The Debate Toolkit

Vocabulary and key concepts from 'The Debate Toolkit' including debate roles, steps, and linguistic tools for speaking and reacting.

Need

Things we need to live that are essential for life.

Want

Things we want to have that are nice to have, but not essential.

Debate

A process of sharing different points of view, rather than being about winning.

In Favour

The position in a debate where you say 'YES' to the idea.

Against

The position in a debate where you say 'NO' to the idea.

The Three Steps of Debating

1. Listen, 2. Think, and 3. Speak.

Tool 1: Talk About Right Now

A tool used to talk about actions in progress today using the structure [Person] + [be] + [action-ing].

Tool 2: Give Good Advice

A tool used to suggest actions using 'Person + SHOULD + Action' or 'Person + SHOULDN'T + Action'.

Tool 3: React to Others

A tool used to agree (Saying Yes) or disagree (Saying No) with another person's points.

Agreeing (Examples)

Phrases like 'That's right…' and '…I see your point.'

Disagreeing (Example)

The phrase 'That's not completely right…'