Extempore Speaking: What is it?

Extempore speaking is the term used for a non-formally prepared speech. Explaining to
your parents why you arrived home later than your curfew is a form of extempore
speaking. When you watch a beauty pageant on television and the contestants have to
draw a question and answer it for the judges, they are extempore speaking. Every time
you speak you are preparing for extempore speaking. You probably prepare without
even knowing it. You have to read to learn new things for this type of speaking. When
doing extempore speaking, you need to use the knowledge that you have and use a
strong delivery.

There comes a time in every one's life when he or she will have to give an impromptu
speech. It may be for anything - a radio interview, a teacher trying to get you to speak
up in class, or even in a casual debate. It happens more often than most people would
think. The words we speak are chosen at the point of delivery and they flow back and
forth, with communication being two-way, three-way or four-way. It is all done without
any preparation.

The key to extempore speaking is that the words spoken are chosen as we speak them,
and what is delivered is a stream of consciousness that is fluent, erudite and articulate,
while being unscripted. Effective extempore speaking always has the purpose of the
presentation and the impact on the audience at its heart. In an extempore/impromptu
speaking, it is important to speak to the purpose and to consider carefully what effect
you want to have on your audience, then the notion that it is possible to simply choose
the right words at the point of delivery, without any kind of preparation, is at best naive
and at worst disastrous. Even the few who are capable of it will admit to significant
preparation when the stakes are high.

Not only that, you have to consider how long to speak for. Effective speakers, in their
preparation, also consider the audience at all times. They ensure that they speak to the
audience they have in front of them, rather than the audience they would like to have
in front of them.
Some Tips:

Mental Preparation: Know what to speak before delivering speech. Ponder over the topic for some
time and prepare the flow of delivery. Your previous extempore practice sessions would surely help here.
Understanding the audience, the direction they are most likely to accept , helps in framing the flow of
speech.

Start speaking in an even pace: Do not start really fast, as you are likely to end up not having
anything to speak.

Confidence: Confidence along with Knowledge always helps, even in abstract topics where the
candidate is tested on presence of mind, spontaneity and analytical skills.

Handle Mental blocks smartly: At times, when you get blank about what to speak, try to maneuver
yourself out of the situation gracefully by avoiding being nervous. Candid smiles also help and for such
situations it is better to have back up plans.
 Control on speech: Don't get emotional about the respective topic, avoid getting too personal on
sensitive matters, don't even deviate from the topic and talk irrelevant. For a satisfactory performance, it
is always better to use your knowledge in an intelligent way with a control on the speech.

Presenting both sides Incase of controversial topics (e.g; Should republic day celebrations be
redefined?), the candidate may choose to explore both sides, a stand which becomes difficult to take in
case of GDs due to challenges of group dynamics. In an extempore, since the candidate is the only
person speaking, it becomes possible for a smart, strategic speaker to discuss both aspects of the
controversial topic. However, one has to be careful about the time constraints while taking this stand.

Competence, Enthusiasm & Adaptability is the key: Work on your competence and competitive
advantage which may be either excellent vocabulary, good general knowledge, etc. How well and quickly
a candidate adapts to the situation he/she is put in and with what enthusiasm and energy level does
he/she deliver the speech are some of the other desirable evaluation parameters.

More often than not, you can use the following guideline to talk on an extempore topic :-
If possible define the topic or specific terms of a topic.
If any widely known classifications exist about the subject of the topic, talk about the
classifications.
Provide supporting evidence in the form of data (if you know) or examples.
If the topic provides scope for narrating personal experiences, use the opportunity to do so.
Most importantly, time yourself well. If the panel has given you one minute, try and do one or
more of what has been mentioned in points a to d and complete the extempore logically. It may
not be a good idea to be stopped in the middle of one your sentences.
Examples:-

Red or Blue?

The colors red and blue remind me of the corporate cola giants- Coke and Pepsi; where Coke has a
dominant splash of red in its promotional campaigns, while Pepsi connects with its customers through a
brilliance of blue. Taking this corporate warfare ahead is the example of Jet Airways (blue) and Kingfisher
(red), where the latter was a strong competitor to the long drawn supremacy of Jet Airways in the private
aviation sector. Further, it also reminds me of this wonderful book authored by John Gray, "Men are from
Mars, Women are from Venus", where men and women are two diametrically opposite species in terms of
their sensitivity levels, behavioral patterns and temperamental differences.However, looking at the topic
from another angle is the coexistence of red and blue in the "vibgyor" spectrum to make white light which
is the essence of life.

International trade barriers

'Mercantilism' or Trade Theory was prevalent in 17th & 18th centuries which determined patterns of
International trade & gains from trade. The barriers to International Trade are generally called Tariff
Barriers and Non-Tariff Barriers (TBs & NTBs). Regional Integration Agreements (RIA) were basically
formed so as to reduce Trade barriers between member nations. The formations of subsequent RIAs, i.e.
from "Free Trade" to "Customs Union (eg. SAARC)" to "Common Market" to "Economic/Political Union
(eg. European Union)" went on reducing trade barriers with members and outside nations for developing
good economic ties and International trade relations.
5 Tips to give best Extempore Speech
JULY 2, 2012 2 COMMENTS

Know your direction: Youve got to know how you want to deliver your speech before you actually speak. Should
you go the serious, awe-inspiring route, or the hysterical, laugh-a-minute path? The best way you can make a
decision is to get a quick feel for your audience. What type of people are they? What direction would they most
accept? YourExtempore speech will be praised significantly more if you speak in a language that works with those
listening.
Prepare some backup: It isnt uncommon to forget what you were going to say. What separates a good speech from
a disaster is how well you can catch yourself. Its good to have a backup plan for the times when your mind suddenly
blanks. That way, if youre caught without something to say, you can maneuver yourself out of that situation gracefully
instead of gibbering and shaking in a nervous sweat. In serious situations, you can bail yourself out with a polite way
of excusing yourself
Plot a course: Before you speak, try to make a quick mental outline of what you want to say. Some of the worst
speeches came out of people who didnt take a moment to organize their thoughts before opening their mouths. Your
outline doesnt even have to be in-depth; all you really need is a guide to help keep your thoughts on track
inExtempore Speech.
Keep it short and sweet: Extempore speeches arent expected to be long, epic narratives. In fact, the more
concise you get the better. A lot of people tend to hide their nerves and their being unprepared by using a lot of
words. The problem is they tend to miss the point when they do this in Extempore Speech.
Watch your words: youve got to listen to yourself. You do not want to say something youll eventually regret. Some
things might be private matters to others in the audience, or certain words can be offensive to others. Even the tone
in which you speak affects the reception of your speech. Listen to the words that are coming out of your mouth to
make sure youre saying what you want your audience to hear.