The English-Speaking Union titleCentre for Speech and Debate ESU National Schools Competitions for Debating and Public Speaking 2006-2007
The ESU Public Speaking The ESU Schools Mace Competition for Schools The National Debating Championship
• A Public Speaking competition for teams • A debating competition for teams of two of three students from Years 10 and 11 / students of any age (mostly 15-18). S3 and S4 only. What’s in this handbook? What’s in this handbook? • Welcome and Rules ...... 22 • Welcome ...... 4 • How the competition is organised ... 24 • Rules ...... 4 • How a debate works ...... 26 • Calendar for this year ...... 4 • Defi nitions ...... 28 • Format ...... 5 • Rebuttal and summary speeches .... 29 • Guidelines for Chairpersons ...... 8 • Points of Information ...... 30 • Guidelines for Speakers ...... 9 • Guidelines for debaters ...... 31 • Guidelines for Questioners ...... 12 • Guidelines for coaches ...... 35 • Guidelines for Coaches ...... 13 • Reporting competition ...... 35 • Guidelines for Judges ...... 14 • Guidelines for judges ...... 36 • Judges’ mark sheet ...... 16 • Hosting a round ...... 44 • Timekeeper’s sheet ...... 17 • Chairing and Timekeeping ...... 48 • Curriculum links ...... 18 • Other debating formats ...... 52 • Winners ...... 19 • Cross-curricular debate ...... 54 • Meet the team ...... 59 • Extra-curricular debate ...... 56 • Map of the competitions ...... back page • Winners ...... 57 • About the ESU ...... back page • About the ESU / Map ...... back page
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 1956–2006The ESU Schools Mace is proud to be supported by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in our fi ftieth year ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools
Contents About the competition
• Welcome ...... 4 What is it? • Rules ...... 4 • A competition featuring speeches on • Calendar for this year ...... 4 topical themes chosen by competitors • Format ...... 5 from our lists of interesting topics. • Guidelines for Chairpersons...... 8 • The Speaker is introduced by the • Guidelines for Speakers ...... 9 Chairperson and shows the ability to • Guidelines for Questioners ...... 12 think on their feet when interviewed by • Guidelines for Coaches ...... 13 the Questioner and the audience. • Guidelines for Judges ...... 14 • In each 14-minute segment the • Judges’ mark sheet...... 16 Chairperson and Questioner come from • Timekeeper’s sheet ...... 17 a different school from the Speaker. • Curriculum links ...... 18 • Prizes and winners ...... 19 Who’s it for? • Meet the team ...... 49 • Teams of three students from Years 10 • Map of the competitions...... back page and 11 / S3 and S4 only. • About the ESU ...... back page • From England, Scotland and Wales ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Introduction and Rules | Page 4 About the ESU Schools Public Speaking Competition
Welcome from the National Organiser Rules about entry to the competition • The closing date for entry to the competition was 1 The ESU is delighted that you’ve chosen to take part in our Schools July, 2006. Late entries are at the discretion of the Public Speaking Competition for national, regional and branch organisers. 2006-7. • There is an entry fee of £30 which should be in the form of a cheque made payable to The English- The purpose of the competition is Speaking Union and sent to Dartmouth House. (A to give competitors the opportunity £10 discount is available for entries to both the to demonstrate and develop Public Speaking competition and the Schools Mace fundamental skills in public speaking. Competitors completed online at www.britishdebate.com). should be encouraged to believe that entering the • Entry fees are payable once a paper or online competition is an achievement in itself, and that application has been submitted to the ESU. Teams their public dialogue is a genuine contribution to the community and to free speech. that withdraw from the competition prior to the fi rst round are still required to pay the entry fee. The Schools Public Speaking Competition was • However, once a school has sent in an entry started by the Brighton & Hove Branch of the form, it should regard itself as fi rmly committed ESU in 1960, and has since grown to be a major to the contest. Last minute withdrawals cause stimulus of effective spoken English in British enormous diffi culties and schools are urged to schools. include a reserve in their team to minimise the It is intended to support the National Curriculum possibility of needing to withdraw. Inexperienced in English, which requires that students ‘speak teams have an excellent chance of success and and listen confi dently in a wide variety of contexts schools should not be discouraged because they ... adapting what they say and how they say it are new to the competition. Overpreparation is as to different situations and people’. The roles much of a danger as under-preparation. of Chairperson and Questioner in particular complement this demand, while all speakers are of course fulfi lling many other requirements of the Rules about eligibility of your team oral curriculum (see page 18 for more details on • Teams consist of three students, who must be how public speaking complements the curriculum preparing for GCSEs in years 10 or 11 (England in England, Wales and Scotland). and Wales) or for Standard Grades in S3 or S4 This handbook should answer most of your (Scotland). They must all be full-time students at questions about the competition. But if you the same school or college. have any questions or suggestions regarding the • Students cannot be changed between rounds competition, you can address them to me at: except in the case of illness or by written application to the Organiser of the round. Meriel Talbot National Organiser Public Speaking Competition for Schools Rules about the composition of teams The English-Speaking Union Dartmouth House • Teams consist of three speakers: 37 Charles Street - The Chairperson London W1J 5ED - The Speaker - The Questioner Telephone: 020 7529 1550 • In the competition, the Speaker contributes to the Fax: 020 7495 6108 presentation of the Chairperson and Questioner E-mail: [email protected] from another school, thus suggesting the reality I hope you enjoy the competition. that faces a visiting public speaker. • There is more information about the participants’ roles on page 6 and pages 8-12.
Meriel Talbot National Organiser
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Rules about topics for the speeches • At Regional Finals and at the National Final the Chairperson and Questioner will be given the • In the branch and regional rounds of the competition, Speaker’s topic 30 minutes before the start of the speakers can choose a topic from a list issued by competition. the ESU. The speaker may speak for or against the topic as it is phrased in the programme. • For the national final, the ESU will assign a topic to About the structure of Branch, Regional and each school. The speaker may speak for or against National Organisers the topic as it is phrased by the ESU. • In the branch rounds, the Chairperson and • For administrative purposes, England, Wales Questioner may (at the Branch Organiser’s and Scotland are divided into regions which are discretion) be informed of the list of topics chosen subdivided and allocated to ESU branches. by all the participating teams. The actual topic for • Where possible, those schools outside existing ESU each presentation will be revealed by the Organiser branch areas will be allocated to an appropriate 30 minutes before the competition begins. This will ESU branch. of course depend on the cooperation of the schools taking part.
A calendar for this year’s competition
The competition consists of three or four rounds: • Regional Finals (normally involving no more than 8 schools) are organised by our Regional Public • One or two branch rounds are organised by your Speaking Organisers. local branch organiser who will contact you at • One team from each region goes to the UK Final, some point during the autumn term. organised by the ESU in London.
2006 2007 June to Continuation of 1 Deadline for entries to this September branch rounds. JUL year’s competition. Time for JAN your school to prepare a team for entry to the February to March competition. AUG FEB Regional Finals may Consider be held at any time having an during these months. in-school competition to select SEP September to your team MAR February (see p. 13). Branch rounds may be held at any time 3 Oct during these months: April OCT INSET day APR onwards exactly when depends in London on your local branch. Time to think about For branches with preparing a larger number of 12 UK Final between all for next competitors, there regions in England, Scotland NOV MAY year’s. Why may be two branch and Wales at St Paul’s Girls not have an rounds before the School in London. in-school regional final. competition to select Entries open for next year’s your team? DEC JUN competition. (see p. 13)
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Each heat in the competition consists of several sessions. Each one runs in the following order: • In the Branch rounds: The Chairperson and Questioner may be informed of the topics chosen by all the Speakers in the round. The actual topic will be revealed by the Organiser 30 minutes before the competition begins. • At Regional and National Finals: The Chairperson and Questioner are informed of their ‘guest’ Speaker’s topic 30 minutes before the start of the competition. The rest of each session then continues as follows:
Minutes elapsed Speaker Chairperson Questioner
Introduction: The Chairperson has 1 minute in which to open proceedings and introduce the speaker and the topic.
The speech: The Speaker (who comes from another school) has 5 minutes to speak for or against the topic as printed in the programme. Opposing views should be explored.
Questioner’s Questions: The Chairperson invites the Questioner to question the Speaker for 4 minutes. The Questioner asks brief questions relating to the speech they have just heard. The Speaker gives succinct answers to the questions posed by the Questioner.
Audience Questions: The Chairperson invites members of the audience to ask questions for 2 minutes. The Speaker answers the audience’s questions succinctly.
Summing up: The Chairperson should end both phases of the question period promptly and then sum up the session and thank the speakers in not more than 2 minutes.
END OF SESSION: The judges may penalise individuals who contribute to the session overrunning its allotted 14 minutes
After all the sessions have been completed, the judges retire and consider their verdict.
Announcement of the winners and getting feedback from the judges For more about Following their deliberation, the judges always announce the winning team. They the criteria that may also, depending on the branch or region, give prizes for the best Chairperson, the judges use Speaker and Questioner (who may or may not come from the winning team). They will also give some general feedback to all competitors. for marking the Schools Following the close of proceedings some of the judges will also make themselves Public Speaking available to teams and speakers to give individual feedback. This is a great Competition, look opportunity for teams to get some specific suggestions on what they have done at our ‘Guidelines well and how they can improve. Please don’t use this time to attack the judges’ for Judges on decision – we know you may not always agree with their decision, but listening pages 14 - 15. politely to them will help you understand it.
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Speaker Chair Questioner Setting up the room • A table that seats three speakers should be placed at one end of the room. The Chairperson Timekeeper should sit between the Speaker (who comes from another school) and the Questioner. • The judge’s table should be placed at the rear of the room, or halfway down if the room is large.
The Timekeeper • The Timekeeper should be appointed by the organiser and keep a record of time taken (using the sheet on page 17). Once all the teams have spoken the Timekeeper should give all the timings to the judges. • An audible signal will be given after five minutes of the Speaker’s speech, and another at the end Judges of the 14 minutes.
Chairperson Questioner Task: to run the meeting Task: to question the Speaker. The Chairperson is responsible for creating the right The Questioner asks for elaboration, clarification, atmosphere for the team’s participation. correction and alternative lines of argument, as an The Chairperson must introduce the Speaker and the informed interviewer rather than as an adversary. The topic but avoid saying too much about the subject Questioner will probably develop alternative lines of and show impartiality throughout the presentation. argument but should not give a separate speech. The introduction should also explain briefly the background of the Speaker. The Speaker is expected to provide the Chairperson with such details. The Chairperson may also repeat or rephrase questions from the audience if they think it necessary. In addition, the Chairperson will sum up the Speaker’s main arguments and thank the participants at the end of the session, being careful to stay within the time limits.
Speaker Task: to persuade the audience to support their view Skills Summary of the topic. • A good Chairperson should listen well, be clearly The Speaker comes from a different school from that in charge, be brief yet to the point, be attentive of the Chairperson and Questioner. to the needs of the speakers and the audience. • A good Speaker should never read an essay. He The Speaker’s responsibility is to develop a line of or she should be structured, be persuasive and reasoning which must be supported by relevant be conscious of the impact of verbal and non- information. The most effective speeches show an verbal language. awareness of both sides of the question but lead to a • A good Questioner should be a superlative firm conclusion on one side or the other. listener, knowledgeable on many different The Speaker also has the responsibility to answer subjects, brief, to the point and polite. questions, and as such should do so briefly and • A good team will work hard to ensure that each convincingly without monopolising the platform. member can do their job well - the competition is specifically designed to show the inter-related Effective presentation should not be confused with a nature of speaking, listening and questioning. dramatic performance.
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The message is: (not usually a problem) and to support the Speaker by paying close and polite attention to the speech. You are in charge Perfect the art of looking at the Speaker and the The skills being taught in the ESU Competition are audience at the same time. React to jokes with a broadly modelled on those you would be expected smile. If the Speaker overruns wait for about fifteen to use if you had invited a guest speaker to attend seconds and then find a pause to stay seated but the meeting. Everyone looks to you to set the tone murmur quietly to the Speaker “Could you finish off and run an efficient meeting. Make sure you know the now?” (or point subtly to your watch!) rules, especially about timing, and have a watch. Questions You are in charge from the start Invite the Questioner to question the Speaker. This is If the competition organiser asks you to take your the most difficult part to control. Some Questioners team onto the stage as soon as the previous team try to ask long and involved questions either to use up has finished and while the judges are still doing their the time or to make their own speech. Don’t let them. assessment, you may be left sitting there for two or You are in charge. Whether the question comes from three minutes. You can act as host to the other two the Questioner or the audience, rise to your feet after with you by offering them water and engaging them 15 to 30 seconds and ask them firmly but politely to in quiet conversation, while keeping an eye on the state their question briefly. Similarly, the Speaker judges/organiser to know when they are ready to should be given about thirty seconds or so to answer start. Check that fresh water is on the table before or there will be no time for further questions. You you take your places. have to use your judgement here. You also have to use your judgement to decide whether to rephrase a question or repeat it. If you do, do it as briefly as you Set the tone with your first word can. Keep your eye on your watch. Set the tone with the first word you say. The way you say “Good ...” in “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” will tell the audience whether this is going Conclusion to be a well-organised meeting or not. So smile and Finally you are asked to sum up the Speaker’s hit that first word. main arguments and some of the points raised by the Questioner and the audience. You should have Introductions noted key themes in the speech as it was delivered and any important points raised in the questions, Start your watch. You haven’t much time. The audience particularly any that were not fully answered or left only really needs the basic information: who? and in dispute. Give yourself a minute or more to remind what? First introduce the Speaker by name. And it is the audience of these and then thank the Speaker the audience who needs to know the name, not the and Questioner. You may lead the applause and only Speaker! Do not turn to the Speaker as you say the conduct the Speaker and Questioner from the stage name: give it to the audience. Then give the topic. as this dies down. Next, the audience need to know the Speaker’s qualifications for speaking on this topic. They do not need a lot of irrelevant biographical detail. Find time Skills Summary before the speech to ask the Speaker. You should now know how to: You do not need to outline the procedure for the • set up the meeting meeting. If you have time you can say a few words • introduce the Speaker and Questioner about the topic if you are confident that you can make • support the Speaker in an even handed a relevant and even handed comment. If not, make a manner passing reference to the topic, hand over pleasantly • encourage and control questions to the Speaker - and sit down. • summarise the meeting and end things tidily. You are still in charge during the speech. You cannot And you should know who is in charge! relax now. Your job is to keep order in the meeting
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Topic selection Structuring your speech Your first problem is which topic to choose. Broadly One of the areas in which speakers new to the they divide into two types: competition often lose marks is that of structure. Structure enables your audience to judge many • Those topics you know a lot about things. • Those topics you would like to know more about. In particular it allows them to assess general While it might seem a good idea to immediately reasons why your particular plan of action should be choose a topic out of the first category, you might considered. also consider speaking on a topic you would like to This is one reason why structure is so important – the know more about; your approach to it may be fresher, essence of a good speech is to build an argument. and the path you follow through your research and By being structured you also give your audience an preparation will alert you to ways you can make it aid to remembering your speech and its key points interesting to the audience. – after all you only have one chance.
You should then prepare a statement of intent for By now you will have a topic, a statement of intent your speech. and a theme. You should also have completed some Try to complete the following sentence: “At the end research on your topic, so that you are able to list some evidence in support of your idea. of my speech I want to have persuaded my audience that ... ” For example, “At the end of my speech I You should now try to fit this information into a want to have persuaded my audience that taking a framework, or speech outline. This is the skeleton year off to visit Africa before going to university is of which you will use as the basis of your presentation. great benefit to them”. It contains: Watch out too, that your statement of intent only talks • An introduction, which seizes the attention of your about one general idea. audience, and tells them what the point of your speech is. Check that your statement of intent passes the • Some main points, which are the pieces of following four tests: evidence or the sub-topics which you are going to use to support your case. • It is possible to discuss the topic in the necessary • A conclusion, which ties the speech together for time (avoiding going over or under the limit). your audience, and reminds them of what it is you • The topic is relevant to your audience and will hold wanted to achieve by speaking to them. their attention. • The topic is not too trivial. • The topic is not too technical. The outline will allow you to give your speech without writing it out. Notice how it follows the rule of three – ‘Tell them what you’ll tell them, tell them, and tell You now have a topic, and a statement of intent. them what you told them’. From this point you should write down (in one sentence only) the areas that you will discuss, we will call this the theme: “The major benefits of a gap year are getting to see some of the world, taking a break from studying, developing initiative and self-reliance, and helping other people.” Note: You will not deliver the statement of intent and the theme will not be part of the speech you deliver, but they will help you focus on the message you are giving.
