"Agree to disagree:)"
With aspiring undergraduates waiting to test their English speaking skills in an English as a Second Language (ESL) climate, what can be enacted and created to assist them in grooming themselves for career demands? What can indeed be the platform to groom undergraduates to use English in a way closest to real-life context, meeting the challenge of interview quality, as well as employability? On this note, please be rest-assured that almost everybody in the country can speak English, by now, and to be a cutting-edge graduate, you should be able to communicate with confidence, persuasion, and impressive language.
Recently, the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia(UPM) reported that “Proficiency in the English language is the second most important characteristic sought after by potential employers,” (the Star online, May 13, 2008) in a research which was conducted by UPM’s Alumni Centre involving more than 4000 recently graduated students. In fact, English competency forms an integral element in the success of the country’s National Higher Education Action Plan. So, mastering English is fundamental, and mastery entails the ability to use English in group discussions, group decision making, academic presentations, competetions, and ultimately - debate.
Yuppp:) We argue much with friends and foes, we quarrel and win the arguments with our siblings, we put together our so-called 'communicative competence' and emotional artilleries to win these challenges embedded with sarcasm, ad-hominems, and god knows what...Come to think of this oftentimes-gratifying experience, how much evidence and facts do we have to summon to win the 'battle of wits-and-whatsoever'? At the end of the day, you may discover that to argue is in fact to merely share ignorance... period!
Debate, on the other hand, is entirely different from a mere argument. To debate is to share your intelligence, deliberating on matters and issues at hand, supporting claims with facts, details and evidence beyond reasonable doubt. The fact that you'll be designated to opposing camps can be a blessing in disguise. Being well-read, you shall anticipate the opponents' points and prepare your rebuttals to bring down their claims. And what about you? Muster enough courage, collate all facts and figures pertinent to the motion and your stance, and convince the speaker that your proposal is superior. Hmmm...because it's a battle of intelligence, where brainpower and intellect collide, debates offer a much professional and ethical speaking avenue to evaluate matters.
Can everybody argue? Perhaps. Can any Tom, Dick, and Harry or Salleh, Ah Meng, and Kumari, debate? Yuppp:) Why not? Try it, for the sake of future employability, and pure exchange of insights and observation, and you shall feel the difference. Debate, and "make a difference."
So... if you are currently a debater, have debated, will be debating, etc., please drop us one line or two to share your thoughts and experience. Inspire others to be like you, doing what you do best, enjoy most - debates.
The avenue for debating at UNITEN is definitely by joining the English Debate Society or EDSoc. (from 17th August 2006). C U there.
Cheers, Zue
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14 comments:
Remember to establish the platform first because if you don't argue on the same issue you therefore do not have an argument...
Debating is a good way to argue and also to share knowledge and a great platform to build and enhanced self confidence. but to have the initial confidence to go up and speak up in the first place is the real challenge. =)
From my opinion, the art of debate should be nurtured to all walks of life regardless of age in Malaysia. Debate is crucial not only in cultivating one’s mind but it is also imperative for one outside the class room. People will have a propensity to narrow down their opinion in a more strategic way without any hassles. For instance, debating on the topic of petrol price hike could actually widen people’s knowledge to overcome the price hike in a smart way. Besides, debate also perks up ones proficiency and makes one evolve intellectually. Individuals will learn new words and sentence structures to sustain their arguments during debates. Statistics in The Sun (December 2006, page 45, World Section) had proved us that 76.22% students have actually improved their writing and speaking dexterities through debating in their respective schools. This evidence clearly shows that debates are important to every single human not only to express their thoughts but also to improve their competency level.
Debating is a excellent platform for people to gain and share knowledge because it is a place where people are tend to put aside their personal constraints and interact or specificly to be said debate their knowledge...=)
Debating is a excellent platform where hidden talent of speaking rae brought up hence improves ones self confidence.besides it also enable us to gain and share knowledge through debating..=p
hii,i love debates... i love debates as same as i love my family... for me, debates not just deliver our argument or explain some facts to support our platform but for debates, it's all about the team work.. how can we(as debaters)supports our team mate speak, where it might contradict to our stands...? collaborations in debates and the real job are crucial thing... i am grateful bcoz my x teammate are the best teammate ever i have...we work like a family... and dont your make a shame to your family infront of other family..
