glossary for english debate

8/13/2019 Glossary for English Debate

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Glossary for English Debate

1. AFFIRMATIVE SIDE. The speaker or team undertakes to secure audience acceptance of

the debate proposition.

2. ANALOGY. A type of argument which asserts that if the facts relating to A and the facts

relating to B are alike in certain known respects, they will be alike in another respect.

3. ANALYSIS.The process of thinking through a subject and discoering the issues!

systematic in"uiry.

#. ARGMENT. An assertion which implies the result of reasoning or proof.

$. ASSERTION. An unsupported statement.

%. !RIEF. A carefully prepared, complete outline of one side in a debate, including the

eidence to support each point.

&. !RDEN OF "OMMNI"ATION. The obligation of each debate to speak at a tone and

rate which enables an audience to follow and to respond.'. !RDEN OF #ROOF. The obligation of debaters to support each of their assertions with

some sort of proof.

(. !RDEN OF RE!TTAL. The obligation of debaters to adance the debate by responding

to the arguments of the opponents. )ometimes called burden of rejoinder.

1*. "ASE. All the assembled proof aailable for determining the truth of the proposition +for the

affirmatie or the untruth of the proposition +for the negatie. The brief deeloped in full

with analysis, reasoning, and eidence.

11."ASE

. A type of argument which asserts that if fact A occurs, fact B will necessarily

follow it.

12. "EDA. )ee -ross /amination 0ebate Association.

13. "LAIM. The third part of Toulmins system for argument analysis which is the conclusion.

1#. "LAS$. The direct opposition between the affirmatie and the negatie cases which is

created by narrowing the controersy to its essential issues.

1$. "ONSTR"TIVE S#EE"$. The main speech in a debate for each speaker in which all

issues to be considered in the debate are presented.

1%. "ONTENTION. An argumentatie statement which forms a main heading in the

constructie outline and which is in turn supported by arguments and eidence.

1&. "ONTER#RO#OSAL. n policy debates, it is a negatie strategy which accepts the need

issue, but offers an alternatie solution.

1'. "ONTER%ARRANT. n alueoriented debate, it is a negatie strategy which argues for

the acceptance of an alternatie alue structure from that called for by the resolution.

1(. "RITI"ISM. -omments proided by a judge or instructor with the intent of e/plaining an

ealuation and indicating areas in need of improement.

2*. "ROSS E&AMINATION. The process of asking "uestions of opposing speakers in debate.

21. "ROSS E&AMINATION DE!ATE ASSO"IATION '"EDA(. A national organi4ation

with the purpose of promoting educational debate and dedicated to teaching the principles of

persuasie and communicatie argumentation. -0A selects debate propositions, usually

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alueoriented, for debate at approed tournaments and compiles rankings of schools on the

basis of performance at those tournaments.

22. DATA. The first part of the Toulmin system for analy4ing argument which consists of bits of

information or eidence such as statistics, "uotations, or statements.

23. DE!ATE. 5ormal oral controersy consisting of the systematic presentation of opposing

arguments on a selected topic.

2#. DELIVERY. The communication of ideas to an audience through erbal and nonerbal

means.

2$. DIRE"T )ESTIONS. 6ery specific and focused crosse/amination "uestions.

2%. ET$OS. Aristotles term for the perceied character of the speaker, credibility.

2&. EVIDEN"E. 7atters of fact or opinion offered as support or proof for assertions adanced

in the debate.

2'. E&AM#LE. A type of argument which asserts a generali4ation based on the "ualities of a

specific instance or instances.2(. FALLA"Y. Any defect in reasoning which destroys its alidity.

3*. FLO% "$ART. A tool used for taking notes during a debate which enables the debater or

listener to keep track of the deelopment of an argument throughout successie speeches. t

represents the flow of argument in the debate.

31. FORENSI"S. )peaking for judgment, often used to designate competitie interscholastic

speech actiities, such as debate. n this conte/t, forensics is an educational actiity primarily

concerned with using an argumentatie perspectie in e/amining problems and

communicating with people.

