures, the ability to ask questions and interest viewers, literacy, etc. Whether the players comply with the rules and rules of the game is monitored by the debate timekeeper. He warns that the speaker has 1 minute or 30 seconds left until the end of the speech, and also signals the end of preparation for the debate.
3
The next step is the development of cases. This is the name of the set of concepts, arguments, counterarguments and supports that the team will use in its speech. Supports are quotes, facts, statistics, which can confirm one of the arguments of the team. This category also includes graphs, charts, diagrams, collections of aphorisms or even proverbs. Questions that the team will ask opponents that support a different point of view, it is better to think through in advance.
4
Speaker's speech should not be very long. Usually the time is distributed as follows: 6 minutes are given to the speeches of the first speaker, the rest receive a word for five minutes. Between performances, players answer questions from spectators and their opponents from other teams. However, each speaker must confront the arguments of opponents on his own: the rules prohibit turning to the team for help. For the entire duration of the debate, the team can take only three time-outs no longer than 2 minutes each, to consult with each other. After everyone has spoken out, a vote is being taken. Players must support the selected position. It is noteworthy that spectators who join the defenders or opponents of the thesis can also take part in the vote.
