Debate is something completely different from just arguing.
It is said that debate is a skill that Japanese people are currently lacking.
It can be used for communication, negotiation, and presentation. Debate is a very important skill, you know?
Some people think that debate means arguing, but this is not the case at all. Debate is the art of persuasion under firm conditions and with mutual respect.
If you want to start debating, a skill that is said to be lacking among Japanese, read this article.
There are Many Types of Debates.
There are many different formats for debate and many different ways to debate.
Nothing is created in an argument, but in a debate, you are basically not allowed to interfere when the other person is speaking, and you lose immediately.
A "proper" debate has a lot of rules to make sure that both sides are on equal terms.
The basic format is as follows. It may differ by the situation.
Your opponent's argument (3 minutes)
Your rebuttal (60 seconds)
Your argument (3 minutes)
Your opponent's rebuttal (60 seconds)
However, this format can be combined in various ways to suit the number of people and the time required.
The motion can be anything.
That's why it's difficult to start a debate, and if you don't know what you're talking about and just state your points, it's not a debate at all, but it's just an "argument."
In the world of debate, "shouting" is a complete no-no, and you could be asked to leave the room.
Why Debate is Different from Just Arguing
A debate is completely different from an "argument.
Now that you know that there are rules, what are they?
If you're going to start a debate, you need to know at least a few rules, or you'll be kicked out.
No arguing
Always respect the other person.
No personal attacks on individuals, only on the "issues".
Challenge is allowed
Don't forget to introduce yourself
There are several rules, but they all have something in common here.
The part that caught my attention was the "challenging allowed" part.
This has become one of the easy debate techniques.
If you can't find the information presented by your opponent (within the time limit), or if you can confirm that the information is unreliable, you can declare that the information is wrong or unreliable.
Then you can say that the whole argument that the other person made is "no good", a rather pitiful technique.
You cannot interrupt the other person while they are speaking, but you are allowed to say it when it is your turn to speak.
This is because it is a point of view on an "issue" and not an attack.
You can offer, "You're wrong about that," and they have to respond. If you don't respond to that, it means it didn't happen altogether, and you will have to provide the source of the information.
By making the other person "explain" it to you in a limited time, you can make it impossible for them to say everything, weaken the argument, and gain an advantage, but it's not good if you do it.
So I don't use this technique as often, only at the time where information was truly unreliable.
In addition, self-introduction is a must in a world of debate, not when you're just playing with your friends, but when you're having a "proper discussion", you need to explain who you are (briefly), what the topic of the discussion is, and what your position is.
This is quite painful because the time limit is limited.
I try to speak very fast and leave as much time as possible.
Another feature of debates is that there is a time limit, and each person has a set amount of time to speak, usually around three minutes. It is usually about three minutes or five minutes at the most.
3 Steps to Start a Debate
Now that you know what a discussion is and what the rules are, here are the steps to start a discussion.
If you follow these three steps, you'll be a great debater, and you'll be able to start a debate with only three things to remember.
It's a pretty important technique, and once you learn it, you can apply it!
The skills you develop in the debate can be used in research, negotiations, and presentations, so there's no harm in learning them! They can be applied to school and college assignments, and even in the working world, you can use them in presentations!
If you want to make up for such skills that Japanese people lack, try the following three steps.
Decide on a Topic
The first step is easy.
If you are going to have a discussion, you need a "topic".
Unless you are given one, you usually have to make one yourself.
You may think you can come up with something like that easily, but this is quite difficult.
You need a topic that has "pros and cons" to be able to debate it.
For example, "Is 1 + 1 = 2? You can't do that, and it's very hard to prove that it's any other number.
The best topics for discussion are topics that can be used as "opinions", or issues that are not often covered in the news, but that have divided opinions worldwide.
The best topics for debate are those that can be used as "opinion" topics, or issues that are not often covered in the news but that has divided opinion worldwide.
Are humans the cause of climate change?
Are animals in zoos really happy?
Should there be homework in school?
Should you put pineapple on your pizza?
The last one is a complete joke, but the others are topics that have been debated all over the world, and the author has actually debated them.
It is quite thought-provoking.
You can choose whether you want to be on the for side or the against the side, or you can be randomly assigned to give an opinion opposite to your own.
If you are assigned, you have to debate with the opposite side, which is also hard.
Research
Now that you have a topic, it's time to do some research.
It's impossible to pull all the information out of your own head, so just do a regular Google search.
The research time you can do is usually about 15 minutes.
It's best if you can pull up articles, university studies, opinions of famous people, and real-life examples in 15 minutes. However, it's not enough time to do everything, so you'll have to learn how to Google.
Your research skill will for sure improve.
You can become a master of Google to find out which websites are the best to use.
This is the reason why people say that debates help you develop your research skills. In just 15 minutes, you should be able to find a paper, understand its content, and cite information that you can use, preferably at least three of them.
That's five minutes each.
If you also do quick research on the opposing viewpoints, you can anticipate what they will bring to the table, so you can prepare your rebuttal in advance. It is not possible to research the counterarguments from the beginning, but as you get used to it and have more time, you can anticipate the counterarguments.
You will be able to use a technique called "pre-argumentation.
This technique is quite simple: argue before your opponent does.
This is a technique to contain your opponent's point of view, which will put you at a disadvantage since they will not be able to use this information.
Remember to Respect your Opponent.
Finally, remember that debate is not about arguing, it's about respecting the other person.
Remember that it is not the other person you are arguing with, but the paper.
It is a violation of the rules and will result in a loss of points if you attack the other person or try to persuade the judge to give your side of the argument.
Respect your opponent and thank him or her after you have said something, or start talking about the other team you respect before you argue.
A debate is not an argument, it's a well-formatted argument.
Debate is about persuasion and negotiation while respecting each other's opinions.
In Summary
We have looked at the three steps of starting a debate in detail.
The main points of this article can be summarized as follows
Decide on a topic
Research
Respect the other person
If you remember to do this, you can start a debate. After that, you need to get used to the format of the discussion, be careful not to argue, and make sure you have the information to back it up.
Focus on those things, and let the debate begin!
Thank you for reading to the end, and please hit the like or follow button for support.
Japanese version of this article is available from here.
同記事の日本語版はこちらから。
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