IMPROMPTU SPEECH OR IMPROMPTU SPEAKING

IMPROMPTU
SPEAKING

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this unit, you should be able to :

·        Plan and organise an impromptu speech

·        Apply the suggestion on how to deliver an impromptu speech

·        Deliver a successful impromptu speech

WHAT IS IMPROMPTU SPEECH ?

An impromptu speech is simply a mini speech delivered with little or no immediate preparation time given to the speaker. This happens because the speaker is usually not informed in advance that he or she is required to speak and decision to give the impromptu speech is made on the spur of the moment. We might be called on suddenly to say a few words, or, in the course of a business meeting, class discussion or a committee meeting, we may want to respond a previous speaker. All these situations call for an impromptu speech. If such situations arise, we should not panic as no one expects us to deliver a perfect speech.

The time given to deliver the speech is also short. It ranges between two to eight minutes only. Due to lack of preparation time and the fact that many people have stage fright, not many people like to speak impromptu. This is because, to deliver an impromptu speech, we need to organise our thoughts spontaneously, unrehearsed, clearly and briefly. No matter how much we hate to be put on the spot, sometimes impromptu speech cannot be avoided as many of the speeches that we give in life are impromptu because on many occasions in life, we have been asked to speak on the spur of the moment. If such situations happen, what do we do? This unit contains suggestions on how we should handle such situation and still emerge calm and composed at the end of the delivery and above all, able to convey meaningful messages to the audience.

Types of impromptu speech

Impromptu speech can easily be divided into two categories: speaking in respons to a previous speaker or speaking on a specific topic.

·        Responding to previous spaker

There are times in a meeting or a discussion in our daily life when we need to respond to what was said by a previous speaker. This situation calls for an impromptu speech from the one who is responding. If we are responding, we should pay close attention to what the other speakers say so that our response has continuity to what was said earlier. We ought to take notes of major points with which we agree or disagree. By following the arguments in such a manner, we will automatically formulate what we will say when it is our turn to speak. We can present our speech in four simple steps. First, we should state the point wer are answering. Next, we should state the point we wish to make. Third, we should support our points with appropriate statistics, examples or testimony. Fourth, we must summarise our point. This will help us to organise our thoughts quickly, clearly, and effectively. If time permits, it is best if we could sketch a quick outline of our points in the form of keywords and phrases on a piece of paper before we speak. This will facilitate us in keeping to what we want to say and safeguarding us from rambling. In most cases, for this type of impromptu speech, we will be able to speak informally without rising from our chair.

·        Speaking on a specific topic

This situation arises during a gathering or even a meeting where we have been singled out to speak on either a given topic or a topic of our choice without prior notice. If given a topic to speack about, the person who singled us out to speak will usually give us a topic of which he or she knows we have knowledge about. However, if no specific topic is given, then the situation should be much easier. This is because we can choose any topic that interests us but care must be taken to ensure that the topic chosen must have some relevance to the occasion or situation we are in. Criteria in deciding the topic for an impromptu speech is given in the following sub-topic.

Topics for impromptu speech

Since impromptu speech allowas us little or no time to prepare, we need to depend on our ready knowledge about a subject to speak. Must of the time, when asked to give an impromptu speech, we are either given the choice to choose the topic of our delivery or if the topic is given, the person who has assigned us the responsibility to deliver the speech knows that we have sufficient knowledge to speak on the topic.

If a topic is not given, it is best to choose an impromptu speech topic that:

·        Demonstrates our expertise

·        Relates to the purpose of the meeting or gathering

·        Makes us feel most confident to speak about

·        Makes us like talking about it

·        Allows us to speak off the cuff within a short duration of time.

Structure of an impromptu speech

Like any other oral presentations, an impromptu speech also requires some forms of organisation. The preparation time may be little or non-existent, but the audience still needs to follow our points or lines of arguments. Since it is a listening activity for the audience, and what is said is heard once and for all, we therefore need to help them by having an opening, a body and a conclusion to our impromptu speech.

The following are some suggestions on what to include in each of the three main parts of our impromptu speech.

·        Opening

We should begin our opening speech by addresing the Chairperson or Master of Ceremony and thanking her or him for he opportunity given to speak. This is then followed by a brief introduction to the topic of the speech or an opening sentence to the topic. The aims of this is draw the audience’s attention to the topic delivered and to get them to focus on the speech. Since the delivery time is rather short, it is therefore important that the opening speech starts with a strong opening statement that can capture the attention of the audience.

·        Body

The body of the speech should contain two to main points which centre on a central theme or a thesis statement. Each of these main points should be developed with relevant supporting details. Since it is a listening activity for the audience we should assist them as musch as possible in the listening. Thus, in conveying our message, we should use clearly worded simple sentences and try to link the points to the theme of the speech. In addition, generous use of connective devices or linkers is recommended. These linkers include the following: firstly, secondly, afterwards, at the same time, in addition, likewise, on the one hand, then, lastly, etc.

