Debate and Language Training

Watching students engage in debate often leaves me genuinely surprised.
Their depth of thought, quick thinking, and ability to build arguments sometimes surpass what adults can express.
In those moments, I wonder if we’ve been too quick to box young people in—and I feel a pang of guilt.
There’s a statistic that more than half of Korean students who manage to get into Ivy League schools, including Harvard, don’t graduate.
The reason? A lack of training in writing, public speaking, and debate.
They simply haven’t had enough opportunities to develop language skills early on.
Words—spoken and written—are the tools of leadership.
To step into the world without language training is like entering a battlefield without a weapon.

debate, language, leadership