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Introductions and conclusions • You might choose to end with a quotation. This is a form of appeal to authority. By indicating to your Introductions and conclusions are some of the most audience that someone else has thought about difficult parts of your speech. You could practise your topic you can lend credibility and weight to different introductions and conclusions in front of your own speech. different people: parents, teachers and friends. This • Refer to your introduction: This can serve to way you can assess which is the most effective, and draw the speech to an effective close because it which the least effective. demonstrates the unity of your ideas. It is often a Also, be sure to rehearse your introduction and good idea to plan your introduction last in order to conclusion so that they are almost or completely achieve this. memorised (each should be no more than 10% of your speech, so this should not be difficult). That way Persuasion in theory and practice they will be the most effective, your delivery will not Audiences will be more persuaded of your message stumble, and you will be able to maintain effective if you show: eye contact throughout that crucial first 30 seconds. • Character: Audiences believe that you are telling them this information for the right reasons, not Introductions because you want to sell them something, or People make snap decisions about whether or not because you have a hidden agenda. they want to listen to you, whether or not they like • Competence: Audiences believe that you are you, and whether or not you have anything interesting competent to tell them what they want to hear. to say within the first thirty to forty seconds of hearing You are not discussing a subject in a pretentious you speak. This fact alone should mean that you invest way, nor are you talking about a subject which you time and energy in making sure that your introduction would be unqualified to speak on. is flawless. This applies as much to Chairpersons and These two factors contribute to a speaker’s credibility, Questioners as it does to Speakers. and broadly speaking an audience’s reaction to Given that your introduction is so important, you your speech will fall into four categories. They are should think about the best way of making it effective. persuaded because: Naturally your introduction will start with words of • You are a speaker with high credibility greeting to your audience. However you must then • Your evidence is compelling get the audience interested in your speech. • Your reasoning is compelling • Relate the topic to the audience: Consider what • Your speech appeals to the audience’s emotional the priorities and interests of your audience are. responses. Then work out why your topic fits in with these themes or how it relates to those ideas. You should be aware that people start making • Show the importance of your topic: Show the judgements the moment that they first see you. As audience the importance of the speech - how many such you need to be ‘in competition mode’, as soon thousands of people it affects, how much money is as you arrive at the competition. involved, how many people are hurt or saved. • Surprise the audience: You could start your Do not pick a topic in which it would be difficult for speech with a quotation and/or a question. you to develop credibility. Credibility is something • Give the audience a story: Listeners respond given to you by your audience, so think carefully very favourably to narratives - they can be a very about the appropriateness of your topic. effective way to relate your topic to your audience. Make sure that you spend time doing research. In particular if some popular story (nursery rhyme, Rumour, hearsay, “My mum said ... ” and other forms or fairytales) embodies a principle you wish to of anecdotal evidence are not very persuasive. In discuss, then this will also prove effective. If you addition make sure that the evidence you choose to have personal experience, use it. use is from a credible source. Make sure you think about your reasoning – avoid Conclusions statements with logical flaws. Whereas introductions serve the purpose of gaining Think very carefully about the emotional impact of your audience’s attention, conclusions are the last your speech. Do not make it into a sob story, but chance you will have to get across your main idea. avoid the absence of any feeling whatsoever.
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Delivery Skills Summary Good delivery is absolutely vital. Unfortunately if At the end of this section you should be aware of your audience is distracted by odd mannerisms or the following: slips of grammar or style, then they will be less likely to hear your message. Do not stand in front of the • How to choose a topic for your speech, state Chairperson while delivering your speech. your intent, and write out the central idea behind your speech. • How to write out the skeleton of your Verbal speech, and understand what goes into your If you can, arrive early for your competition and stand introduction, main points and conclusion. You at the front of the room and get friends to stand where should also see that it is unnecessary to write the judges will be (normally right at the back) to tell out your speech in detail, since your structure you whether they can hear you or not. will remind you of what you want to say. • How to make an impact with your opening • Rate: Are you speaking too quickly? A good thing and closing remarks. You should be aware to ask yourself is “Am I speaking too slowly?” If of different ways of making an effective you think the answer is “Yes” then you are probably introduction or conclusion, and should speaking at the right rate. recognise the importance of delivering them as • Pauses: Do you use pauses to add impact to your well as possible. speech or do you simply race through it? • How to ensure you can present persuasive • Variety: Do you vary your voice? Does the pitch of evidence in a well-reasoned manner based on your voice rise during questions? Does the volume competent research. of your voice decrease when you are describing a • How to vary your verbal and non-verbal quiet moment? presentation to improve your public speaking • Pronunciation/Articulation: Do you find any skills. words in your speech difficult to pronounce? If so, ask a friend or teacher for help. Get them all right. • Language: Is your language appropriate? Avoid slang terms that may not be understood by your audience. Note: The English-Speaking Union Public Speaking competition is nationwide. As such we actively encourage speakers not to imitate some idea of ‘received pronunciation’. However you must be able to communicate to everyone, not just your own locality. ✗ ✗ Find the right balance – not too little gesture, and not too much. Non-verbal • Gestures: Do you use gesture effectively? Do you over gesture? • Appearance: Are you appropriately dressed? Although the ESU competition is certainly not a fashion parade, your appearance is part of the impression you make on the audience. ✓ ✗ • Movement: Do you move around too much when It doesn’t take too much effort to avoid looking you speak? Is there a point in your speech where a mess! you should move in order to emphasis some aspect of what you are saying? • Eye contact: Do you maintain good eye-contact? Using notes to speak from, rather than memorising your speech will help this considerably. ✓ ✗ Studies have shown that effective delivery weighs equally with content in terms of the impact of your Palm-cards can be a great help in keeping eye- message. If your audience can only see you swaying contact, but even then remember to look up. whilst you talk, or are constantly worried that you are not looking at them, then they will be unable to hear the message you are trying to tell them.
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Good listening Good questioning Good listening is vital for all members of the team. Often someone who is a good questioner in the ESU Below are some tips for improving your listening skills, competition has the ability to: so that you can pick out the main points of what the ✓ Be spontaneous other speakers are saying. ✓ Seek clarification: “Could you explain in more Bad listening habits are usually caused by: detail what you meant by ... ?”. However, you should avoid letting the speaker make another ✗ Not listening: Focussing on other tasks which speech; otherwise you might never get to your you need to do, homework that you have yet to second question. complete, chores to do at home. ✓ Ask the Speaker for more evidence to support a ✗ Listening too much: Trying to note dates, times, claim they have made. In particular you should ask places, indeed all the information in the speech. yourself whether the information is (a) accurate, Try to extract the main themes which the speaker (b) objective – is it biased by the source?, (c) is using. relevant or (d) sufficient? ✗ Jumping to conclusions: Assuming that the ✓ Suggest an area for discussion that has not been speaker has said something which they have not. covered. ✗ Focussing on delivery: Although audiences pay ✓ Point out contradictions or lapses in the logic of a great deal of attention to delivery, if you want to the argument. gain the most from a presentation you should try ✓ Suggest areas of disagreement between yourself and focus instead on what is being said, not how it and the Speaker, or perhaps offer a counter-point. is being said. It is worth bearing in mind that good questioning in the To avoid some of these pitfalls, practise taking competition is most effective when it isn’t combative. notes while speakers are delivering a presentation. A good Questioner should raise issues, circulate Compare what you got out of the presentation with ideas and point out areas in which the speaker could someone else. See here you differ, and discuss why develop their ideas further. It is not the purpose of the you differed. If you can, compare your notes with Questioner to embarrass the Speaker, or to highlight someone who has a lot of experience taking notes mistakes or ignorance of particular issues. Politeness (your parents or your teachers), and see how they is key, and barracking, or debate-style questioning structured their notes. should be avoided.
A good Questioner listens ... and then makes a few Later on you’ll use your notes to question the Speaker. As well first to hear what the Speaker notes to help them remember as engaging them in discussion, remember to look out at the is saying ... what’s been said. audience as well!
Skills Summary At the end of this section you should be able to identify some pitfalls of bad listening and how you can improve your own listening skills. In addition you should understand what makes a good Questioner.
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Reading the guidelines on the previous pages will give Here are some ideas which you may find useful, if you you a good idea of what steps your team members will have the time during your preparation period: need to take to prepare for the competition, but this • After you have discussed initial ideas, get all page contains some further ideas on specific ways three of your team members to do an initial draft that you can improve your school’s performance in of a main speech on your chosen topic without the competition. conferring any further. After everyone’s delivered their version, the team can discuss the variations Selecting a team and cherry-pick the best ideas. Selecting the right people for the right roles on a team • Once the main speech is nearing completion, is a crucial part of success in this competition. experiment with another speaker (perhaps someone from outside the team) delivering it; The ESU likes to view both of its competitions as the ‘real’ Speaker may discover some interesting extending beyond the actual rounds themselves and new possibilities. Or the Speaker could deliver it being an integral part of the internal calendar for completely without notes and ad-lib improvised participating schools. So rather than simply picking ideas where necessary. This kind of activity will your team from the small group of ‘familiar suspects’ help keep the speech fresh. who always appear in programmes for the Gifted & • Ask the Speaker to give impromptu speeches Talented, why not involve more students by having on other topics to give the Chairperson and the an in-school selection process which is open to all Questioner a chance to develop the spontaneity students? that is essential for their roles. This could take the form of a competition (perhaps • Make sure the whole team gets a chance to practise between forms or English classes) where each in front of an audience before the big day. Perhaps class selects their own Chairperson, Speaker and they could speak first to a classful of students Questioner who goes on to participate in your own before having a go in front of a year assembly. Your preliminary round in school. first round audience will be much smaller than a whole year group so if they can do this the team From this, you can then pick the best participants will feel entirely confident in their initial heat. to go on to represent your school in the first round of the main ESU competition. You may very well be surprised by the results ... After the competition Remember that you can pick students from Years 10 An inevitable fact of any competition is that some and 11 / S3 and S4. It may be a good idea to pick at teams get knocked out in the preliminary stages. The least one student from the younger year group, who best way to put a positive slant on this is to see the could then pass on their experience as a potential competition as a starting point for further activities: member of next year’s team. • You could start up a regular speakers’ club where students meet on a regular basis to deliver Training a team speeches on topics that are important to them. • You could use the format as the basis for conducting Over-preparation is as much of a danger as under- English oral examinations later in the year. preparation for a competition of this kind, so it is important to strike a balance between sufficient And don’t forget to make sure that your school and practice and becoming stale. local newspapers carry a story on your success.
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Key elements for judging Criteria Judges will assess teams principally by reference to The following are key elements in the three criteria. competition: • Content • a coherently presented argument • Effectiveness in the role • demonstration of the ability to think on one’s • Style feet • presence on the platform The constituent elements of these three categories • rapport with the audience are explained on the opposite page. • audibility It is important that competitors should not appear The Judges’ Marksheet over-prepared or too tied to any notes they use. Maximum marks for a school are 100, divided as Spontaneous comments are to a speaker’s follows: credit. • 30 points for the Chairperson All three roles are challenging and require the • 40 points for the Speaker ability to listen, think and respond. • 30 points for the Questioner The competition offers students an opportunity As a guide, the marks should be distributed in the to develop and demonstrate a style of public following way: dialogue that is lively but not adversarial. This is not a war! • Excellent 90-100% of available marks • Good 70-80% The importance of good judging • Average 50-60% • Below average 30-40% Competitors and spectators must be sure of the • Poor 10-20% competence of the judges if they are to accept Although your marks are a valuable guide in their decisions. Of course praise should be given discussion, you should not feel tied to them: they are but as a consequence of the evidence not as a your guide to a rank order. benign generality. The marks apply to the standards of this competition, Judges should remember that the majority of the not to any notional universal dimension of public competitors fail to get further than the first round. speaking excellence or National Curriculum It is therefore essential that judging is of as high a standards. quality as possible at this stage in the competition to give all competitors a sense of having achieved Judges are requested to write explanatory and something positive and worthwhile. constructive comments on their marksheets; Judges must remember that the competition is also an Feedback opportunity to learn and improve public speaking techniques and that adjudicators are central to this Before announcing the winners, the panel of educational process. judges (or one of its members) is asked to offer constructive criticism and advice to the speakers. Completed mark sheets should be handed in at the Judges may be asked to speak and give end to the organiser. comments on one of the three roles, and are also asked to discuss the decisions with competitors after the programme, provided that competitors and coaches do not abuse this opportunity and use it to attack the decisions.
Reserve teams In addition to picking out the winning team, the judges are asked to select a reserve team in case the winners are subsequently unable to participate in the next round.
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Guidelines for Judges | Page 15
Content be encouraged. 15 marks out of 30 for Chairs and Questioners The Speaker should demonstrate an ability to 20 marks out of 40 for Speakers answer questions sensibly and should not try to monopolise the platform in order to avoid answering It should be evident from a good speech, question, further questions. The Questioner must be given the introduction or summary that the competitor has opportunity to ask questions. carefully considered the topic. The competitor should demonstrate an understanding of the issues involved in the case and an ability to construct a logical The Questioner probes the Speaker’s statements argument. and views and, as appropriate, should question for Carefully selected and relevant evidence is important. elaboration, clarification, correction and alternative Irrelevance should be penalised. Weak or frivolous lines of argument. interpretations of the topic are unlikely to be The Questioner is not an adversary; rather he or successful. she is a courteous, probing interviewer who can demonstrate an understanding of the issues raised Effectiveness in role and who can challenge a line of argument by putting forward an alternative view on behalf of the audience 10 marks out of 30 for Chairs and Questioners and a wider public. 10 marks out 40 for Speakers The Questioner should demonstrate that he or she is Although each person will need to draw on skills such as those relating to content and style, each role is a good listener who is able to pick up on points made distinctive: by the Speaker as well as asking some prepared questions.
The Chairperson opens proceedings and must Questions should be brief but the way in which they swiftly create an appropriate atmosphere. He or she are phrased is crucial. The Questioner may interrupt introduces the speakers and the topic and at the the Speaker during the question period if, for end sums up and thanks both speakers. It is part of example, the response is becoming too long or if the the Chairperson’s role to introduce the topic without Questioner wishes to seek immediate clarification. The giving a speech. Questioner will be rewarded for asking a reasonable number of questions. When the Speaker’s speech is over, the Chairperson asks the Questioner to begin questioning the Speaker. After four minutes the Chairperson should Style invite questions (which should be kept short) from 5 marks out of 30 for Chairs and Questioners the audience. The Chairperson should rephrase a 10 marks out 40 for Speakers question from the audience where necessary, but need not follow one procedure throughout. It is the Style may be defined as rhetorical skill. It covers not Chairperson’s responsibility to end the question what is said but how it is said. The following areas are period if it goes beyond six and a half minutes. all relevant. At the end of the question period the Chairperson • The speakers’ ability to express themselves should be able to sum up the issues raised by both clearly Speaker and questioners, and should thank everyone • The extent to which the individual develops rapport before closing the proceedings. It is the Chairperson’s with the audience job to manage the timing of the whole session. • Variety of voice • Appropriate use of humour The Speaker develops a line of argument on the topic • Diction: choice of language and fluency which must be supported by relevant information. The speakers are expected to display oratorical skills, Reasons must be given for views. The Speaker may but an unnecessarily flamboyant or pretentious style speak for or against the topic as it is phrased in the is unlikely to be successful. programme. It is not enough merely to assert that something is right or wrong. Those who read a script or give the impression of reciting a memorised piece should be penalised. As the Speaker has the longest uninterrupted The use of pre-prepared sheets and palm opportunity to develop an argument it is important cards, or notes made during the speeches, is that the speech holds the audience’s attention and entirely appropriate, but speakers should not be that it is clearly structured. A natural style that is overdependent on them. not overprepared will be rewarded. Spontaneous comments that are appropriate to the moment are to The use of props is strongly discouraged.
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 • Complete the school, order and both topic boxes before the event starts, and then fold each mark sheet along the dotted line. • Before each presentation, match the topic being introduced by the Chairperson with their guest speaker’s topic to ensure the marks are placed on the correct sheets. ESU Public Speaking mark sheet
Judge: School:
Date: Order of Chair & Questioner’s session during event:
The Chair will introduce a guest speaker with the topic:
Name Content Effective- Style Totals Comments ness in role ESU PublicSpeakingCompetitionforSchoolsHandbook2006-7|MarksheetPage16 Chairperson
/15 /10 /5 /30 Questioner
/15 /10 /5 /30
FOLD HERE
Speaker’s topic:
Name Content Effective- Style Totals Comments ness in role Speaker
/20 /10 /10 /40
GRAND TOTAL /100 ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Timekeeper’s sheet | Page 17 ESU Public Speaking Timekeeper’s sheet
School name:
Guest Speaker Team:
Chairman Guest Audience Chairman Questioner Session Total Own speaker Introduction Speaker Questions Summary (4 mins) (14 mins) (5 mins) (1 min) (5 mins) (2 mins) (2 mins)
Duration:
Cumulative:
Comments:
School name:
Guest Speaker Team:
Chairman Guest Audience Chairman Questioner Session Total Own speaker Introduction Speaker Questions Summary (4 mins) (14 mins) (5 mins) (1 min) (5 mins) (2 mins) (2 mins)
Duration:
Cumulative:
Comments:
School name:
Guest Speaker Team:
Chairman Guest Audience Chairman Questioner Session Total Own speaker Introduction Speaker Questions Summary (4 mins) (14 mins) (5 mins) (1 min) (5 mins) (2 mins) (2 mins)
Duration:
Cumulative:
Comments:
School name:
Guest Speaker Team:
Chairman Guest Audience Chairman Questioner Session Total Own speaker Introduction Speaker Questions Summary (4 mins) (14 mins) (5 mins) (1 min) (5 mins) (2 mins) (2 mins)
Duration:
Cumulative:
Comments: ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Curriculum links | Page 18 Curriculum links
Oracy across the curriculum Speaking & Listening targets met include, among many others, Y7 S&L5 (Speaker), Y7 S&L6 and Y9 Teachers in all subjects can make use of the ESU’s S&L3 (Questioner) and Y7 S&L10 (Chairperson). Public Speaking format as a way of structuring oral work in a day-to-day classroom setting. • GCSE oral assessments The ESU Public Speaking format addresses all Whether your subject is History, Geography, ICT, three sets of the QCA’s GCSE oral triplets and Religious Studies, Science, Music or PE there will all three roles meet the requirements for Group be an infinite range of topics on which a Speaker Discussion and Interaction, particularly if the can give a presentation and then be interviewed Speaker’s preparation is carried out as part of a by a Questioner and the rest of the class, with a group, using the methods discussed on page 13, Chairperson overseeing the proceedings. with the Speaker then rotating to take part alongside Of course, speaking activities have a specific place a Chair and Questioner from another group as in a as part of the curriculum in English and oral skills are heat of the ESU’s competition. formally examined in English at 16. As such, it may The Speaker’s role as part of a full session is perfect make sense for your English department to agree for assessing an Individual Extended Contribution. to introduce the ESU Public Speaking format to all students so it can then be used easily by all other In general, the competition’s format meets the departments in your school. requirements for oral assessment that students “adopt roles” (AO1 (iii)), engage actively in both The English curriculum in England & Wales speaking and listening (AO1 (ii)) and deliver clear, imaginative, structured talk in a formal situation The format detailed in this handbook helps you meet (AO1 (i)). many requirements for aspects of the compulsory and advisory curriculum in England and Wales. • National Curriculum for English at KS4 21st Century Science The format addresses all targets in En1/1 (Speaking) The ESU Public Speaking format is invaluable with the exception of 1d (visual aids), although in addressing England and Wales’ new Science the competition’s rules on this can be relaxed for curriculum’s requirement that students can “take classroom use. Our judging criteria on pages 14- part confidently in discussions with others about 15 can be used in regard to 1g (self-evaluation). issues involving science”. Roles such as the The roles of the Questioner and Chairperson are Questioner’s assist the requirement that they can particularly pertinent in meeting all the requirements “reflect critically on the information included in of En1/2 (Listening). [science] reports”. The ESU format’s different roles are an excellent vehicle for delivering the stipulation in En1/3 (Group discussion and interaction) that students Standard Grade English in Scotland make “different types of contributions to groups”. The main purposes of Listening and Talking are all • Secondary National Strategy (Literacy Strand) met by our format. Looking at National Strategy targets shows how The ESU Public Speaking Competition’s framework Public Speaking develops many skills outside the of simulating a public meeting helps meet the curriculum’s explicit ‘Speaking & Listening’ remit. requirement that Talking assessment at Standard Good speeches require excellent skills of research Grade ensures students are clear about “who speaks (Y7 R1 & R2, Y8 R2, Y9 R1), evaluation (Y7 R5, Y9 to whom, why, about what, how and when (and R4) and synthesis (Y8 R1, Y9 R2). The making of possibly, for how long)?” notes, and their subsequent use (Y7 R4, Y8 R3, Y9 The fact that Speakers start with a substantial R3), has already been discussed on pages 11 and contribution on which they are then questioned shows 12 of this guide. how our format agrees with the SQA’s suggestion The Writing triplets are all just as much Speaking that a “pupil [may] start with a reasonably lengthy & Listening triplets, as exemplified by Y8 Wr13 statement of the main concerns, at which point he (Persuade, Argue, Advise): “present a case may be assessed for Individual Talk. Later he may persuasively, making selective use of evidence, find himself displaying the characteristics of a good using appropriate rhetorical devices and group participant, giving and receiving points in a anticipating responses and objections”. responsive and tactful manner”.
