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¡¡WHAT IS AN IMPROMPTU SPEECH

¡¡¡¡Thinking is something people do all day long.¡°Thinking on your feet¡±means being able to organize one¡®s ideas quickly and speak about a subject without advance time to prepare. This type of speech is often called an impromptu speech.

¡¡¡¡When do we make impromptu speeches? We make them all the time. Most of our conversations with friends, parents, teachers, and employers answering questions, giving opinions, or sharing knowledge about the many topics we discuss with people on a daily basis. As you can see, you already have experience giving impromptu speeches.

¡¡¡¡In this chapter, you will learn how to think on your feet and give short speeches without advance preparation.

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¡¡ORGANIZING AN IMPROMPTU

¡¡¡¡SPEECH Perhaps the most important tip for giving impromptu speeches is to be prepared. You can often predict when you might be asked to say a few words. Chances are small that you¡¯ll be asked to speak on a topic you know nothing about. However, if you¡¯re going to a meeting and you¡¯re an expert on the subject under discussion, you¡¯ll probably be asked to say a few words.

¡¡¡¡The next most important tip is to take a few seconds to organize your thoughts before you begin speaking¨Cdon¡¯t start speaking without some idea of what you¡¯ll say, only to stop and struggle for words. Experienced speakers use a variety of techniques to help them quickly organize what they plan to say. Here¡¯s one good approach adapted from the critical thinking skills that debaters develop. It takes only a few seconds in most cases.

¡¡¡¡(1) Identify the single most important idea you plan to communicate.

¡¡¡¡(2) Identify two or three support points for that single idea.

¡¡¡¡(3) Piece together an opening sentence, preferably one that ties what has just gone on in the room with what you¡¯re going to say.

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¡¡OUTLINING AN IMPROMPTU SPEECH

¡¡¡¡When preparing for an impromptu speech, it can be helpful to create an outline for your ideas. This outline can be a real outline, which you write on paper, or a mental outline, which you keep in your head. When you create an outline, try to choose an organizational pattern that fits your topic. When Marco was asked to give an impromptu speech on¡°Addictions,¡±he divided the topic /into/ several parts. Notice how he used the pattern of related subtopics in the outline that follows.

¡¡¡¡Example: Marco¡¯s Outline

¡¡¡¡Introduction

¡¡¡¡¢ñ. I¡¯ll bet everyone in this room knows an addict! That¡¯s right, I said addict. Before you get angry, please let me explain.

¡¡¡¡¢ò. When we hear the word addiction, we usually think of harmful substances like drugs or alcohol. We forget there are many other kinds of addictions. I¡¯d now like to remind you of some.

¡¡¡¡Body

¡¡¡¡¢ñ. Television addictions

¡¡¡¡A. Soap operas

¡¡¡¡B. Detective shows

¡¡¡¡C. Sports

¡¡¡¡(1) Football

¡¡¡¡(2) Baseball

¡¡¡¡(3) Wrestling

¡¡¡¡¢ò. Book addictions

¡¡¡¡A.Romance novels

¡¡¡¡B. Mysteries

¡¡¡¡C. Science fiction

¡¡¡¡¢ó. Eating addictions

¡¡¡¡A.Ice cream

¡¡¡¡B. Chocolate

¡¡¡¡¢ô. Other addictions

¡¡¡¡A. Shopping

¡¡¡¡(1) Clothes

¡¡¡¡(2) CDs

¡¡¡¡(3) Antiques

¡¡¡¡B. Hobbies

¡¡¡¡(1) Stamp collecting

¡¡¡¡(2) Photography

¡¡¡¡C. Sports

¡¡¡¡(1) Golf

¡¡¡¡(2) Jogging

¡¡¡¡(3) Swimming

¡¡¡¡Conclusion

¡¡¡¡¢ñ. As you can see, not all addictions are bad for you. And, much to your surprise, you probably know someone who is an addict!

¡¡¡¡¢ò. What kind of addict are you?

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¡¡GUIDELINES FOR IMPROMPTU SPEECH

¡¡¡¡It¡¯ll happen sooner or later in life, so you might at well get ready for it, sometime, somewhere, a finger will point your way, and you¡¯ll be asked to get up and say a few words. Here are some principles to help turn these potentially embarrassing situations /into/ positive opportunities.

¡¡¡¡Consider your audience. Just as you have learned to do in other speaking situations. When you are called on for impromptu remarks, think first of your audience. Who are the members of your audience? What are their common characteristics and interests? What do they know about your topic? What do they expect you to say? What is the occasion of your speech? A quick mental check of these questions will help ensure that even impromptu remarks are audience-centered.

¡¡¡¡Be brief. When you are asked to deliver an off-the-cuff speech, your audience knows the circumstances and will not expect or even want a lengthy discourse. One to three minutes is a realistic time frame for most impromptu situations. Some spur-of-the-moment remarks, such as press statements, may be even shorter.

¡¡¡¡Organize. Even off-the-cuff remarks need not falter or ramble. Effective impromptu speakers still organize their ideas /into/ an introduction, body, and conclusion. Consider organizing your point using a simple organizational strategy such as chronologicalsgroupsor a topical pattern. A variation on the chronological pattern is to use the past, present, future model of addressing an issue. This pattern is well known to students who compete in impromptu speaking contests. The speaker organizes the impromptu speech by discussing (1) what has happened in the past, (2)what is happening now, and (3) what may happen in the future.

¡¡¡¡Speak honestly, but with reserve, from personal experience and knowledge. Because there is no opportunity to conduct any kind of research before delivering an impromptu speech, you will have to speak from your own experience and knowledge. Remember, audiences almost always respond favorably to personal illustration, so use any appropriate and relevant ones that come to mind. Of course, the more knowledge you have the subject to be discussed, the easier it will be to speak about it off the cuff. But do not make up information or provide facts or figures about which you are not certain. An honest¡°I don¬ðt know¡±or a very brief statement is more appropriate.

¡¡¡¡Be cautious. No matter how much knowledge you have, if your subject is at all sensitive or your information is classified, be careful when discussing it during your impromptu speech. If asked about a controversial topic, give an honest but noncommittal answer. You can always elaborate later, but you can never take back something rash you have already said. It is better to be cautions than sorry!