Through exploring current issues, engaging in various debate training with our skilled coaches, and honing their speech delivery and techniques for debating, Capstone’s public speaking and debate courses and training allow students in Hong Kong to gain the ability and skills to articulate their thoughts effectively and succeed in competitive speaking environments. By providing a platform for HK’s students to develop critical thinking, persuasive communication, and confident presentation abilities, our courses pave the way for their future success.
THE WORLD’S TOP DEBATE COACHES AND STUDENTS
Capstone’s debate coaches include current and former head national debate team coaches for Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, and Malaysia (World Schools teams), while many of our current debate students and alumni (20+) currently are representing, or have represented, national teams across Asia as well as leading university debate teams in World Schools, British Parliamentary. In Hong Kong, no other public speaking and debate course has produced more national team debaters than Capstone.
To put it simply, Capstone is unrivaled in its capability to coach students in Hong Kong from the absolute beginner level of public speaking to the pinnacle of debate mastery.
Partnerships And Opportunities With The World’s Most Esteemed Debating Unions
To coach our students in Hong Kong with in-depth training to nurture the growth of their public speaking and debate skills, Capstone has worked with numerous leading debate unions from 2015 to the present. We are proud to have formally partnered with the Cambridge Union, Harvard College Debating Union, and the Oxford Union to create elite-level debating tournaments for students in Asia and worldwide over the past few years, including the renowned Asian Schools British Parliamentary Championships (“ABC”) which was most recently (in 2021 edition) the selections tournament for Asia representatives to Oxford Union Schools Debate’s Finals Day held at Oxford.
OUR DEBATE PROGRAM CURRICULUM
4 Areas of Development
Lesson Structure
PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILL AND DEBATE COURSES IN HONG KONG
Public Speaking and Debate
G3-G6
Capstone’s Public Speaking and Debate program uses the activities of speech and debate to coach and train students to see the world with a critical eye and then speak eloquently and persuasively. By setting debates within relevant global and philosophical contexts, students not only learn more about the world beyond Hong Kong and gain increased confidence and critical thinking skills but also become prepared to attend debate competitions if they choose to do that in the future. Introductory courses are intended to equip students with training in processing abilities and get them accustomed to the practice of debating.
Meanwhile, advanced courses focus on honing students’ abilities to deliver consistently engaging speeches in competitive debate formats.
Course Highlights:
- Students get their first taste of constructing compelling logical arguments and responses using their reasoning abilities and evidence
- A lively environment conducive to building self-confidence, persuasive presence, and engaging but critical interactions
Perfect for:
- Students who want to improve their confidence in public speaking or improve their spontaneous logical reasoning skills
- Students who have thoughts and opinions about the world and are looking for an outlet to speak up and be heard
- Students are interested in debating competitively in the future
PSD I – Introductory (Grade 3-4) In this course, students will
- Learn about a variety of important current issues and develop personal opinions about them
- Practice basic speech techniques to present on any topic persuasively
- Respond critically and competently to a peer’s arguments
- Develop their confidence in front of an audience
PSD I – Introductory (Grade 5-6) In this course, students will
- Learn about more complex current issues and begin to evaluate them independently
- Practice basic speech techniques to present on any topic persuasively
- Respond critically and competently to a peer’s arguments
- Develop their confidence in front of an audience
PSD II – Intermediate (Grade 5-6) In this course, students will
- Apply their critical thinking skills to analyzing important global issues and create well-rounded arguments through a variety of perspectives
- Gain exposure to the most globally competitive debate formats, including British Parliamentary and World Schools (3-v-3)
- Hone their speech techniques for more consistently persuasive delivery
- Respond confidently to the arguments of the opposing teams
Public Speaking and Debate
G7-12
Capstone’s Public Speaking & Debate courses are designed to coach students in developing the necessary skills to thrive in competitive debate, with the intent to engage their listeners with strong rhetoric and critical thinking. Through a focus on debate training, students learn more than just topics within the context of Hong Kong; they learn about global and contemporary issues, develop their analytical abilities, and gain greater confidence and fluency when presenting. The introductory levels of the program focus on giving students the necessary critical thinking skills while getting them accustomed to debating within Capstone’s competitive format. At the intermediate levels of the program, students learn specialized debating skills within standard competitive debate formats. Capstone’s advanced debate program is a premier training course for debate and public speaking that is intended to coach students toward competitive success and joining the national debate team.
PSD I – INTRODUCTORY
Course highlights:
Experiential learning through simulated scenarios where students advocate for a diversity of contemporary issues by practicing the fundamentals of persuasive speech
Perfect for students who:
- Would like a better understanding of global events and important contemporary issues
- Have thoughts and opinions about the world and are looking for an outlet to speak up and be heard
- Want to hone their competitive spirit and skills by engaging and training in the exciting world of competitive debate
In this course, students will:
- Learn about complex current issues and evaluate them independently
- Practice basic speech techniques to present on any topic persuasively
- Respond critically and competently to a peer’s arguments
- Gain exposure to basic debate terminology and concepts
PSD II – INTERMEDIATE
Course highlights:
Specialized exercises in logic rhetoric and competitive argumentation to foster further growth in speaking and confidence.