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Prizes and Winners | Page 19 Winners
Last year’s UK finalists Former winners of the competition • Robert Gordon’s College (Scotland) 1986 Ursuline Convent High School, London • St Mary’s College (North West) 1987 The Holy Child School, Birmingham • Ampleforth College (North East) 1988 Chichester High School for Boys, • Cheltenham Ladies’ College (Midlands) West Sussex • St Columba’s College (East) 1989 Ampleforth College, York • Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital (South West) 1990 Bancroft’s School, Essex • Ffynone House School (Wales) 1991 Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, Herts • Wallington County Grammar School (London) 1992 Nottingham High School for Girls • Beechwood Sacred Heart School (South East) 1993 Nottingham High School for Girls 1994 Aylesbury Grammar School, Bucks 1995 Taunton School, Somerset Winners at last year’s UK Finals Day 1996 St Clotilde’s School, Glos • Winners 1997 Wadebridge School, Cornwall Cheltenham Ladies’ College 1998 St Bernards Convent School, Berks 1999 Red Maids School, Bristol 2000 Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, Amersham 2001 Tudor Hall School, Banbury 2002 Daniel Stewarts and Melville College, Edinburgh 2003 Warwick School 2004 Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, Herts • Runners-up 2005 Bedford School Ffynone House School 2006 Cheltenham Ladies’ College • Best Chair Dominic Thomas-James from Ffynone House International Competition • Best Speaker • After the UK Final, the Best Speaker will be Patrick Garety of Ampleforth College invited to represent the United Kingdom in the ESU International Public Speaking Competition in May 2008.
• Best Questioner Lucinda Hicks from Cheltenham Ladies’ College • Outstanding Personality Tom Pye, the speaker for Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ContentsForeword
• A competition for teams of three students from Years 10 and 11 / S3 and S4 only. Foreword by Clare Moriarty What’sConstitution in this Director handbook? at the Department for Constitutional Affairs • Welcome ...... 3 • AbouDear debaters and coaches, • Abou I am delighted to be able to offer the support of the Department for • Abou Constitutional Affairs to the English-Speaking Union Schools Mace for 2006- • Abou 2007, in the fiftieth year of this national schools debating competition. • Abou • AbouThis year will offer yet more opportunities for young people to learn the skills • Abouof debate - the ability to construct a persuasive argument, the confidence • to Abou speak in front of others and the art of listening and responding to the viewpoints of others, often • Abouwhile ‘thinking on your feet’. • Abou Debating involves understanding both sides of the argument, for and against a proposition – it can • Abou help resolve profound differences of opinion, peacefully and respectfully. Debating is an integral • Abou part of the parliamentary democracy of our country, enabling peers and MPs to discuss and hear • Abou differing views and opinions about issues on all subjects. This year’s final will take place in the • Abou Chamber of the House of Lords. Some of you will be able to experience debating in that magnificent • Map of the competitions...... back page and historical setting in the Palace of Westminster, right at the heart of where our laws are made. • About the ESU ...... back page The English-Speaking Union has in the past few years been working to ensure that debating skills are practised in a wide range of schools across England and Scotland, as well as working closely with others striving to achieve the same goals in Wales and Northern Ireland. The Department for Constitutional Affairs supported last year’s competition and we were very pleased to hear that more schools than ever took part in the competition. I hope that even more schools will take part this year. It is an excellent way to learn more about the important issues that will be debated as well as enjoying debating with each other. We are delighted that this year’s competition will once again focus on constitutional issues. These are at the heart of how our country is governed, and there has been a considerable amount of constitutional reform over the past few years, including changes to the House of Lords, reforming the role of the Lord Chancellor, establishing a new Supreme Court and introducing Freedom of Information legislation. Last year the competition led to extremely interesting debates on subjects such as “the house would elect judges” and “the house would adopt proportional representation for general elections”. I am sure that the topics up for debate during this year’s competition will produce equally stimulating discussion. I wish participants in the competition all the best of luck and very much hope that you enjoy the experience and learn a lot about the constitution of the United Kingdom throughout the year.
Clare Moriarty Constitution Director, Department for Constitutional Affairs ESU Schools Mace The National Debating Championship
Contents ContentsAbout the competition
What’s• A competition in this handbook? for teams of three students • What A competition is it? for teams of three students • from Welcome Years ...... 10 and 11 / S3 and S4 only. 22 • from A competition Years 10 andin which 11 / S3participants and S4 only. pre- • Rules ...... 22 prepare arguments and evidence (and • What’s How the in competition this handbook? is organised .... 24 mayWhat’s prepare in this partshandbook? of their speeches) • YourWelcome Area ...... Organisers ...... 24 3 • Welcomebefore proposing ...... or opposing a motion 3 • HowAbou a debate works ...... 26 • Abouagainst a team from another school. • Definitions Abou ...... 28 • SpontaneousAbou response to previous • RebuttalAbou and summary speeches ..... 29 • Abouspeeches is fostered through rebuttal • PointsAbou of Information ...... 30 • and Abou summation skills. Interjections or • GuidelinesAbou for debaters ...... 31 • ‘Points Abou of Information’ keep participants • GuidelinesAbou for coaches ...... 35 • thinking Abou quickly during speeches. • ReportingAbou competition ...... 35 • Abou • GuidelinesAbou for judges ...... 36 • Who’s Abou it for? • HostingAbou a round ...... 44 • TeamsAbou of two secondary students • ChairingAbou and Timekeeping ...... 48 • FromAbou schools in England and Scotland* • OtherAbou debating formats ...... 52 • OpenAbou to any age, but most students • Cross-curricularAbou debate ...... 54 • come Abou from Years 11-13 / S4-6. • Extra-curricularAbou debate ...... 56 • Abou • WinnersAbou ...... 57 •* theAbou main schools competition for English-language • AboutMap of the the Centre competitions / Meet ...... the teamback ....page 59 • debating Map of inthe Wales competitions is the Wales...... Schoolsback Debating page Championships. For more information visit • About the ESU /...... Map ...... back page • www.cewc-cymru.org.uk.About the ESU ...... back page ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Introduction and Rules | Page 22 About the ESU Schools Mace
Welcome from the Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate Welcome to the 50th year of the 1956–2006The ESU Schools Mace is proud ESU Schools Mace, the national to be supported by the debating championship. This Department for Constitutional guide to the competition and Affairs in our fi ftieth year to debating generally should be read by participants and coaches, and the relevant parts of it must be read by judges. A good competitive debate is not just a series of public speeches. It is an argument, and the participants aim to persuade people – the audience or adjudicators – either that a certain state of affairs exists or a certain course should be Rules about entry to the competition taken or rejected. In persuading people, a debater must build up their own individual case while, • The closing date for entry to the competition was 1 at the same time, presenting a consistent and July 2006. Late entries are at the discretion of the complementary line of argument with their team national and Area organisers. colleague that rebuts the case of their opposition. • There is an entry fee of £30 which should be in the These are real-world skills, not just parts of a game, form of a cheque made payable to The English- and in the Schools Mace teams are assessed by Speaking Union and sent to Dartmouth House. lay people, not just by experienced debaters. (A £10 discount is available for entries to both the Public Speaking competition and the Schools Mace The Schools Mace is the oldest and most prestigious completed online at www.britishdebate.com). schools debating competition in Britain. Many of • Entry fees are payable once a paper or online today’s journalists, businessmen, academics, application has been submitted to the ESU. Teams lawyers, broadcasters, actors and politicians learnt that withdraw from the competition prior to the fi rst their skills in the Mace, whether as winners or as round are still required to pay the entry fee. fi rst-round losers, and those involved today are • Once a school has sent in an entry form, it without doubt the opinion-formers of tomorrow. should regard itself as fi rmly committed to As the Schools Mace celebrates its half-century the contest. Last minute withdrawals cause open and fair debate of important issues has enormous diffi culties and schools are urged to never been more emphasised, nor more needed, include a reserve in their team to minimise the in our society and our education system. We hope possibility of needing to withdraw. Inexperienced that this competition will continue to provide the teams have an excellent chance of success and country’s foremost answer to that need. schools should not be discouraged because they This handbook should answer most of your are new to the competition. Overpreparation is as questions. But if you have any unanswered queries much of a danger as under-preparation. or suggestions you can address them to me at: The English-Speaking Union Rules about the composition of your team Dartmouth House • A school is invited to enter one team. 37 Charles Street • Teams consist of two speakers, both of whom must London W1J 5ED be full-time at the same school. The speakers may E-mail: [email protected] be from any year in the school; most competitors are from Y11-Y13/S4-6 but many younger competitors I hope you enjoy the competition. achieve highly each year. • Speakers may be substituted between rounds although you are encouraged not to do so unless necessary. • A student whose eighteenth birthday occurs earlier James Probert than 22 August 2006 will only be eligible if special Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate permission has been obtained from your Area Organiser in advance, though this is discouraged.
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Introduction and Rules | Page 23
Rules for the conduct of rounds Rules regarding the judging of rounds • Area Organisers will contact schools which • Adjudicators do not need to be experienced have offered to host early in the autumn term to debaters or debate judges but judges must inform them that they will be needed to host. In not have a close connection with any school circumstances where an insufficient number of involved in a heat; for example, current or past schools in an Area have offered to host, it may be parents, teachers, governors or pupils should not necessary for schools who didn’t originally indicate be asked to judge. a willingness to host to do so for the competition to • Judges should not be paid, although travel be able to proceed. expenses can be offered (especially to university • Either six or four teams will compete in each heat students) and hosts sometimes express their of the competition. gratitude with a bottle of wine or meal afterwards. • Either one or two schools will proceed from each • It is the responsibility of host schools to ensure round. Two schools normally go forward from each that every adjudicator has had the opportunity to first round heat. One school normally goes through carefully read the Guidance for judges on pages 36 from each second round heat. - 41 of this handbook. It is not necessary for judges • Should an Area Organiser need to make up to use the sample note-taking sheet provided in numbers of teams for a round, a school (normally this book but host schools should make plenty of the host school in the first instance) may be invited copies available, especially for less experienced to enter a second team. This team will be eligible to judges. advance in the competition. However, if two teams • The adjudicators’ decision is final at all rounds. progress from a round, only one team from any one Participants and coaches are reminded that school may do so. Schools with two teams can assessing debates is an inherently subjective substitute members of their defeated team. activity and whilst we make every effort to ensure • The tournament organisers reserve the right to that decisions fairly reflect the persuasive skill of use either ‘long preparation’ or ‘short preparation’ all participants we do not expect all observers of a debates. Almost all the rounds will be ‘long debate to share the same view on its outcome. preparation’ and for these the host schools will give two weeks’ notice of the motion for the debate to Rules concerning other matters the other schools in the round. Any exceptions to this rule (such as when delays to the organisation All other queries, concerns or disputes shall be of a round make it impossible to give two weeks’ addressed as follows: notice) must be agreed with the Area Organiser. • Concerning dates and times of rounds, venues, • Certain rounds may be declared as ‘short travel directions, information on motions or preparation’ (see page 52) by the Area Organisers. opponents – in other words anything concerning In these the teams will be told the motion one hour an individual round – please contact your Area before it is debated. We reserve this right because Organiser. The Area Organiser’s decision in such short preparation debates may allow us to avoid matters is final. cancelling whole rounds because of the last-minute • Concerning the rules, the handbook, your entry withdrawal of one or some of the teams involved. details, finance (such as expense claims), the National or International Finals, or anything to do Rules for the conduct of individual debates with the competition as a whole, please contact the English-Speaking Union. • Individual debates in each of the heats progress • The decision of the ESU is final in all questions of according to the diagram on page 27 of this dispute. handbook. • The debate is normally chaired by a student or series of students (occasionally a teacher) from the host school. The Chairperson for each debate is expected to remain strictly impartial. • The Chairperson will be assisted by a Timekeeper, also a student from the host school, who will give time signals according to the flowchart on page 51 and present a set of timings to the judges at the end of each debate. • The use of props or visual aids is not permitted during any debate; competitors must rely on their voices and body language to win their debates. • Teachers may not speak from the floor during any debate in which one of their teams is taking part.
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | How the competition is organised | Page 24 How the competition is organised
2006 2007 June to mid-Jan deadline 1 Deadline for entries to this September for completion of year’s competition Time to JUL JAN Scottish second prepare for late Jan (post exams) 21-23 Debate Academy (see p. 58) rounds entry to the to early Feb competition. dates of English Why not end Feb deadline second rounds 28-30 Scottish have an for completion AUG FEB roadshow in-school of Scottish third mid Feb to early (see p. 58) competition rounds March to select dates of English Area your team? Finals 1 Sep Scottish 13-22 English (see p. 35) first rounds roadshow mid/end March SEP MAR 23 England Final start to be (see p. 58) 27 & 28 Sep Scottish Final arranged INSET days 25 Sep English in London first rounds (see p. 58) end Oct start to be April OCT Deadline for arranged APR onwards completion of Time to Scottish first think about 30 Nov preparing for round heats Deadline for 5 May (tbc) International next year’s completion of Final: English and Scottish Mace. Why NOV English first MAY mid-Nov winners meet winners of not have an round heats Scottish Welsh and Irish competitions, in-school second rounds competing for the Silver Mace. competition arranged end Nov English second Venue: the House of Lords to select your team? DEC rounds start to JUN be arranged Entries open for next year’s (see p. 35). competition.
Each year over 600 schools take part in the ESU Schools Mace, the national debating championship. The Centre for Speech and Debate Once all the entries for the competition have been The Centre is a department of the English- received, the ESU HQ at Dartmouth House in London Speaking Union, established in 1995 to coordinate splits competitors into 7 areas. the ESU’s work in debate, public speaking and effective spoken English. You can read more about One of the areas is Scotland, which is a separate the Centre’s activities on the inside back page. nation within the competition with its own National Final and own team in May’s International Final. Enquiries about your round should always be directed to your Area Organiser, but the Centre is Your Area Organiser will then group schools into heats happy to answer any general queries about the of 6 or 4 schools for the first round. Schools will be competition or debating as a whole: asked to host, starting with those who volunteered on their entry form. If you’re not hosting, your area • ESU Schools Mace organiser will write to you to tell who your host is. Centre for Speech and Debate The English-Speaking Union Host teachers then liaise with the other teachers Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street involved in the round to find a date; they will normally London W1J 5ED suggest two or three possible dates on which the Telephone: 020 7529 1550 round could take place. If it is impossible for you to Email: [email protected] take part on one of those dates, you can inform them of this. Hopefully, with the participation of all involved, You can also contact the Chairman of the Centre a mutually convenient date can be found. There is Committee for advice or in matters of dispute: more information on hosting on pages 44 - 47. • David Bussey Two teams normally go through from each first round St Paul’s School heat, and one team in each subsequent round. Lonsdale Road London SW13 9JT u Now find out more about what happens at a Email: [email protected] Mace round by turning to page 26
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Scotland Your Area Organiser should always be your first point of contact with queries about the competition, hosting a round, dates or motions. Your Area Organiser will get in touch with you in late September or early October (earlier in Scotland) Northern to arrange the first round of the competition so there is no need to get in touch with them before then, unless you have any questions about how you should select or prepare your teams for the Central forthcoming competition. Our Area Organisers are all volunteers – most are also full-time teachers – and we are immensely Eastern grateful to them for their hard work. The competition simply couldn’t run without them.
