Why Take Debate?

Enthralled in the fun and excitement of debate games, exercises, and competitions, students learn to think clearly and critically, to reason through problems, to listen with attention and perceptiveness, and to express ideas confidently and eloquently. Not only are these abilities of great value to young people immersed in the challenging and necessary process of developing their own voice, but they are also key to their future. After all, what would be of our world without the thoughtful and respectful debate of ideas? The experience debate provides equips studnets with the essential skills they will need to tackle problems - personal, social, and global - when they grow up. And these skills are particularly important for the a generation growing up in a time of extraordinatry technological advances: of a technology that can do much, but cannot replace the value, and the necessity, of thinking for oneself.

Debate activities encompass both prepared and impromptu debates. Prepared debate exercises teach valuable research skills. Meanwhile, through impromptu debate dynamics in which students are given a topic and only a few minutes to craft their speeches, students learn to think quickly and creatively on the spot. In both, students practice arguing for their ideas even while others refute them. The exercise, fun and exciting in a debate competition, has ample application in the real world: it teaches students how to resist peer-pressure or intimidation because they have the power to think independently and to defend their position under pressure.

Through debate, students develop the ability to epxress their viewpoint articulately, clearly, and convincingly. But to win a debate competition, students must convince not with force or insistence but with the strength of their reasoning. Students, thus, learn to push their arguments further, using apt examples and clear logic to support their ideas, which they in turn learn to express with eloquence and confidence. Debate is an excellent activity for students wishing to improve their speaking abilities. And, while debate focuses on oral communication, the skills students develop through it lay the foundation for effective writing skills as well.

While debate teaches students to speak well, it also teaches them to listen. To be able to effectively refute their opponents' arguments, students must understand their points. In a debate, both sides engage in a dialogue, which may be intense and exciting and arduously debated, but which is also always respectful and cordial. And, while they do disagree, the very process of disagreeing, of discussing their diverging ideas, allows both to reach a deeper and more solid comprehension of the complexities and nuances of the issue debated. Both listen and both learn.

Learning to reason through arguments, to contemplate opposing viewpoints, and to articular ideas, students become confident in their own ability to think and to speak.

Now perhaps you are left wondering about one thing: what do young students debate? Surely, they are too young for many of the topics that occupy adult debates. Well, they debate topics that are appropriate and interesting to their age. Teenagers may debate issues that concern them, such as the benefits and drawbacks of phones or of having homework. Children may debate who is the most powerful superhero, or whether it would be better to travel forwards or backwards in time. The important thing is not what they debate, but the learning how to debate and why to love debating.

Schedule

• We are currently forming Debate groups for different ages.

• Individual debate coaching may also be arranged.

• Please contact scope.for.imagination.pt@gmail.com to discuss scheduling or submit the registration form below.

Tuition

Tuition for classes is:

• Classes are once a week, one hour per session: small group classes are €16 per class or €60 per month; individual lessons are €25 per class.

• Rates are prorated if there is a month with fewer than 3 class sessions due to holidays or class cancellation.

• Rates are not discounted if a student is not able to attend for personal reasons.

• Family discount: 5% discount is offered for the second (or more) student from the same family (siblings / parents).

• Multiple classes per week discount: Students enrolled in more than one class per week receive a 5% discount on the second (or more) weekly class.

Registration

To register, please fill in this form once per student. 

Register for Classes - Children/Teens!

After completing the form, please send payment via MB Way to Ms. Helena Almeida at (+351 938 656 646). 

After the form and payment are received you will receive a registration confirmation.

• All activities have limited space.

• Registration is only considered complete upon receipt of payment.

• All activities subject to minimum enrollment. 

Testimonials

“We feel so lucky to have known you and to have been part of your truly special, inspiring, encouraging, warm, and welcoming school... it was a gateway to a world of endless possibilities. You taught [our children] that they can do anything, if only they trust themselves and let their imagination lead the way.”

-Liam Eckstein and Omer Shadar, parents of students Tal, Gil, and Netta

Frequently Asked Questions

• What age should the student be?

  • We offer classes for different ages groups:

    • Children - ages 9 - 12

    • Teen - ages 13 - 18

• Where are classes held?

  • Small groups / private lessons are held in house near Jardim de Arca d'Água.

• When are classes held?

  • Classes are primarily afterschool and weekends. We often create new small groups based on student scheduling needs.

• When do class series begin?

  • Although most students participate in debate classes for the entire school year, students can begin or end at any time of the year based on their needs. Classes tuition is paid on a monthly basis.

• What language are classes taught in?

  • Debate classes are taught in English, and there are classes for both fluent speakers and for students learning the language.

• How do I register?

  • Please fill in the registration form, or you can contact us if you do not see the offering that meets your needs.

• How often are classes?

  • Classes are held once a week.

• Do I have to participate in public debates?

  • No, participants do not have to debate onstage if they do not wish to. However, we do encourage participants to give it a try during our regular debate opportunities.

• What is the teacher : student ratio?

  • Small group classes are capped at 1 teacher to 6 students.

  • Private lessons are 1:1.