Impromptu Speaking

Ch. 16
Similarities Between
Planned and Impromptu Speeches
Have an audience
Have a purpose
Rely on accurate information
Use various types of supporting evidence
Rely on effective reasoning
Require a clear organizational pattern
Have introductions, conclusions, signposts & transitions
Differences between
Planned and Impromptu Speeches

Impromptu & Improvisation
Think on your feet

Prepare to be spontaneous

Rely on available material, cognitive, affective,
and social resources
Successful impromptu speakers need:
Expertise: a knowledge base of the topic, something that
has been studied and/or practiced.

Presence: paying attention to a discussion or situation so
that you can contribute appropriately and meaningfully.

Rules: an understanding of the basic elements of public
speaking and audience analysis.

Training: opportunities for practicing impromptu, or spur-
of-the-moment, speeches.
Techniques
Technique 1: Hand
1. Hold up your hand with your palm facing you.
2. Visualize your topic printed in the palm of your hand.
3. Close your hand to seize your topic.
4. Extend your thumb. This is your introduction.
5. One at a time, extend your fingers, visualizing one word written on
each.
a. Index finger: first point supporting your topic
b. Middle finger: second point supporting your topic
c. Ring finger: third point supporting your topic
d. Extend your pinkie. This is your conclusion.
Technique 2: Room
1.From where you are sitting or standing, focus on the center
of the room and visualize your topic there.
2.Look straight ahead at the wall in front of you. Begin your
introduction.
3.Look at the corner of the room to your right. This is your first
main point.
4.Look at the corner of the room to your left. This is your
second main point.
5.Look back at the center of the room. This is your conclusion.
Technique 2: House
1. Visualize a house. This is your topic.
2. Visualize entering the door. This is your introduction.
3. Visualize walking into the first room. This is your first main
point.
4. Visualize walking into a second room. This is your second main
point.
5. Visualize walking into a third room. This is our third main
point.
6. Visualize walking out the back door. This is your conclusion.
Technique 4: 1 Minute
1.Jot down your topic near the top of a piece of paper or on
your notes.
2.Make a quick list of your main points under your topic.
3.Off to one side, write a word to help you with your
introduction.
4.On the opposite side, write a word that will help you
conclude your speech.
5.If there is something you want to be certain to share but are
afraid you will forget, write down a word that will help you
remember that idea or argument
Remember
CONTENT
Organize your thoughts

Have supporting material
DELIVERY
Appear confident

Work on fluency

Be succinct
Practice
Pull Out an Object
Reach into your backpack, pocket, or purse. Pull out an
object. Give a one-minute speech to the class explaining
how to use the object, why the object is necessary to
have, or the ways in which the object could be improved.
Have everyone in the class remove an object from their
backpack, pocket, or purse. Put all the objects in a
container at the front of the room. Ask each student to go
to remove an object from the container, and give a speech
to commemorate the item. (Students can also give
informative, persuasive, and invitational speeches about
the objects.)
One Topic, Three Minutes
Bring a stack of index cards with random topics written on one side
to class. Place the stack at the front of the room, face down. Ask
students to come to the front of the class, select a card, and
deliver a three-minute impromptu speech related to that topic.
Each speech should include an appropriate organizational pattern,
well-developed arguments and points, and effective introductions
and conclusions.
Bring a stack of index cards to class and brainstorm one-minute to
three minute impromptu speech topics with the class. Select the
best speech topics and write one topic on each card. Place the
stack face down, or in a bag or box, and ask students to select a
card and give an impromptu speech on the topic indicated on the
card.
This Weeks Events
Bring several copies of the school paper to class.
Discuss events written about in the paper that may
be controversial, have a strong impact on the student
or school, or be of human interest. Ask students to
identify an issue from the paper and deliver a speech
about that issue.
Select several media, such as YouTube clips, that
represent current events or local, national, or global
issues. Show the clips to the class. Ask students to
give one-minute speeches on those issues.
Multiple Perspectives
Select a topic that is complex or an issue that is difficult to resolve. Ask each
member of the class to give a speech on that topic, with the requirement that
each person must present a different element or perspective on that topic.
Ask students to begin their speeches with a connective that links the speech
before theirs to the speech they are about to give.
Brainstorm five controversial topics that would be suitable for an impromptu
speech. Write those topics on a set of index cards or the board. Make a list of
the organizational patterns commonly used for speeches and place that list
either on the board or on another set of index cards. Ask a student to come to
the front, and have the members of the class choose a topic and an
organizational pattern for the student. Ask the student to give an impromptu
speech on the chosen topic using the chosen organizational pattern. Continue
until all the topics and patterns are combined.
You Cant Say ________
Bring a variety of objects to class, or generate a list of
possible impromptu topics and write them on index
cards. Ask a student to select an object or a card and to
give a speech on that item or topic without ever using
the name of the item or the word on the card.
As a class, generate a list of common slang words used in
everyday speech (including fillers) or in transitions and
connectives (first, next, now that). Using the index cards
or objects from activity 1 above, ask students to give
impromptu speeches without using any of those words
identified by the class.
Vote for Me/Us/Them
Hold a mock election for class officers. Randomly select students to
come to the front and give impromptu speeches on why they should
be elected to office.
Randomly select three or four students to act as a slate of candidates.
Give them two to five minutes to work as a group to identify their
platform. Ask the students speak about their platform and why that
slate should be selected. Hold a question-and-answer session after
each speech to practice impromptu discussions.
After the students in activity 2 (i.e., the candidates) give their
speeches (and perhaps conduct a question-and-answer session),
randomly select several students to come to give speeches that either
support or reject the candidates as viable candidates for office
Tell Us a Story
Ask students to come to the front of the class and share
one of their favorite moments, experiences, or lessons in
life. As a part of this speech, ask the students to
introduce the story, tell it, and then explain why the
event, moment, or lesson is important to them.
Get into pairs. With your partner, share a story of a
first for you (first day of school, first time you ate
something new, first time you skied). Then give an
impromptu speech to the class that describes your
partners first and explain what the lesson or
importance of that first might be.
Give Us Some Reasons
Review the types of reasoning commonly used in speeches. Ask each student to use
one of the types of reasoning in an impromptu speech that persuades or invites his
or her audience to select or explore one type of reasoning as the best type of
reasoning to use.
Ask a student to identify one thing she or he is especially good at or wants to become
good at. Using the types of reasoning reviewed in activity 1, ask the student to give a
short speech explaining why she or he is good at that thing or should become good at
it.
Brainstorm five or more controversial topics that would be suitable for an impromptu
speech. Write those topics on a set of index cards or the board. Make a list of the
patterns of reasoning commonly used for speeches and write that list either on the
board or on another set of index cards. Ask a student to come to the front of the
class and have the members of the class choose a topic and one or two patterns of
reasoning for the student. Ask that student to give an impromptu speech on that
topic using those patterns of reasoning. Continue until all the topics and patterns are
combined.
Can You Find the Fallacies?
Bring a variety of silly and unrelated objects to class.
Review the most common fallacies used in public
speaking. Ask a student to select one of the items and
present a fallacious argument about that item. Ask the
class to identify the fallacy used.
Select a topic that is current and controversial. Ask each
student to give an impromptu speech on that topic,
using fallacious reasoning. Once each speech is finished,
ask the audience to identify the fallacies they heard in
the speech and replace them with credible and ethical
reasons.