London Western Western Southern Mark Jackson Hereford Cathedral School The above map is approximate and areas may change from Old Deanery, The Cathedral Close year to year to reflect the changing distribution of entrants. Hereford HR1 2NG ) 01432 363522 (school) 7 01432 363525 Scotland 7 [email protected] Diana Gotts Robert Gordon’s College Eastern Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FE Jill Gleeson ) 01224 646346 (school) Haberdasher’s Aske’s School for Boys ) 01224 321356 (home) Aldenham House, Butterfly Lane, 7 01224 630301 Elstree Hertfordshire WD6 3AF 7 [email protected] ) 020 8266 1782 (school) ) 07966 479639 (mobile) Northern 7 020 8266 1800 Andrew Goodman 7 [email protected] Magdalen College Oxford OX1 4AU (university term) London Carmel, Thorpe Lane, Guiseley Ann Roberts Leeds, LS20 8NS (vacations) Dartford Grammar School for Girls Shepherds Lane, Dartford DA1 2NT ) 07859 015036 7 [email protected] ) 01322 223123/790580 (school) ) 01322 272076 (home) Central 7 [email protected] Matthew Judd Mander Portman Woodward College Southern 90-92 Queens Gate Alastair Endersby Kensington SW7 5AB 92 Winterslow Road, Porton Salisbury SP4 0JX ) 020 7835 1355 (school) ) 07974 094006 (mobile) ) 01980 610811 (home) 7 [email protected] 7 [email protected]
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Format | Page 26 How a debate works
Timekeeper Chair Setting up the room Proposition Opposition • Three tables should be set up at the head of the room: the central table is for the Chair and the Timekeeper, the tables for proposition and opposition should be placed either side of it. • The first speaker for each side should sit closest to the centre. • The judge’s table should be placed at the rear of the room, or halfway down if the room is large.
The Chair and the Timekeeper • A Chair and a Timekeeper are needed for each debate. They are normally students from the host school. Hosts may want to use pupils who will go on to form their debate team the following year. Judges They can find full instructions on pages 48 - 51.
How each heat runs Arriving early Each heat in the competition consists of two or three debates, with each debate The order of involving teams from two schools. Each team only debates once during the evening; the debates during the other debates they form part of the audience. will normally be Each debate runs in the following order: announced in advance, but the • At least two weeks before the heat: Your host will inform you of the motion you host school may will be debating, and which side your team is on. The only exception to this is change this order when a round is held as ‘short-preparation’ (see pages 23 and 52). without notice at • On the day each debate runs as shown in the table opposite, with the following their discretion. order of speeches: This will usually 1st proposition u 1st opposition u 2nd proposition u 2nd opposition u be the case if one Floor debate u Opposition summary u Proposition summary or more schools arrives late to the After all three debates, the judges retire and consider their verdict. Their decision is round. Please try independent of the audience votes which may be held on each motion at this time. to arrive as early as possible to avoid Announcement of the winners and getting feedback from the judges this happening. When the judges return they will give some general feedback before announcing who will be going on to the next round. Typically two teams go through from first round heats. They may come from any two debates, or the same debate. One team normally goes through from subsequent rounds. The Area Organiser will confirm the number with the host beforehand. A runner-up will also be selected, in case a winning team is unable to take part in the next round. The runner-up is announced on the For more about evening, except where a heat involving four teams would mean it is obvious which the criteria that team came last, in which case the runner-up is informed discreetly afterwards. the judges use for marking the Following the result some of the judges will make themselves available to teams and Schools Mace, look speakers to give individual feedback. This is a great opportunity for teams to get at our ‘Guidelines some specific suggestions on what they have done well and how they can improve. for Judges’ on Please don’t use it to attack the judges’ decision – we know you may not always pages 36 - 41. agree with their decision, but listening politely to them will help you understand it.
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Minutes elapsed (approx.) 2nd proposition 1st proposition Chair 1st opposition 2nd opposition
Introduces debate and 1st prop speaker.
See page 28 Definesmotion, for more on previews proposition defining the arguments, delivers motion arguments and summarises.* 7 minutes.
Introduces 1st opp.
Previews opposition See page 29 arguments, deals for more on with (or rebuts) some rebuttal of the 1st prop’s arguments, delivers own arguments and summarises.* 7 minutes.
Introduces 2nd prop.
Recaps, previews, rebuts, delivers own arguments and summarises.* 7 minutes.
Introduces 2nd opp.
Recaps, previews, rebuts, delivers own arguments and summarises.* 7 minutes.
Invites speeches Floor questions are not answered straight from the floor. away by the teams, but can be referred to by 5 to 10 minutes. summary speakers in their summary speeches.
Introduces opposition summary speaker.
Either 1st or 2nd opposition
See page 29 Summarises by referring to own for more on case, opponents’ case and the summaries floor debate. 4 minutes.
Introduces proposition summary speaker.
Either 1st or 2nd proposition
Summarises by referring to own See page 29 case, opponents’ case and the for more on floor debate. 4 minutes. summaries
Thanks speakers and An audience vote is taken by each Chair after concludes the debate. the judges retire at the end of the evening.
* During the main speeches, opposing speakers should offer ‘Points of Information’. It is important that each speaker accepts some Points of Information during their main speech. Read more about this on page 30.
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Defining the motion The definition is delivered at the start of the first Here is an example: proposition speech and is very important, although it must also be kept succinct (20-30 seconds for a “This House would abolish the UN” simple motion and never more than a minute). “The United Nations should immediately be Without a solid and sensible definition, the debate completely disbanded, including all subsidiary may end up going nowhere, or, even worse, all over institutions such as the Security Council, the place. Setting the definition is about far more UNESCO and the WHO. No replacement than merely getting out a dictionary. There are organisation will be established, for the reasons several key questions that must be asked: my partner will describe in his speech.” • Who? If the motion proposes a specific policy or course of action (“This House would abolish the • Analysis debates Sometimes a motion is set United Nations” or “This House would bring back which doesn’t propose a specific policy, but the death penalty”), you may need to clarify ‘who’ gives a statement which needs to be analysed. is implementing it. This is often implicit in the An example would be “This House believes that motion. The UN motion implies that “This House” the UN is a failure”. No action is proposed, but the includes all members of the UN. Bringing back the first proposition needs to set some measure by death penalty implies a UK focus; other countries which the alleged failure can be judged: have the death penalty already and criminal justice is generally a domestic matter. A motion like “This “This House believes the UN is a failure” House would censor the Internet” leaves it more open; the UK? the EU? a worldwide organisation? “The UN has failed because it has not met its However, simpler (e.g. UK) is often better. own stated aims of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations • What? What’s the policy about? Would the death among nations or making enough progress penalty be by lethal injection or hanging? Would in alleviating international economic, social, it be just for murder, or other crimes, too? Exactly cultural and humanitarian problems.” what would be censored on the net (e.g. porn, racist content)? Does the internet include email? In an analysis debate you wouldn’t have to prove, for example, that the UN is a failure in every single • How? How is the policy going to be implemented? case, only that the principle is true in general Without a mechanism or a plan, your definition (for the significant majority of cases). For the may lack the clarity necessary to set up a clear, opposition to win, they need to show one or more and clean debate. For instance, would you simply areas where the UN has had a major success. abolish the UN and let the world get on without it, or would you propose a replacement? Would you do it immediately, or would you allow a modest Challenging a definition Opposition teams need amount of time for preparations to be made? You to be prepared for a slightly unusual or unexpected don’t have to offer a mechanism, but if you do definition, as proposition teams can still be clever make sure it doesn’t become so elaborate that while remaining fair. it skews the debate away from the main topic; a proposition case for abolishing the UN must focus Definitions may only be challenged if they are on the UN’s bad points, not your fancy new plan. totally unreasonable. Examples of ‘unreasonable’ definitions include truisms or narrowing beyond • Limitations? Is this policy going to affect everyone, what our ‘ordinary-intelligent-well-informed-person- or only some people? Are there any limitations on in-the-street’ would expect (e.g. defining the UN as the policy? For instance, a common limitation on just the Security Council). the death penalty excludes the insane. Challenges can only be made by the first opposition Note that the definition is a way into making the speaker, who states their reasons for the challenge debate clear, accessible and fair for both sides. It is and introduces their alternative interpretation. This NOT a way of making life easier for the proposition must be accepted by the second proposition unless by unfairly excluding difficult things they don’t want they can prove their original definition was valid. to talk about or tricking the opposition by proposing This type of ‘definitional debate’ is generally poor a topic they couldn’t have been expected to prepare and should be avoided by a reasonable proposition for. The definition should mean the debate ends up definition which is accepted by the opposition. as close as possible to what an ‘ordinary-intelligent- well-informed-person-in-the-street’ would expect u Find out more about defining motions to hear debated; smart and straightforward. at www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace
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Rebuttal Debaters have to show they can Points of Information (overleaf) give you the respond to the arguments of the opportunity to argue against the other side while they are delivering their arguments. other side in the debate. They do But it is also important to address the other side’s this in three main ways: arguments during your own speech. This is called ‘rebuttal’. The aim of rebuttal is to undermine the • through Rebuttal (left) opposition’s case, thus leaving your case looking • in Summary speeches (below) even stronger by comparison. • in Points of Information (overleaf) All speakers (except the first proposition, who hasn’t had a speech to respond to) are expected to rebut the other side, even if some of their arguments surprise you or seem very convincing. Summary speeches As the debate moves on, the amount of rebuttal The summary speeches are delivered after the done by each speaker should increase, as they floor debate by either the first or second speaker have heard more arguments to respond to. In a from each side. typical debate 1st opposition may rebut for 1-2 minutes, 2nd proposition for 2+ minutes and 2nd The aim of a summary is to review the major issues opposition for 2-3 minutes. of the debate and leave a lasting impression in the audience’s mind that is favourable to your side. Rebuttal can come at the start of your speech, or be A summary speaker has been compared to a ‘interwoven’ into your main arguments; just make ‘biased news reporter’, going over all of the most sure it’s clear to the audience (and judges!) that important arguments that have already occurred you are addressing the other side’s arguments, so but implying that your side won them all. they can see you are rebutting. You might do this by starting each bit of rebuttal by briefly quoting Summaries can’t be prepared before the debate what the other side said, or by naming one of your (apart, perhaps, from working out some strong opponents and the argument of theirs that you will opening or closing statements). This is because rebut. neither side knows how the debate will turn out before they’ve heard the other side’s arguments. For example, imagine Belle made a speech on why we should abolish the UN: Here’s a brief guide to giving a summary speech. Do ... Don’t ... Belle (1st proposition) ✓ ✗ • Peace - the UN has failed to stop wars Sum up the major Don’t focus on trivial • Countries ignore the UN areas of difference points or areas where • The UN favours the West, fuelling terrorism between the sides. you agreed. ✓ Look at the debate ✗ Don’t just go through Lily might already have planned to make the as a whole; you can the debate in chrono- following points during her opposition speech: amalgamate two or logical order listing three points into one all the arguments Lily (1st opposition) if they are similar that came up. This • Success of UN peacekeepers (e.g. ‘economic’ won’t display areas • UN aid programmes help reduce terror points or points of difference and is • UN is a good forum for non-violent debate about practicality). boring. ✓ Refer to some of ✗ Don’t introduce Here’s a possible way Lily could restructure her the points from the totally new material; speech to rebut Belle’s points effectively: floor debate, if they you are allowed to • use 30 seconds at the start of her speech to support your side, or use new examples to rebut the point about people ignoring the UN. if they were particu- rebut the other side’s • Lily’s main points about UN peacekeepers and larly damaging to arguments, but you non-violent debate can both be used to rebut your case. may not introduce Belle’s ‘Peace’ point, so she could move these ✓ Make sure your new lines of argu- to be her first two points and flag up to the summary is well ment; your job is to audience that they are also rebuttal on ‘Peace’. structured; it’s easy review the debate • Make her third point about aid reducing terror, to panic and zig-zag that happened, not pointing out again that it rebuts the other side. between points. start a new one.
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Points of Information Points of Information (along with rebuttal) are central to the interactivity of debate. They show you can A sample Point of Information engage with your opponent’s arguments. ‘PoIs’ are allowed during the middle 5 minutes of main First Proposition Speaker speeches, but not during summaries: “Ladies and gentlemen, a clear example of why the United Nations should be abolished was its failure to stop the USA invading Iraq in ... ” A 7-minute main speech
Second Opposition Speaker x 1 x 1 x 2 1 1 rises and says: 5 minutes min min “On a Point of Information”
Points of Information allowed First Proposition Speaker
Protected time: no Points allowed finishing his or her sentence, says: “ ... 2004, despite regularly stating that they wanted to stop the war.” Each speaker has an initial period of ‘protected time’ so they can introduce their speech and get started on their arguments without being interrupted.
Accept After this minute has elapsed the Timekeeper gives YES NO a signal and any member of the other team can offer point? an interruption. To do this, they stand and indicate that they want to make a point by saying: First Proposition First Proposition Speaker Speaker “Yes, please.” “No, thank you.” On a Point of Information (remains standing)
Second Opposition Second Opposition Speaker Speaker sits down “Just because one The person who is giving their speech retains control country ignored the UN once, does not at all times and can either accept the interruption by mean that the whole saying “accepted”, “go ahead” or “yes, please”, or institution should be decline by saying “declined”, “no thank you” or by abolished.” indicating with their hand. This ability to accept or decline is a key tactic. The speaker can also: First Proposition • Keep the person offering the Point of Information Speaker standing until they have finished their sentence. “But that wasn’t the • Ask them (politely!) to sit down if their question only time; Israel has lasts longer than 15 seconds. ignored Resolution 446 for thirty years If accepted, the person offering the Point has and Iran and North Korea defied recent 15 seconds to point out something (a fact, or a resolutions on nuclear contradiction in the argument) which disproves the power” argument being made by the speaker, or to ask a short question (for instance to ask for clarification if you think they are not saying something important). First Proposition Speaker Points of Information are a key part of debate so it continuing his or her speech: “The fact that the UN has no control over what is vital that all speakers offer at least two or three countries do anymore means it cannot do its in every speech they hear, and take at least one job, and so it should be abolished.” (preferably two or three) in every speech they give. Don’t offer too many – ‘barracking’ is rude. Don’t take too many or you won’t have time to make your u Find out more about Points of Information own points and will look as if you have lost control. at www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Guidelines for debaters | Page 31 Guidelines for debaters 1: Research and brainstorming
Although only two team members from your school will be taking part in each debate in the Mace it really helps (if you can arrange it) if you can prepare for your debate with two further students. They will give you even more ideas and you can then have some practise debates against them to give you some experience.
Seven minutes is a long time to fill if you don’t know Secondary brainstorm anything about your subject, so good brainstorming and research is essential. Now you’ve completed your research, brainstorm the topic again, but this time divide your arguments into two columns: ‘In favour/Pros’ and ‘Against/Cons’. Initial brainstorm Note down all the arguments you can think of including You’ll usually get the topic for your Mace round, and weak ones. Some arguments that you might initially the side you will be arguing on, about two weeks dismiss as useless may turn out to be valuable main before the round. points, subpoints or bits of rebuttal once you have a A good first step is to do a brainstorm of everything list of all the arguments which are likely to come up. you know already about the topic. Don’t restrict The first arguments you come up with often provoke yourself to things which relate to your side of the questions about what the motion means. These are debate; it’s important to think about the other side’s useful in determining possible definitions (page 28). arguments as well, as then you can think of ways to counter them. In addition, some of the cleverest Now turn the page to see how you can start to structure arguments in debate are quite subtle and relate to the arguments which you have just brainstormed. topics that might at first seem closer to the other side’s line of argument. Once you have done the initial brainstorm, group the www.debatabase.org and ‘Pros & Cons’ thoughts you have so far into a few different areas and Some of you may be familiar with Pros & Cons: a decide which team member will do further research debater’s handbook or its massively larger online into each area. equivalent www.debatabase.org. Debatabase, in particular, may seem to be the answer to all Research your research needs. But beware! Here are some reasons why you need to put in your own work: The best sources for research are articles in ‘quality’ newspapers, journals and the internet. Most of the • These resources are just a starting point. You motions set for debate are topical, so make sure your must research many more up-to-date facts and information is up-to-date. You also need to make figures for a comprehensive 7 minute speech. sure your information is reliable (a particular problem • If you have looked at these resources, you can with some internet sites). Keep a note of your where assume your opponents have, too. You need your information came from so you can refer to your to come up with your own novel and surprising exact source in your speech. arguments to catch them out. • Many experienced judges are aware of these Your school librarian should be able to help you, and resources and won’t look favourably on a case the BBC website often contains good information, you have just lifted from one website. analysis and links to other sites.
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By the end of research and brainstorming you should You should divide the other points between the two have thought of all the arguments you can (and come speakers in a way that makes sense. Sometimes up with a definition if you are the proposition). Put one or both speeches might develop a theme the list of your opponents’ arguments aside for the (e.g. ‘economic’ arguments or ‘practicalities’). On moment, but go through it again before the debate to other occasions the division is made simply because make sure that you have a reply or piece of rebuttal some points are more important than others. ready for every argument they might make. You should also have some arguments that only Now you should concentrate on your own side, so make sense in response to what the other side will that you can choose which arguments you are going say. The first opposition and both second speakers to use, in what order. should keep room in their speeches for these points of rebuttal and slot them in where it is appropriate Why structure is important during the actual debate. You may have some points that don’t fit in easily with When you are making a speech you are delivering a your main arguments, or have been excluded by the great deal of information to your audience in a short definition you have chosen, or are just very weak. You space of time. Most people don’t have a very long may choose not to use these at all. attention span and it is unlikely they will take in all the information unless you make it easy for them. • You should not have more than three or perhaps Signposting your individual speech four different arguments in your speech. No one Make sure your introduction previews all the points will remember your points if you have 17 of them. you will make. Then keep the audience informed of • One or two substantial points is also OK (especially where you are by using phrases like “And now on to for second speakers who do lots of rebuttal), but you my second point ...” or by using effective pauses. may need to divide large points into subpoints. Remember that you get 25% of your mark for Timing ‘Organisation & Prioritisation’. Poor timing during your speech will be penalised under ‘Organisation & Prioritisation’: Structuring your team’s case • If you have two points of equal importance, make First you need to decide which speaker is going sure you spend the same amount of time on both; to make which points. You are likely to have some don’t overrun on your first one and try to cram the arguments that are very powerful or are based on second into the last minute. some fundamental principles that your side believes. • Don’t let one speaker hog all the big points, leaving These should come first, so that the audience knows them with too much to say and leaving their partner from the start why you believe what you do. lost for words.
