You will be given a debate topic – this is called a “resolution." Your team must take a stance either affirmative or negative to the resolution. Sometimes you will be given the stance, and sometimes you will be asked to take a position.

Because you may be asked to work on either side, in addition to preparing one speech, you must spend time thoroughly understanding all aspects of the resolution in order to write a second speech.

If you create a basic outline of the speech, your writing organization will probably be better when you actually sit down to write the speech in full. It’s a good idea to memorize the ultimate speech or just rely on the outline as notes when giving it.

You want to back up the key arguments you are using to justify your position. Back every single one of your key points up with examples, statistics and other pieces of evidence. Flesh them out.

Ancient philosophers studied the art of persuasion, and understanding their techniques will help your debate speech.

At the end, you should reiterate your overall stance on the topic to reinforce your position. It’s a good idea to conclude with your intention to do something and with a strong appeal for action as well.

An advanced speaker carefully hones his or her delivery. The speaker understands the power of carefully timed rhetorical pauses and pays careful attention to the desired tone (firm, moderate, etc.)