ELC 231 EVALUATIVE COMMENTARY

TITLE:

We Should Encourage Debate

PREPARED BY:

1. NIK NUR INTAN SYAZLEEN BINTI MOHD IDHAM SHAHRING

(2021463082)
2. NURUL ADIRA FAZIRA BINTI SALLEH (2021832634)

CLASS:

AS1203D

PREPARED FOR:
MISS FATIN SABRINA BINTI ABDUL SUKOR
 ELC 231 EVALUATIVE COMMENTARY OUTLINE TEMPLATE

Name 1. NIK NUR INTAN SYAZLEEN BINTI MOHD IDHAM SHAHRING

2.NURUL ADIRA FAZIRA BINTI SALLEH
Matric Number 1. 2021463082
2. 2021832634
Group AS1203D (PAIR 5)
Topic WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE DEBATE

Introduction

1. Overview of the Discussion on why debate should be encouraged and the

article: need to clarify whether debate is a part of our culture in
Malaysia.

2. Author’s tone and Formal tone. The purpose is to inform on the advantages of
purpose: encouraging debate.

Body 1

1. Main point 1: Established the skills of confronting verbal challenges in a

rational way.

2. Supporting Detail 1: Debate is well known among the teachers as a dialectical

conversation where it is a crucial part of the education
system. It increases self-assurance as well as the capability
of understanding and expressing different views on various
matters.

3. Evidence 1: -

Body 2

1. Main point 2: Debating is a form of beneficial educational tool for students

that are being used by teachers nowadays.

2. Supporting Detail 2: This way helps to enhance the usual method of teaching
where the teacher will be explaining the materials while the
students will either take a note down or refer to reference
books. Any subjects in the school can possibly be taught by
debating including history, geography, literature, physics,
 biology, or any other subjects. Through this way, the
students will have to begin by enough preparation and have
a detailed understanding on the certain debated topic.

3. Evidence 2: In the universities, other than formal debates on various

issues between students, it can be achieved through course
essays which help to motivate the students to view certain
subjects in diverse viewpoints as well as being used in
revisions.

Body 3

1. Main point 3: Confidence could be nurtured to be able to confront any

linguistic intellectual difficulties other than improving
dialectical skills.

2. Supporting Detail 3: Debate should be encouraged in both formal and informal

interactions as it helps to strengthen oral speaking abilities
and a sharp and attentive mind.

3. Evidence 3: -
(optional)

Body 4

1. Personal Opinion There are a lot of advantages in encouraging debate as part

of our culture.

2. Justification: Debate can enhance our soft skills and increase confidence
level in ourselves. Gain more knowledge about certain
topics because it is necessary for a person to have high
knowledge about general issues or topics in the community.

3. Justification: In our opinion, we do agree that debate is indeed should be

encouraged as part of our culture because there are many
positive outcomes that can be acquired.

Conclusion

1. Restatement of Debate is important in helping certain groups of people

personal view: especially youngsters and hopefully debate can be implied
in various types of aspects.

2. Final comments: We should work together to ensure debate can be part of our
community so that we can help the future generation to be
more confident in themselves.
References:

1. MOHAMED GHOUSE NASURUDDIN, P. E. D. D. (2022, October 31). We should

encourage debate. The Star.
https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2022/10/31/we-should-encourage-
debate#close
2. Bailey, L. (n.d.). The Benefits of Debate - Practical Homeschooling Magazine.
Homeschool World. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.home-
school.com/Articles/the-benefits-of-debate.php
EVALUATIVE COMMENTARY

The article discusses on why debate should be encouraged and the need to clarify
whether debate is a part of our culture in Malaysia. The author clarifies that there is a
need to make debate as part of the culture in a formal tone. The main purpose of this
article is to inform the readers about the advantages of encouraging debate and to
make it part of society.

First and foremost, debate is a way that can establish the skills of confronting verbal
challenges in a rational way. Debate is well known among the teachers as a dialectical
conversation where it is a crucial part of the education system. It increases self-
assurance as well as the capability of understanding and expressing different views
on various matters.

