The Debate Workshop is carefully designed to nurture young debaters into all-rounded competitive orators. Rather than offering tips and tricks as most workshops do, our classes are curated to ensure every debating subject, technique, and strategy is inculcated into our students.
We periodically organize workshops both online and offline to provide a platform for students to learn from the leading speakers across the world. Where possible we record the workshops and keep them available for download.
We also conduct workshop series on request in collaboration with schools, institutions and debate clubs across Malaysia and beyond. Contact us to arrange a workshop series or training programme for your school.
Eco-Stories Storytelling Workshop 2022
In conjunction with the Eco-Stories Competition 2022, co-organized by Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) and the Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL) supported by UNICEF, UNDP and ALAM, WoLCE was invited to conduct a series of workshops to prepare the competition participants on the various aspects of storytelling.
Past Workshops
SMK Selayang Bharu
During the SMK Selayang Bharu Carnival Week, WoLCE and the school’s English Language Department organized a Connections and Communications workshop for three classes of Form 4 students. The workshop involved highlighting the importance of good and effective communication along with the errors that could occur with bad communication.
Debate Workshops
Hornbill Workshop Series
Our coaches conducted a series of training sessions for the students of the Sunway Debate Club in preparation for the Belgrade World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) 2022.
The workshops were a resounding success, resulting in Sunway proceeding to break in the open draw of the most competitive tournament in the World, and also the only Malaysian team that qualified for the elimination rounds of Belgrade WUDC 2022.
Sunway also proceeded to the quarter finals of the Malaysia United Asians Debating Championship (UADC) 2022, with speakers ranking in the top 10 best speakers across Asia.
Sunway University
Chung Ling Private High School
The Chung Ling Private High School English Debate Club has been under the WoLCE Academy’s tutelage since the founding of the Academy in 2021. Since then, various members of the club have gone on to achieve a great feats, bringing home numerous championships, notably the HELP University’s Asian Challenge Cup and the Malaysian Chinese Independent Schools (MCISS) Closed Interschool in 2022, and the Malaysian Nationals WSDC Championship in 2021. Several club members were also selected to represent the Malaysian National team from 2021 to 2023.
In preparation for the Asian Schools Debating Championship (ASDC) in 2022, the largest high school debate major in Asia, our coaches travelled up to Penang to conduct a preparatory workshop for the club. After days of learning and fun, CLPHS saw 3 teams qualify for the elimination rounds this prestigious tournament, and an impressive run before bowing out in the quarter finals against the eventual runner ups of this championship.
SMK Taman Desa (STAND) 2
WoLCE conducted a workshop at SMK Taman Desa 2 in preparation for the Malaysian National Level Dato Wira Championship 2022. After a couple of days of training, STAND 2 successfully made an impressive run, winning all the preliminary rounds of the tournament and ranking as the top team of the event.
WoLCE was invited to run a workshop programme for SAKTI in the run up to a national level English Debate Competition amongst the boarding schools across Malaysia. The workshops were successful in pushing the students further, resulting in the students ranking in the top 4 teams among the entire competition.
Sekolah Menengah Sains Kota Tinggi (SAKTI)
The Hornbill Workshop Series, organized by WoLCE in collaboration with the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, was held on the weekend prior to the annual SSIDC 2023. High school students in attendance were coached over two days by various illustrious speakers from all over Malaysia, including the Adjudication Core of SSIDC, as an additional training session for all those attending the competition.
Recorded Workshops
Debating 101
If you’ve always been interested by the idea of a debate competition or wanted to be able to get professional coaching, but simply never had the opportunity to do so - join this extremely exciting and detailed session to be able to understand how you can pick this skill up.
Brian Wong, a world renowned speaker from Oxford University probably has the record for the most number of debates that he’s broken at: a total of 120+ judging and speaking breaks at the InterVarsity and Open level. His crowning achievement is breaking to the Open Semi Finals of Thailand WUDC 2020.
Understanding Decision Making and Narratives
If you’ve always been interested to understand how decisions are made from the perspective of assessing cognitive biases, and how they can be used in a debate to understand individuals, countries and communities, join Ben Jackson from Macquarie University as they break down some of the most complex curiosities revolving this competitive speech sport.
