The debate for Non-native English Speakers, Speaking, Listening, and Understanding was written to make it easier for you to become a debater.
Debate for Non-native English Speakers
Each chapter is short enough to read in one session. At the end of each chapter, you will find a list of the important concepts and key vocabulary terms used in that chapter. All definitions are listed in the glossary at the end of the book. Each chapter teaches you a skill, which the next chapter builds on.
Chapter 1 welcomes you to debate and encourages you to be the best student of communication that you can be. Remember, the skills you learn should help you in every language, not just English.
Chapter 2 explains the basic concepts of debate. You will learn some of the rules and responsibilities of debate and what you should do when you participate.
Chapter 3 explains how to improve your oral skills (delivery). It also helps you overcome any fear of public speaking you might have.
Chapter 4 discusses how to write clear speeches and papers. Chapter 5 describes the many different debate formats. De-bates can be held with different time limits, types of questions, and a number of debaters. The chapter also includes the time limits used for debate formats in the United States.
Chapter 6 discusses different types of propositions—how topics are worded to make them easier to debate.
Chapter 7 describes how to develop cases. Cases are how you write organized arguments to support your side.
Chapter 8 discusses critical thinking. You will learn how to understand the parts of an argument and how to tell when someone is using thinking that is not logical (using fallacies).
Chapter 9 discusses the research. It explains how to find evidence to support your arguments, how to use the evidence in the debate, and how to attack the evidence of the other team.
Chapter 10 explains refutation. You will learn how to defeat the arguments of the other side and how to defend your own.
Chapter 11 explains note-taking and “flowing” for debate. You will learn how to flow the arguments in a debate.
Chapter 12 describes tournaments and judging. You will learn how a tournament works and the different approaches that judges take in their evaluations.