·        Conclusion

The conclusion of our impromptu speech should be brief and simple. We want the audience to be informed and entertained at the time within the limited time given to deliver the speech, so we have to leave them with a good impression. We need to end the speech with an elegant closing that links back to the opening statement. The speech should end by acknownledging the Chairperson or the Master of Ceremony.

Sources of content of an impromptu speech

An impromptu speech is based mainly on a topic of which the subject we are most familiar about. Therefore, it is good if we could personalise the content because the audience can relate more easily to personal topics. It should also contain our own opinion rather that extracts of other people’s response to the issue in question. After all, we have little or no time to prepare for it; therefore it will be a difficult task to talk about something of which we have not researched on. Including humour in our impromptu speech can break the ice with the audience and this helps us to relax. We can also include current events or something that we have read or seen on television, newspaper or books, or knowledge of pertinent facts. This can help the audience to relate better to our topic of speech as they too may have some knowledge in these areas.

How to give a successful impromptu speech

Speaking in front of an audience can be a daunting experience to many people; be it a prepared or impromptu speech. The following are some suggestions on how to give ourselves more confidence in giving impromptu speeches to reduce any nerves we might have.

·        Give ourselves time to prepare for action

When it is time for us to deliver the speech, we should not rush to start the speech immediately. Take deep breaths, rise slowly from our chair and walk slowly but confidently to rostrum or stand behind and away from our chair. While these actions are taking place, we should take time to compose our throughts and decide on the purpose and plan of our speech. Think about the opening sentence and how we can capture the attention and interest of our audience to remain interested in our speech.

·        Feel confident

Confidence is the key factor in delivering any type of speech. We can boost our confidence by looking around at hte audience and giving them a pleasant smile the rostrum or the chain in front of us  or put out hands in our pockets. These are signs of nerveousness. Speak and act in a confident manner and while the speech is being delivered look out for positive non-verbal feedback from the audience for further enhance our confidence.

·        Deliver slowly

When it is time for us to speak, give ourselves time to think ahead and organise our throughts. We should not rush through the points. Instead present them in an orderly manner so that audience will have time to absorb and respond to what we say. Also, by delivering slowly, it can reduce the false starts, the ‘umms’ and the ‘ahhs’ in our speech, making it pleasant to the ears.

·        Focus on the topic

Staying focused on the subject while delivering the speech is yet another key factor that determines the success or failure of our delivery. While delivering, we should keep our focus on the subject by developing the topic with relevant supporting details and examples. We should think positively and not allow negative thoughts such as our lack of preparation for the speech interfere with our concentration. We should talk direcly to the audience and adapt to their feedback. Good eye contact with them is very important as it can enhance our confidence and show our interest and enthusiasm on the topic. In delivering the speech , keep the message brief and direct to the point. After all, the time alloted for the speech is short, so we should maximise the time given and not ramble or say too much on the topic. One last word of advice is to speak at the audience’s level. We should choose the language and words that are appropriate to their level.

Ways to determine the content of an impromptu speech

We may not have the time to prepare for our impromptu speech but it is advantageous if we could roughly know what should be included in our speech depending on the type of impromptu speech we are expected to deliver. The following suggestions are for guidance only. They may help you to think very quickly just in case you will be called upon one of these days to deliver a speech. Of course different speakers have their own techniques that suit their style of speaking.

·        Expressing opinion methods

When asked to express an opinion or respond to a particular issue such as in a meeting  or a group discussion, what is required of us is to inform, to persuade or to inspire. In such a situation, the best way handle it is to do the following:

  Make our point (Opening)

 State our reason for making the point (Body)

 Give an example to justify our previous remarks (Body)

 Link the conclusion back to the opening statement (Conclusion)

·        Past, present, future method

Sometimes, we may be asked to comment or respond to a particular topic. When responding to this, we may want to follow the following helpful suggestions:

 Make our point as brief’s possible (Opening)

 Reflect on what happened in the past or based on past issue (Body)

 Connect to what is happening today (Body)

 Predict what could happen in the future (Body)

 Remind our audience what our speech is all about (Conclusion)

·        Other methods (Body)

There could also be other methods or approach that we can adopt when delivering an impromptu speech. The bottom line is, as suggested before, we need to have the opening, body and conclusion to the speech. The following are the other methods that we may want to employ during our impromptu speech:

 Cause, effect and remedy

 Before, the event, the result

 Local, state, federal

 Good, bad, indifferent

The method that we employ in delivering our impromptu speech is not as important as the message itself. If we are able to get the message across leaving the audience with something to ponder upon, our mission has already been accomplished.

Benefits of impromptu speaking skills

To many inexperienced speakers, delivering an impromptu speech can be a nerve-wrecking experience. However, the experiences itself can bring a lot of benefits to the speaker. These advantages include.

·        It improves our oral expression of thought

·        It develops our confidence in public speaking

·        It encourages us to think quickly on our feet

·        It develops leadership and communication skills