Fundamentals of Philosophy
Brian Wong breaks down some super complex philosophy ideas that can be used for speech, and explains what quantifies as just philosophy. This session is great for beginners and intermediate students who are just grasping philosophy and the ways in which it can be used in a tense situation. On top of this, Brian will also discuss why grand-standing could work, and go in depth on why and where exactly weighing matters.
Geopolitics and International Relations
There’s so much ongoing in the world in relation to protectionism & de-globalisation in a world that appeared to set liberalisation as its main objective for the last decade. How do you figure out what you’re reading in the news when none of it seems to make sense. How do elections in another corner of the world affect us? Does the US’ assassination of an Iranian general matter anymore? Find out more in this workshop. This workshop is meant for intermediate to advanced debaters.
Employment, Blank Debating and Manner Secrets
Have you ever been asked a question and not known how to answer it? Perhaps it’s a motion in a debate that you have absolutely no clue how to run. This workshop is aimed to tackle this problem, and discuss about employment relations in greater depth; labour laws, contracts, and the gig economy - how do you debate about them?
Join Rob Barrie from Macquarie University as they also dive into some of their best kept secrets on coming up with speeches that make it easier for judges to understand you better by being clearer and at the same time sounding extremely interesting!
Race Riots in South Asia and Why you should quit Debating
Too many people telling you why you should debate? Join Shitab’s workshop to find out all the reasons why you shouldn’t, and after knowing all of those - how do you move on with debating and understanding what it is or how to go about the basics of debating. Shitab will also be discussing some of the race riots that have occurred in South Asia in extensive detail and how to understand them to be used well in a debate.
Shitab is one of Malaysia’s star studded debaters hailing from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Basic Human Rights & Law 101
There are many human rights violations that occur all over the world; one might be happening right in front of you on a daily basis without you knowing about it. Perhaps you’ve always been confused with debating about the law and knowing how to go about it.
Join Danesh Aggarwal from Malaya University as they break down basic human rights debate, provide you an extensive lecture on law debates and provide you a reality check concerning the laws and regulations in the world today.
All things China
Everyone is super obsessed with China - as a country, China seems to be the new America. There’s the 5G technology, China’s Belt & Road Initiative, Chinese Soft Loans, Hong Kong, China’s Trade War, and China’s Social Credit System are barely the top of the list on all things China. How are you supposed to understand everything? Is there a way to make it simpler? Does it really matter to all of us that don’t live in China?
Join Xiao-Ke Lu, a WUDC Grand Finalist from Princeton University as they break down some of the most difficult questions relating to China and how we fit in.
The Power of Framing
How impactful are arguments really, and how can we position them in a way to maximize its value in a round? What really matters in a round and how should be evaluate material from different teams, or an extension being different from their opening’s case?
Join David Metz, the 2020 EUDC Champion from Leiden University as he lends his perspective on framing arguments that helped him win the most competitive varsity major in the IONA debating circuit.
Past Workshops
These workshops unfortunately were not recorded. Do sign up for our workshops not to miss out!
Making It Manner: The Art of Speech
While it is extremely easy to memorize a script, put together some facts together and create a relatively okay speech - it takes a miracle to help you put together a world-class speech. That’s where Syafiq comes in - rapping, and rhyming while making sure you’re able to understand how to craft a speech that will not only be memorable, but make sure you feel like you’ve given the very best you can, heck anyone else can.
Syafiq hails from the MARA University of Technology, an institution well known for producing world class speakers.
Religion & Deconstructing Arguments
Discussing religion, and capitalism can be very interesting. It can also be extremely sensitive, join Taosif as they break down some key components to help you understand the religions of the world, and how to be able to deconstruct arguments in order to understand what makes an argument great, and how you can make some of the best arguments in the world today.
Taosif hails from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka (IBA-DU) has been on the adjudication panel of the Australasian Debating Championship in 2018 as well as serving as the Chief Adjudicator of many regional competitions in Bangladesh, India and has been a competitive speaker throughout Asia.
Philosophy 101
Shruti Deb is one of the most qualified debaters that South Asia has produced. She was the reigning Australs ESL Champion at Nepal Australs 2021, and has gone on to sit on the Core Adjudication Panel of Malaysia UADC in 2022.
In this workshop, Shruti breaks down common moral frameworks applied in debates, breaking the bubble of utilitarianism that most debaters get caught up with, as well as strategies on presenting and dealing with unconventional moral arguments.