As a competitive speaker, I understand the frustration that many face when trying to find an active guide as an how-to.
So, I have taken it upon myself to educate, (and to entertain) anyone who is interested in or wants to learn about the area of Speech.
And no, the capital is not a grammatical error.
Most of you are familiar with debate, which consists of very targeted informative yelling that is fast-paced and filled with evidence. Like clips of British Parliament or reality TV shows, debate is fun to watch and not very fun to live through. I commend all that do it.
So, for you all, and for my ego, I went and did some research. By research, I mean reading and some intensive and specific googling.
The Impromptu Starter Kit, an informative digital booklet written by the National Speech and Debate Association of America, (better known as NSDA,) tells the reader that: “In Impromptu, you are given a choice among three prompts and have seven minutes to prepare and deliver a speech about anything related to the prompt.”
Yes. Very vague, I know.
In addition, it also give us this helpful tidbit: “At its core, an Impromptu speech is your statement about life, society, history, pop culture, the human condition, or whatever else pops into your head. You may wish to take a side and either agree or disagree with the author’s point of view, or you may simply choose to inform or entertain your audience.”
Very easing on the nerves and simple to understand, Impromptu is.
But it actually summarizes the general idea of Impromptu quite well. NSDA tells us that: “The unique thing about Impromptu is you have to create the meaning of the speech on your own. This becomes tricky, because the best Impromptu speech isn’t about the quotation itself. The prompt should make you think of something. Your job is to take that spark of an idea and turn it into a coherent speech with a clear, overarching thesis.”
Again, it sounds terrifying. And it’s not simple to understand.
You may scream now, if you have not already. Part of speech and debate is letting it all out.
(Cue the screaming break)
Now, back to business.
I did not find out the formal definition of Impromptu until I had done it for maybe two or three years. And even then, it was a simplified version.
For the ones who would love a direct link, visit that booklet here.
Now, for my readers who are feeling terrified about this, or reading this the night before a competition, take a deep breath, and relax.
The most important thing for Impromptu speaking is to not freeze up, or at least be able to stumble out a few words. It’s not easy, and I can tell you the firsthand terror of speaking in front of others. It’s difficult and messy.
And with all that messiness, the last thing you need is to forget everything you learned about that topic.
Impromptu is all about how you interpret your topic. Let me explain.
In Impromptu, it is possible for you to get anything, a common word, a current event, a name of a fast food item on the McDonald’s menu, etc. I have literally received U.S states and capitals in a round of Impromptu.
The next thing you should know is that using notes or a laptop is highly discouraged in Impromptu. You should use a pen or paper to prepare your speech.
Fortunately, all the topics I listed above are not likely to be made Impromptu topics. You’ll be given most likely: concrete nouns, adjectives, abstract nouns, quotes, and perhaps famous people or places.
The next thing you’ll want to do is to define that person, place, or thing. You’ll want to have a definite statement about it that links to your topic.
For example, if you get the word “hot dog,” you can interpret to mean that we shouldn’t argue over pointless things.
How did I do that? I used my recollections.
There was a debate among the student population of my school for quite a while about whether a hot dog was a sandwich. I found the debate entertaining but pointless. Hence, my interpretation of the topic.
In order to do that, you’ll want to take your audience through the intricacies of how you got to that topic. This part shouldn’t take that long, so you should make sure your topic is well-linked and understandable.
This is usually the most challenging part of Impromptu speaking. It took me years to get this ability down to a decent level. And I still struggle with it. But I know that you’ll do fine with this.
Another challenging thing about Impromptu is that you have only seven minutes to prepare your speech. Most tournaments will give you two minutes to prepare and five minutes to speak. If not, you should still follow that standard. When preparing, only write down key words and phrases.
In Impromptu, after you get that interpretation, you will want some examples. The simplest structure is a three-point system, so I will explain that in this post.
First, you want your introduction. This consists of your personal experience, which leads us to the topic, and then your interpretation of the topic, or the thesis. Then you’ll want to go over the three main points you will cover in this speech. You should spend one minute on the introduction total.
Then, moving on to your three points. Those three points should each be an example of why your statement is correct. For example, if I was still using “hot dog” and by extension, my statement that we should not argue over pointless things, I would come up with three examples of people who foolishly argued over pointless things and then ended up losing something valuable. You should spend one minute on each of your points.
And finally, your conclusion. This is the easiest part of the whole speech. You list your points again, repeat your topic and your interpretation, and reference your personal story, preferably with some personal growth included or with a life lesson. Better yet, you motivate everyone with some call to action. This part should utilize your last minute.
When doing Impromptu, it is best to stand up. Not standing up can lead to a lower rank.
Make sure that you have a pen and a piece of paper to write on during Impromptu. The paper should be pretty small, so you can take it up on the stage. Laptops or computers or ipads or even phones are frowned upon. It makes it seem as if you are referencing the internet.
When going to a speech tournament, you should always dress formally. (Like this guy! Except he’s not really a speech person.) If you have no formal dress, try to dress in all-black.
If you are in need of an active demonstration, I have included some videos you can watch for a better understanding.
Ensara Sejko’s speech is easy to follow, understand, and interpret. She doesn’t twist the perspective a lot, and she is a wonderful speaker.
Here are links to other videos that will help deepen your understanding:
This video breaking down the rights and wrongs of an actual Impromptu speech
This 2015 US National Finals Speech
I hope that this post has sincerely helped your understanding of Impromptu. I wish you luck in your future endeavors, and I will be adding to this collection and expanding in the near future.
(the anime: my hero academia, demon slayer, spy x family)