3 Ways To Organize An Impromptu Speech
Impromptu speaking is tough. Just ask the 2007 Miss Teen South Carolina. You may have seen the video of this lovely young lady Carolina responding to a question about Americans being able to find the United States on a map. It’s about a year and a half old, but it still gets a lot of hits on YouTube (over 34 million and counting). If you haven’t seen it, here’s the clip:
Her incoherent response was ironic and many believe it made a strong statement about the sad state of the American education system. That may or may not be the case, but answering a question like that in that situation is a difficult task. Remember, we’re talking about a 17-year-old kid under a lot of pressure. A large audience, bright lights, TV cameras, and the fulfillment of her dream were all adding to the pressure.
If you’re ever in a high-pressure impromptu situation like that, take a few seconds before you respond to gather your thoughts. Don’t be afraid to pause during your response if you need to. If you can pause without a look of panic on your face, you will appear thoughtful and careful, and your audience will respect you for that.
Here are 3 ways to organize your impromptu speech:
The first pattern is called the PREP method. This pattern is your best choice when you only have a few seconds to prepare. Here are the steps:
* Position: State your position on the topic.
* Reason: State your reason for taking the position.
* Example: Provide an example that helps explain your reason.
* Position: Summarize and restate your position.
The second pattern for organizing your impromptu speeches is called the Point-Support-Conclusion method. It goes like this:
* Point: Provide your point of view, key idea, or objective.
* Support: Provide stories or examples that help prove your point.
* Conclusion: End by restating your point of view, key idea, or make your call to action.
The final pattern is called Past-Present-Future:
* Point: State your key point.
* Past: Discuss what happened in the past.
* Present: Discuss what is occurring today.
* Future: Tell your audience about what will or could happen in the future.
* Point: Summarize by restating your key point.
Yes, impromptu can be nerve-racking, but if you stay cool and take a few seconds to organize your thoughts, you’ll look like a pro. Remember that your response does not need to be a masterpiece. Your audience realizes that you are speaking off the cuff. A thoughtful, coherent, and brief response is what is expected.
If you are a student and want a better grade on your next speech, be sure to visit GradeMySpeech.com to have a former speech instructor grade your speech before you have to deliver it for real!
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