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Reply speeches
What are reply speeches?
Reply speeches follow the third speeches.
They are usually half as long as substantive speeches and aregiven by either the first or second speaker of the team.
Reply speeches happen in reverse order — the Oppositionreply, then the Proposition.
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Reply speeches
The aim of a reply speech
The aim of a reply speech is to provide each team a chance toconsolidate and review the debate in the most favourable lightpossible.
You can show how and why your team won by critically‘adjudicating’ the main arguments of the debate from yourperspective.
The role of a reply is not to ‘re-argue’ points that have alreadybeen presented; instead, a reply speech should be used toexplain how and why your team has already won the keyissues in the debate.
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Reply speeches
The structure of a reply speech
There is no set structure for a reply speech — the structurethat you choose will be marked on its effectiveness.
However, as a guide, the following structure may be useful:Start by clearly identifying the issue(s) of the debate.One simple approach is to spend about half of your timediscussing your opposition’s case, and the other halfdiscussing yours.A more sophisticated approach is to show how the casesinteracted on an issue-by-issue basis.
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Reply speeches
Choosing the issues
Deciding what issues ought to be covered in the reply speechis similar to the role of the Third Speaker.
Generally, the reply speaker will have similar issues to the thirdspeaker; however, the reply speech should not just be a‘rehash’ of the third speech.
As a reply speaker, you should focus your efforts on issues inthe debate you think are contentious — not just on the issuesyou are confident your team has won.
Look for specific reasons why your opposition has lost theargument (though you should not actually use the words “ouropposition has lost because...”).
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Reply speeches
Interaction between reply speeches and thirdspeeches
If there is a reply speech in the debate, the third speaker nolonger needs to summarise the team’s case — it is sufficientfor a third speaker simply to summarise his or her ownrebuttal.
This is because the reply speech should include a strongsummary of the team case.
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Reply speeches
Style for reply speeches
We have already considered how style must match thecontext of the moment. Style for a reply speech must similarlymatch the aim of the reply speech. . . .
Style in a reply speech should be more analytical ratherthan confrontational.Usually, a decrease in speed and volume areappropriate.As a reply speaker, you should try not to appear flustered.A reply speaker should try to contrast the style of his orher third speaker.
www.learndebating.com REPLY SPEECHES
Reply speeches
REPLY SPEECHES
Slides by Andrew Quinn and Simon Quinn. Artwork by Armand Homsi for the Arabic translation, ‘The Complete Guide to the Art of Debate’, published by QatarDebate.
www.learndebating.com REPLY SPEECHES
