Thinking on your own feet
Chapter 12.
Thinking on your own feet
• Being able to organize one’s own idea quickly
& speak about a subject without advance time
to prepare.
• Impromptu speech.
• When do we make impromptu speech?
• Key to make impromptu speech:
To practice giving extended responses to
questions.
Respond to Question
• (p.210)
• Practice giving an answer to a question.
• Try to elaborate your response by anticipating
what the listener might want to know and
providing the information.
Impromptu Speech
http://www.speech-topics-help.com/impromptu-speech-topics.html
http://k6educators.about.com/cs/helpforteachers/a/impromptuspeech.htm
http://www.creativekeys.net/PowerfulPresentations/article1015.html
Impromptu Speech
• An impromptu speech will unnerve even the
best public speaker. One of the most daunting
experiences a person can face is the request
to deliver a speech without notice.
http://www.speech-topics-help.com/impromptu-speech-topics.html
http://k6educators.about.com/cs/helpforteachers/a/impromptuspeech.htm
http://www.creativekeys.net/PowerfulPresentations/article1015.html
Preparing for the Impromptu Speech
• To be well-informed about news events.
• To organize thoughts and opinions quickly and
systematically.
• To be familiar with different organization
patterns.
Organizing the Impromptu Speech
• Make your speech by following a certain pattern is the
easiest and the quickest way for you to respond to any
topic spontaneously.
• (p.212)
• Past-present-future.
• Time.
• Problem-Solution.
• Location.
• Cause-Effect or Effect-Cause.
• Related Subtopics.
• Advantage-Disadvantage .
• Speech Topic
• INTRODUCTION
Specific Purpose Statement: ______________
• BODY
– Point 1: _______________________________
Support 1: ____________________________
Support 2: ____________________________
Support 3: ____________________________
Short Summary of point 1:
– Point 2: _______________________________
Support 1: ____________________________
Support 2: ____________________________
Support 3: ____________________________
Short Summary of point 2:
– Point 3: _______________________________
Support 1: ____________________________
Support 2: ____________________________
Support 3: ____________________________
Short Summary of point 3:
• CONCLUSION
Summarize why your answer is the best: __________
Questions you may ask…
• What to talk about and how?
• Any tip to avoid panic and embarrassment?
• What if you just draw a blank on the stage?
Step 1.
• Write down what first comes up in your mind.
• A rhetorical question
A value
A quotation
A practical example
A solution for a problem
A challenge for your class mates
• That first idea leads you to a specific speech
statement - your thesis - to the point you want to
make.
Step 2.
• Provide two or three points that supports
your statement or thesis.
• Reasons
Facts
Statistics
Ways how-to-do-it
Personal experiences or solutions
Step 3.
• Provide couples of supports for each point.
Two is okay. Three is best
• Bottom-line: The supports have to prove the
points, and the points have to prove the
statement of your impromptu speech topics.
Tips to Avoid Panic and Embarrassment
•
•
•
•
Grab a pen and a piece of paper.
Jot down interesting or significant points.
Hijack the topic.
Begin with your introductory sentence,
elaborate, then start working your way to your
ending sentence. Complete structure
• As you deliver your speech, concentrate on
pronunciation and tone. Intelligibility
What If You Draw a Blank
• Pretend like you're pausing on purpose.
– Walk back and forth slowly, as if you're letting your last point
sink in.
• If you need more time to think, you may want to ask the
audience a question.
– "Do you have any questions," or "Can everyone hear me okay?"
• If you still can't think of what to say, make up a reason to
pause the speech.
– "I'm sorry, but my throat is very dry. Can I please get a glass of
water?”
• There is always a joker or popular person who will stand
out in the crowd. Stare at someone and try to draw a
response from him or her while you think.
For your speech…
• You will give a 3 minute impromptu speech.
• Your topic will be assigned randomly be drawing lots.
• You may jot down notes for yourself on a small piece
of paper in the 6 minute preparation period, but you
may not write out your speech.
• You may start with a one sentence attention-getter
and move quickly into the main point. You might
preview 2 or 3 of your main points. If you wish, you
may draw a quick visual aid too.
• You would be assigned as an anonymous
evaluator for two speakers. You need to
provide detailed evaluations (suggestions,
comments, critiques) for them, and to score
them based on your judgment.
• Also, evaluate your own performance.