Next, debating is a form of beneficial educational tool for students that is being used
by teachers nowadays. This way helps to enhance the usual method of teaching where
the teacher will be explaining the materials while the students will either take a note
down or refer to reference books. Any subjects in the school can possibly be taught
by debating including history, geography, literature, physics, biology, or any other
subjects. Through this way, the students will have to begin by enough preparation and
have a detailed understanding on the certain debated topic. In the universities, other
than formal debates on various issues between students, it can be achieved through
course essays which help to motivate the students to view certain subjects in diverse
viewpoints as well as being used in revisions.

Moreover, confidence could be nurtured to be able to confront any linguistic

intellectual difficulties other than improving dialectical skills. Debate should be
encouraged in both formal and informal interactions as it helps to strengthen oral
speaking abilities and a sharp and attentive mind.
 As students, we agree with the author’s point of view where there are a lot of
advantages in encouraging debate as part of our culture. This is because we believe
that debate can enhance our soft skills and increase confidence level in ourselves. We
can gain more knowledge about certain topics because it is necessary for a person to
have high knowledge about general issues or topics in the community. Nevertheless,
this article must be improved such as providing more accurate evidence in terms of
facts and statistics to support the arguments. Therefore, in our opinion, we do agree
that debate is indeed should be encouraged as part of our culture because there are
many positive outcomes that can be acquired. By debating, youth can also express
their own opinions on certain issues in a suitable platform to develop our country where
it can stand together with other developed countries.

To sum up everything, the author provides excellent points in this article mostly for
readers who seek opinions on this particular issue. Debate is important in helping
certain groups of people especially youngsters and hopefully debate can be implied in
various types of aspects.
We should encourage debate
• LETTERS

• Monday, 31 Oct 2022

THERE is a need to clarify whether debate is a part of our culture in Malaysia

because there is a contention that debate in whatever context is not. That it is alien
to us.

But first, we need to define “debate”. The standard definition is that a debate is a
formal discourse on a particular topic or issues. Arguments for and against
viewpoints are put forward in various spatial context, such as public meetings,
corporate board rooms, Parliament and even in informal setups such as
coffeeshops. And most certainly in schools and other academic institutions.

(SD1) Teachers are well acquainted with the debate, which is a dialectical discourse
that is an integral part of the educative process. It builds confidence and the ability to
analyse and articulate opinions on various subject matters. At the same time, (MP1)
it develops the ability to counter verbal challenges logically.

Almost all secondary schools have debating teams that compete in interschool and
interstate debates.

And, of course, no university worth its salt would be without a debating team. There
are interfaculty debating competitions but intervarsity competition is the litmus test of
university-level debating prowess.

(MP2) Debating is an important teaching tool. It (SD2) augments the normal method
of teaching (where the teacher explains while students take notes and/or refer to text
books).

Any subject, be it history, geography, literature, physics, biology, anything really, can
be taught in the form of a debate.

It would require students to undertake through preparation and have an indepth

understanding of the topic to be debated. Debate combines research, presentation
and articulation as well as the ability to counter arguments.
(E2) Even in the universities, aside from the formal debates between groups of
students presenting their views on selected topics (one pro and the other con),
course essays could be done in the form of debates, which would encourage the
students to think of the subject from different perspectives. And, of course, debates
can be used in tutorials.

The debate is the primary form of discourse in the lower and upper houses of the
Legislature. Both these august houses debate Bills and all other matters of
governance. That is why it is imperative that there be a credible Opposition in the
Legislature to engage in debating issues by giving different views and offering a
check-and-balance to the views of the Executive.

A person aspiring to high political office should be amenable to debating challenges

as a way of showing the people his/her ability to articulate matters of governance
pertaining to the economy, finance, security, education and all other relevant areas.
He/She must show his/her breadth of knowledge to merit the high position of office.

In fact, all politicians should be required to be able to debate in a sane, decorous and
intellectual manner on issues in Parliament. But quality debate is seldom seen in our
august houses that some politicians turn into a verbal brothels.

However, those politicians who do not agree about the merits of debate should not
be defensive and negate debate as insignificant in our cultural and societal make-up.

(SD3) We should encourage debate at all levels of formal and informal discourse
because it develops elocution skills and a keen and alert mind, while (MP3) creating
confidence in facing verbal intellectual challenges besides developing dialectical
ability.

PROF EMERITUS DATUK DR MOHAMED GHOUSE NASURUDDIN

Centre for Policy Research and International Studies

Universiti Sains Malaysia

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TAGS / KEYWORDS:Letters , Opinion ,

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2022/10/31/we-should-encourage-debate#close