32. $IERAR"$Y. A system used to establish superior and inferior relationships between items.

n alueoriented debate, a hierarchy indicates which alue is held in higher regard than

another.

33. ISSE. A conclusion which must be proed in order to establish that the proposition should

be adopted! it appears in the debate as a key assertion.

3#. *DGE. The person who ealuates a debate.

3$. LEADING )ESTIONS. -rosse/amination "uestions which establish a se"uence or

pattern, eentually building a logical conclusion.

3%. LIN"OLN+DOGLAS DE!ATE. 8ne person ersus one person debate format in the

tradition of the historical debates between Abraham 9incoln and )tephen 0ouglas.

3&. NATIONAL DE!ATE TORNAMENT 'NDT(. A term used as a shorthand reference to

designate policy proposition debate and the style of presentation associated with it.

3'. NEED ISSE. n policycentered debate, it is an assertion by the affirmatie side that there

is need for a substantial change in the status "uo.

3(. NEGATIVE SIDE. The speaker or team which undertakes to preent the affirmatie side

from securing acceptance of the debate proposition.

#*. O!SERVATION. A preliminary remark which usually lays out a basic assumption or

conte/t before the presentation of contentions in a debate case.

#1. O#EN )ESTIONS. -rosse/amination "uestions which are ery general in nature,

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allowing the respondent to gie general responses.

#2. OTLINE. A carefully prepared structural pattern for a speech or case which clarifies the

relationship of ideas in the message by placing information in a reasoned se"uence and by

indicating the coordinate and subordinate relationship of ideas.

#3. #RIMA FA"IE "ASE. A case which establishes such a high degree of probability that the

proposition would be accepted unless the case is refuted. t is usually established in the first

affirmatie constructie speech.

##. #RO!E )ESTIONS. -rosse/amination "uestions which re"uire the respondent to

defend or justify their reasons or use of data.

#$. #ROOF. )upport for an idea or argument which the speaker offers in order to create belief in

an audience. n debate, it consists of eidence and reasoning which is offered to the audience.

#%. #RO#OSITION. A judgment e/pressed in a declaratie statement. n debate, it appears as

an affirmatie statement of the "uestion to be resoled.

#&. #RO#OSITION OF FA"T. A proposition which asserts that a fact is true or that an eenttook place,

#'. #RO#OSITION OF #OLI"Y. A proposition which declares that a certain future action

should be taken.

#(. #RO#OSITION OF VALE. A proposition which does not call for a future action, but

makes an ealuation or judgment.

$*. )OTE. A erb meaning to use words, sentences, or material from sources other than your

own.

$1. REASONING. The process of drawing inferences and conclusions from aailable

information or data. n debate, it is the process of inferring relationships between eidence

and assertions.

$2. RE!TTAL. The process of defending arguments against attack. n debate, it is an

additional speech allowed each speaker, following the constructie speeches, in which a

speaker may attack the opponents arguments in addition to defense, but may not introduce

any new constructie arguments.

$3. REFTATION. The attempt to demonstrate the error or inade"uacy of the opponents case.

$#. RESEAR"$. The process of finding information and material to support ideas or

arguments. t is most effectie when conducted as the result of a carefully focused approach.

$$. RESOLTION. :sed the same as proposition.

$%. SIGN. A type of argument which asserts that the e/istence of fact A reliably indicates the

e/istence of fact B.

$&. STATS )O. 9iterally, ;the state in which a thing is.< n debate, it refers to the situation in

e/istence as the debate begins.

$'. STO", ISSE. A basic issue in any debate which determines if the debate is actually

concerned with the area stated by the proposition.

$(. TO#I"ALITY ISSE. A basic issue in any debate which determines if the debate is

actually concerned with the area stated by the proposition.

%*. TORNAMENT. The competitie gathering of speakers for arious eents, such as debate.

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%1. VALE. A general statement of principles upon which one bases actions and beliefs.

%2. %ARRANT. The reasoning process by which we look at one bit of information +data and

decide what it means +claim.

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glossary for english debate

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