Wonderful debating
I was recently in the audience for a debating competition at SKH Chan Young Secondary School. It was the first time I had seen a live debate in English.
The topic, or 'motion', was 'The adoption of Chinese children domestically'. There were affirmative speakers, who supported the motion, and negative speakers who opposed it. Both sides had prepared lots of information and some notes jotted on cue cards.
The speakers communicated their views with perfect pronunciation, varying the stress and intonation as needed. I found it very useful to see how they combined speaking with body language to make a point.
After the competition, I talked to some of the participants.
At first, I was shy. But they asked me some questions, and we exchanged e-mail addresses. It was a truly wonderful afternoon.
Angela Liu, HKTA Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School
From the Editor
Thanks for your letter, Angela. Folks who do debating are really clever. They're good speakers and have to be able to think up good arguments to prove their point, even if they don't agree with it. The act of debating certainly boosts confidence, and research and writing skills.
In future, Young Post will be covering the Nesta-SCMP English debates among Hong Kong schools. Those of you who miss the live debate will be able to follow the main points on our website podcast. We'll also have coaches' tips to give your debating skills a boost.
Susan, Editor
