GE 2/GE 3: Purposive Communication

WEEK 13
Learning Outcomes/Objectives:
a. Determine the different types of debate.

LESSON 5: THE DEBATE

Discussion:

TYPES OF DEBATE

You may not be aware of it but you use debates even in daily activities. You hear people argue in
different domains--homeschool, office, market, church, and in the government. This is so because a debate,
loosely defined, involves the exchange of opposing ideas or arguments. A debate, which is carried out in a
formal manner, usually takes place in a public meeting. The exchange of arguments follows a certain procedure
or a set of rules and has a definite format.

There are two types of debate: the formal and the informal. Formal debates are held in formal settings
such as in school, in the House of Representatives, and in the Senate. Debaters come prepared, equipped with
the knowledge they need to be able to reason out effectively. A topic is debated upon and the debaters listen to
the arguments raised by the other debaters from which they build their arguments and argue their position.
Informal debates, on the other hand, do not follow strictly a structure. While there are also two sides-
the affirmative and the negative it takes place anywhere and does not have to involve two teams. It may take
place between two or more people, arguing for or against a certain issue. An example would be two friends,
deciding where to eat their Lunch for the day.

SKILLS NEEDED IN DEBATE

You need all the language macro-skills to be an effective debater. The productive and receptive skills
work together and are not independent of each other. Certainly, these skills should go with critical thinking
especially since listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing can only be successful it practiced with
critical thinking.
As you listen, speak, and read, you also need to take down notes so note-taking is imperative.

READING

For you to become a successful debater, you should be a wide reader. Sir Francis Bacon once said:
“Reading maketh a full man, writing an exact man.” What does this mean? From what angle or perspective
can you explain this quote?

Many say that through reading, you can visit places, experience other cultures, and learn new things. In
fact, if you read extensively, you are able to look at things differently. Your knowledge of things is not
restricted to a single perspective but to many. You are able to weigh things more objectively because you have
gained a deeper understanding of life. Such is the beauty of being a book lover or a passionate reader.
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SPEAKING

Your being a voracious reader or a book worm will certainly manifest itself in the way you speak. You
never run out of thoughts and words once you are asked on a certain topic. The knowledge you have gained
from reading can manifest in your wide vocabulary and in a distinct use of a speaking style that can change the
minds of your listeners, sway and win them over to your side. When you speak, always remember that you
should articulate your thoughts very well, pronounce clearly the words you utter, use the appropriate rate and
volume, speak with grammatical accuracy, maintain the correct bearing or poise, and employ non-verbal code
such as gestures, facial expression, and movement.

WRITING

It is in the writing skill where the 'making of a full man' is achieved. Reading and writing are skills
that go together. As a passionate reader, you increase your vocabulary significantly. You are able to express in
writing your full understanding of yourself, the world you are in, your views about life, and your perspectives
people. But you become only a full man if you are able to adjust the needs of the time and are mindful of your
shared responsibility to help improve other people's lives.

LISTENING

Though not usually emphasized, listening is equally important as the other skills. Thus, it should not
be taken for granted. Just like reading and writing, listening and speaking go together. In a debate if you do not
listen carefully to the arguments of your colleagues and the members of the opposing team, you cannot build on
your teammate's arguments and refute convincingly the claims of the other team, respectively. Jimmy Hendrix
once said: "Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens." Indeed, this is true. For aside from reading, it is only
through listening intently that you are able to gain knowledge and wisdom. It is also through listening that
you are able to show respect to others.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Freely and Steinberg (2014) in their book Argumentation and Debate: Critical Thinking for Reasoned
Decision Making define ethics as "a set of constructs that guide our decision making by providing
standards of behavior telling us how we ought to act" (p. 105).
However, they have added different ways of conceptualizing ethics as follows:

1. Ethics may be thought of as a complex foundation of morally based rules, as might be adhered to within
a culture of a group.

2. Ethics may provide specific guidelines for individuals or groups engaged in similar activities or with
occupational concerns, for example, business ethics or sportsmanship.

3. Ethics may characterize the way people think of themselves and the self-applied measures for right
behavior based in personality or experience which guide them to virtuous or appropriate behavior.

4. Ethics may construct a general or universal set of values, guiding a broader understanding about the
human condition born of philosophical commitment, constructs, and motives.
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Debates, therefore, question issues of right and wrong including the applications of standards of ethics. At
times, people also find themselves challenging their own ethical standards. It is difficult to assume that just
because a debater sees something to be unacceptable, then it really is. Assumptions lead to poor arguments and
poor decision-making. Remember that people have differing ethical assumptions about this world. They have
different ways of viewing things.

It is essential not to make sweeping statements when laying down arguments as these may pave the way for
the opposing team to question the claims.

DRESS AND APPEARANCE

You should be mindful of how you look in a formal debate your appearance is just as important as the
paralinguistic cues and non-verbal behavior. If you are a female speaker, wear a business attire that will make
you look respectable. Do not wear colors that are ostentatiously attractive. Very high-heeled shoes and flat
shoes should also be avoided. Instead, wear heels that are manageable, for example, 1.5 to 2 inches. Make-up
and jewelry should also be worn conservatively.
For males, you also need to wear business attire, avoiding loud colors. Should you wear a coat and tie,
do not wear a tie that comes in flashy or glaring colors. You should be able to match your inner clothes with
your outer clothes. Do not wear large ornaments. Your nails should be cut, hair well-combed, and shoes neatly-
polished.
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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

Name: Date:

Check your understanding of the input by answering the following questions:

1. How is debate related to one’s everyday life experiences?

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2. How different is the formal debate from the informal debate?

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3. What roles do the other language macro-skills play in a debate?

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 GE 2/GE 3: Purposive Communication
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SYNTHESIS
1. Debates are used not only in formal contexts but also in informal settings such as the home, market,
mall, church, and the like.
2. Debates can be classified into informal and formal. Whereas informal debates happen anywhere, formal
debates take place in formal settings such as the classroom, the House of Representatives, and the
Senate. Informal debates simply call for an exchange of arguments without any structure or rules to
follow. Conversely, formal debates follow a procedure, have a structure, and observe a set of rules.
3. Debates use all the language macro-skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and critical
thinking. Without one of these, a debater cannot argue effectively.

REFERENCE:

Marilu Ranosa Madrunio, Isabel Pefianco Martin. Purposive Communication. Using English in Multilingual Contexts