·To be able to practice improve our speaking skills and boost our confidence.
It would be very hard to be able to speak properly in a debate. The students get nervous in front of the audience. We stutter and forget what we want to say and most of the time we stick to our notes, if we would have any. Even the notes won't be very useful because we get so nervous and scared that it would be as if we don't know how to read anymore. Students are traumatized from this experience and they would be really glad that they won’t have to debate again.
·To be able to defend our views and what we believe in
In a debate, we usually don't get to choose what side we're on. It is decided for us with a coin toss. We don't really get the chance to defend our views. In debate, we just defend the side that was chosen for us. Another thing also that we don’t get to decide the topic to debate on, it might be something that we, as students have no concern for. It is useless to debate about something that we don’t care about. Like Paris Hilton’s career for example.
·To be able to listen to and respect other people's points of view
The purpose of debate is to beat your opponent by defending your side. You don't listen and agree to their views you find flaws in their arguments. You are trying to convince the audience that what you are saying is right and everything their saying doesn’t make sense. Debaters talk as if they are ready to kill anyone who would disagree. Debate is war not afternoon tea with your BFF.
·To be able to know both sides of the argument
In a debate, you get to defend one side of the argument. You only focus on that part. You only research and study about your side of the argument. You are supposed to think that your side is the only correct and acceptable side.
·To be able to present arguments and make important points
Students don't really bother to research about their topic. So during the debate, they wouldn't be able to make good arguments. They also get too nervous that they forget what they are supposed to say and they wouldn’t make sense anymore.
·To be able to develop critical thinking
We won't be able to develop critical thinking because we usually prepare our speeches. We prepare what we have to say before hand, and usually we get it from other sources like newspapers and the internet. We don't really get to think anymore because we just repeat what other people had already said before.
·To be able to gain knowledge about the different topics and issues presented in the debate
Again, students nowadays don't really bother to research about anything anymore. They might search on the internet but most of the sources are not reliable. Now, the word research means typing the keyword in Google and clicking on the first source found on the page. That way, students won't really be able to gain sufficient and proper knowledge about the topic.