The basis of effective arguments: Making them REAL Once you have the outline structure for your side For example in “This House would abolish the UN”: and your speech you need to give some thought R The UN hasn’t stopped wars to how you can make each argument as effective E War in the Balkans and in Lebanon as possible. We suggest you use the following A The UN took far too long to act in both cases and mnemonic to structure each individual argument: even when they did they didn’t do much. There is just too much disagreement between members. L The UN hasn’t created peace, one of its main aims. R E A L So we should abolish this failed institution. Reason Evidence Analysis Link Evidence doesn’t always have to be facts and One of the Give some Show us Link statistics. Sometimes hypothetical cases work well. arguments facts or exactly how everything why we examples your back to why Giving plenty of Evidence and then Analysing it should agree that support evidence we should well makes your argument vivid in the minds of the with your side your supports your agree with of the motion reason reason your side audience. In short, it will persuade them that it is a REAL situation that is of REAL importance.
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Good debaters If you are giving a never write out a quotation you may speech word for “This House would abolish the United Nations” - Belle - 1st Prop need to break the word. If you do, rule about writing you will find it very “We the peoples of the United Nations determined ... to save succeeding generations things out in full to difficult to engage from the scourge of war, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, to establish make sure you get with the audience conditions under which justice and respect for international law can be maintained ...” it right. as your head will we argue that the UN has failed its own aims, and should be abolished. be buried in your paper. DEFINITION: Abolish it now, including organisations like UNESCO, UNHCR, UN Office on Drugs and Crime Start your A fully written speech with a 2 UN ignored 3 Bad rep for favouring West out speech also 1 Peace preview of what makes it very My points: 2 Cost 1 Regions work better you are going difficult to add in Sebastian’s points: to say. notes on rebuttal and makes you If you are the stumble if you 1 PEACE first speaker, also tell us what accept a Point Not met aim of preventing wars. Bad at stopping them once started. of Information your partner is which requires E.g. Balkans: Milosevic unchallenged in late 1990s. Nato bombings. Ethnic going to say. you to depart from violence in 2004 despite KFOR and Interim Administration Mission (UNMIK) If you are the your pre-planned Lebanon: One month for Security Council just to agree Resolution 1701 second speaker, speech. remind us briefly what your You may need 2 COUNTRIES IGNORE THE UN more notes on partner said in your evidence than E.g. US in 2004 over Iraq their speech. on your analysis; Israel, 30 years ignoring SC Resolution 446 you should know Iraq and N. Korea over nuclear problems your material well Analysis of how an organisation can’t be useful if its ignored. enough to deliver analysis without 3 REPUTATION FOR FAVOURING THE WEST Close with a notes. strong, catchy It takes a bit of Power of USA. statement practice to get Dominance of non-Muslim countries on the Security Council (you could confident speaking Track record in Israel/Palestine leads to terror. break the rule from notes, but the Creates tension, esp. in Middle East again here results are worth and write it; think more in “Ladies and Gentlemen, the UN is supposed to be a group of United Nations. But over the some of this terms of having a past fifty years they have acted more like a group of Uncooperative Nationalists” out in full if well-informed chat Hasn’t met its aim of world peace you want) and with the audience Countries ignore it a review of let’s get rid of it. I beg to propose. than giving a Bias leads to terror what you’ve formal speech. said.
A4 paper v. palm cards – You decide ...
The main advantage of using A4 paper is that you Some debaters use palm cards, which leave you can see all of your notes at once. You can easily find freer to gesture with your hands and may cut down facts or figures from another point in the speech if the chances of you getting lost. you need them to answer a Point of Information, for You can reorder the points on your palm cards very example. easily just before you get up to speak and add in extra The downside is that it can be more cumbersome. ones on which you have written bits of rebuttal.
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Debating isn’t just about the arguments you make A pause between each point can be a good way to and how they’re structured; debates happen in front change gear and let your audience know you are of an audience, so your message must get through setting off in a new direction. to them effectively. So 25% of your marks are for You could try writing down your instructions on how ‘Expression & Delivery’. to deliver each point in coloured pen on your notes sheet, or using a sheet of stickers with different Can you be heard? emotions, speeds and volumes on that you can stick on your speech just before you get up to speak. People have come to hear what you have to say, so it’s vital that you speak loudly enough that people at the back of the room don’t have to strain to hear you. Body language You can usually gauge from people’s facial reactions You can then start to concentrate on developing really if they are picking up what you are saying or not. effective body language. You should stay in a good On the other hand, if you have a very loud voice and comfortable stance for most of your speech and use are in quite a small room, make sure you are not gestures deliberately to emphasise particular points deafening the people in the front row! that you want people to pay attention to. Most important is to have eye contact with the Where to stand audience, which is easiest if you are using notes. You are welcome to stand either in front of or behind You may not be aware of it, but you may have a the tables to deliver your speech. Whichever you do, habit that distracts your audience from listening to make sure that you engage with the audience and you when you speak. Some people put their hands don’t only look at your opponents. over their mouth, jangle coins in their pocket, wave their arms or their notes all over the place, walk back Standing behind and forth too much or scratch body parts! Ask school your desk means that you can keep colleagues if you do any of these and then practise in notes on the table front of the mirror to stop yourself. and reorganise them easily during your speech, and Word choice you won’t end up wandering about Make sure that your word choice is appropriate to too much. the age of the audience and that you explain any Standing in front technical terms or abbreviations as needed. Using of the desks the correct terminology in a consistent way will help leaves you freer you appear professional. to move around and connect with Using powerful adjectives and carefully chosen the audience, but emotional vocabulary will help you win the audience remember to take all of your notes over. with you stand up to speak! Being appropriate Varying your tone and pace You should aim to sound natural; the judges aren’t looking for a ‘Received Pronunciation’ accent, just It isn’t unusual for debaters to speak in a monotone; someone who is clear and interesting. Neither do you that doesn’t necessarily mean that their voice is slow need to use traditional debating vocabulary like ‘the and dull, just that they have the same tone all the way honourable gentleman’. through, which can be as boring. Humour can be a useful tool, depending on the topic Try assigning a different mood to each section of your being discussed, but you must be very careful. It must speech. For example, the speech on the previous only be used if it is relevant. You must not make any page could be delivered in the following way: comments that people may find offensive. Ridicule arguments, not people. Things not to say include: • Introduction: Calm but pacy • Point 1: Calm and slower – deliberately ✗ “If you’d bothered to listen to my speech you would • Point 2: Angrier have heard that ...” • Point 3: With a sense of fear/danger ✗ “No, I won’t take a Point of Information until you • Conclusion: Amused take that awful tie off.”
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Selecting a team Training a team The ESU likes to view both of its competitions as Students should be strongly encouraged to take as extending beyond the actual rounds themselves and much responsibility for the preparation of their case being an integral part of the internal calendar for as possible; the more they research independently, participating schools. the more familiar they will be with the material which they will have to manipulate during the debate. Why not involve more students by having an in-school selection process which is open to all students? However, you can help your team immensely by doing This could take the form of a competition (perhaps some or all of the following: within the debating society or between forms or • Joining in the brainstorming and planning sessions English classes) where each class selects their and contributing your ideas once the squad own team which goes on to participate in your own members have put forward theirs. preliminary round in school. You can then pick the • Giving your squad the chance to practise the best participants to go on to represent your school in motion in front of an audience at a debating society the first round of the main ESU competition. You may meeting (see page 56) or in front of a class. very well be surprised by the results ... • Encouraging as many supporters as possible to accompany you to the round itself (this is one of A squad rather than a team the big advantages of hosting; see page 44). It’s immensely beneficial if you can train for debates as a squad of four, rather than a team of just two. This At the competition has the following benefits: You have a big role before any debate in calming down • The team can get more practice. last minute nerves; remind the team that everyone is • You have two reserves who can step in if one of the nervous and that a bit of adrenalin is helpful! others has to pull out at the last minute. Enjoy the debate, but remember that you may not • By selecting younger students for the third and speak in the floor debate for any debate in which fourth squad members you can build up an one of your teams is participating. And please don’t invaluable store of experience to deploy in next be tempted to ‘sabotage’ a strong rival team during year’s competition. their debate by making particularly fierce comments during other floor debates. The two squad members who are not competing in the Mace don’t need to feel as if they are second An inevitable fact of the competition is that someone strings; they can be entered for some of the other is knocked out; if this happens, please encourage competitions listed at www.britishdebate.com/ your team to see this in a positive light as a learning schools/othercompetitions. experience.
New for 2006/7: Reporting competition for audience members Debating skills are central to our democracy, but the debates took place, as well as the name, age without good media coverage to report on what goes and school of the student and contact details for the on in parliament, the entire political process breaks teacher who attended the round with them. down. For this reason, we are establishing a new reporting competition for young audience members We will aim to publish as many reports as possible attending rounds of the ESU Schools Mace. online at www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace and the best report at the end of the year will win Audience members can write a report of up to 600 a prize of a digital camera and a trip with an MP words on each round that they attend. The report to write a sketch from the Gallery at the House of should aim to be objective and unbiased while Commons. remaining interesting to read and conveying a sense of the round’s atmosphere as well as its arguments. Particular credit will be given to students who send us proof that all or part of their report was published Good newspaper reporters need to meet deadlines; in a school or local newspaper. reports must be filed to [email protected] no later than one week following the debates on which the report u Find out more about the reporting competition is based. The report should state where and when at www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace
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A message from the Head of the Centre for Format of debates in the ESU Schools Mace Speech and Debate The format of debate in the ESU Schools Mace is specifi c to our competition, but bears many similarities Thank you very much for agreeing to judge a to other forms of competitive debating in the United round of the ESU Schools Mace – the national Kingdom and further afi eld. debating championship – which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. You will see two or three debates during the evening. Two teams compete in each debate, sitting in the It is essential that anyone judging a round of following positions: the Schools Mace has read the following very carefully: CHAIRPERSON TIMEKEEPER • The basic notes on these two pages • The new mark scheme on the two pages titled ‘Guidelines for judges 2’. • The notes on the sample notes sheet titled OPPOSITION ‘Guidelines for judges 3’. You are also encouraged to read the Guidelines for debaters which can be found in our handbook PROPOSITION or at www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace. AUDIENCE & JUDGES Experienced judges should note that our mark scheme has been completely revised for this Speeches in each debate are made in proposition or year, so it is vital that they read the new version opposition of a given ‘motion’, in the following order: carefully. • First Proposition (7 minutes) Your job as an adjudicator is an important one; the • First Opposition (7 minutes) teams that you are going to see debate will have • Second Proposition (7 minutes) invested a lot of time and effort into preparing • Second Opposition (7 minutes) their material. • Floor debate; members of the audience contribute The majority of teams in a round will not go through • Opposition Summary Speech (4 minutes) to the next round and are aware of that. Teams do • Proposition Summary Speech (4 minutes) not expect to win, but they do expect to be judged A debate is a a highly interactive event, both within fairly, by the agreed standards of our handbook. and between the two teams. As well as putting They will expect you to be able to explain clearly forward pre-prepared ‘substantive’ arguments the reasons you have for sending another team explaining why their side is right, the competitors are through over them. expected to engage spontaneously with the other If you have any further questions about judging side’s arguments in several ways: debates, do contact us beforehand: • rebuttal: incorporating responses to their Telephone: 020 7529 1550 opponents’ arguments into their own speeches Fax: 020 7495 6108 • Points of Information: standing up and offering E-mail: [email protected] interjections during their opponents’ main speeches. Speakers should also show their ability We hope you enjoy the experience and will want to engage with the other side by accepting one or to judge again next year; if so, please email us at more Points during their main speech. [email protected] and we will add you to our judges • Summary speeches: should refl ect the main database. points of the debate as it actually developed, not Thank you very much for giving up your time to the teams’ pre-prepared expectations of what adjudicate and enabling the competition to run. would be discussed. The teams are judged according to a mark scheme which has four equally weighted categories: • Reasoning & Evidence James Probert • Organisation & Prioritisation Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate • Listening & Response • Expression & Delivery
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Retiring to discuss your decision Judging checklist You will hear two or three debates in succession. Remember, judging a debate is a subjective activity After the final debate, you will retire with the other but you must be able to support all decisions you judges (normally two of them) to decide which teams make (both to yourself and the teams), clearly and to put through to the next round. with reference to the judging guidelines and/or handbook. You should have retired from the debating room before the Chairperson(s) conduct any audience votes. Here are some pointers to keep you on track: You are judging who debated best, which may not coincide either with the audience’s (or your) opinion Do ... Don’t ... of which side of the argument should be supported ✓ Listen carefully and ✗ Don’t bring your own in real life. make notes that will opinions to bear on remind you of the the motion; the teams Two teams normally go through from first round speeches at the end have not chosen the heats, with one team progressing from second round of the evening. side they are arguing and area final heats. Your host teacher will inform for. you at the start of the evening of how many teams ✓ Look unfavourably on should proceed from your round. You are also people who read pre- ✗ Don’t take into required to name a runner-up team, in case one of the prepared speeches in account accent, winning teams has to drop out from the next round. a way that prevents appearance, dress them from responding or background of the The teacher who invited you may have appointed a to the arguments of speakers, or what chair of the judging panel. If not, you may like to do the other side. school they attend. so yourself. ✓ Give fewer marks ✗ Don’t compare a This chair may wish to start the discussion by asking under ‘Listening & team’s performance the other judges for their opinions about who came Response’ if speakers to their reputation or first and last in the evening. If there is unanimity on don’t offer or accept your expectations; a these points, it can be a quick way to include teams in, any Points of Informa- strong team is a strong or exclude them from, the list of those going through. tion, or if speakers team, and a weak one If there isn’t unanimity on the rank order, asking why don’t engage in a weak one, wherever can be a useful starting point for discussion. rebuttal during their they come from. own speech. ✗ Don’t allow one Announcing the result and giving feedback ✓ Reward speakers category to domi- (especially as the nate your thinking Once you have come to an agreement about who debate progresses) (especially ‘Expres- should go through, you should return as quickly as for adapting their sion & Delivery’). All possible to the debating room; teams may have some speeches to respond categories are equally way to travel home, so it is important not to keep to what has been said weighted. them waiting too long. When delivering the result: earlier in the debate. ✗ Don’t apply certain • The chair of the judging panel should give some ✓ Allow teams to rules arbitrarily or general feedback to all the teams that have taken approach you for dogmatically. Lots of part before making the announcement. individual feedback things in debating are • When more than one team goes through from the after the debate and very bad or very good, round, you do not need to announce them in rank make sure that all the but none result in an order, but should say whether or not you are doing comments you make automatic defeat or an so. are positive and polite. automatic victory. • You should announce which team is the runner- up, making clear they will not take part in the next round unless a winning team drops out. The only exception to announcing the runner-up is when two teams go through from a four-team round, as announcing the runner-up in this case this would make it obvious who came last. Following the announcement, we would be grateful if as many judges as possible would make themselves available to give individual feedback to the teams which have taken part. Feedback can be brief, but is very important to speakers’ development as debaters.
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Speeches are judged according to the four categories laid out below. Teams’ total scores consist of a total of 100 points: 40 points for the first speech,40 points for the second speech and 20 points for the summary.
Reasoning & Evidence Organisation & Prioritisation 15 marks for first proposition* 10 marks for all main speeches 10 marks for other main speeches • Team structure: Did the team’s speeches Reasoning is about the content of the individual complement each other? Did the first speaker arguments each speaker makes and how well lay out a clear case which both members of they are explained. the team followed? Were the most important arguments in a position which gave them • Clarity and logic: Are the arguments explained appropriate emphasis? clearly and logically? • Individual structure: Was each individual • Examples and analogies: Are the arguments speech well structured and easy to follow? backed up with plenty of well chosen examples Were individual arguments grouped into a and analogies? Facts, statistics, case studies, logical and coherent whole? Were the most news stories, historical reference, laws of important arguments emphasised? science etc. all benefit from being relevant, • Adaptability: Did the speakers show that clear, well-known and topical. they were able to reorganise their material if • Links to the motion: Are the arguments shown developments in the debate necessitated it? to be relevant to the motion? • Timing: Did the speakers speak for * The higher mark for first proposition reflects the particular approximately their allotted time of 7 minutes? importance of good content in setting up the basis for a good debate. It should also reward those giving a sensible, Did they divide their time sensibly between concise, comprehensive definition of the motion. their different points?
+ 40 marks for main speeches +
Listening & Response Expression & Delivery 5 marks for first proposition* 10 marks for all main speeches 10 marks for other main speeches Expression is about how the speakers come • Rebuttal: Have speakers been listening across rather than what they say. The mark is for carefully to their opponents and shown, in their how much they engage the audience, including: own speeches, why they disagree? • Use of notes: Speakers should have some • Making Points of Information: Have notes from which they speak fluently. Speakers speakers made good Points of Information, should be penalised for reading speeches showing they’ve been listening and picking out which they have written out in full beforehand important points to challenge?** or for reciting obviously memorised speeches. • Taking Points of Information: Have speakers • Use of voice: Are the speakers audible taken two or three of the points offered to and clear, while varying speed, volume and them in their speech and responded to them intonation to keep their speeches interesting immediately and capably?** and to add conviction and authority? * The lower mark for first proposition is because they haven’t • Use of words: Is language varied, persuasive, yet heard an opposition speech to respond to through appropriate and precise? rebuttal. They should, however, show some listening ability • Use of body language: How effective are hand through taking and making Points of Information. ** Speakers should not be penalised if no points are offered gestures, eye contact and facial expressions? to them, or if they offer enough points but none are • Rhetoric and humour: Is there an appropriate accepted. level of rhetoric and relevant humour?
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Reasoning & Evidence Organisation & Prioritisation 5 marks 5 marks • Clarity and logic: Are the arguments still • Choice of arguments: There is not time to explained clearly and logically? summarise every argument raised in the debate. • Revisited material: Did the speaker choose Summary speakers should concentrate on the the most powerful examples and analogies to main points of contention that are key to to revisit in their summary speech? winning over the audience. • New material: New material is only permitted if • Structure: Was the speech well structured and it elaborates - or responds to - material already easy to follow? Was it logical and coherent? mentioned by another speaker in the debate. • Adaptability: Did the speech reflect the debate A small amount of interesting, relevant new as it actually happened, rather than having material of this type can be rewarded. Totally been written out before the debate started? new material should be penalised. • Timing: Was the allotted time used wisely?
