Post by shona on Dec 13, 2012 21:26:41 GMT
FLOOR AND HOUSE – The room in which a debate takes place is referred to as the Floor, and a speaker ‘has the Floor’ when they are speaking. The House is the term used to describe the people in the room at the time of the debate i.e. the other debaters, audience members and judges.
MOTION – The motion is the topic or subject being debated. Motions traditionally begin with the phrase ‘This House…’. They should be of interest to the audience and should provide good opportunities for debate (i.e. they have arguments for and against). An example of a motion is ‘This House Would Ban Fatty Foods in Schools’.
PROPOSITION AND OPPOSITION – The Proposition is the pair of teams in a debate whose job is to persuade the audience and judges that the motion is correct. They should provide information, arguments and evidence to support the main thrust of the motion. The Opposition is the pair of teams whose task is to provide arguments against the motion to counter the Proposition’s case.
POINTS OF INFORMATION – A Point Of Information is an interruption by a member of the non-speaking team to the speaker who has the Floor at that time (i.e. is on their feet). It can be accepted or declined by the speaker and should be short, relevant and to the point.
REBUTTAL – Rebuttal is the answering of the other side’s arguments. In their speeches, debaters must listen and respond to the arguments of their opponents. Rebuttal is at the heart of a good debate. It cannot be stressed strongly enough how important rebuttal is!
ADJUDICATORS – The Adjudicators are the people with the responsibility of deciding who has won the debate. This winning team is not necessarily the side whose arguments they agree with, but is the one which has shown the best overall debating technique.
FLOOR DEBATE – In most debates some time will be given to a Floor Debate. This is when members of the audience can make comments, short speeches or ask the teams questions. The Floor Debate normally takes places after the final speeches, ideally when the Adjudicators have retired to make their decision.
PROTECTED TIME – The first and last minutes of a speech, when points of information may not be offered.
CHAIRPERSON – The chairperson is effectively the referee for the debate. He or she will make sure that speakers are complying with the rules of the competition and will introduce the debate, speakers and adjudicators.
TIMEKEEPER – The timekeeper is responsible for the accurate timing of each speech, so that signals can be given at appropriate points.