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Debating In a Team - 10 Tips
Catherine Dunlop
1. Listen to your team members in preparation and during the debate. Even if you think you are a much better debater than them don't ignore their ideas and input. Many debates are lost because good ideas are only mentioned by one speaker and not the others.
2. Only give notes or whisper ideas in your team members ear when they do not seem particularly stressed. Nothing annoys second and third speakers more than a first speaker who talks constantly in their ear during the opposition speakers ear and doesn't let them think on their own during the debate.
3. Make sure all debaters understand the team line (what you are trying to prove), the definition and the split before the debate.
4. Never steal material from another's speakers split!!
5. If you are rebutting criticism of your teams case don't be afraid to use the language of your first speaker to prove how s/he set up the case. On the other hand, when you are referring to your other speakers' case or to the team line don't repeat the same words over and over again, especially in short (C and D Grade) debates. Nothing annoys adjudicators more than teams which repeat their team lines over and over again in debates.
6. Don't leave all your good rebuttal for the third speakers. Other speakers shouldn't be restricted to rebutting examples and facts but should be able to rebut the general ideas in the debate.
7. Third speakers should make sure that the material of both the First and Second Speakers is included in the summary and in the themes of their own speech.
8. If a member of your team is unable to understand your team case after you have tried for 15 minutes to explain it to them it is probably not worth using. Firstly because if you can't explain it to them you probably won't be able to explain it to the adjudicator and secondly because it will be obvious to the audience that they do not understand the case.
9. Write notes on the Adjudicators comments and discuss them afterwards as a team.
10. If one member of the team stuffs up don't blame them and try to make them feel bad. Debating is a team sport and you should work as a team. Making one member feel bad will only backfire when you give a bad speech and give them an opportunity to criticise you. |