+ 20 marks for summaries +
Listening & Response Expression & Delivery 5 marks 5 marks • Own team: Has the speaker listened to their As for main speeches. own team, reflecting what was actually said rather than what was planned beforehand? • Rebuttal: Has the summary speaker listened carefully to their opponents and shown why they disagree with the key arguments? • Floor debate: Were some points referred to? • Points of Information: Points of Information are not allowed in summary speeches; the speaker’s ability in this area is assessed as part of their main speech.
The basic principles of note-taking for judging Instinct Experienced judges all agree about the basic way to take notes for judging, although These technicalities they often use their own grids and shorthand which they develop over time. Our are important, but specially designed forms on pages 42 - 43 will be useful as a starting point. judging still comes • First, note down all the content: Use the big space on the left of each speaker’s down to a simple grid to make brief notes of everything said. Ensuring you have the ‘headlines’ and question: “Has the details of all points made means you are three-quarters of the way there: the speaker been persuasive?”. • Having the ‘headlines’ for each point, you will be able to overview the Organisation & Prioritisation. Rather than trying • You can use your notes of the details to look back at the end of the to assign points debate and analyse and compare Reasoning & Evidence. and then work • Comparing points raised by one side with those dealt with out who won, you subsequently by the other sheds light on Listening & Response. should normally have a pretty good • At the end of each speech, make notes on style: Details of each point are instinct about who forgotten quickly, so concentrate on noting content down while speakers are argued best, and talking. As long as you look up occasionally to take in their visual style, you can assign points to fit. leave it until the end of the speech to make notes on Expression & Delivery.
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In introduction Every judge develops Points of Information are absolutely central to good debating; all debaters must offer a debater their own shorthand for at least 2 or 3 during every main speech they hear and take at least 1 (preferably 2 or briefly lists their common elements in a 3) during the main speech they make. To make sure they do, it is vital to keep a tally: arguments and debate. This judge uses • Points offered: Belle has offered a good number of points through the debate those of the D to mark the definition, (although 7 in one speech may get close to disagreeable ‘barracking’). Sebastian other member R to highlight rebuttal and has offered far too few and must be penalised under ‘Listening & Response’. of the team. 1 2 3 to show each point • Points taken: This judge rings points when accepted. So we can tell that Lily took It is important that a speaker is making. two points and Allen took one. The text reminds us what the point was about. to make a note of these so you can, for example, MOTION: This House would abolish the United Nations check back to see whether they cover 1st Proposition NAME: Belle what they promise to. Notes on arguments made: Notes on use of voice, D Abolition now + complete, inc. orgs like UNESCO language, body, face etc.: Loud, clear voice 1 PEACE 2 IGNORED 3 REPUTATION Small arrows SEBASTIAN: 1 REGIONS 2 COST Too much walking about can be useful to show when 1 PEACE: UN failed to either prevent wars, or stop Very enthusiastic a speaker has after they’ve started (e.g. Balkans, Lebanon) been making Good volume and COUNTRIES IGNORE UN: (e.g. US in 2004 over good logical 2 Points of Information offered: changes of tone links within a Iraq, Israel (SC Res. 446), Iran / N Korea nukes) To 1st opposition An org can never be useful if ignored. Great rhetorical speech. I I Evidence II I USA II 3 REPUTATION FOR FAVOURING THE WEST (for language use (e.g. “UN = To 2nd opposition example Israel v. Palestine) Creates tension, Uncooperative ✔ I e.g. Red Cross II Nationalists”) Ticks and esp. in Islamic countries leads to terror crosses can Reasoning 13 Organisation 9 Listening & 5 Expression 8 1/ 351/ be useful to & Evidence /15 & Prioritisation /10 Response /5 & Delivery 2 /10 2/40 mark up points which strike NAME: you as being 2nd Proposition Sebastian particularly Notes on arguments made: Rebuttal (if made separately): Notes on use of voice, good or language, body, face etc.: particularly 1 REGIONS 2 COST R NATO did all the work Head down in his speech poor while you in Kosovo, not the UN 1 REGIONS: Individual countries benefit much are making all the way through R People will still give your notes. more working in their own regions than through the UN (e.g. EU, ASEAN make millions aid without the UN Shuffles about a lot ✘ of pounds for their members). ( Doesn’t say how) Barely audible during 2 COST: UN costs a lot of money to run. Money second point Significant could be better spent on other things like Points of Information offered: over- or To 1st opposition Little presence under-running health ( ✘ No examples given) of the allotted time (here 7 ✘ Stopped speaking before second bell at 5:35 To 2nd opposition minutes) is I penalised in ‘Organisation & Reasoning Organisation 1 Listening & Expression 1 Prioritisation’. & Evidence 6 /10 & Prioritisation 5 /2 /10 Response 5 /10 & Delivery 3 /10 19 /2 /40
Prop Summary NAME: Belle
This model Notes on summary of debate, which should include: (a) reference to proposition arguments, Notes on use of voice, summation (b) reference to team’s rebuttal of opposition’s arguments, (c) some reference to the floor debate language, body, face etc.: distills the biggest areas 3 ?s: 1 UN helps create peace? 2 Regions better? 3 Value for money? Stay still! + a bit loud of dispute into 3 prioritised 1 PEACE? Not in the past (e.g. Balkans) + doesn’t look good for future (rogue Emphatic pauses after points. ‘Peace’ states + provoking terrorism through bias in favour of West) lists of questions was certainly 2 REGIONS – EU/ASEAN + point from floor re. optimal size for collaboration Strong closing the top issue in the debate. 3 VFM? Running costs + Aid money more effective through govts/charities statement See how Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression ‘Costs’ & ‘Aid’ & Evidence 5 /5 & Prioritisation 5 /5 Response 5 /5 & Delivery 4 /5 19 /20 are combined into ‘Value for money’. Team total 74 /100 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Guidelines for judges | Page 41
Lily has delivered a reasonable speech, with rebuttal Many speakers start by replying to (‘rebutting’) The ‘Terrorism’ argument and 3 arguments (‘Peace’, ‘Terrorism/Aid’ and arguments made by the other side. Rebuttal is is problematic for two ‘Forum’) but the notes don’t show that structure essential for a good ‘Listening & Response’ mark, reasons: clearly. There could be two reasons for this: but doesn’t have to come at the start. • Firstly, as noted, the • It wasn’t delivered clearly with some ‘signposting’ Some speakers ‘interweave’ some or all of their argument that aid stops (e.g. an introduction or ‘preview’ at the start) and rebuttal in the main body of their speech. This is terror has been simply stylistic aspects (e.g. pausing) used to add clarity. equally as valid in terms of ‘Listening & Response’ asserted, rather than In this case, the speaker should be penalised and may be better ‘Organisation & Prioritisation’. being backed up either slightly under ‘Organisation & Prioritisation’ For example, Lily starts with rebuttal about by logical reasoning (a and/or ‘Expression & Delivery’ as appropriate. people ignoring the UN. Her next point of rebuttal hypothetical example, • The judge wasn’t paying enough attention; many is actually very substantial - it’s really her first for instance) or by firm top speakers don’t follow the slightly clichéed main point, so the judge has carried it over to the evidence. This should tradition of saying “... and now my second point left-hand side. She’s also made it clear that her be penalised under will be ...” and use subtle but clear signposting, ‘Terrorism’ point later on is rebuttal, so this can ‘Reasoning & Evidence’. which judges need to be alert to. be counted in ‘Listening & Response’, too. • The ‘Terrorism’ point is based on the fact that the UN gives aid. The NAME: simple fact that the UN 1st Opposition Lily is a large aid distributor is also a stronger point Notes on arguments made: Rebuttal (if made separately): Notes on use of voice, than the contentious (and language, body, face etc.: ✘ No introduction of arguments R Just because some unproven) point about Too quiet, but a very terror. So it would have The UN has helped peace – e.g. Kosovo and East countries ignore UN calm and reasonable made more sense to Timor. Many UN ‘blue helmet’ peacekeepers doesn’t means it’s bad tone make the ‘Aid’ point first are highly skilled. Peace now in both countries. R UN helped peace in and then follow it with the Media never reports successes, only failures. Kosovo Eye contact with the ‘Terrorism’ point either as a R Terrorism – UN stops terror through giving aid audience throughout the sub-point or a subsequent main point. This kind of to countries ( ✘ Simple assertion - no evidence Points of Information offered: speech given for this). If UN abolished, aid organisations flawed progression should To 1st proposition Some interesting be penalised slightly like UNESCO (£1 billion for 2004 Tsunami) and I I 99% support adjectives to contrast under ‘Organisation and UNICEF go with it. UN General Assembly and To 2nd proposition proposition and Prioritisation’. Security Council provide a forum for countries to opposition cases get together and debate without using violence. I Reasoning 1 Organisation 1 Listening & Expression & Evidence 7 /2 /10 & Prioritisation 6 /2 /10 Response 7 /10 & Delivery 8 /10 29 /40
NAME: 2nd Opposition Allen It is important not to get so Notes on arguments made: Rebuttal (if made separately): Notes on use of voice, caught up in intensive note- language, body, face etc.: making that you ignore the 1 POPULARITY 2 POOR PEOPLE R NATO stopped war in Powerful speech, very speakers’ ‘Expression & Kosovo, but it would Delivery’ and forget to make 1 POPULARITY: Just because some people don’t have started again statesman like like the UN doesn’t mean we should abolish it – some notes on it at the end without the UN of each speech. US and Somalia haven’t signed UN Declaration Great use of gestures on the Rights of the Child; that doesn’t mean it R EU & ASEAN only do and body language A judging panel of 3 or more could consider agreeing isn’t a good thing/children don’t have rights ✔ money, not peace Spoke excellently from that one member makes 2 POOR PEOPLE: Will be worse off without the UN Points of Information offered: notes, contributing to fewer notes to enable them (e.g. UNESCO gave £1 billion in aid to tsunami To 1st proposition a conversational but to take in the debate as the disaster relief). Individual govts. can’t do that. II I China & Russia definite style audience hears and sees it. To 2nd proposition I I Regions + UN II Repetition of Reasoning 1 Organisation Listening & Expression 1 this kind may & Evidence 6 /2 & Prioritisation 8 Response 8 & Delivery 9 31 /2 /10 /10 /10 /10 /40 be lazy or good teamwork; it Opp Summary NAME: Allen depends on the context ... Notes on summary of debate, which should include: (a) reference to opposition arguments, (b) Notes on use of voice, reference to team’s rebuttal of proposition’s arguments, (c) some reference to the floor debate language, body, face etc.:
Dealt with some floor then summed up 2 MAIN ISSUES: Excellent use of a Belle may reasonable tone have been the 1 THE UNITED NATIONS & PEACE: best speaker, Kosovo, East Timor, Forum for debate Doing a good job Really engages with the but Sebastian audience and delivers was weak. The 3 THE UNITED NATIONS & AID speech with impact opposition Giving more than any country, and more effectively. was more consistent in Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression quality, so Lily & Evidence 4 /5 & Prioritisation 4 /5 Response 4 /5 & Delivery 5 /5 17 /20 and Allen win the debate by 1 Team total 77 /2 /100 a small margin. ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Judging notes sheet | Page 42 Judging notes sheet – Proposition
MOTION:
1st Proposition NAME:
Notes on arguments made: Notes on use of voice, language, body, face etc.:
10/10 = 15/15 9/10 = 13½/15 Points of Information offered: 8/10 = 12/15 To 1st opposition 7/10 = 10½/15 6/10 = 9/15 5/10 = 7½/15 4/10 = 6/15 To 2nd opposition 3/10 = 4½/15 2/10 = 3/15 1/10 = 1½/15
Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression & Evidence /15 & Prioritisation /10 Response /5 & Delivery /10 /40
2nd Proposition NAME:
Notes on arguments made: Rebuttal (if made separately): Notes on use of voice, language, body, face etc.:
Points of Information offered: To 1st opposition
To 2nd opposition
Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression & Evidence /10 & Prioritisation /10 Response /10 & Delivery /10 /40
Prop Summary NAME:
Notes on summary of debate, which should include: (a) reference to proposition arguments, Notes on use of voice, (b) reference to team’s rebuttal of opposition’s arguments, (c) some reference to the floor debate language, body, face etc.:
Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression & Evidence /5 & Prioritisation /5 Response /5 & Delivery /5 /20
Team total /100 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Judging notes sheet | Page 43 Judging notes sheet – Opposition
The key question to ask yourself while judging is “Has the speaker been persuasive?”. All the categories in the mark scheme relate to this question. It’s important to remember that, following the first proposition’s speech, all speakers should be responding to (‘rebutting’) arguments made by the other side; they may do so as part of their main arguments, so make sure you look out for this and reward ‘Listening & Response’ appropriately.
1st Opposition NAME:
Notes on arguments made: Rebuttal (if made separately): Notes on use of voice, language, body, face etc.:
Points of Information offered: To 1st proposition
To 2nd proposition
Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression & Evidence /10 & Prioritisation /10 Response /10 & Delivery /10 /40
2nd Opposition NAME:
Notes on arguments made: Rebuttal (if made separately): Notes on use of voice, language, body, face etc.:
Points of Information offered: To 1st proposition
To 2nd proposition
Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression & Evidence /10 & Prioritisation /10 Response /10 & Delivery /10 /40
Opp Summary NAME:
Notes on summary of debate, which should include: (a) reference to opposition arguments, (b) Notes on use of voice, reference to team’s rebuttal of proposition’s arguments, (c) some reference to the floor debate language, body, face etc.:
Reasoning Organisation Listening & Expression & Evidence /5 & Prioritisation /5 Response /5 & Delivery /5 /20
Team total /100 ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Hosting a round | Page 44 Hosting a round of the Schools Mace
Schools Mace rounds take place locally, so we rely declaration on your entry form) have committed on approximately a quarter of entrants hosting a themselves to the competition and that pulling out round every year. We recognise the extra effort that of a debate causes major inconvenience for other host teachers put into the competition, but hope that teams. Inexperienced teams often do very well in they also enjoy many benefits. the competition and should be encouraged to have a go, even if they get last minute nerves. However, if Why host a round? a team does pull out of your round the host school is normally asked by the Area Organiser to put in • Hosting enables you to involve a much larger a ‘swing team’. We appreciate that they may have number of students in the debate than just your less time to prepare, but it’s a good chance to give two competitors: next year’s team some experience and the main - Chairpersons and Timekeepers thing is to make sure that all the visiting teams - Hosts to welcome guests to the school have someone to argue against. The swing team is - and help serve refreshments allowed to go through to the next round if they are - More audience members than you considered good enough, with the proviso that only - can fit in a minibus one team from any one school can go through. This is invaluable in introducing younger pupils to • If a team pulls out on the day: Once again, it is debate who may one day form part of your team. preferable to field a swing team. As a last resort, a • Hosting raises the profile of debating at your pair of teachers may debate so that everyone has school, particularly among key members of staff someone to debate against. such as the Senior Management Team. • Finally, hosting means that you won’t have to travel Please contact your Area Organiser immediately if to take part in your round. you have problems you are unable to resolve. Many of you will already have indicated your willingness to host on your entry form. If you didn’t, but would now like to add your name to the list of Motions potential hosts, please contact your Area Organiser. For each round the ESU will release six motions, from which host schools choose two or three, How does the ESU support host schools? depending on the number of debates taking place • We will send you a list of teachers who have in the evening. suggested that they may be available to judge Motions in each round fall into two categories, ‘A’ debates in your area (if you would like to be added and ‘B’ – category ‘A’ motions have been chosen to this list, please let us know at Dartmouth House to reflect the competition’s partnership with the by emailing [email protected]). Your Area Organiser Department of Constitutional Affairs. Host schools may also be able to help in finding suitable judges should choose at least one ‘A’ motion and at least if you have problems. one ‘B’ motion when selecting motions. • We will send you a host pack before any round you ‘A’ motions for the First Round are hosting containing any additional information • This House would create a national parliament we are able to give you and feedback forms for you for England (for debates in England) to return to your Area Organiser. or • The ESU can help schools financially if they do This House would create a federal structure for not have an available budget to cover the costs of the United Kingdom (for debates in Scotland) hosting. • This House would make voting compulsory • This House would abolish trial by jury Problems with hosting a round Most rounds are reasonably trouble-free. However, ‘B’ motions for the First Round from time to time problems do occur. Here are some • This House would require people to actively opt tips on what to do: out if they do not want their organs to be used for transplants • If a team is late: Host are allowed to change the • This House would scrap Britain’s nuclear running order of debates at their discretion. deterrent • If a team pulls out several days or more before • This House would allow the use of performance- the debate: We would like to remind all teams enhancing drugs in sport. that they (and their headteachers, who signed a
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Your area organiser will contact you to confirm with you that you will be First round dates in hosting a first round of the competition, and to tell you who the other ® England should be set schools in your round will be. by mid-October (earlier in Scotland), for a round Contact the teachers from the other schools in your round, offering to take place before the them two or three dates when you could host your round. Ask them to end of November. confirm as soon as possible whether or not they can make those dates, ® Second round dates in emphasising that they should only decline dates which are impossible for England should be set them to make. before Christmas, if at Select motions from the box on page 44 of the handbook. You should all possible, for rounds randomly select which school debates which motion on which side and in late January/early inform all the schools by letter at least two weeks prior to the round. ® February. You should also check that the schools have received this information.
