We are now in the thick of the debate. Both sides have introduced their arguments, and it is time to wade through their logic, highlight your side’s strength, and exploit your opponent’s weaknesses. Debate practitioners have developed standard responses to...
Debate is inherently an exercise in language. Therefore, gaining a deeper understanding of language itself makes one a better debater. How, exactly, to approach studying language can be an overwhelming decision. We have been using language, in one form or another,...
The topics now turn from constructing your own arguments, to engaging others’. Regardless of a debater’s proficiency, if you listen closely enough, they likely included at least one fallacy in their opening speech. You have an opportunity to challenge...
We already learned that there are many parts to any single argument, and every argument that that is added to a debate exponentially increases the complexity of the message. Keeping track of everything becomes a daunting task. Luckily, competitive debaters developed a...
How you end a debate can determine whether or not you are successful, even if you made some critical errors in earlier speeches. Take a step back and look at the ‘big picture’ of the debate. What are the most important arguments? What are you winning? What...