I've lots of experince in debate but it was in malay version! :p
But,i can see the concept,task,and skills which i think not much differ than the english debate...in debate,i can see the eager,passion and can say
the red hot environment sometimes in any debate competitions!debate can bring such a huge impact on our personality,the way we express our opinions and argue other's opinions.Art of debate is really beautiful!in debate we can see it
is not juat the way we express the motion,arguments,but it also involves strategy,logical thinking..and not much to say,if you are experts enough,you can stand in front of audience denying the facts that sugar is sweet! :P
In my opinion,arguing is waste of time and energy because no matter how much time you spent to argue with your opponent, he or she will still accept the fact that they are right in their ways.In the other hand, debating is a good practise.This is because both parties can attain or share knowledge by just debating.Futhermore, by just debating,we are able to improve our english skills. For instance, the word 'to wrap it up' and 'to round up'have both different meanings.'To wrap it out' is used to conclude a sentence at the last paragraph whereas 'to round it up' is used to summarize the entire article into a paragraph at the end of the article.
well as for me, debate is an excellent stage for you to shine and excel from others. This is because when you debating, you used critical thinking and test your spontaneous response against your opponent. this will develop you to be more matured and soft skill. in contrast with that, argue is actually a meaningless thing to do. its not wrong to argue but there is no facts or actual info you can get with arguing other than having a soretroath because of arguing. lastly debating is a good way to enhance your response skill and language skill which is the vital skill we should master in this new era. peace up!!
its true that if you dont set a platform then you have nothing to debate..debate is what we say sharing of ideas and intelligent but i do sometimes think that debate is just for someone to boast about his or her intelligence.In the end, its just a skill of arguing in politeness ^^
As for arguing...its not a good thing to do.Argue with your friends,family,other people is not good cause we might 'produce' enemy.Therefore avoid arguing if possible and be polite to everyone ^^
salam zue!!!
oh thats was so interesting....
i like to debate and argue eventhough im right or not....
this is the life debater right???
no matter im in a right or wrong side,we must argue to make sure that we could win the game...
in other and,we must argue to get some benefict to us..
if we just quiet and we will not get the right for us....
if we see,some of our debater are like to debate using thier hearth rather than mind....if we using our hearth definetely we will to emotinally and we will loose the game,if we mind,we can think professionally,and of course apply some of psychology tactic to trap them to our side....
its sound interesting right??
lets we try for it....
Greetings,
To me personally, there is not much difference between "debating" and "arguing", which is why a point in a debate is often reffered to as an "arguement".....
These two are equal in terms of they happen when there are two parties are at different ends to a certain issue.
An arguement on an intellectual level is often called a debate, although we could stilL say " This chap is always ARGUING about the benefits of a free trade with USA"....
Well, to me, an arguement which is done in a specified, more formal manner, has certain regulations to abide to is called a debate( how intelect an arguement needs to be called a debate, i am not sure myself as i have "debated" about a clown named Ronald McDonald...haha)
hi mam zue...me ramesh again...hw r u? fisrtly mam...i reli lik debating and argue...debating is good way 2 argue and aso share knowledge...i aso hv done some debating but i do 4 tamil oni...i aso fil lik wan 2 experience debating wif english.... debating is reli nice wen the topik is current issue...my experience in debating is...abt the useful of handphone 4 students..so v debate tat it is nt necessary 2 students...so v reli enjoy it..bcz v share alot of thing abt handphones...frm tat i reli c the consequences of useful hanphone 4 students...itz reli spoil the future of students..bcz if they gt the handphone..then they gt aloot fren..then they use handphone frequently than books...itz reli spoil thier studies...tats my experience...we express the motion,arguments,but it also involves strategy,logical thinking....debating aso cn improve our language skill...so i hope tis year mam zue wil conduct a debating competition...in uniten level...thx mam zue...bye...tc..
A weapon with two blades would be a good example of how technology is used nowadays.
I’m not referring to the technology of mass destruction weapons; I’m simply referring to the technologies we use on a daily basis, such as the Car, Internet, Cellphones…
If you notice, even though Cars and Planes have cut down days and months of traveling, it didn’t cut down the fact that we humans are always on a rush of our selves, even though we can go to anywhere on the planet in a matter of hours of comfortable travelling with a plane, we are still running of time when it comes to our errands and showing up early on a meeting!
Communication between us is also suffering even now, when you check your cellphone names, probably only a few of them you do call and most probably are friends, but when it comes to the people who relate to you by blood, in most cases, people even avoid their calls.
But man can’t separate himself from technology, not anymore, when someone finds all the luxurious attractive techs, it’s almost impossible to bring a spoiled man to become a “classic” man.
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