People may come up with the most stunning content for their argument, but the fact is that in most cases, nearly one-third of the marking criteria goes to your delivery of the material. While speaking passionately about poorly researched work probably won't win you a debate, marrying factual evidence with emotional conviction will. No matter how analytical and academic a debate is, your presentation will have a definite effect on your adjudicator, as well as your audience. In a tight match, your win may rest on the drama of your performance.
Eliminate filler words. When your speech is riddled with "uh's" and "'um's" and other various aspirated sounds, you appear to know less than you actually do.[9] Your verbal hesitations also suggest that you are taking time to find your next word. You want to avoid this in debate, as you're aiming to express mastery over your intended topic.
* The "uh" sound usually takes less time to overcome in speech. It suggests that you've just finished one point, and you're taking a moment to move onto the next.
* Your "um" sounds can be far more dangerous, as they suggest that you may be searching for completely unfamiliar information. You'll want to eliminate both from your speech patterns in formal debate, however, as both suggest a stalling in your thought process.
* Try replacing your filler sounds with silence. This will give your audience time to stew on your last point, and it will also give you time to generate your stimulus for your next idea.
* Remember that everyone needs time to process before moving to their next sentence. You aren't eliminating this thought process. You are, however, making it appear that you are thinking less than you actually are.
Find synonyms for overused language. It's easy to settle into overused words in phrases while debating, especially because a great deal of your speech will be founded in your research. There's a tendency for politicians to rest back on trite language, and you want to avoid falling into those traps while you debate.
* When your work is highly researched, it runs the risk of becoming pedantic. If you're simply regurgitating facts from academia, your rhetoric can quickly become dull and overly intellectual. Look out for words such as "capitalist" or "dichotomy." These sorts of words, while thick with various meanings, have been dulled by overuse in the past few years.
Speak slowly and enunciate. There's a tendency, especially among young debaters, to fire off facts in a rapid, nearly manic way. While you don't want to make your speech drag, there are many benefits to slowing down your speech patterns. When you slow down your speech, you give your audience and your adjudicator more time to process your strong points.
*It's much easier to enunciate if you slow down the pace of your speech. You may be able to get through a larger quantity of points, but it's unlikely that all of them will be heard.
* Try the "pencil-in-mouth" drill if you want to improve your articulation. Stick a pencil in your mouth, parallel to your forehead, and practice your speech while holding it in place. You'll have to verbalize around this obstacle in your mouth, working harder to enunciate your syllables.
* When you remove the pencil, you'll find that your speech is far clearer. Keep that same level of enunciation when you're performing. When you blend enunciation with a slower manner of speech, it'll be easier for others to dissect your points.
Invent your rebuttals calmly. Before opening your mouth, take a moment to take a deep breath and calm down your mind. There's a lot of pressure riding on the rebuttal portion of the debate, especially as you have to connect your various points in an improvised fashion.
* Boil your arguments into more specific points, mentally, before launching in. You won't win this portion of your debate by scattering new ideas into the air at the last moment.
* Sum up your argument into one or two sentences. You'll obviously be extrapolating on these points, but it'll help you to have a logical home base to return to.
* Focus on what you know you've done successfully. Don't be hard on yourself for taking the "path of least resistance" when going for the win. Continue to Part Three