So...Debate. Some might sign up for WSC because they are debaters, others because they want to learn about it. For me, it was quite a challenge to overcome. And even the best debater (which I'm definitely not) can fail sometimes. So I'm going to try my best to explain how WSC debate works and how to do it.
HOW WSC DEBATING WORKS
WSC Debating comprises of 3 rounds, and you either win or "lollipop" (lose) for each round.
Each team gets 15 minutes to research (allowed electronic devices) but the use of AI isn't allowed. After the 15 minutes, all electronic devices are to be put away, and speakers are only allowed a single sheet of paper. 4 minutes are allowed for speaking, the adjudicator will knock once when you have one minute left and twice when you are out of time. After the debate has ended, the teams must give constructive feedback to each other for 90 seconds each, then the adjudicator will announce the result and the teams will go to their next room depending on the result and their debating tree. There will be a best speaker for each team and sometimes a speaker will get nominated for the Debate Showcase where the teams comprised of chosen speakers debate in front of everyone. Any changes will be announced by WSC.
HOW TO DO BETTER AT WSC DEBATING
Here's a list of ​things you need to improve on in order to do better at this.
-
Presentation
- Speak clearly
- Hand gestures and eye contact
- Persuasive tone
- Be respectful, and don't get too nervous
2. Strategy
- Organise your speech well
- LOGIC!!!
- Rhetoric/persuasive language
3. Content
- Evidence (research)
- Rebut/Pre-rebut (First speaker define)
4. Teamwork
- Collaborate with your team, respect to other team
- Make a connection between your speeches
5. Feedback
- Be respectful to the other team
- No personal attacks (in a debate, you are not rebutting the person, instead their points)
- Don't be too harsh, tell them where they did well and how they can improve
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Alright, so the general structure of your debate should look like this:
For First Time Debaters:
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