Invite three judges. They do not need to be experienced debaters or debate judges, but if they have not judged the Schools Mace before it is This rule regarding particularly important that they read the Guidelines for judges on pages 36 impartial judges is - 41 of the handbook. Send all judges a copy of these guidelines, even if particularly important; they have judged before, as our marking scheme has changed this year. you may be able to find contacts with other • Your judges should not have a close connection with any school schools unconnected involved in the heat. Current or past parents, teachers or governors with your those in the should not be asked to judge. round to help judge. • If you are able to invite local university student debaters, teachers, or professionals who have had some experience of either debating or ® judging debating, they will make a valuable contribution to the panel. • You could also ask councillors, local MPs or MEPs or local journalists, You could have a pair but please emphasise to them the importance of reading the guidelines, of students to chair all as they may not be familiar with this format of debate, even if they use debates that evening, or other forms of debate as part of their work. give more students a go • You should not offer to pay adjudicators, although travel expenses by having a different pair can be offered (especially to university students) and hosts sometimes for each debate. express their gratitude with a bottle of wine or a meal afterwards. This is a good way of giving experience Invite some older students from your school to act as Chairpersons and to students who may Timekeepers for the debates. Give them a copy of the Guidelines for ® compete next year. Chairpersons and Timekeepers from the handbook to read beforehand.
Arrange with your catering staff for modest refreshments for the visitors (e.g. coffee, tea and snacks). These are normally served while the judges Many hosts are able are out making their decision (provide some for the judges, too), but you ® to cover the costs may also want to give visitors something to drink when they arrive. of refreshments themselves, but you Get the other schools to contact you to tell you the names of the students can claim expenses who will be speaking in the debate and prepare an order paper like the of up to £50 from the one on page 47 of the handbook. You can download a Word template for ® ESU if your school is producing this from www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace. unable to afford it. To Prepare a room (see page 46 of the handbook) and put out enough chairs do this, please write to for the size of the audience you expect. ® the Centre for Speech and Debate at the ESU, enclosing a caterer’s Put jugs of water and glasses on the tables for the speakers and judges. ® invoice or receipts. Provide Chairpersons and Timekeepers with enough of the Flowcharts for Chairs and Timekeepers for each of the debates they will be involved in. ®
Provide each judge with several copies of the A3 note-taking sheet on pages 42 - 43 of the handbook. They do not have to use these sheets, but may find them helpful. Also provide each judge with another copy of the ® Guidelines for judges from pages 36 - 41 of the handbook.
Inform the judges how many teams should be progressing from your round (your Area Organiser will have told you this – if you are not sure, check with ® him or her beforehand).
Once everyone is seated, welcome the audience and introduce the judges It is particularly before handing over to the first Chairperson of the evening. ® important that this form is sent back promptly, Thank the adjudicators and everyone else for coming. Then fill in your as otherwise the Area Feedback form (sent with your Host Pack) with the details of which teams Organiser is unable to are going through to the next round, and which team has been chosen as ® arrange the next round the reserve. Then send this by fax, email or post to your Area Organiser. of the competition.
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Your room may not have chandeliers like our HQ at Dartmouth House, but all debate venues need the same things: three tables for the Proposition, Chairperson/Timekeeper and Opposition at the top of the room; chairs for the audience with an aisle down the middle; a table for 3 judges.
What to provide: What to provide: • A gavel and plinth (if you have one) • A bell (if you have one) • Chairperson’s flowcharts (one for CHAIRPERSON TIMEKEEPER • Timekeeper’s flowcharts (one for each debate) each debate)
What to provide: What to provide:
• A jug of water and enough OPPOSITION • A jug of water and enough glasses for all the debaters glasses for all the debaters
PROPOSITION
AUDIENCE & JUDGES
What to provide: • A jug of water and glasses JUDGES • Judging notes sheets (from pages 42 - 43 of the handbook, enough for 1 per judge per debate) • Judging guidelines (pages 36 - 41 of the handbook, 1 per judge)
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A copy of the order paper should be provided to all speakers, Chairpersons, Timekeepers, judges and audience members. You can download a Word template for it from www.britishdebate.com/schools/mace.
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The Chairperson and Timekeeper are very important • Say what the ‘motion’ (topic) for debate is in each debate as they help to make sure that • Introduce the speakers for the proposition and everything goes smoothly, according to the rules of opposition by naming their schools and saying who the competition. will be speaking first, second and in summary. • Briefly set out the format of the debate, perhaps by Both the Chairperson and the Timekeeper have using the following words: specially prepared flowcharts to refer to during each debate. If you read the following instructions and keep to the flowchart you can’t go too far wrong. Standing Orders in brief This evening’s debate will consist of six There will be several debates during the evening: you speeches. may be chairing or timekeeping for just one, or for all three. Whichever is the case, we hope you enjoy it! The four main speeches will each be 7 minutes long. The first and last minutes of main speeches Getting set up will be ‘protected time’ during which no Points of Information may be offered. After the first minute The Chairperson’s first job is to make sure that the you will hear this sound [Timekeeper makes speakers are set up ready to speak. They should sit in sound they will use to signal]. That means that the following positions, with the first speaker on each speakers from the other side may stand to offer side closest to the Chairperson’s table: Points of Information. They must wait for their point to be accepted by the person speaking CHAIRPERSON TIMEKEEPER before continuing and, if declined, must sit down again straight away. At the start of the last minute you will hear this sound [Timekeeper gives signal again]. That means no more Points of Information may be offered. At 7 minutes you will hear a OPPOSITION double signal [Timekeeper gives double signal], after which point the speaker must conclude as soon as possible. PROPOSITION After the four main speeches you, the audience, AUDIENCE & can make brief comments in the floor debate. JUDGES There will then be two four-minute summary Make sure they are settled comfortably and have speeches, first from the opposition and then from water to drink. Write down their names on your the proposition. No Points of Information may be flowchart and check tricky pronunciations. offered during the summary speeches. An vote will be held on the motion at the end of Starting the debate the evening, after the judges have retired.
• Then call on the first speaker:
Your teacher will probably start off by welcoming the guests from the other schools. You should pause after each speech and check for a Next you have to start the debate. If you have a gavel nod from the judges that they are ready to go on. (wooden hammer) then you can bang that to get the audience’s attention. The traditional words to say After that, simply follow the flowchart and call on next are “I call this House to order”. Then: each speaker to give their speech in turn.
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The floor debate Keeping order Following the second opposition speech, there is a The Chair must keep order during the debate. All the floor debate. Ask the audience members to raise their ‘Standing Orders’ (rules) are printed on the back of hands if they have a point they want to make. the Order Paper (also on page 47 of the handbook). You should read these before chairing the debate. • ‘Points from the floor’ may be phrased as statements or questions, but will not be answered However, in brief, the Chairperson is allowed to directly by the teams, who must stay quiet during intervene if any of the speakers or members of the the floor debate; they have an opportunity to refer audience are being rude, abusive or going against to audience points in their summary speeches. one of the rules of the debate. For example, you • Ask people to stand up and state their name and might have to intervene if speakers: school when they make floor points. • Go over their time limit by more than 25 seconds • Make sure floor speeches are not too long and that • Talk back after making a Point of Information as many people as wish to get to have their say. • Are ‘barracking’ by standing up to offer a ridiculous Don’t ask someone to speak twice unless there number of Points of Information have been fewer than three contributions. • You, your Timekeeper, adjudicators and teachers On very rare occasions someone may offer a ‘Point from the same school as one of the teams in the of Order’ if they think someone else is breaking the debate are not allowed to speak. Standing Orders. The Timekeeper should immediately stop the clock and you can give a ruling as to whether Use your own judgement on how long the floor debate anyone has been acting against the rules. If you are in should go on for. 5 to 10 minutes is a good length. doubt, ask one of the judges to help you.
The audience vote Thanking the speakers The vote doesn’t take place at the end of the debate, Normally speakers are pretty well behaved. So thank or it might influence the judges. All votes happen after them when the debate ends! Then hand over to the the judges retire at the end of the evening. next Chair, or carry on if you are chairing all evening.
Guidelines for Timekeepers
Timing the speeches Keep your stopwatch running throughout each speech (you should only stop it for a Point of Order The Timekeeper needs to time each speech with a – not Points of Information – or an intervention from stopwatch and knock clearly (or ring a bell) to give the Chairperson). time signals to the speakers to help them during their speech. There is a special flowchart to help you carry You should write down the full time each speaker out this role. spoke for at the end of each speech. At the end of each debate you should hand your sheet to the The times when you should knock or ring are as judges. follows (they are also all given on your flowchart): Main speeches (7 minutes) • One signal after 1 minute • One signal after 6 minutes • Double signal at 7 minutes • Double again at 7 minutes 15 seconds • Keep signalling after 7 and a half minutes Summary speeches (4 minutes) • One signal after 3 minutes • Double signal at 4 minutes • Double again after 4 minutes 15 seconds • Keep signalling after 4 and a half minutes
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➊ TODAY’S MOTION IS:
Read out the ‘Standing Orders in brief’ from the Guidelines sheet before introducing the speakers: ➋ THE SPEAKERS ON THE PROPOSITION ... AND THE SPEAKERS ON THE OPPOSITION ... Read out the schools and names of the speakers from your notes below: School School
➌ 1st PROPOSITION SPEAKER Name
➍ 1st OPPOSITION SPEAKER Name
➎ 2nd PROPOSITION SPEAKER Name
➏ 2nd OPPOSITION SPEAKER Name
➐ FLOOR DEBATE Ask for short questions or statements from the audience; you may want to ask for people to say whether they are speaking for the motion, against it, or support some points from both sides. You might also want to ask for points to each side in turn, for example: “First we will take a point against the proposition, and then one against the opposition”. Unless you have had fewer than three contributions to the floor debate, no one should speak twice in one floor debate. Teachers may not speak during their team’s debate.
➑ OPPOSITION SUMMARY Name
➒ PROPOSITION SUMMARY Name
Thank the speakers and adjourn the debate. Then hand over to the next Chair, or start up the next debate if you are chairing all evening. After the judges retire at the end of the last debate there is ➓ THE VOTE Votes for: Votes against: Abstentions: ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Guidelines for Chairpersons and Timekeepers | Page 51 Timekeeper’s flowchart for timing a debate
Your job is to assist the speakers, the Chairperson and the judges by keeping track of the timings for each debate. During each of the speeches you need to give signals. These mark when other speakers can start offering Points of Information, when they must stop offering them, and when the speaker should stop speaking. You might have a special hammer (called a ‘gavel’) to knock with, or a bell to ring. If not, then use anything that makes a clear sound! Copy the name of each speaker from the Order Paper into the ‘Name’ boxes and, after each speech, write the total time for their speech in the ‘Timing’ box. At the end of the debate, but before the vote, give the sheet with the timings on it to the judges. You can also help the Chairperson by acting as ‘Teller’ and counting the votes at the end of the debate.
➊ FIRST PROPOSITION SPEAKER When to knock/ring bell Name • Once at 1:00 • Once at 6:00 • Twice at 7:00 Timing • Again if still speaking at 7:15 £ minutes ££ seconds
➋ FIRST OPPOSITION SPEAKER When to knock/ring bell Name • Once at 1:00 • Once at 6:00 • Twice at 7:00 Timing • Again if still speaking at 7:15 £ minutes ££ seconds
➌ SECOND PROPOSITION SPEAKER When to knock/ring bell Name • Once at 1:00 • Once at 6:00 • Twice at 7:00 Timing • Again if still speaking at 7:15 £ minutes ££ seconds
➍ SECOND OPPOSITION SPEAKER When to knock/ring bell Name • Once at 1:00 • Once at 6:00 • Twice at 7:00 Timing • Again if still speaking at 7:15 £ minutes ££ seconds
➎ OPPOSITION SUMMARY SPEAKER When to knock/ring bell Name • Once at 3:00 • Once at 4:00 • Again if still speaking at 4:15 Timing £ minutes ££ seconds
➏ PROPOSITION SUMMARY SPEAKER When to knock/ring bell Name • Once at 3:00 • Once at 4:00 • Again if still speaking at 4:15 Timing £ minutes ££ seconds ESU Schools Mace Handbook 2006-7 | Other debating formats | Page 52 Other debating formats
British Parliamentary format There are many other schools debating competitions Much of the interest of the BP format comes from across the UK. You can find out about these the simultaneous agreement and tension between competitions (mostly run by University debating the two teams on each side. societies) at www.britishdebate.com/schools/ The first speaker from the second team on each othercompetitions. side needs to show that they are able to progress The university-based competitions all use a format the debate in some way. They are required to offer called British Parliamentary which enables four an ‘extension’ to the first team’s arguments; this teams to compete in one debate, with two teams on can either be an entirely new argument (or set of each side. The teams face each other down a table, arguments) that the first team neglected to mention, a bit like the front benches in the British House of or a significant piece of rebuttal which is large Commons and House of Lords (hence the name). enough and new enough to count as an extension. In order to win the debate you must agree with the Obviously, the first team on each side needs to both other team on your side, but argue that side better take on the arguments of the opposing side and try than they do. to cover as many of the arguments for their side as possible, so that the second team has difficulty in Room layout for a BP debate finding an adequate extension. The summary speeches in BP are delivered by the fourth speaker on each side. Proposition Opposition Team 1 Team 1 Points of Information remain vital and may be made by any speaker from the opposing side during any speech (including summary speeches). There is a minute of protected time on each end of the speeches. There is no floor debate. Proposition Opposition Team 2 Team 2 Another key element of BP debating is ‘short- preparation’, which is described below. There is no standard categorised mark scheme for The length of all speeches in ‘BP’ is normally five British Parliamentary debates, though all the same minutes, and the speech order is as follows: fundamental skills are assessed in this format as in the Schools Mace, even if they sometimes have 1st proposition u 1st opposition u different names or different weightings applied to 2nd proposition u 2nd opposition u them. 3rd proposition u 3rd opposition u 4th proposition (summary) u u Find out more about the British Parliamentary 4th opposition (summary) format at www.britishdebate.com/schools
Short-preparation debates Short-preparation debates mean that, rather than affairs and topical issues. receiving the motion two weeks in advance like you The key thing with short-preparation periods is to do with most Mace rounds, you are given the motion use the time effectively. Spend the first few minutes shortly before you speak. British Parliamentary in silence, writing down as many arguments for your competitions are normally short-prep, with the side as you can think of. Then isolate the strongest standard length of preparation time as 15 minutes. arguments, structure them as described earlier in On the rare occasions when short-prep debates this book and think of as many examples as you can occur in the Mace you have an hour to prepare. to support them. Before the debate starts, check with your partner that you’re both clear what each The motions for short-preparation debates may other is saying. require slightly less detailed knowledge than Mace motions, but a good debater always needs to read u Get more tips on handling short-prep debates the papers so that they are familiar with current at www.britishdebate.com/schools
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World Schools format The World Schools format is used at the annual Team England at World Schools World Schools Debating Championships, an 2006’s Championships in Cardiff were record- English-speaking competition attended by around breaking for Team England, as it achieved 35 countries every year. unprecedented rankings for its four team members It closely resembles the Mace style, but with on the individual speaker tab: Jamie Susskind was one extra speaker, allowing the argument to be ranked 1st in the world with Lizzie Bauer 2nd, Kitson developed a little more. Symes 3rd and Richard Trainor 5th.
Room layout for World Schools Debate Chairperson Timekeeper
OPPOSITION
PROPOSITION
The order of speakers is as follows: 1st proposition (8 minutes) u The English team is managed by the English- 1st opposition (8 minutes) u Speaking Union from Dartmouth House. A rigorous 2nd proposition (8 minutes) u weekend of trials is held each year, leading to an 2nd opposition (8 minutes) u intensive training period for the team under the 3rd proposition (8 minutes) u guidance of a highly experienced coach. Various 3rd opposition (8 minutes) u criteria are used to choose who to trial but, among Opposition summary (given by either the first other standards, we guarantee to trial anyone who or second opposition speaker) u has reached an Area Final of the Schools Mace. Proposition summary (given by either the first Applications to trial for the 2007 tournament in or second proposition speaker) South Korea have been open online at www. There is no floor debate in World Schools style. britishdebate.com/schools/england for several months, but if you are interested in applying to Both long- and short-preparation debates are used join the team you may still have just enough time at the World Schools Debating Championships. The to do so before the deadline of 22 September. If long length of the speeches means that speakers not, check back at the same page later next year must be able to go into their ideas in considerable for details of how to apply for the team which will depth, even when faced with short-prep debates, be representing England at the 2008 World Schools so good general knowledge is required. Motions at Debating Championships in Washington, DC. the Championships are set on motions relevant to all countries and successful debaters have to refer to examples from countries other than their own. Team Scotland at World Schools The mark scheme rewards Style, Content and Scotland also had a strong year in Cardiff, breaking Strategy. Style is ranked equally with Content 3rd on the team tab. (40% each), with Strategy worth 20%. A special The Scottish national team is organised by a Points of Information adjuster is used to reward committee which works independently of the or penalise speakers whose Points of Information English-Speaking Union. However, links between were significantly better or worse than the rest of the two are close; ESU Scotland in Edinburgh liaises their speech. closely with it and Diana Gotts (our Scottish Area Dulwich College holds a one-day tournament in Organiser) is one of the committee’s members. World Schools format each September. Details on Scottish selection for the 2007 tournament in South the calendar at www.britishdebate.com. Korea is now closed to new applications, but you u Find out more about the World Schools format can contact Diana ([email protected]) if you at www.britishdebate.com/schools would like to hear about how to apply for 2008.
