| Summary: | This paper examines the discourse organization of argumentative speeches of the debaters of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). A total of 20 constructive speeches were used as sources of data for this study. These speeches were taken from the following debate programs: ANC Square Off: The Philippine Debate Championships; ANC Square Off: The AUDC; and ANC Frank-ahan: The Drilon Debates. Frequency and percentage distributions were used to determine the discourse organization found in the argumentative speeches. Findings revealed that the debaters use two-move patterns in the orientation, exposition, and summation blocks of their speeches, namely “orientation” and “focusing,” “inquiry” and “response,” and “rounding-off” and “final stance,” respectively. This study offers a more detailed explanation on how argumentative essays may be structured through studying spoken discourse. Thus, student writers may benefit from a more specific instruction in the discrete elements of an argument, including how to formulate an effective claim, how to support a claim with evidence effectively, and how to reach the requirements of the argumentative genre.
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