World Debate Institute Asia Schedule & Structure
 
PHOTO: Christy Bradley, USA, Bojana Skrt, Slovenia and Hafiedz Iqbal, Malaysia Posted by: Alfred Snider WDI also has sister programs in Europe and Asia. I want to report on the schedule and structure of WDI Asia here in Korea. There re 78 university students attending from all over Asia, and also the USA and Lithuania.   The schedule is similar each day. There are two morning lectures, often divided between beginners and advanced students. Jason Jarvis always brings donuts to each in the morning. I don’t know if this relates to a common phrase I use when students groan about debating or speaking (“This is debate cam p, not donut eating camp”) but they are tasty and the students gobble them up. There is a 90-minute lunch break after that. There are lots of restaurants in the Kyung Hee University area, but then again there seem to be lots of modestly priced restaurants everywhere in Seoul. You can easily choose between Korean, Nepalese, Thai, Italian, and many other types of food (including pizza and Burger King) in the area. After lunch small groups meet between 1:30 and 5 PM. In the small groups there are exercises and specific instruction, and it is also assumed that there will be a debate each day. There is a one hour dinner break before evening sessions, which usually last from 6 PM until 7:30 PM. Attendance by students is excellent, and they are prompt and attentive.   The institute is structured along three lines -- format, debate experience and English language proficiency. The first day each student filled out a form and was then interviewed by a pair of faculty members. Based on this, students were assigned to groups. One advanced group will learn British Parliamentary format, another advanced group will focus on the Asian format (3-on-3, seven minute speeches by each student, then two shorter reply speeches). There are two intermediate experience groups that will also do the Asian format. Finally, there is a group for students who lack total proficiency in English (the vast majority of the students have incredibly English speaking skills).   The English language focused group is led by Loke Wing Fatt, SAID Singapore, Bojana Skrt, ZIP Slovenia and Yoshihiro. Japan. The intermediate groups are led by Irma Nazarah, International Islamic University Malaysia, Serena Turley from Cal State Fullerton USA, and Ron Ro, Korea (attended and debated for University of Rochester USA), and also by the team of Hea Eum Choi, Korea, Christy Bradley, Emory University USA, and Dan WIlliams, now of Korea (attended and debated for Western Washington University USA). The advanced Asian format group is led by Logan Belavigendran, MultuMedia University Malaysia, and myself, University of Vermont USA. The British Parliamentary format group is led by Kevin Massey, University of British Columbia Canada (chief adjudicator at upcoming 2007 World Universities Debating Championship in Vancouver) and Hafiedz Iqbal, University of Technology Mara Malaysia.   The schedule of events is as follows:   8/20 Sunday 1 PM Registration and Interviews 3:30 PM Opening Ceremonies 4 PM Opening lecture: Persuasion Theory and Debating, Snider 5:15 PM Faculty meeting 8/21 Monday 9 AM Lectures Beginners: Asian debate format, Nazarah-Skrt Advanced: Debating motions you are unprepared for, Massey 10:30 AM Lectures Beginners: Government Strategy, Hafiedz-Yoshi Advanced: Prime Minister Strategies, Logan 1:30 PM Lab groups 6 PM Judge adaptation, Nazarah-Snider 8/22 Tuesday 9 AM Lectures Beginners: Opposition strategy, Loke-Hea Eum Advanced: Opposition strategy, Hafiedz 10:30 AM Lectures Points of information, Skrt-Turley Counterproposals, Jarvis-Bradley 1:30 PM Lab groups 6 PM Overcoming language barriers. Yoshihiro, Hea Eum 8/23 Wednesday 9 AM Lectures Beginners: Matter and manner, Jarvis, Yoshihiro Advanced: Debating international relations, Logan 10:30 AM Lectures Beginners: Method and framework, Loke-Turley Advanced: Choosing the right topic. Hafiedz-Nazarah 1:30 PM Lab groups 6 PM Northeast Asian roundtable, Jarvis, Joshua Park, and a representative of each NE Asian debate club present 8/24 Thursday 9 AM Lectures Beginners: Research and preparation, Massey-Turley Advanced: Whip speech and reply speech, Logan 10:30 AM Beginners: Public speaking, Snider Advanced: Taking notes, Williams-Skrt 1:30 PM Lab groups 6 PM Psychology of winning panel, Snider (moderator), Massey, Nazarah, Hea Eum, Logan 8/25 Friday 9 AM Adjudicator training, Massey-Logan 1:30 PM Adjudicator training continues Evening: Everyone attends a professional baseball game 8/26 Saturday 9 AM Electives offered by faculty 10:30 AM Electives offered by faculty 1:30 PM Lab groups 6:30 PM Practice tournament round one 8/27 Sunday 9 AM Round two 10:30 AM Round three 1:30 PM Round four 4 PM Grand final debate 6 PM Awards ceremony 7 PM Banquet
WDI BLOG
Monday, September 4, 2006