Benefits of Debate
Higher Test scores:
A 2004 study by the Soros Foundation found that over the course of just one school year, students on debate teams improved their reading comprehension scores by 25% more than non-debate students.
Critical Thinking
Debate involves a give and take of ideas that requires a critical perspective and an ability to think on one’s feet. Students justify their arguments and explain why one issue is more important than another. To refute an opponent’s argument, the student must be able to identify problems with its logic, faulty assumptions or unacceptable implications of the argument.
Public Speaking
Debate is a communication activity where students speak weekly in front of their peers. Students learn how to persuade judges through effective speech techniques as rhetoric, inflection and hand gestures. Students also naturally gain confidence as they spend more time speaking in front of their peers and others.
Writing Ability
In constructing cases to support their positions, students learn effective writing skills. These skills are widely transferable, whether they are writing a term paper, college admissions essay, or business plan. Students learn how to logically structure an essay, support a thesis with specific arguments and informative evidence, and use rhetorical devices and examples to appeal to a reader.
Research Skills
To effectively argue for a position, students must be exceedingly knowledgeable of the subject area. This requires students to research the issue in depth from both a practical and theoretical perspective. Students become familiar with search engines such as JSTOR and Lexis-Nexis. Students learn to question the legitimacy of research methods, identify biases in authorial opinion, and understand the structure of arguments presented in text.
Breadth of Knowledge
Students amass a plethora of knowledge of contemporary social issues, philosophical theories and both current and historical events through debate. Past debate topics have included globalization vs. national sovereignty, economic development vs. environmental protection, truth seeking vs. privileged communications in the U.S. judicial system, national security vs. civil liberties, and many other important topics.
Peer Connections
Through debate, students form bonds with others who are commonly interested in academic and social issues to act as a positive counterbalance to negative pressures. As an interscholastic activity, students have the opportunity to compete and interact with students from other schools to expand their social network, fostering friendships that often last for many years.
College Admissions
College admissions officers value participation in extracurricular debate because it teaches students the many academic values described above, preparing students for success in college. A 1999 Wall Street Journal study found that being captain of the debate team increases a student’s likelihood of being accepted at a college by over 60%.
Preparation for Business
The many skills taught by debate provide ideal training for the business environment. The use of strategy and ability to take varying perspectives on issues prepares students to take on leadership roles in business.
Preparation for Law
The U.S. adversarial system of justice is fundamentally premised on the notion of debate. Debate fosters the skills necessary to succeed in the law: critical thinking, persuasive speaking, research ability and effective writing. President of New York University and former dean of NYU Law School, John Sexton, agreed, “I think there is no better preparation for law school and a career in the law than competitive debate and I think that the advocacy involved at the highest level [of both debate and the law] is almost completely congruent. In fact, I think that in some ways debate is a superior training to what’s offered in some law schools.”
Civic Engagement
The substantial knowledge of social issues and prioritization of values of justice, individual rights and democracy foster a sense of civic engagement and the importance of seeking social justice. Researching, discussing and arguing for both sides of an issue helps students develop informed opinions on the issue. But more so, after investing so much time to understanding issues and learning about the importance of different actions relating to the issues, debaters are more likely to take personal actions to better their community.