Debating and persuasive speaking

Debating trains you to build an argument, test it against someone else's, and disagree without falling out. Those skills help in essays, interviews, student councils and family discussions alike.

Watch the 1-minute overview

Watch the full video guide for this module

Build each argument: assertion, reasoning, evidence

• Hamilton College's Oral Communication Center describes three parts to every point: an assertion you can support, a reason explaining why it is true, and evidence that backs up the reason.
• Example. Assertion: 'Schools should offer free water refill stations.' Reasoning: 'If refilling is free and easy, students are likely to buy fewer plastic bottles.' Evidence: a real figure, such as the result of a survey your class carried out, with its source.
• The English-Speaking Union (ESU) advises starting with a clear statement of where you stand, then backing each point with examples, facts or analogies and explaining why it matters.
• Check your statistics, because out-of-date or questionable figures make an argument vulnerable, and keep personal stories short and tied to the argument (ESU).
• Plan around one central idea. The ESU suggests an initial 60-second brainstorm of everything that comes to mind about the motion, then choosing one thesis that everything you say points back to.

Rebuttal: answering the other side

• Hamilton gives a four-step rebuttal: 'They say...' (restate their point fairly), 'But I say...' (your counter), 'Because...' (your evidence or reasoning), 'Therefore...' (why your side is stronger).
• Hamilton lists three ways to challenge a claim: definitions (unclear or undefined terms), logic (unsupported generalisations, assumed cause and effect, bias) and grounds (weak, missing or misread evidence).
• Oak National Academy lists flaws to listen for: opinion presented as fact, contradictions within the argument, and irrelevant or incorrect information.
• The ESU advises focusing on the biggest points of disagreement rather than trying to answer everything, and responding to how the debate actually went, not just what you prepared.
• Drill template: 'They say [their point in fair words]. But I say [your counter]. Because [your evidence or reasoning]. Therefore [why your side is stronger].' Fill the brackets with real points from the debate you are in.

How formal debates work

• The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC), first held in Australia in 1988, uses two teams of three speakers: Proposition and Opposition (Wikipedia).
• Each speaker gives an eight-minute speech, then each team gives a four-minute reply speech by its first or second speaker; the Opposition replies first, so the Proposition has the last word (NSDA World Schools manual).
• Points of information (POIs) are short questions or statements from the other team during a speech. They are not allowed in the first or last minute, and POIs longer than 15 seconds are discouraged (NSDA).
• World Schools judges score style (40 percent), content (40 percent) and strategy (20 percent), and mark weak arguments down even if the other team does not expose them (NSDA).
• In the ESU Schools' Mace in the UK, the first four speeches are seven minutes, summary speeches are five minutes, and there is a floor debate where the audience can contribute (ESU Mace Handbook 2025).
• WSDC mixes prepared motions with impromptu ones, for which teams get one hour of preparation (Wikipedia), so thinking on your feet matters.

Disagree agreeably

• The ESU strictly prohibits personal attacks, known as ad hominem arguments, and encourages debaters to 'disagree agreeably'. Breaking this rule costs marks and, depending on how serious it is, may lead to disqualification.
• Attack the argument, never the person. 'That evidence is from 2010 and things have changed' is fair; 'You clearly have no idea' is not.
• In the ESU Mace, 'barracking', overloading the other side with POIs to disrupt their speech, costs a point for Listening and Response.
• Accept at least one or two POIs in a speech (Wikipedia, on WSDC). The ESU says that if a team neither offers nor accepts any POIs during a debate, judges take this into account in Listening and Response scores.
• Being willing to change your mind when you hear a better argument is a strength. The Critical Thinking module explores this further.

Persuasion beyond the debate hall

• Use the same tools for a student council pitch, a scholarship interview or asking your family for something: clear position, reasons, evidence, and a fair answer to the obvious objection.
• Mention the strongest counter-argument yourself before someone else does, then answer it with 'They say... But I say...'.
• Oak National Academy describes 'you always have to show both sides' as a misconception: in a debate, presenting a single line of argument is more skilful.
• Ask your school whether it runs a debating club, Model United Nations or a public speaking competition, or would support starting one.