EXERCISES GUIDELINES AND EXAMPLES, prepared by Alfred C. Snider

Guidelines:

• Short speeches. This allows time for feedback and repeats.

• Feedback. Give it during and after any action by them. You might also appoint other students to give feedback as well. Mix positive and negative feedback.

• Have students do something over again after they receive feedback if you have time.

• Use the motions supplied. This will help them prep for practice debates and the tournament. Or, use motions you think of.

• Watch for differently abled students. Give them easier motions, encourage them more, etc.

• Try and make it fun.

• Watch time carefully to make sure all students get the same chances.

SPECIFIC EXERCISES

SPEAKING

GOALS:

Get over the nervousness of initial speaking.

Discover students that have serious speech anxiety problems.

Discover students with serious difficulties with English.

Identify significant problems and work on them.

PROCEDURES:

Explain how important public speaking skills are.

Explain how we all need to improve them.

Explain that this will be a safe environment for learning.

ROUND ONE: Students give one-minute speeches

Give all students a topic, something safe:

• Favorite pet animal

• Favorite vacation spot

• Best friend

• Least favorite media figure

• Worst movie ever seen

• “I wish my parents would….”

• “I wish my school would…”

• Favorite subject in school

• Favorite sport

• Gadget they most want

After each speech tell them two things they did well and one thing they need to improve on in their next speech.

ROUND TWO: Students speak on a motion for two minutes

Put students in pairs. Then give each pair a motion, making one student prop and one opp.

Give them 5 minutes to prepare one major argument for their side. Tell them to remember what they need to work on from their previous speech.

Have them give their two minute speeches, have the other side take notes.

Give them feedback, be positive, but notice whether they improved on their previous challenge.

Have their partner also make comments.

Each pair gives their speeches.

MOTIONS ANALYSES

Give each student a motion from the list.

Then give them five minutes to think of what type of motion it is and what they will have to do to prop it (definition, value, model).

Then go to each student in turn and have him or her say what kind of motion it is and what they would do.

Makesuggestions and comments, and allow other students to do the same.

When they finish give them another motion and do the same.

Make sure all get to do this at least once.

ARGUMENTATION

The lecture talked about three types of arguments:

Induction: from specific to a general conclusion

Deduction: from a general idea to a specific conclusion

Causation: one thing leads to or causes another

Give each person an argument.

Then go back to the first person, and ask them what kind of argument it is and hat is wrong with it.

Move along. When all have done an argument, give them some more.

You can either do the arguments as a group (very easy) or mix them up.

ARGUMENT SAMPLES

INDUCTION

• Mary Smith is tall; Jack Smith is tall; Frank Smith is tall. The Smith family must be a tall family.

• Member of Parliament Schmidt is better known than Member of Parliament Klink. The other day I stood in the shopping mall with pictures of each. Twice as many were able to identify Schmidt as Professor.

• Slovenia certainly is a non-polluted country. I drove through it on the motorway my way to Vienna and I didn't see a single example of pollution.

• Pollution of rivers is a serious problem in Europe. Studies reveal that the Rhine, the Danube, the Orinoco, and the Seine are very polluted.

• The percentage of native-born Londoners who live in London must be small. Last weekend I did a survey in front of Buckingham Palace and only about 45% of the people were native to London.

• Slovenia must be a very pro-democratic country. At the debate camp all the Slovenes I met were very pro0democratic.

DEDUCTION