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Why start a cross-curricular programme? Many students who have particular difficulty with reading and writing activities first come into their Only a handful of students from each school have own academically when they are given the chance to the chance to participate in the Schools Mace each debate. Many difficult students are stimulated to listen year. But as debate benefits students so much, why and encouraged to respect others’ right to speak shouldn’t all the students in your school be debating as they enjoy playing by the rules of the controlled as a core part of their curriculum? competition inherent in Points of Information and As these pages show, debating can assist curriculum rebuttal. delivery in your school by meeting many statutory and The ESU’s forthcoming Discover Your Voice materials exam requirements in both England and Scotland. fully detail the pedagogy behind these ideas and And introducing debate to more students will increase include a host of ways to expand the basic debate interest in extra-curricular debating and give you a format to actively involve all 30 members of a class larger pool to draw on for your teams. and engage less confident speakers, or those with English as an Additional Language. Email All teachers are teachers of debating [email protected] for more information. Debating isn’t the preserve of one member of staff (‘the debating teacher’) who enters competitions; it’s Debating in English a key tool for teaching and developing oracy across Debates in English can range from any of the standard all subjects. If you’re currently known as ‘the debating Mace-type motions (although many of these may be teacher’, rename yourself ‘debating coordinator’ to donated to colleagues in Citizenship, History, RE etc.) get that message across. Or, if your school doesn’t to subject-specific motions like “This House believes have one already, take on the wider role of ‘oracy that Friar Laurence was responsible for the deaths of coordinator’. Romeo and Juliet”. Debate also meets many major In the way that all teachers are now accustomed to curriculum targets: being teachers of literacy, whatever their subject, • Secondary National Strategy (Literacy Strand) we’d like to see members of staff in all departments Taking all the roles involved in a debate, you are using the suite of debating skills, the delivery of which able to meet almost all the Literacy Strategy’s could be coordinated by you or a colleague. Speaking & Listening targets with the exception of It might be the role of one department (e.g. the English those for drama. department) to introduce debating to all students Debating also develops many skills outside the within a year group, but once that is done, the suite curriculum’s explicit ‘Speaking & Listening’ remit. of skills can be used and developed by teachers in all other subjects. Good speeches require excellent skills of research (Y7 R1 & R2, Y8 R2, Y9 R1), evaluation (Y7 R5, Y9 If your school would benefit from having members R4) and synthesis (Y8 R1, Y9 R2). The various uses of staff from one, several or all departments trained of notes in debating have already been discussed in curricular use of debate you might want to on pages 31 - 33 of this guide (Y7 R4, Y8 R3, Y9 consider a CPD session from Andrew Fitch, the ESU’s Debates and Education Officer, and members R3). of our squad of trained university debate mentors. The Writing triplets are all just as much debating To discuss prices and make a booking, contact triplets, as exemplified by Y8 Wr13 (Persuade, [email protected]. Or we could provide a Argue, Advise): “present a case persuasively, pupil workshop for a class or a whole year group. making selective use of evidence, using appropriate rhetorical devices and anticipating responses and Debating is not just for the Gifted & Talented objections”. Partipants in the Mace are very often on the Gifted & • National Curriculum for English at KS4 Talented register, but curricular debating is an activity En1/10a specifies debate as one of the range that should be accessible to all students, of all age of purposes. The format addresses most non- groups. Our London Debate Challenge programme dramatic targets in En1 (Speaking and listening) has had considerable success teaching debate to with the exception of En1/1d (visual aids), although KS3 students in some of London’s most challenging the competition’s rules on this can be relaxed for schools, and we have launched Primary Schools classroom use. Our judging criteria on pages 36 - 41 programmes in several London boroughs. can be used in regard to En1/1g (self-evaluation).
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Rebuttal and Points of Information are particularly appease Germany”). Or debates can be held to pertinent in meeting all the requirements of En1/2 compare periods in history (e.g. “This House would (Listening). rather live in Roman Londinium than Victorian London” for the GCSE Medicine through Time paper). The broad range of demands made of the main speakers, and the possibilities for Chairs and floor speakers, meet the stipulation in En1/3 (Group Other National Curriculum subjects discussion and interaction) that students make Here are some sample motions for other subjects: “different types of contributions to groups”. • ICT: “This House believes current data protection • GCSE oral assessments laws are insufficient” Debating is ideal for assessing Individual Extended • MFL: “This House believes we should be taught Contributions at GCSE. Science in a foreign language” In general, the competition’s format meets the • Music: “This House believes DJs should not be requirements for oral assessment that students members of the Musician’s Union” “adopt roles” (AO1 (iii)), engage actively in both speaking and listening (AO1 (ii)) and deliver clear, Key Skills at Post-16 imaginative, structured talk in a formal situation (AO1 (i)). Debating covers levels 1-4 for Communication and fulfils some of the requirements for Problem Solving, Working with Others and Improving Own Learning Debating in Citizenship and Performance. As our partnership with the Department for Constitutional Affairs demonstrates, debate is an A-level subjects ideal tool for introducing young people to issues of politics and citizenship. • Philosophy: Debate hones skills required in Philosophy, particularly in regard to AO2 (the Debate is also a statutory requirement as part of the development of argument and counter-argument national curriculum at KS3 and KS4: Ci2c (KS3) states within the themes selected for study). students should “contribute to group and exploratory • Politics: Debate helps towards meeting AO2 and class discussions, and take part in debates”. This is AO3 in Government and Politics. expanded to “take part in formal debates” at KS4. • Critical Thinking: Debating is an ideal tool for helping meet all five assessment objectives for Debating in Science Critical Thinking. Debating is invaluable in addressing England and Wales’ new 21st Century Science curriculum’s requirement that students can “take part confidently Specific requirements in Scotland in discussions with others about issues involving science”. Motions can range from “This House The main purposes of Listening and Talking for would ban genetic engineering” through “This House Standard Grade English are all met by our format believes biofuels are the answer to our energy crisis” of debate. Our clear Standing Orders meet the to “This House would spend more money on space requirement that Talking assessment at Standard exploration”. Grade ensures students are clear about “who speaks to whom, why, about what, how and when (and possibly, for how long)?” The fact that speakers Debating in the Humanities combine a substantial contribution (in the form of Debating is an ideal tool for meeting curriculum a main speech) with smaller questions (in the form requirements across the humanities, both in terms of of Points of Information) shows how our format skills (e.g. KS3 Ge1d “analyse and evaluate evidence enables you to respond to the SQA’s suggestion and draw and justify conclusions” or KS3 Hi3b “to that a “pupil [may] start with a reasonably lengthy evaluate interpretations) and content. statement of the main concerns, at which point he may be assessed for Individual Talk. Later he Motions can range from “This House would ban may find himself displaying the characteristics of abortion” in RE to “This House opposes the building a good group participant, giving and receiving of the Three Gorges Dam” in Geography. points in a responsive and tactful manner”. History provides opportunities for either retrospective Further questions regarding debate and the debates (“This House blames Chamberlain for the Scottish curriculum can be addressed to Rob start of World War II”) to role-played debates taking Marrs, the Speech & Debates Officer at ESU place at a specific time and place in history (e.g. in Scotland, at [email protected]. the House of Commons in 1935 “This House would
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An unfortunate fact of life in any competition of this • A Treasurer to raise and monitor finances for things kind is that some teams will get knocked out in the like publicity materials, refreshments and trips to first round. The blow of this can be lessened by seeing competitions. your involvement in the Mace as the beginning, rather • An artistically-minded / computer-savvy Publicity than the end, of a process. Officer to publicise the debates. Most schools who are successful in the Mace have To ensure the society reaches out to all year groups an active debating society which has been built up within the school you might aim to elect/coopt at over time; and it benefits not just the debating teams, least one committee member from each year group. but the much wider circle of speakers and audiences who take part every week, fortnight or month. Go on a publicity drive Here are some ideas to start a really lively debating The Publicity Officer should make sure that there society at your school ... are plenty of posters up around the school for every debate, and that it has been publicised on the Adapting the format daily news bulletin, in assemblies and in the school Mace speeches are too long for most debating newspaper. He or she should also make sure a societies (especially if you are meeting at lunchtimes), report on each debate gets written up for the school so you may want to cut the length of speeches down newspaper after each meeting. to five minutes or less. Consider having some debates in assemblies to You can involve more pupils in each debate by having publicise the society and make sure that teachers three speakers on each side, with the summary who are using debate in the curriculum (see previous speech made by a separate speaker. two pages) are kept informed, so they can plug the society to their students. Set up some exciting debates Be ready to expand The most important thing is to get some really good debates lined up, with interesting motions and As the society grows, you can do several things to (especially for the first few debates) a few speakers in meet the demand for debating: each debate who will be good to listen to. • Split the society up into a junior and senior society, You can find a list of potential motions to use on our or one for each different Key Stage. website at www.britishdebate.com/schools. • Enter more competitions like ICYD or the Bristol, Cambridge, Durham and Oxford Schools You don’t necessarily need to go for ‘trendy’ motions competitions (see www.britishdebate.com/ to attract an audience; something that is controversial schools/othercompetitions). and ensures a good, heated debate will make sure the audience enjoys it and that the word spreads. Stay involved in the Mace From time to time you might want to try some novelty debates, however. For example, ‘staff v. students’ or Why not organise some club trips to see other rounds ‘arts teachers v. science teachers’ debates can make of the Schools Mace taking place? great end-of-term events. • The date (in the Spring) for your Area Final will be fixed at some point during the autumn term. Your Start up a committee Area Organiser will write to invite you to this event; it’s a great opportunity to see the top teams from The most successful debating societies are organised your Area and give pupils (including next year’s by the students themselves, with the active support team) a chance to learn from the experience. of one or more members of staff. A committee might • If knocked out in the first round, you are also have the following members: welcome to attend any second round heats (contact • A responsible President to chair the committee your Area Organiser to find one in your locality). meetings and represent the society to the School • The National and International Finals will be held on Council and the Senior Management Team. the dates on page 24. You are welcome to attend • An efficient Secretary to take minutes of what either or both of these by applying for a ticket to happens at committee meetings, and to keep Dartmouth House for the English and International a special minutes book of all the debates Finals, or Diana Gotts (Scottish Area Organiser) for themselves. the Scottish Final.
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Last year’s England finalists Former winners of the ESU Schools Mace • Leeds Grammar School 2006 City of London School for Boys (Northern Area champions) 2005 St Bonaventure’s RC School 2004 George Heriot’s School • Wolverhampton Grammar School 2003 The Bishop’s Stortford High School (Central Area champions) 2002 Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Boys • Cheltenham Ladies’ College 2001 George Heriot’s School (Western Area champions) 2000 Sandford Park High School 1999 High School of Glasgow • Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Boys 1998 High School of Glasgow (Eastern Area champions) 1997 Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh • City of London School for Boys 1996 Westminster School (London Area champions) 1995 George Heriot’s School 1994 Harrogate Grammar School • St Swithun’s School 1993 Durham Johnson School (Southern Area champions) 1992 Aylesbury Grammar School The winners were Timosha Goldfarb and Andrew 1991 Watford Grammar School Rose of City of London School for Boys. 1990 Solihull Sixth Form College 1989 Westminster School 1988 Ripon Grammar School Last year’s Scottish winners 1987 Lancing College The winners of the Scottish Final were Neil Dewar 1986 Lowlands Sixth Form College and Lauren Pringle from the High School of Dundee. 1985 Liverpool College 1984 St. George’s College, Weybridge 1983 Solihull Sixth Form College Last year’s International Final 1982 Winchester College Last year’s International Final was held in Committee 1981 Hereford Cathedral School Room 14 of the Houses of Parliament and was 1980 Haberdashers’ Aske’s School presided over by Lord Hunt, chairman of the ESU, 1979 Sutton High School for Girls following a welcome from Lord Falconer, Secretary 1978 City of London School of State for Constitutional Affairs. The participants 1977 Haberdashers’ Aske’s School were: 1976 Marlborough College 1975 Ampleforth College • City of London School for Boys 1974 Tynemouth College (English champions) 1973 Tudor Grange Grammar School • Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh 1972 Hereford Cathedral School (Irish champions) 1971 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for Girls, Barnet • High School of Dundee 1970 Convent of the Holy Child, Blackpool (Scottish champions) 1969 Hampton Grammar School • Whitchurch High School 1968 Bromsgrove School (Welsh champions) 1967 St Lawrence College 1966 King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls The winners of the ESU Schools Mace for 2006 were 1965 Eton College Timosha Goldfarb and Andrew Rose from the City of 1964 Eton College London School for Boys. 1963 Ampleforth College 1962 Dulwich College 1961 Felsted School 1960 Christ’s Hospital 1959 City of Bath School for Boys 1957 Felsted School
Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 The Centre for Speech & Debate
The Centre for Speech & Debate – based at the English- Speaking Union’s Headquarters in London – was established in 1995 to coordinate the ESU’s work in debate, public speaking and effective spoken English. Here are some of its activities: • Coordination of the Schools Mace and initial stages of the Public Speaking Competition for Schools: every year we mail over 6000 contacts in schools throughout Great Britain. We then collate entries before handing over the running of the Public Speaking Competition to www.britishdebate.com: the Centre the ESU’s Branches Department. The Centre runs the for Speech and Debate’s dedicated portal for persuasive spoken Schools Mace right through to the International Final. English learning and for the British • www.britishdebate.com: The Centre’s own website is debating community. full of further information about debate, including the additional material referred to in this handbook and details of all the Centre’s activities, plus a calendar for other debating competitions across the UK. • Schools Mace Roadshow: This year’s workshops for new entrants to the Mace will have taken our team to Aberdeen, Stirling, Bolton, Leicester, London, Norwich, Lincoln, Darlington, Penrith, Stoke-on-Trent, Maidstone, Southampton, Exeter, Cheltenham and Milton Keynes!
Rob Robinson, one of our specially • Continuing Professional Development Days for trained university debate mentors, teachers: this year, our CPD programme includes works with school students during days in Manchester (13 September), Exeter and the highly successful Schools Mace Roadshow 2005. Darlington (20 September) and London (Introduction to Debating on 27 September, Advanced Debating on 28 September and Public Speaking on 3 October). Further information on dates throughout the year is available at www.britishdebate.com/schools/training. • Learning Materials Development: the ESU has recently appointed a new Multimedia Learning Producer to spearhead the production of new learning resources for students and teachers with the aim of greatly increasing the range of books, videos and DVDs currently available Last year’s winners of the Great at www.britishdebate.com/schools/materials. Shakespeare Debate, from the King’s High School for Girls in • Discover Your Voice workshops for students: Our Warwick. Next year’s event will be taking place in February 2007. immensely successful London Debate Challenge model for workshops involving 40 to 150 students is now available to schools nationwide. Contact michael_ [email protected] for information. • The Great Shakespeare Debate: An annual programme for A-level students, debating Shakespeare in Stratford- upon-Avon. Apply by the end of November using the form at www.britishdebate.com/schools/shakespeare. • Debate Academy: The Centre runs an annual four-day residential summer camp for students and teachers wishing to learn more about debate. To find out more visit www.britishdebate.com/schools/debateacademy. Meet the team at Dartmouth House
James Probert Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate • Oversees the Schools Mace and all the other activities of the Centre for Speech and Debate (such as our CPD programmes, Discover Your Voice and www.britishdebate.com)
Meriel Talbot Director of Branches / National Organiser, Public Speaking Competition • Oversees the running of the Schools Public Speaking competition and the competition’s Branch and Regional organisers.
Michael Edwards Schools Officer ([email protected]) • Responsible for the day-to-day running of the Schools Mace, including liaison with our team of Area Organisers. • Also responsible for logistical elements of programmes like Discover Your Voice.
Natasha Plaister Branches Assistant / National Coordinator, Public Speaking Competition ([email protected]) • Coordinates between Dartmouth House and the Branch and Regional Organisers for the Public Speaking competition.
Andrew Fitch Debates and Education Officer • Delivers our teaching programmes for the Schools Mace (including the roadshow and our series of INSET days) and for the Public Speaking competition (such as our INSET day at Dartmouth House). • Also responsible for pedagogical aspects of Discover Your Voice.
Harold Raitt Multimedia Learning Producer ([email protected]) • Develops teaching resources for the Schools Mace, the Public Speaking competition and programmes like Discover Your Voice. • He edited and designed this handbook; do please contact him if you have comments or suggestions that we can incorporate next year.
Vivienne Thomson Speech and Debate Programmes Officer • Vivienne is Event Organiser for the England and International Mace Finals. Most of Vivienne’s work involves other programmes, such as our Universities debating and mooting competitions, parliamentary exchange studentships and our debating society at Dartmouth House.
Jenny Zhu Administrator ([email protected]) • Collates the online and paper entries for the Public Speaking and Schools Mace competitions, chases up schools who forget to enter and makes sure we get all your cheques with the entry fees. Patron Her Majesty the Queen President HRH The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh KG KT Chairman The Rt Hon The Lord Hunt of Wirral MBE PC Deputy Chairman Mr Edward Gould Director-General Mrs Valerie Mitchell OBE
About the English-Speaking Debating and Public Speaking Union’s mission competitions around Britain
The ESU exists to create global understanding through the shared use of the English Competitions run by the ESU in London language. We achieve our aim through ✓ ESU Schools Public Speaking conferences and seminars, scholarships and ✓ ESU Schools Mace Debating exchange programmes, debating and public Competitions run by ESU Scotland speaking activities and our network of tens ✓ ESU Scotland Juniors Debating of thousands of members worldwide. (for more information visit www.esuscotland.org.uk) The young people who take part in our programmes nationally and internationally emerge better equipped to contribute to their society and to a better understanding of the world, by using a shared language to reach across the barriers of geography and traditional divisions. The ESU in London works in partnership Competitions run by the ESU in London with over 50 ESUs worldwide, which have ✓ ESU Schools Public been established, since our foundation in Speaking the United Kingdom and United States in 1918, in every continent; most recently we Competitions run by have seen rapid expansion in East Asia, the CEWC-Cymru Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and ✓ Wales Schools Debating Championships (for more Latin America. information visit The ESU is a registered charity, dependent www.cewc-cymru.org.uk) on the generosity of our members, alumni, volunteers and individual donors and Competitions run by the ESU in London corporate sponsors. With their support, using ✓ ESU Schools Public Speaking communication to build trust, tolerance and ✓ ESU Schools Mace Debating understanding, we are taking advantage of the powerful currents of twenty-fi rst century Other debating competitions for all of Great Britain globalisation to tackle social and educational Other organisations also run debating competitions for the exclusion and empower individuals whole of the Great Britain, from ICYD (for debaters under 15) worldwide. to senior competitions run by universities in towns like Bristol, Cambridge, Durham and Oxford. For a full list, check our web pages at www.britishdebate.com/schools/othercompetitions.
The English-Speaking Union Centre for Speech and Debate Dartmouth House 37 Charles Street London W1J 5ED Telephone: 020 7529 1550 Fax: 020 7495 6108 Email: [email protected] Web: www.britishdebate.com (Debating) Dartmouth House in Mayfair, London: International HQ of the www.esu.org (General) English-Speaking Union Registered charity No. 273136