Speaking Extemporaneously
Have you witnessed those calm, collected speakers who seem to be making it up as they go along in a surprisingly organized manner? They are likely practicing 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 or Prezi virtual canvas. 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:
- Prepare well in advance. You can begin preparing for an extemporaneous speech as soon as you decide on a topic. Think about some possible points you want to make and how you might support them.
- Don’t forget the outline! As mentioned in Chapter 13, your key-
word or phrase outline keeps you focused but gives you lots of flexibility with your word choice. - Practice truly makes perfect. Actors or musicians don’t always give the exact same performance, but they do practice a lot. When you get really familiar with a script or a musical composition (or a speech), you may indeed memorize parts of it, but a little bit of it will change each and every time, allowing for a more natural delivery.
