抄録
Given that debate motions should be impartial, meaning both the affirmative side and the
negative side can build and defend their case on an equal basis, it is essential for any tournament
organizers or classroom practitioners to evaluate the debate topics they have used or are to use
with due consideration of motion fairness. The present study focuses on the debate motions used
at six high school English parliamentary debate tournaments in Japan, totaling 24 motions with
540 rounds’ results. Quantitative analysis identified debate motions with great disparity
between the affirmative winning ratio and the negative winning rate, which were then further
analyzed qualitatively, yielding four traits that could partially account for the reason why the
motions at hand were difficult for the affirmative side to win. In conclusion, the study suggests
five considerations to be made when choosing motions for debate tournaments and classroom
settings.
https://ror.org/00khh5r84 
