Speaking Extemporaneously

Speaking Extemporaneously

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Have you witnessed those calm, collected speakers who seem to be making it up as they go along in a surprisingly organized manner? This is called extemporaneous speaking.

When you speak extemporaneously, you plan the content, organization, and delivery well in advance, but instead of writing the entire speech out word for word, you speak from an outline of key words and phrases or speaking aids such as PowerPoint slides. Extemporaneous speaking involves delivering your speech in an impromptu style, even though the speech is neither spontaneous nor unrehearsed. Most speakers favor extemporaneous delivery because they can fully prepare and rehearse their presentations while economizing on time because they need not determine in advance the exact words that they want to use.

One downside to extemporaneous speaking is that it’s difficult to use precise timing or wording, and speakers can easily get off track, become wordy or repetitive, or exceed their allotted time.

So what’s the secret to succeeding at extemporaneous speaking? You can achieve success and confidence through practice and preparation. Consider the following points:

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Will Ferrell and his costars ad-libbed much of Step Brothers, not unlike what you will do when speaking extemporaneously.

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