Matter
Put simply, matter is the argumentative substance of your speech, and broadly, the team’s case. Arguments put forward should have merit on the basis of their logic and relevance.
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Debaters who score the best in matter do not necessarily have perfect or ‘unrebuttable’ arguments. In fact, debaters who consistently score the highest in matter step the audience and the adjudicator through the reasoning for their arguments. Ergo, the key to scoring highly in this area is to explain yourself!
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Adjudicators must present themselves in any debate as the average reasonable person. This means they can bring no specialised knowledge into the debate, and have to weigh the arguments against one another based on the common person’s understanding of what might be a complex issue. Thus, as debaters, you have a duty to make it clear to everyone how your arguments work, and why they are valid and relevant.
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All exceptional debaters use contemporary examples to clarify their material. Because arguments can get so technical, it is always a great idea to use real life examples to appeal to the average reasonable person in the room, who is the person you are trying to convince! Using examples makes your arguments accessible and easy to understand, which is why you should always aim to include them.
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Another critical element of matter is relevance. The best argument in the debate is not just one that has been well-explained, but one that is also highly relevant to the disagreement of the debate, and the prompt topic. Debaters need to think about what the teams are actually disagreeing upon and the precise wording of the topic. These should guide you in selecting arguments that are important and significant in the debate. Relevance is always relevant!
The Academy focuses on developing your ability to explain yourself, and one way we suggest is through your structure. For instance, many English students are familiar with TEEEL. The TEEEL structure allows for debaters to introduce ideas to the audience, before explaining and evidencing them, then linking back to the topic. We also introduce REEL for rebuttal, and build on the TEEEL example to give you different options which broaden your argumentation style.
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Every debate is unique and demands different things of your matter. Debaters need to be adaptable and flexible.