I am afraid to debate in public.. Can anyone offer some advice on public speaking and debating.?

Answer 1

There is nothing to be afraid of. People can't eat you alive. Just remind yourself that they are there to hear what you have to say and you are the only one who knows your material. They need you to teach them, to guide them, to educate them. That's really what it's about. If you don't tell them they will never know.

Do your research and be sure you know the material. Practice beforehand. Go to the venue early and make sure everything you need is there. Make sure the projector and the computer and sound system all work. Eliminate as many surprises as you can. Make sure you have some water handy. And add a little humor if you can. Once you make a room full of people laugh it will boost your self confidence incredibly and you will have them wrapped around your little finger.
Finally, when all else fails, imagine them all sitting there in their underwear. Works every time! Remember, they can't eat you! How bad could it be beyond that? Go get em!

Answer 2

Well, just remember that EVERYONE is a little bit wigged out by public speaking. I assume, since your question is categorized as Higher Education, that you have to do the public speaking for a class? Well, if that's the case, just remember that everyone else in the class is feeling the exact same way you are, and no one cares in the SLIGHTEST how you do. They're not going to judge you or heckle you. They're going to sit there in their seats, doodling or daydreaming.

Now, advice on public speaking and debating? Well, the best advice I can give is to be prepared! If you're assigned a speech/debate, that same night go on the Internet and research, research, research. Write your speech as early as possible and practice, practice, practice! You'll feel a little dorky talking to a mirror, but if you go into class and have a well put-together speech, make eye contact while speaking, and aren't reading off your paper, you'll honestly captivate your classmates. They'll be impressed!

Also, don't take just a piece of paper up there with you that has your speech word for word. You should know your speech well enough to only need one index card of helpful hints, in case you get a little stuck. (This is where the practice comes in handy. Note where you get a little stuck while practicing, and put those key points on your notecard.)

Just try to relax about it, but take the class seriously. If your career involves any public speaking, and you really tried in this course, you'll thank yourself later. Public speaking is one of those things that once you feel comfortable with it, there's no problem. It's not a big deal to go up in front of a couple kids and talk about something you were assigned. It's exactly the same as writing a paper for your professor and having someone proof-read it for you, except out-loud. Right?

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Practice is the only way to become good at anything. Start small, in groups you are comfortable with. Join the debate team. Watch people who are speakers and emulate them. And don't be discouraged if you "bomb" a few times. I do public speaking and due to illness the last 2 years I am out of practice but I still get up there and speak, and I am rusty but it won't be long before I have my "sea legs" again. Good luck.

Almost forgot. Preparation is vital. Do your outline and then practice what you will say. Run it over in your head several times, gives you different directions to take if you are not reaching your audience. Stand in front of the mirror and rehearse and time yourself with a clock or stopwatch. The stopwatch is best and a tool they use in debate teams. Peace.

Answer 4

The most important thing is to have a clear structure to your speech. When I debated I always based my arguments around three key points. I would leave a minute before I began for rebuttal of the previous speaker and a minute at the end to summarise.

When it comes to taking points of information be sure only to take them when you feel confident and your argument is strong. If your speech is running into trouble it's very tempting to begin taking points in an attempt to bring in some new material - DON'T! You'll just get flustered. Take points when you feel like it, not when your opponents do.

When given a topic you don't know much about approach the problem logically - think about who would be affected and base your speech around different groups of people.

For preparation you should read current affairs magazines - I recommend 'The Economist'.

Most important of all - practice, it's only by practicing that you'll develop your own style and confidence. Remember, people might seem aggressive, but there's nothing personal about it.

Good luck, and enjoy yourself.

Answer 5

Start with a humorous line to win your audience over ... a clean joke related somewhat to the subject matter.

Remember that they are just people like you, and maybe would like to know something they had not heard before.

It may help to make eye-contact with a person here and there, as if you are speaking with just one person.

In any case, you can't please everyone, but you can be interesting and thoughtful.

Leave plenty of time for questions and comments. It's best to be short, to the point, yet clear, so you might arrange your talk in advance based on a question and answer format, leaving out the questions.

Answer 6

when debating ensure you know your topic and that you have all of your references written down. This will give you some confidence in speaking.

Keep your speech to the point and get on and get off as quickly as you can.

Look around the room, hall, audtiorium and allow your eyes to settle on various points around the room for a moment or two before allowing your eyes to wander again.

Speak in a looud and clear voice. Practice saying what you have to say so that you have pronunciation figured out before you have to speak in public.

for those afraid of speaking in public debating is the perfect form of public speaking.. there are specific rules, learn them... there are specific reasons for being there... know them... and there is a specific length of time you need to speak for .. stick to it...

Learn the rules and follow them.

Answer 7

Yes, preparation. You need to be knowledgeable about your position as well as your opponents position. Anticipate any and all possible points your opponent will make and be ready with a solid counterpoint. Have a thorough outline on hand to guide you if and when you lose your train of thought. Take deep breaths. Don't chew gum or drink coffee. Practice, practice, practice! In the mirror and with friends or family. Practice until you know it forwards, backwards, and upside-down. Most importantly, relax and have fun. Good luck!

Answer 8

Good question. I would say that if you know your topic well like the back of your hand you should have no problem. No problem at all. I get nervous before I speak publicly too. And you should be nervous. It means you care about what you are speaking about and you want to do well. But knowledge of your topic bulids confidence. Also, the more often you speak the easier it gets. Believe me.

Answer 9

Go to the website I've posted. Dale Carnegie has offices all over the US offering course in pulic speaking (I know this cause I used to work in an office right next to a Carnegie office). I even thought about taking the courses, but never got around to it. Good Luck!!!

Answer 10

I'm not exactly a master-debater, (sorry I couldn't resist) but I think it's most important to have confidence and one of the most effective ways to do that is to research as much as possible and know the subject matter. That's just my opinion, but here's a link that could help hopefully.