Abstract:English debate, whose popularity is making leaps worldwide, is now shouldering more than a simple concept of language learning tool. The more people get involved in it, the more they will benefit. Besides a good way of practicing oral English, it is an excellent way to improve communication skills, public speaking skills, critical thinking, and reasoning. The first part of this paper gives a basic introduction to debate including its origin, its functions and different forms of debate in which British Parliamentary Debate style is particularly recommended. The second part focuses on the British Parliamentary style and discusses the general rules, roles people take, debating terms, and wrong practices that are to be avoided in BP style debate. In the third part, ways to practice and improve debate skills are introduced. The next part adopts examples of two debate participants to demonstrate the practical benefits of BP debate in logic thinking, critical reasoning, language study and self-improvement from all perspectives. This paper can be applied to debate instruction and a promotion of debate, aiming to attract more people to step into the world of debate.
Key Words: debate, British Parliamentary debate, critical thinking
摘要:英语辩论正日益盛行，并且逐渐改变人们对英语辩论的看法：其不仅仅是语言学习工具，并且是培养沟通技巧，公众演说能力，增强理性思维和批判性思维的绝佳方式。在论文的第一部分，简要介绍了辩论的来源，功能以及辩论的种类，尤其推荐了英国议会制辩论。第二部分则重点介绍了英国议会制辩论的形式，基本规则，辩手职责，辩论中的术语以及辩论中应该避免的问题。在第三部分作者介绍了辩论该如何准备，如何做好辩论发言等。第四部分引进两个实例证明英国议会制辩论于逻辑思考，推理，语言学习和自我全方位提升的益处。本文可作为辩论入门指导，亦为辩论推广之用。
关键词：辩论，英国议会制辩论，批判性思维
The year 2010 has witnessed the spread of British Parliamentary debate in China after the largest national English debating competition held by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press adopted BP style form, which is also the official style of the World Universalities Debating Championships. British Parliamentary debate enables eight people, four teams to participate in a debate, getting more people than other forms of debate involved in the practice, and making debate more entertaining and exciting. British Parliamentary debate has been fascinating more people and through which, English learners not only advance rapidly in language learning, but also gain skills of communication, reasoning, and public speaking. This paper gives a brief introduction of British Parliamentary debate, including its origin, structure, ways to practice and improve, and its benefits exemplified by two subjects studied.
People are easy to fear of new things. Debate to English learners is quite new. However, as soon as people get close to debate, they would find it different. Debate will change one’s mind, view of life and the world, and the way people treat language as well. It practices the ability to think, to reason, to express and to persuade. Debate makes one excellent in acquiring the universal language English, and in thinking profoundly, independently and world widely.
