This course is an Honours Class and therefore only available for students of an honours college
Enrolling in this course is possible until the 15th of November, using the link at ‘registration’ during this period.
Description
How can you defend your standpoint in a discussion convincingly? How can you give an effective presentation? And how can you critically inquire the standpoints of others about, for instance, policy issues? In this course we will focus on both the theory and practice of debate and public speech.
In this course we will focus on both the theory and application of debate and public speech. In the theoretical part of the course, we will discuss a set of systematic strategies which will increase your abilities to present your opinions in a convincing way, as well as your abilities to find relevant arguments to support and defend them.
In the practical part of the course these theoretical insights will be put into practice. You will improve your own skills in debating and public speech. In addition, we will analyze several (political) debates and debating strategies used in these debates and we will address the question to what extent an ‘effective presentation’ is cultural dependent.
Programme
This is an interactive course: classroom discussion will be an essential part of it. Students are expected to upload discussion points about the assigned literature before every lesson (specific deadlines will be announced on blackboard). Theoretical matters will be discussed on the basis of these questions. In addition to this, the theory will be put into practice by training skills in debating and presenting. Students are expected to give brief presentations during the lessons, and to work both individually and in small groups.
There are two classes per week. The topics are as follows:
Week 1: Getting acquainted with the practice of debate / Stating and analysing a controversy
Week 2: Building a case: stock issues and debating strategies
Week 3: Use of evidence; refutation
Week 4: Practising debate and public speech
Week 5: Strategic use of anecdotes, exemplars and statistics
Week 6: Framing; cultural differences; subliminal messaging
Week 7: Practising debate and public speech
Week 8: Reading session / final exam
Period
Tuesdays and Fridays: 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 April, 3, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27 May, 3 June
Tuesdays 15:00 – 16:50 hrs, Fridays 13:00 – 14:50 hrs.
Location
Leiden University College (LUC), Anna van Buerenplein 301, The Hague (next to The Hague CS)
Assessment method
In-class participation (10%), debating & presentation (30%), take-home examen (1500 words) (30%), final written exam (30%)
Maximum number of students
10 (& 10 from LUC)
Registration
Enrolling in this course is possible until 15 November via this link .