Perfect for students who:
- Would like a better understanding of global events and important contemporary issues
- Have thoughts and opinions about the world and are looking for an outlet to speak up and be heard
- Want to hone their competitive spirit by engaging in the exciting world of competitive debate
In this course, students will:
- Continue their education on important global issues and apply various perspectives in understanding them
- Gain exposure to standard competitive debate formats, including British Parliamentary and World Schools (3-v-3)
- Learn important debate terminology and concepts in greater depth
- Rebut the other team’s arguments by consistently and accurately identifying the flaws in them
PSD III – ADVANCED
Course highlights:
Deep discussion and robust examination of current issues to enhance strategic reasoning skills for advanced competitive debating.
Perfect for students who:
- Would like a better understanding of global events and important contemporary issues
- Have thoughts and opinions about the world and are looking for an outlet to speak up and be heard
- Want to hone their competitive spirit by engaging in the exciting world of competitive debate
In this course, students will:
- Build on an extensive repertoire of ideas within the fields of economics, philosophy, political science, international relations, and more
- Leverage experience to compete with confidence at the elimination round level and beyond at major debating competitions
- Engage in skill training using more advanced and nuanced debate strategies
- Learn to perform well within the crucial areas of style, substance, and strategy
CAPSTONE DEBATE PYRAMID
Extensive Debate Skills Training and Competition
Members of the team will train, travel, and compete together as a team outside of Hong Kong. During training, team members will meet with Capstone and external subject and debate experts to improve their knowledge of relevant issues and debate techniques and skills. They will also practice against other top public speaking and debate teams from schools and clubs around the world. As for tournaments, team members will have the opportunity to attend the largest and most prestigious debate tournaments throughout Asia and the world as part of the Capstone team with experienced coaches.
University Admissions Support
A top debating resume paired with strong grades usually leads to the very best universities. The debate team members will get access to Capstone’s admissions consultants, who will give the students a strategic plan as to how to craft their profile, activities, and courses in anticipation of applying to elite universities.
Varsity Team
The debate team is at the highest level of our debating program. The only higher step is representing the national debate team, which a number of our team members have been invited to join. Admission into the team is made through a combination of an ongoing ladder within all centers, internal and external competitions, and team trials. With hundreds of strong debaters across our different offices, our team represents one of the strongest collections of young debaters throughout Asia.
Advanced Level
• Regional and international tournament opportunities for further exposure
• Issues in Depth: Philosophy, Geopolitics, and Economics
• Debate Framing and Emotional Resonance
• Mastery of the various debating speaker positions and role functions
Intermediate Level
• Local tournament opportunities for initial exposure to competitions
• Strategic responses and intermediate argumentative analysis
• Basics of evidence research and prepared topic casebuilding
• Format introduction to British Parliamentary debating
Introductory Level
• Interview to determine relevant debating student’s strengths and weaknesses
• Foundations of logical reasoning and forming arguments and rebuttals
• Basics of public speaking and stage presence
• Format introductions to World Schools and Public Forum debating
DEBATER ACHIEVEMENTS
Capstone Debaters achieve globally at the world’s most prestigious tournaments.
Global Level
• World Schools Debating Championship
• World Individuals Public Speaking and Debating Championship
Intervarsity Level
• Harvard World Schools Invitational
• Oxford Schools Debating Competition
• Cambridge Schools Debating Competition
• Yale’s World Scholars Cup
Regional Level
• Asian Schools BP Championship
#1 Debater in Hong Kong / Greater China History
In the 2016 World Schools Debate Championships (WSDC), Capstone’s Competitive Debating alumni representing Team Hong Kong ranked #1 and #2 in the world. They are also consistently the top speakers in the world. This achievement stands as a testament to the effectiveness of our public speaking skills training and debate program, as our coaches have successfully led the team to achieve great results on the international stage.
Champions and Finalists Everywhere
Capstone students rank at the top of nearly every academic competition across Asia. Whether in writing, public speaking, debate, mock trials, Model United Nations (MUN), or other pursuits, our students consistently excel.
Strengthen Your Communication Skills with Capstone’s Public Speaking and Debate Training
At Capstone, we are dedicated to nurturing talented students in Hong Kong by offering comprehensive and personalized training programs. Alongside our renowned debate courses to coach students to achieve public speaking excellence, we provide a range of other enriching educational opportunities. Our offerings include academic enrichment programs (critical thinking courses and writing courses), admissions consulting services, and test preparation (New Digital SAT, ACT, AP, IB, IGCSE, and more). Get in touch with us to explore how our programs can help you enhance your debating and communication skills and achieve your academic goals.