Debate · Learn

Learn to Debate

Short chapters you can read in about ten minutes each, with examples and practice at the end. Start at the top if you’re new; jump around if you’re not.

Beginner

Your first practice rounds: what a debate is, how to read a resolution, build a case, answer the other side, speak, and argue fairly.

  1. 1What a Debate IsA debate is a contest of reasons with rules: two sides, one question, fair turns, and a judge who decides which side argued better, not which side is right.
  2. 2Reading a ResolutionBefore you argue, read the resolution word by word: what kind of claim it makes (fact, value or policy), what its key words mean, who has to prove what, and where the line between the sides falls.
  3. 3Building a CaseA case is a short speech of a few strong arguments. Each one has a claim, a warrant (the reason), evidence, and an impact (why it matters), and good signposting lets the judge follow every step.
  4. 5Refutation and RebuttalAnswer arguments in four steps (they say, but, because, therefore), know the different ways to answer, and use rebuttals to rebuild your case and tell the judge what the round comes down to.
  5. 10Speaking WellDelivery is how your arguments reach the judge: a steady pace, a clear voice, eye contact, purposeful pauses, and a plan for nerves.
  6. 12Ethics and SportsmanshipDebate only works if everyone argues in good faith: real evidence, quoted fairly, opponents treated with respect, and wins and losses taken with grace.
  7. 13Steelman vs StrawmanA strawman is a weak copy of someone's argument, built to be knocked down. A steelman is their argument at its strongest. Answering the steelman is fairer, more convincing, and wins more rounds.
  8. 16Persuasion: Ethos, Pathos and LogosAristotle named three ways a speech persuades: the speaker's character, the listeners' feelings, and the argument itself. Here's what he meant, and how debaters use all three truthfully.

Intermediate

Ready for a tournament: evidence, cross-examination, weighing, framework, flowing, judges, fallacies and impromptu speaking.

  1. 4Research and EvidenceFind good sources on both sides, check who wrote them, quote them fairly, cite them so anyone can check, and (in competitive debate) cut them into cards.
  2. 6Cross-ExaminationCross-ex is for asking, not speaking: clarify their case, get useful admissions, and set up your next speech. Answer truthfully, briefly and calmly.
  3. 7WeighingMost rounds end with both sides winning something. Weighing tells the judge why your impacts matter more, using magnitude, probability, timeframe and reversibility.
  4. 8Framework and ValuesA framework tells the judge how to decide. In Lincoln-Douglas it's a value (the goal) and a criterion (how to measure it); in other formats it's a weighing standard. Win the framework, and your arguments count for more.
  5. 9Flowing (Taking Notes)Debaters take notes in columns, one per speech, so every argument and its answers line up across the page. A good flow shows you what was answered, what was dropped, and what to say next.
  6. 11Judging and BallotsKnow who's judging you. Lay judges reward clarity and common sense; flow judges decide from their notes. Every judge fills out a ballot with a decision, speaker points and a reason, and the reason is where you learn the most.
  7. 14Fallacies in DebateThe fallacies you'll hear most in rounds, with the Logic Ladder lesson for each, how to answer one without sounding like a textbook, and how to keep them out of your own speeches.
  8. 15Impromptu and Extemporaneous SpeakingSpeaking with little preparation is a skill you can practice: a simple structure, a few examples you can reach for, and a steady habit of reading the news.

Competitive

Tournament play: getting ready for your first tournament, and the strategy experienced debaters use.

  1. 17Your First TournamentWhat happens at a debate tournament, what to bring, how rounds are scheduled, and how to make the most of a long, fun day, whatever your record.
  2. 18Competitive StrategyHow experienced debaters plan a round: off-case arguments in policy, choosing what to go for, managing time and prep, adapting to judges, and the terms you'll hear on the national circuit.

Practice as you read: the drills give you a random resolution, a rebuttal to answer, a strawman to fix, and fallacies to spot. The topics give you both sides to start from, and the glossary explains any word you don’t know.

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