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Grade 9: Heating Up for the 2023 SHSID Freshman Chinese Debate Competition Second Round

September 22, 2023

On September 19, 2023, after several preliminary competitions, the SHSID "Freshman Chinese Debate Competition" entered into the second round. The enthusiasm of Grade 9 students was heightened during this round of the competition. The passionate debaters not only demonstrated their active thinking but also highlighted the moral values of teenagers in modern days.

The topic for the second round was whether teachers should allow students to use ChatGPT to assist their completion of homework. During the debate, the debaters on both sides argued fervently and were eager to present their own stances and viewpoints on the topic. They answered each other’s questions fluently and fully as well as demonstrated their extraordinary ability to improvise speeches and organize fragments of their thoughts into a complete argument. The legitimate debater clearly defined the meaning of "assistance", believing that ChatGPT is just a more convenient search tool that can help stimulate students' thinking. The debaters on the opposing side advocated that teachers should not allow students to use ChatGPT to complete assignments as this goes against the original purpose of the assignments, which are to cultivate students' independent thinking abilities.

The judges gave professional comments with depth on the argument structure, verbal expression, language skills, logical thinking, and teamwork of debaters on both sides. The judges also expanded the topic to the problems that students may face after entering society, enabling them to have a deeper understanding of the difference between "referencing" and "plagiarism".

This competition has enhanced mainly critical thinking and independent thinking abilities of students when listening to the debaters communicate throughout the competition. The second round was both engaging and insightful to watch. We look forward to the outstanding performances of the Grade 9 freshmen in the finals of the Freshman Chinese Debate Competition!

(Written by 9(1) Victoria Pictures by 9(11)Sophia 9(6) Aeryn Supervised by Yanjie Yao Reviewed by Qian Zuo)