Unfortunately, It is common to meet people who do not know how to debate; that are altered or enraged by listening to contrary opinions, that misrepresent the arguments of the interlocutor or that are not able to keep a turn with the use of the word.
The debate is a communication technique that we use continuously, and that consists of facing positions related to a certain subject. It is important that children learn since they are young to debate with respect and tolerance. There are many schools that practice this technique as part of their activities in the classroom, but parents can also teach them to discuss putting these simple tips into practice.
1) Know what is being said
One of the first rules when discussing is to do it with knowledge, that is to say know what is being talked about. Therefore, when our children are unaware of any subject but show interest in it, we must encourage them to seek information or ask questions, so that they can forge an opinion on this and express their point of view.
2) Capture the attention of the public
Capturing the attention of the listener is another of the fundamental rules for debate. For it, we must use a moderate and pleasant toneDo not shout but do not use a monotonous voice that can bore the caller and not catch their attention.
It is also important take care of nonverbal communication when transmitting: look into the eyes of the person or people with whom we are talking, maintain a positive and enthusiastic attitude and be natural with gestures and movements.
In general, children tend to be quite natural with this last point, but as they grow, and especially if they have never made exhibitions in public, naturalness and spontaneity when speaking in front of a group can be lost. Therefore, it is worth strengthening the key points of nonverbal communication before starting a debate.
3) Wait turn to talk
Respecting the turn of others is another of the golden rules when discussing. We do not like to be stepped on or cut when we are speaking, so it is essential to instill that respect from childhood.
But it's not just about waiting patiently for the other person to finish talking, but about listen carefully to what you are exposing and understand their arguments, in order to refute or ask the pertinent questions when our turn comes again.
4) Be concise and brief
Before debating, we must teach our son to make a brief mental outline of the ideas he would like to present and how to do it so that His presentation is clear, brief and concise.
In addition, we can teach you to exemplify to make the idea you want to present more quickly and closer to the audience. Likewise, it is essential that children understand the importance of be original in your presentation and do not repeat the same arguments every time they have the floor.
5) Maintain control of emotions
In a debate we will hear many positions, some of which will be totally contrary to our way of thinking. Therefore, we must teach our children to respect the opinion of others, no matter how different from theirs, not to disqualify it, maintain control of emotions and not be disturbed when it comes to refuting it.
In addition, it is essential that children know how to differentiate the opinion of the person who manifests it. Because you can be against an idea, but never lash out personally against whoever transmits it. All people deserve respect, regardless of whether we like your ideas more or less.
How to practice the debate at home?
If we are in our family educating our children in freedom and democracy, we will be practicing the debate almost daily and without realizing it.
Because at the moment when the decisions of a family are taken between all the members, encouraging the critical thinking of our children and listening to their opinions and valuing themWe will not only be strengthening your self-esteem, but we will also be putting into practice many of the points outlined above.
In any case, and regardless of this type of family and everyday situations we may have, it is worth practicing, through play, how to debate with respect and tolerance:
Let's make with them a mock debate, choosing a topic that is of interest to them and about which they know and have an opinion about it.
Let's place special emphasis on the respect for shifts when talking and in not monopolizing the conversation. If they are very small we must have patience when they speak, not cut them, or finish the sentences for them.
When it comes to older children who already have verbal fluency, we can incorporate a stopwatch as a game to mark the exposure times of the people participating in the debate. Little by little, the clock will help them to be concise and to specify in their exhibition.
- If we give them freedom of thought, we listen actively and value their opinions, our children will learn by example to do the same with others.
Likewise, it is also important that we make them see that if they disagree with an exposed opinion they should express it without fear, with respect and making sure that they are heard.
And finally, we can practice with them public speaking techniques through play: stage a play, sing, tell stories using different voices, teach them tongue twisters or rhymes ... In addition to having fun, all these games will help you exercise your mind, gain greater verbal fluency and vocabulary, improve your intonation and pronunciation.
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