fire_wings (PRO)I thank my opponent for accepting this secret topic with me, and let's get started. My arguments will be short, because this is not a topic that I even thought I would ever even debate this topic. I apologize for the bad arguments.
I assume that this is debating worldwide, like one person in one country to another. Because if it is two Indian people who debate, then this is a truism.
Argument 1. English is basically the universal language
English is basically the universal language in the world. "English remains the dominant language of international business and global communication through the influence of global media and the former British Empire that had established the use of English in regions around the world such as North America, India, Africa, Australia and New Zealand [1] [2] [3]."
English is also the universal language of the EU [4]. But not one person is sure that it still will be the universal language after Brexit, in the EU, but because it was and is the universal language right now, that means that people and those countries can speak English. Also, in the UN, they all speak in English.
I have prove many evidence that English is already the universal language. It is not the most spoken, Chinese is, but that of course would, because they are first in population. Many countries use English, as I have shown.
Because English is already the universal language, as I have shown, then we should use English, because it is an universal language. As it is the universal language, that means that it is spoken in the whole world. If English is not the national language in that country, we should debate in English, as it the universal language.
Argument 2: Debates are usually in English
There are two debating sites. One is here, edeb8, and debate.org [5]. Both sites use English.
And, in some debate tournaments, most are used in English.
We are already using English, and we should keep using English. So, it will be surprising if my opponent speaks Spanish, but as normal, he would speak English.
I am a Korean which speaks English, not surprising. I am in a international school in France, and people from out the world all speak English.
English is the universal language. And because it is the Universal language, we should use it in debate.
Conclusion
I have shown that English is the universal language, and many people, and sites use English in debating. Therefore, the resolution is affirmed, and vote for Pro.
Sources
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_language
[2] http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/engunilang.php
[3] https://worldchoice-education-blog.com/2013/08/08/why-english-has-become-the-universal-language-of-the-world/
[4] http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/english-will-remain-the-working-language-of-the-eu-after-brexit-1.2725840
[5] http://www.debate.org/
Thanks, vote for Pro.
Return To Top | Posted:
2016-07-26 21:16:08
| Speak Round
Crow (CON)It is my pleasure to accept this debate, fire_wings.
Let us distinguish the word preference in the resolution. The word preference, implies that it is not mandatory. For preference to be available, one must already have the option.
I prefer to use my first round to frame my arguments, so here are the reason I believe debating in a countries native language is preferable to English.
- It is a decent thing to do when given the option.
- A native language is more likely to resonate with the native judges and audience.
- If English is not a national language, it will most likely not be understood by the native judges and audience.
We'll expand on those later.
While english is a language that can be found in countries all across the globe, that does not justify why it should be preferred over native languages. In all cultures and societies, their language is more than just a tool. It is a source of pride, and something that is used to define themselves. If one can speak the native language, it shows both respect and good form for their heritage.
There are other debate sites that are not in English. My personal favorite was an Egyptian site called Naqeshny, but there are also several debate sites in other major language groups.
On Naqeshny, I identified as American. The members there had very good manners, and were decent enough to speak in English, rather than force me to use the translation tools provided by the site. I really appreciated that gesture, and I did have an easier time understanding arguments in English as opposed to the ones in Arabic.
On Naqeshny, I identified as American. The members there had very good manners, and were decent enough to speak in English, rather than force me to use the translation tools provided by the site. I really appreciated that gesture, and I did have an easier time understanding arguments in English as opposed to the ones in Arabic.
There are also debate competitions held all throughout the world, in Europe, Asia, and even Africa. Saying English is the universal debating language, shows a lack of knowledge on the debating community.
I have some other points to address in the next round.
Return To Top | Posted:
2016-07-28 11:23:15
| Speak Roundfire_wings (PRO)In this round I will mostly go onto my rebuttals of my opponent's arguments. I will be brief in this round.
Observations
O1: Note about the BoP here. The BoP is shared. I have to prove why we should prefer debating in English, and my opponent needs to prove why we should not prefer debating in English to another language. My opponent seems to say that the burden of proof is on me, which is not true, as it is shared.
My opponent makes three main points, and I'll address them turn by turn.
First of all, my opponent says that the native people should rather speak their language, so the native judges, and they all understand. As I said in the first round, technically is a truism for me, as not much people in Russia will do a debate with each other in English. As we need to prevent truisms in the debate, it is about one country to another country. And my opponent doesn't say anything about this, he only tries to turn his arguments into a truism debate, which is a lack of conduct. And, my opponent makes bare assertions about their native language, so voters must not buy the argument.
Next, my opponent says that there are some debate sites which do not speak English, and gives an example. First of all, my opponent doesn't give a source about the place. I can say, "디베이트" in Korean, and say it is a debating site. My opponent needs to actually give some sources.
Next, my opponent basically gives a point to me. He says, "The members there had very good manners, and were decent enough to speak in English, rather than force me to use the translation tools provided by the site." I don't really get how that fits my opponent's side, as it fits my side better. That means that the people from other countries can speak, and debate in English.
That's all I will give this round. My opponent only gives bare assertions, so that is all I would bring this round.
Return To Top | Posted:
2016-07-28 20:49:35
| Speak RoundCrow (CON)I already kind of fleshed out these points in my original rebuttals, but lets detail them a little more.
The general decency of choosing to speak in another countries native language is obvious. There are plenty of countries that speak English, but they do have their own native language that they prefer to speak in among each other. Adapting to their native language isn't a necessity, but it is a great gesture of respect for their culture and traditions. Therefore it should be preferable.
My judging perspective is that a debate is decided by who was the most convincing. Effective debaters know their audience, and try to fit their arguments based on what will appeal and resonate with them. There is significant cognition that goes into viewing debates, and choosing to use a countries native language reduces the level of bias.
Almost every nation that speaks English actively, has English as an official language under their law. There are exceptions to the rule, but this is the general case. Chances are, if you debate in a country where English is not a national language, few people are going to understand it. While translation has certainly advanced, an argument that has to be translated loses a lot of its initial drive.
I honestly do not know what the affirmative is getting at about "truisms." It is a fact, that native judges and audiences, will understand and resonate with their native language better than English. This point is legitimate, and goes towards proving the affirmation.
About English on Naqeshny, it is not actually true that all the Arab community members there could speak English. Most came from college and intellectual backgrounds, but even so I still had to occasionally translate to Arabic for many of them.
The affirmatives resolution is weak, and fails to sufficiently push forward his position.
Return To Top | Posted:
2016-07-31 11:23:00
| Speak Roundfire_wings (PRO)Round Forfeited
Return To Top | Posted:
2016-08-03 11:23:01
| Speak RoundCrow (CON)Nothing more to refute.
I rest my case.
Return To Top | Posted:
2016-08-05 15:24:52
| Speak Round
Judge: LucasTheLlama
Judge: Bob13
Judge: Famousdebater
Judge: Bumiam
Judge: cooldudebro
Judge: Bi0Hazard
That's how it works on DDO.Posted 2016-09-04 09:43:05
I'm not admin, but my guess would be that it does contribute to his elo and his record and if/when he returns it will register that. Posted 2016-09-04 09:42:44
@admin
Just a curious question, will Crow get credit for this debate after winning it even though he is banned?
Does it count to his ELO score? Is it counted on his account after he may come back on again?Posted 2016-09-01 13:47:03