This book is an essential self-help guide to the world of high school debate with important pedagogical sections which also make it ideal for use as a class textbook and teaching aid. Recognizing the tremendous growth in the Asian high school debating community, and also that high school students needed different things in terms of content, rules references, and pedagogical elements from that offered in the existing books at the college level, the authors and editors of The High School Debate Primer are proud to announce the launch of a volume specifically dedicated to the needs of high school students and teachers, to the World Schools Debating Championships format, and to providing support for classroom activities. The new century has witnessed an unprecedented growth in competitive debate. World championship tournaments at both the university and high school levels have seen a dramatic increase in participation from non-native English speaking countries, and this growth appears likely to continue.  It is safe to say that debate has become a worldwide phenomenon.

This volume does not purport to be the final word on debate or to answer every question a student may have. However, it does present a good starting point for a student or teacher trying to get a handle on modern debate practice. It is important to note that the authors of this textbook collectively have over 50 years of experience in debate at the middle school, high school and university level.  Chapter 1 of this book explores the value of debate from pedagogical, linguistic, and civil educational perspectives. Chapter 2 focuses on the building blocks of controversial discourse: speech and argument construction. Chapter 3 explores the three criteria that adjudicators must use in examining the quality of a speech in a debate: style, content, and strategy, while Chapter 4 outlines the roles of the speakers in a competitive high school debate. Chapters 5 and 6 address the dynamic elements of debate relating to Government and Opposition strategy and points of information. Whatever the level of commitment or interest, we welcome students and teachers to membership in the global high school debate community.