Debating in Schools
Key terms
Debating can be a daunting prospect for people who have never participated in a debate before. It should not be!
In this section, the key terms of debating are introduced. As with anything, jargon can be off-putting but debating terms are simple and easy to understand. The key terms are listed below. There are also other terms that you may come across from time to time in debating but are not essential when introducing debate to a class.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| House | The room in which a debate takes place is referred to as the House, and whilst a speaker is speaking they ‘have the floor’. The House is also the term used to describe the people in the room at the time of the debate, ie the other debaters, audience members, judges and timekeepers. |
| Motion | The motion is the topic or subject that is being debated. Motions traditionally begin with the phrase ‘This House would…’ or ‘This House believes’. Motions should be of interest to the audience and for the speakers. They can be directly related to something being discussed in class or, if at an after-school club, can be about a current affairs issue, a school issue or any other interesting and challenging topic. An example of a motion is ‘This house would ban school uniform’. (See Useful motions). |
| Proposition | The proposition is the name for the team or teams proposing a motion. This means that they are in favour of the motion. So in the example given above, the proposition team or teams would be arguing in favour of banning school uniform. Their role in the debate would be to persuade the audience and judges that the motion is correct. They should provide information, arguments and evidence to support their case. |
| Opposition | The opposition is the name for the team or teams opposing the motion. Their task is to provide arguments against the motion to counter the proposition’s case. In the example above, the opposition team would be in favour of keeping school uniform. |
| Points of Information | A Point of Information is an interruption offered by a member of one of the opposing teams to the speaker who has the floor at that time. The speaker has the choice whether to accept or decline the Point of Information. Points of Information are crucial to debating as they are one of the main ways to promote the exchange of ideas between the opposing sides. A good Point of Information should be short, relevant and to the point. |
| Rebuttal | Rebuttal is the attempt to argue against specific arguments the opposing side have put forward during a speech. Like Points of Information, rebuttal is crucial to the exchange of ideas in a debate. Each speaker after the first Proposition speaker should give part of their speech to rebutting the opposing side’s arguments. Debaters must listen and respond to what the other teams are saying. (See Rebuttal techniques) |
| Adjudicators/Judges | In competitive debates, adjudicators or judges are the people who decide who has won the debate. The winning team is not necessarily the side with whose arguments they agree, but rather the one that has shown overall the best debating technique and has been most persuasive. Adjudicators follow certain guidelines and should give feedback to teams to help them improve their debating ability. (See What judges look for). |
| Floor Debate | In most debates some time will be given to a Floor Debate. This is a period when members of the audience can make comments, give short speeches or ask questions. In a Mace Debate, the Floor Debate takes place between the main speeches and summary speeches. In other formats, Floor Debates often take place after the main debate has finished. When being used in the classroom, the Floor Debate can be an effective way of making sure more people are directly involved (See Debating in the classroom and Whole-class debates). |
| Protected Time | The first and last minutes of a speech are protected from Points of Information. In shorter speeches (3-minute speeches), protected time should be 30 seconds. The beginning and end of protected time should be marked with a bell or clap of the hands. |
| Chairperson | The Chairperson is in charge of the debate. He or she will make sure that speakers comply with the rules and will introduced the debate, speakers and adjudicators. The Chairperson can be the teacher but chairing is also a great way of involving more people in the debate. |
| Timekeeper | The timekeeper is responsible for the accurate timing of each speech, so that time signals can be given at appropriate points. The timekeeper should also keep a record of how long each speaker spoke for and give this to the judges at the end of the debate. |
Other terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Case | The case is the line of argument and reasoning a particular team argues throughout the debate. |
| Order Paper | The Order Paper is a guide to the debate. It outlines who is speaking, in what position and what the debate is about. These can be produced as part of homework for a classroom debate or be the responsibility of one of the society members for a society debate. This Draft Order Paper can be used as a template or as a guide for designing Order Papers. |
| Point of Order | A Point Of Order is a very rare interjection concerning the procedure of the debate. If the rules of the debate are being breached, a member of the House can raise a Point of Order. The Chairperson should ask the timekeeper to stop the clock and consider whether there has been a breach of the rules. The Chairperson’s decision is final. |
PDF file: Draft Order Paper for debating (34KB)