Debating is one of the most important activities across all levels of schooling. The debating experience offers students an environment to improve their cognitive and presentational skills. As a student, it is thus important to partake in debates.
The activity polishes your knowledge while at the same time boosting your critical thinking, oral, and written communication skills. According to thesisrush.com, preparing an argumentative thesis for the debate improves your research skills and broadens your perspective on different topics.
However, many students struggle when it comes to debating. This guide offers a few tips on how to become a better debater.
Relax
One of the biggest problems for debaters is tension and anxiety. If you are preparing for a big debate, you will have a hard time wiping out the doubts. This anxiety hinders your research and constricts your thinking.
A round of golf or a picnic with your fellow debaters or family will work wonders. It will help you to relax both body and mind. The pent-up tension flows out of your body as you walk the beautiful greens in this area. You can focus better on ideas as you follow your game.
Prepare To Win
If you want to excel in debates, then you have to put in a lot of work through intense preparations. You have to refine your argument and choose a convincing resolution.
For your argument to work, you have to support them with relevant facts. Create a schedule for your debate research and identify all the resources you use.
When you prepare to win, you gain confidence, control, and you can think on your feet. It is easy to counter any arguments if you have looked at the broader perspective of the debate topic.
Understand The Structure Of an Argument
Many students have good ideas during debates, but they don’t present them in the right format. The audience and the judges can’t follow the arguments, and this leads to poor scores.
If you want to hone your debating skills, take time to structure your arguments. First, you need a clear assertion stating what your argument is. You should support and explain this assignation through clearly thought reasoning.
To drive the point home, you should use illustrations and examples. If you follow this structure every time, you will always have solid presentations. It is easy for the audience to follow your ideas, and the judges will love the neat presentation.
Anticipate The Opposition And Prepare For It
The best debaters go beyond their own arguments to look for counterarguments. A good debater will look at the weakest links in their arguments. If you can critique your reasoning and resolution, it is easy to prepare for the opposition.
The opposition is hard at work preparing to counter your arguments, and you should also do the same. It is the only way to guarantee you don’t encounter surprises along the way. You have to think like the worst critic. List all the opposing points for your argument and look at the best way to maneuver through them.
Take Into Consideration The Audience
A good debater communicates effectively. While the audience will not give you’re the score, you have to demonstrate your communication skills. The idea is to address the audience in engaging and convincing terms. Judges love such a debater, and this could end up giving you a better score.
Always seek to communicate using simple but interesting language. Don’t use jargon or complicated data.
Final Thoughts
Debating is an important activity to improve your critical thinking skills and improve your communication ability. It hones your ability to present your case, and the skills you learn are crucial in life. Use these tips to prepare for your next debate.