Give engaging speeches and win arguments!

Created in collaboration with Erasmus Debating Society, Debate & Persuasive Speaking helps you to find YOUR voice. Through engaging debating exercises, you will learn how to present a subject on short notice, quickly recognize and counter arguments, and speak with confidence and purpose.

Week 1: Confidence and basic speaking exercises

You'll meet your instructor and establish a comfortable group. This session is all about getting used to being on stage and being aware of your speech and mannerisms.

Week 2: Basics of debating

In this session, you will learn the key parts of a speech (SAIL), the basics of rhetorics (ethos, pathos, logos) and how to understand your audience.

Week 3: Structuring your speech + Analysis

There is no argument without structure. We will focus on making your speech structurally sound. You'll also learn how to analyze a given topic.

Week 4: Argumentation and Fallacies

Ready to create a convincing argument? You will learn the basic fallacies and how to avoid them, as well as what is and is not important to argue.

Week 5: Rebuttal and Countering

Now that you know how to create an argument, it's your turn to counter argument. But remember, you need to think quick, rapid and on-the-spot!

Week 6: Final debate

It will be time to prepare and face one last challenge: a final debate to put everything you learn in the past weeks into practise.

TESTIMONIALS

Who is this course for?

We all have arguments we wish to win, in fact it is an essential part of any job that requires collaboration. This course is for people looking to see what debate offers as a platform to learn persuasive speaking as an entertaining game.

INTEREST FORM

We trained 9 students in our first cohort, who gave an average rating of 7.5 overall course satisfaction

I liked the actual debating, from the very first moment. Conscious strategies to build up an argument. Thinking more out of the box utilizing the knowledge we already possess.

Really liked the group atmosphere. I love the dynamic and the interaction was on point. We could make mistakes and learn from each other.

I loved the debating part of every session. It was also very fun when we had a competition and had to list as many stakeholders as we can.

WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN?

Don't lose an argument ever again.

Statistics show that debate students excel 25% more than their peers in written and oral communication. In this course, you will debate in teams against each other. Every week we will focus on your development through practice debates that will grow your skills and confidence.

INTEREST FORM

Allyn Nelissen

Is a student in philosophy, who has always had a love for discussion as a way to deepen ideas and develop new ones. He believes that communication is the window through which people see you: only when your words are clear and well-structured will others be able to see your point of view. Putting that belief to the test, he became one of the top speakers of the Erasmus Debating Society, and now wants to teach others how to show the world what they are all about.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The course

EUR's education policy during term 1 and term 2 is blended education. We are happy to have the opportunity to host these trainings on campus on an offline setting. These sessions will last on average 1.5h to 2h and will follow the COVID-19 regulations.

Due to the nature of the course, we will only host these trainings on campus. However, we have other courses such as Public Speaking, Productivity and Time Management or Leadership that you can take fully online.

Yes, you will get our beautiful Debating & Persuasive Speaking certificate in PDF format as long as you attend your classes and you deliver your final assignment.

Conditions to apply

You can sign up for any of our courses from August 31st to September 11st. You just need to fill up the form. We will contact you to confirm your participation in the course. Spots are limited therefore election will be made based on motivation.

Debating & Persuasive Speaking is open for EUR/EUC students, fresh EUR alumni and Hogeschool Rotterdam students. All faculties are welcomed.

Pricing

No. The whole LifeVersity project is possible thanks to the support of Community for Learning and Innovation and Students-4-Students. All of our courses are completely FREE for students and fresh alumni.

NEW IDEAS?

If you have an idea for a course, or you are part of a student association and think to develop a course with us, please contact us at info@lifeversity.nl

APPLICATION PROCESS