14 Extemporaneous Speech Topics Plus Tips

Extemporaneous speech topics tutorial including preparation in three steps and fourteen exemplars for improvisation. Prepare good, quick and properly in a minimum of preparation time for school and / or college assigments, tournaments or business public speaking occasions. The goal of right extemporaneous speaking is this: to persuade or inform an audience briefly. This is the common general definition of speaking.

If you are asking yourself: What should I do in the extemp speech? Then keep this rule of thumb in mind: the extemporaneous speech topics must answer the question in a school assignment or tournament. Simple and easy. Although the best spontaneous speaker can speak almost without any notes. But avoid that if you feel not confident enough. In general, we can define three specified types of extemporaneous speeches:

• High School And College Assignments - Always do what your teacher asks you to do! Often you have to pick out forms of informative, analytical, international, domestic or economic questions about current events. Your extemporaneous speech topics should answer the question exactly.
  
  Check if some written notes are permitted in classroom.
• Tournaments - An event where speakers receive their questionnaire forms. Check the tournament entry to see which format and which rules will be used. Successful extempers don't use cards.
  
  However, if you are allowed to use notes, then use a card for each element in the form below. Just use keywords.
• Business Presentations - The are considered as difficult by those who must give presentations in business. Here I limit myself to good class hints for at school, college and for tournaments.

Preparation In 3 Steps
These three steps for preparing extemporaneous speech topics will help you to do what you have to do: answering the question in case of school assignments or tournaments.

• The First Step - Analyze what extemporaneous question you have to answer:
  • Questions of fact - Characterized by is and are, or will or would.
  
  
  • Questions of value - Characterized by should.
  
  
  • Questions of policy - Characterized by can and could. Often used for an political discour.
• The Second Step - Determine if it is informative or persuasive. The words what, which and who indicate that it is an informative issue. The words should and why indicate that it is a persuasive issue.
• The Third Step - Always stay with your subject. In other words: never change the ideas. Now, organize your ideas and points effectively. You can use the outline technique below. Focus on your subject and think about the various angles.
  
  Now write those first thoughts quickly down. Catch them in keywords.

14 Exemplars
Ready for a couple of extemporaneous speech topics? Here we go: Can We Blame – fill in a team – For Its Defeat?
Why Do I Play Golf? Or another kind of sports
Should – fill in an name – Win A MTV Award?
I’m Just A Paperboy Now, Will I Become A Millionaire?
Who Is The Laziest Person On The Campus And Why?
Should We All Buy – fill in a product - ?
Why Do We Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Which Moviestar Earns Too Much Money In Comparison To His / Her Merits?
Why Is Barcelona A Special Place To Be? Or any other city or region
Is The X-Box Better Than Playstation 3?
Will – fill in a name- Become Senator?
Who Is The Best Songwriter?
Could We Really Say To Our Bosses What’s On Our Mind?
What Television Program Should Be Banned And Why?

Tip: Tweak a little bit with the why's, can's, could's. That's the way to discover your own themes and original extemporaneous speech topics. Nice for your audience too.

The Basic Elements
Use this outline to prepare ideas quick and properly. Remember: all information that you want to cover should answer the mandatory question of the teacher or jury members.

Your Theoretical Outline Method
YOUR TITLE
In one complete summarizing sentence: _______

THE INTRODUCTION
Grab the attention of your public in a oneliner that state the theme. Relate the oneliner to question. State the extemporaneous speech topics question and tell why it is important. Briefly answer it. Tease your main points.

THE BODY TEXT TO SPEECH
The main points should be phrased as argumentative statements. Devote an equal amount of time at each point. Try to come up with three points.

Try to come up with three sub-points. Construct your sub-points with credible arguments and factual evidence.

Perhaps you can add relevant statistics and references. Think about the pros and cons, likes and dislikes, advantages and disadvantages.

Refer to reliable sources, it will enhance your credibility. Write down your the points in one sentence for each point.

Just pick out the elements which are appropriate within the time limit!

MAIN POINT I:

SUB POINT 1:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

SUB POINT 2:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

SUB POINT 3:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

MAIN POINT II:

SUB POINT 1:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

SUB POINT 2:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

SUB POINT 3:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

MAIN POINT III:

SUB POINT 1:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

SUB POINT 2:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

SUB POINT 3:
Arguments?
Evidence?
Statistics?
References?

YOUR CONCLUSION Summarize the main points of your extemporaneous topics. State the question again. State your answer in a catchy oneliner.

Is There One Single Best Outline?
No. The best outline doesn't exist. The pattern above is just a method to organize extemporaneous topics quick and efficient.

Open Or Closed Questions?
Mostly there are two types of questions, open and closed for extemporaneous speech topics. Determine what type you are answering.

• Closed Questions - You can only state a clear Yes or No in your introduction. In the points of the body part you offer the arguments.
  Example: Is Disclosure A Bad Movie? Yes, you can also choose for humorous.
• Open Questions - State how or what will, should or can be done in your introduction. Then guide the audience to the answer in logical steps. Those steps are the major points in your extemp.
  E.g. What Can We Do Against Corrupt Politicians?

How To Deliver
This is about time management, practicing and repeating, and the delivery:

• Time Management - The right time management is crucial. Put a watch in front of you. If you have 30 minutes to prepare, then divide that time in parts. Below are three examples of time management. Find out which one is the best for you. If you are allowed to use note cards, then the memorize part can be shorter in time, of course.

  RESEARCH 5 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutes

  WRITE 10 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes

  REFLECT AND MEMORIZE 10 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes

  PRACTICE AND POLISH 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes

• More about practicing - Visualize the flow of your extemporaneous speech topics in your mind. Something like this: first I want to state this, and then I prove it by that.
  
  And so on. Learn the sequence by heart. If there’s a possibility to practice in front of a friend or classmate, then do it!
  
  And listen to their comment. Elaborate on it. Another idea is to tape yourself on audio or video. Listen and look if you are making logical steps, transitions and pauses.
  
  Another possibility is to practice out loud in front of a mirror.
• Delivery - Do not be boring with monotonous and facts and a phlegmatic attitude, add some funny extemporaneous speech topics in your presentation. Talk easy, and in a normal tempo - do not talk to fast.
  
  Do not speak like a talking puppet in a suit. Move a little bit, use the proper gestures (guide them trough your material with hand signals and passionate facial expresions) to emphasize your main points and the direction of logical reasoning.

Composing Handy Tubs
Many competitors spend hours a week to prepare files with noteworthy articles about every possible subject for extemporaneous speech topics. They can use these so-called Extemp Tubs in tournaments. But how does a speaker fill these files with the best?

Here are my Six Golden Tips:

1. Analyze and study current events in magazines and newspapers. Sort out the headlines, the pros and cons, reasons, statistics and sources.

2. Research on the Internet. Pay special attention to quotes and reports of scientific researchers. Don’t forget to find humorous quotes, to break the ice.

3. Watch interesting television documentaries and note the facts and the conclusions that could be extracted.

4. Ask experienced competitors how they prepare for public speaking. Look how they practice and perform on stage, and learn their educational discourse tricks.

5. Organize and update your files in a way you can find your written notes quick and easy. For instance, organize your plastic tub like a cherry tree – pick four or five general extemporaneous speech topics in hanging folders.

And place within those general tabulations lots of sub-sequences categorized from A to Z.

6. Also use a reference book, a dictionary, a small encyclopedia, et cetera to refill fresh and creative ideas.

By now, you have learned how to prepare and outline your communication subjects - I wish you all succes you need and keep improving your communication skills. Bookmark and share this tutorial and come back whenever you like :-)