The Core Value of Practicing Debate

Debate class of LinkedKey offers students a platform to master the delivery of rational, coherent arguments. It enables them to create a compelling narrative by utilizing rhetorical eloquence; instills a great sense of poise and self-confidence and teaches the skills of researching, organizing, and presenting information in a persuasive format.

Why LinkedKey

Our instructors are seasoned debaters themselves; collectively, they have debated at hundreds of internationally-renowned tournaments all over the world. They have competed against some of the best debaters of their time and are now passionate about delivering a comprehensive and engaging curriculum to students all across Ontario. As a school, our goal starts and ends with providing students with insightful and eye-opening experiences so that they can pursue their own passions and dreams in the future.

LinkedKey Debate Course

LinkedKey generally recommends that students in G7 and above begin studying Debate courses, with learning organized by semester. However, as more students below Grade 7 demonstrate strong learning abilities and a rich knowledge structure, our school suggests that students in G6 can start trying Debate training.

LinkedKey Debate has a clear level system, divided into L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and WSS(WSDC). We gradually develop student’s debate abilities to reach the level required for participating in competitions or joining the national team. Any promotions or demotions must follow the professional recommendations of the coaches.

LinkedKey has three semesters. Fall: September to January, Spring: February to June, Summer: July and August. Each semester offers new courses. Except for the Debate L1, students need to refer to the Advanced Suggestion provided by the coach at the end of the previous semester to enroll in any level of courses for next semester.

Level 1: Suitable for students with no debate background. By the end of the term, students must be able to deliver a 2-3 minutes debate performance with well-supported arguments and accurate points.

Level 2: Suitable for students who finished Debate L1 or learned Debate for four to six months in other institutions. By the end of the term, students must be able to deliver a 4-5-minute debate performance with well-supported arguments and accurate points.

Level 3: LinkedKey highly recommends that students participate in local high school or university debate tournaments as a LinkedKey Debate team member, their school team member, or as an individual to gain competition experience, which is crucial for rapid advancement. The courses also divide the knowledge structure involved in competitions into blocks for students to learn. The difficulty of the course content increases and the standards for advancement are raised. Therefore, most students will stay at L3 for 2-3 terms.

Our Debate teaching content is divided into syllabus content, which is further broken down into:

1. Essential knowledge points for each level (this part is repeated every semester, similar to mathematical formulas – if not understood, it needs to be repeatedly studied);
2. Current affairs knowledge (this part varies each semester and differs with each teacher);
3. Class practice, Coach feedback, and homework (different students practice different content, and the content is not repeated).

Level 4: Most students will reach Level 4 by G9. As high school academic demands increase and competition experience grows, students need to balance competition with their studies. Debate courses will also help students build a more in-depth knowledge structure, and they will establish their own debate partner teams. Students can start learning WSS debate rules and gain opportunities to participate in international competitions.

Level 5: Students entering Level 5 demonstrate a passion for Debate and hope to prove their abilities through competitions. The course content will also help students gradually achieve good results in more competitive tournaments.

Level 6: Students entering Level 6 will have the opportunity to win more championships and participate in the national team selection. The courses will also be more focused on practical training.

WSS: This involves specialized training and learning of WSS rules. Only students who have studied or reached the requirements of Level 4 or above in our school can enroll.

LinkedKey Debate Coach

Matt T.

Matt, Head of English, Public Speaking. H...Read More

Shahraiz Ch.

Shahraiz, Head Coach of Debate, is a form...Read More

Max W.

Max is now in his seventh year of competi...Read More

Valerie P.

Valerie P. was Head Debate Coach at Haver...Read More

Hao N.

Hao was a member of Team Canada. She has ...Read More

Chris B.

Chris B. is a long-time member and former...Read More

Crystal Zh.

Crystal Zh. was McGill BPHS national cham...Read More

David Z.

David is the current President of the Har...Read More

Caitlin M.

Caitlin is a sophomore at the University ...Read More

Natasha F.

With seven years of experience in debate ...Read More

LinkedKey Debate Achievement

More Debate Achievement