1. WHAT IS DEBATE?

2. What is debate or debating?
Debate or debating is a formal method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion. Though logical consistency, factual accuracy and some degree of emotional appeal to the audience are important elements of the art of persuasion, in debating, one side often prevails over the other side by presenting a superior "context" and/or framework of the issue, which is far more subtle and strategic.
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3. Debates are a means of encouraging critical thinking, personal expression, and tolerance of others' opinions. Today, debate still remains essential to democracy. Debates are conducted in governing assemblies, held in lecture halls and public arenas, presented in schools and universities, written in newspaper and magazine columns, heard on radio, or seen on the television. Like our predecessors in ancient Greece, people argue about what is best for their societies and shape the course of law, policy, and action. (

4. Debating is about developing our communication skills
Debating is about developing our communication skills. It is about assembling and organizing effective arguments, be persuading and entertaining an audience, and using the language to convince people that our arguments outweigh our oppostion’s. Debating is not about personal abuses, irrational attacks or purely emotional appeals.
A debate usually involves two sides talking about a topic (often called a motion). As a competition, teams of debaters attempt to show the adjudicators that they have the best debating skills. Being the best debater does not mean that the debater’s opinion has to coincide with that of the adjudicators.
(Source: Permata Harahap, modified by Idauli Laurens and Yohana Florence, 2000, English Debating Society Universitas Indonesia)

5. Debate – formal and informal?
In a formal debating contest, there are rules for people to discuss and decide on differences, within a framework defining how they will interact. Informal debate is a common occurrence, the quality and depth of a debate improves with knowledge and skill of its participants as debaters. Deliberative bodies such as parliaments, legislative assemblies, and meetings of all sorts engage in debates. The outcome of a debate may be decided by audience vote, by judges, or by some combination of the two. Formal debates between candidates for elected office, such as the leaders debates and the U.S. presidential election debates, are common in democracies.

6. The skills learnt through debating
The skills learnt through debating are many, and here are just a few:
the confidence to speak in front of a room full of people
the ability to present an argument persuasively
the vision to understand that there are two sides to most arguments
the respect for others, to let them have their say
the sense of timing, to prioritise your material and speak in a given time period
the structure to order your thoughts, to introduce, develop and summarise your points
the general and specific knowledge of many current affairs topics, learnt through research and debate
the flexibility to react quickly to new ideas, and to remain unflustered in crises

7. A Note
All of these skills are crucial in professional careers. All of the regular participants in school and university debating competitions have intelligence, which allied with the skills learnt from debate gives them a great basis for success in later life

8. The goal of the study of debate
The major goal of the study of debate as a method or art is to develop one's ability to play from either position with equal ease. To inexperienced debaters, some propositions appear easier to defend or to destroy; to experienced debaters, any proposition can be defended or destroyed after the same amount of preparation time, usually quite short. Lawyers argue forcefully on behalf of their client, even if the facts appear against them. However one large misconception about debate is that it is all about argument; it is not.
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