The debate is a battlefield of two opposite ideas. People from the opposing sides discuss topics together to find out the ideologies of either side. In most cases, the debate ends with an agreement from both the parties instead of just one party winning an argument. Although- even reaching a contract is a challenging task. The person must possess incredible convincing skills to even come to the point where the other party would agree to their terms. A debate isn't merely just a debate- it is often like a game of chess. One has to be very careful picking their arguments to support their point of view, or else, the power goes to the opposing side.
One must practice to build up their skills to put forward their arguments confidently and firmly. Although this is a challenging activity to participate in, it is still a fun experience of being in a school/university.
How can the student choose an excellent debate topic?
Great topics are an essential part of building an exciting and informative debate, so it is crucial to research well to decide a debate topic. Whether you are in school or university, it is vital to choose from the controversial issues. Controversial issues make up for an exciting debate as both the parties and the audience get to see the different ideologies both the opponents possess.
The debate topic is a necessary term, and students should choose topics from an area that already interests them. Picking up a challenging topic would only result in your downfall. For example, middle school debates don't have to be too political, as politics might be too complicated and tangled for the kids to understand entirely. They could choose from the topics like "should uniform be compulsory in schools?" or "should cell phones be allowed in school?". It is an area of interest to the kid and a place that the kid completely understands. Therefore, choose the topics that are on the same academic levels as you.
Finally, when you choose a topic, take the fact in consideration of how happy are you with the issue? Does it excite you and make you want to spend more time researching about it? Does it make you forget about your fear of speaking in front of an audience? Does it make you want to put your voice out there for others to listen and to learn?
Great debate topics, most of the times, bring out the best in us. They make us forget about the outside world and our fears related to it, and instead makes us feel confident in ourselves to present the world the gift of our voice.
Debate preparations: Behaviour.
No matter how excited or confident we feel, there are certain etiquettes that everyone must follow when participating in a debate. Here are some standard guidelines on this.
Maintain the right posture.
Use your body to express your feelings. Don't be stiff and make sure to use hand gestures, facial expressions when you put your views forward.
Be clear and loud.
Make sure to learn the right pronunciations and be aware of your pace. Do not rush your words; do not slow them down. Maintain a balanced speed which is easy to understand and follow. Your voice must be loud enough to be heard, make sure not to yell or stutter.
Maintain eye contact
It is essential to maintain eye contact with the crowd, instead of looking at just your professor or a trusted friend to hold general eye contact with the public. It will help the group to connect with you better.
Be calm
If the words are mumbled or rushed, the crowd will lose the interest in your side of the argument and lean more towards the opponent's side. Therefore, to stop that from happening, one must remain calm and not lose their composure. If you forget something- do not panic. Restart the argument and move forward with it.
Concentrate on what you have to say
Make sure that there is a sequence to the ideas that you present. It is essential to stick to your point so that the opponents' arguments do not make you lose track of what you said.
Listen actively and be polite.
There are instances when you disagree with what your opponent is saying. Ensure that you are actively listening to what your opponent is saying and also retaliating with politeness instead of being rude or disorderly. Try to avoid yelling, especially when it is to silence your opponents- it leaves a wrong impression on the audience.
What to do while you're preparing for the debate
If there is no lack of time- make sure that the topic you chose is well researched. There should be a central argument (your topic) and multiple subtopics to defend your primary argument. Preparing for a debate is just like preparing a research paper. One must make sure that they understand the topic they've selected. To present your ideas clearly to the audience, you must understand your topic thoroughly too. Students should also think about the counter-arguments and try to come up with answers supported by other scholars and researches. Make sure to credit your arguments, especially when it comes to presenting data. Otherwise, the opponent might raise a question about data credibility. The introduction of your statement should be strong and exciting to keep the audience and opponent interested. It should hold emotional factors and well-researched data so that the audience feels connected to your words.
Write an outline which contains the introduction, arguments, counter-arguments. Don't feel shy asking for help from other friends who can provide constructive criticism and more counter-arguments that the opponents can raise. Once all of that is done, ask for feedback. Ask your friends or seniors if your debate sounds convincing or not, and find areas where you can still improve.
Format it with the best of your knowledge and refer to websites that help you fix grammar. Now we will move onto the list of debate topics that students can refer from.
Debate topics for high school
How significant is a college degree to get a better job?
Should schools ban mobile phones for students?
Bullying and mental health: some adverse effects of bullying on the mental health of a student.
Is abortion ethical?
Should game stores sell violent video games to teenagers?
Does social media affect the mind of a child?
How does modern society respond to teenage pregnancies?
Is higher education necessary for a good salaried job?
Debate topics related to education
Are student loans exploitative in nature?
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns in school campus?
Should there be religion classes in school?
Should college/university education be necessary?
Is home-schooling better than regular school?
Is it necessary for every student to learn at least one foreign language?
Debate topics related to society
Should marijuana be legalised in the entire country?
Is it ethical to stop women from choosing what to do with the foetus?
Should the death penalty be abolished in your country?
Should addict be punished or given the necessary help that they need?
There should be a raise in the current minimum wages: yes or no?
Is patriotism beneficial in capitalistic context?
Debate topics related to environmental issues
Should people go vegan?
Is the climate change damage already irreversible?
Can zoos be deemed as illegal?
Should there be more sanctuaries?
What is the role of organic farming in climate change?
Banning plastic and packaging is a good idea. Yes or no?
Does substituting plastic straws with metal straws make a difference?
Debate topics related to politics
Why don't conservative politics work in a democracy?
Is democracy the best form of government?
Is communism essential for the growth of a country?
Should former offenders still have the right to vote?
Should the rich pay higher taxes?
Is it appropriate for the government to shut down peaceful protests?
Debate topics related to parenting
Should parents keep a check on their kid's internet activities?
Is it ethical for parents to check genders of their unborn babies?
LGBTQ+ couples adopting: pros and cons.
Is parental supervision just the same as parental control?
Should parents physically discipline their child?
Debate topics related to technology
Has the growing technology made people smarter or dumber?
Can all cars be modified into becoming electric cars?
Does technology mess with human emotions?
Can technology save the environment?
Will humans take over another planet in the nearest future?
Do robots increase the quality of life of a person?
Debate topics related to healthcare
Should vaccines be mandatory?
Modern healthcare and antibiotics.
Will drug legalisation have adverse effects on the pharmaceutical industry?
Does globalisation promote healthcare for all?
Should healthcare be completely independent of politics?
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