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Concern Debates- Tips

  • 06-10-2011 10:25pm
    #1
    IloveConverse
    Registered Users Posts: 254 ✭✭


    I am new to the world of the Concern Debates and have practically no experience regarding debating. If it would be possible for those that have been involved in debating before to share their experiences and tips, it'd be fantastic. Thank you! :)


Comments

  • #2
    flyaway.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 519 ✭✭✭flyaway.


    The biggest one is to just be prepared. Seriously, REALLY prepared. You are allowed note cards but it's so much better and impressive if you know your speech so well that you barely have to look at them. Practicing in front of classes at your school is the best thing you can do. Learn to look straight at your audience and don't get too flustered if you mess up- just take a breath, smile and continue. Make sure you've loads of practice done at rebuttels as I always found those to be the hardest thing. Source everything and don't throw any points in that you can't back up easily. Keep your eyes and ears on high alert coming up to the debate night- it's great if you can slip in some recent topical news story, especially if it's something from that week or day. Mostly just have fun though! It's scary for everyone at the start so just try to relax and see the fun in it! We made it to the quarter finals (I think- it's been three years) and it was an awesome experience. Pretty much everyone was crap at the start but you get used to it in no time. Enjoy it and good luck!


  • #3
    randylonghorn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,509 ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    And practice!

    Get up a few mock debates with others from the class, in particular as flyaway said practice rebuttal. Work out the counter-arguments likely to be thrown at you, and have your responses ready. Oh, and DON'T just give your speech and then say "I'd like to rebut what the opposing team said ... etc. etc.", it drives adjudicators cracked. Blend it in to your speech. Mark places in your speech where you are changing topic anyway, and you can easily take up a point or two ... and ideally if there's some connection with what you've just been talking about, and you can lead from one to the other, that's always a plus.

    If you have worked out what's likely to be thrown at you, you can even be semi-prepared ... mark on your cards where you could insert a response to X and Y. That said, avoid a common scenario where someone is so sure that the opposing team will have brought up X by the time that they get up to speak that they literally write the rebuttal into the speech. "I would like to point out to the opposing team that they are incorrect in their interpretation of the UN's policy on ..." Cue puzzled looks from everyone because the opposing team haven't mentioned said policy at all! :pac:


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