How to Be a Better Impromptu Speaker: A Lesson Plan

In my years of teaching speech education, I have found that impromptu speaking is one lesson that goes far beyond the classroom. Not only is it vital in learning to think on one's feet so to speak but also is a talent that one can draw from throughout one's life, using it virtually until the day one passes from this world.

The following is a list of subjects I have used in the past with my students to better prepare them for impromptu speaking and to help self esteem in social situations as well.

To make a simple lesson simple, do the following. Using the list below, simply copy these onto cards (the recipe size work well), shuffle and hand them out as the person comes up to speak. If you feel the student needs a couple of minutes to gather their thoughts, it can be given to the student while others are writing a short comment on the previous speaker. It's a simple activity and speeches should be no longer than 45 seconds to 1 minute. These aren't political diatribes, but rather speeches designed to help kids think quickly and speak in an intelligent, well organized manner. You will be surprised how quickly self esteem will rise when you use these cards and how the kids themselves will come up with extra topics as well. So have extra cards on hand, you're going to need them! After the exercise, ask each student to journal what they felt they could have done differently to have produced an impromptu speaking moment with more impact. When students journal on a regular basis about their experiences in impromptu speaking (with you as the instructor stressing there is no right or wrong to the process) then they can only grow as individuals not just in their speaking progress but their self esteem will grow as well.

If you were walking along the street and saw a woman struggling with a stroller, what would you do and why? Describe.

Your neighbor is ill and still has his Christmas decorations up outside his house, what do you do to encourage him to remove them in a timely manner and still help him keep his pride?

In what little way can you help an elderly neighbor in your neighborhood with some of the odds and ends that always seem to need to be done.

If you were given 3 envelopes with $100 in each of them, keeping one for yourself, who would you give the other 2 to, and why?

Do you think chivalry is dead? What is your definition of the word and where have you seen it practised or where could it have been and was not practised.

Do you think it is better to be a kid in a small school in the Midwest with only 25 kids in your class or a kid in a big city where there are hundreds of kids in your class? Why?

If you could go anywhere in the world to study for a month, where would you go and why? What would you study there?

If you could find a cure for any disease, what would the disease be and why is that particular disease important to you?

If you could choose to ride along with a police officer for a week or go with a firefighter, which one would you choose and why?

If you were offered minimum wage in a department store clothing store with 25% discount, or you were offered a job at a local grocery store for $2 and hour more than minimum wage, which would you choose and why?

If you had the chance to work along side a person that is important in the public eye, ie: mayor, senator, representative, governor, Vice President or even Secretary of the house (the President is out of town and you can't help him! :- ) ) which would you choose and why?

If there were one person from history that you could spend an afternoon with asking questions and getting straight, honest answers from, who would it be and what would you ask him/her?

What was the last news story that you remember hearing about?

What was the last sport you watched on TV, tell us about the outcome and why you chose that event to watch.

Would you ever consider working as an apprentice to a craftsman? For example a cabinet maker, a clothing designer, a craftsman, a silver smith? Why or why not and if you would, what would you like to apprentice in?

If you could interview one celebrity in the world and ask 2 questions, who would you interview and what would you ask?

What do you think of the popularity of adopting children from underdeveloped countries?

What do you think about re-instating the draft?

Do you know anyone who served in any area of the service? If so, what was that area and what one thing did they tell you about that experience that has stuck with you?

Do you aspire to be a writer or a poet? If so, what steps are you taking now to achieve that dream?

If a friend wanted to be a Doctor and was offered a full scholarship to college on the stipulation that he play football for them, knowing this will add an extra year to his education but will be fully paid, what would you advise him to do?

Do you know anyone who is a police officer or EMT? What have they told you about their job that would surprise other people who know little about the profession?

Would you ever consider working in Alaska in a remote area for a year? Keeping in mind that the pay scale there is 4 times that of other jobs but it is in a remote area with little or no access for 6 months at a time, would this job appeal to you?

Would you ever consider the life of a model knowing all you do about the demands put upon them to have "perfect" bodies and looks? Why or why not?

If you had the chance to take a super intensive language course like the kind FBI agents are given before they go to other countries, would you take it and what language would you choose?

If you could choose to serve with the United Nations for 1 year in a remote area, what would the area be and what would you choose to do?

Supposing that your school requires one semester of "charitable work" in your area, what would you do and where would you do it?

If you could be on your local school board and have a say in what is new and different in your school system, would you accept the challenge and if so, what would you choose to bring to the table? If you choose not to, what is it about the opportunity that bothers you?

What is your first real memory of family?

What person other than your mother or father has touched your life and why?

What is the one life lesson that someone has taught you that you think of often and use in your daily life.

Do you remember 9/11? Where were you when you heard the news and what was your reaction?

Regarding 9/11, did you or anyone you know do something to help in that time of trouble? If so, what was it and if not, what would you have chosen to do had you been able to?

Do you have an emergency plan in place in your school should a natural disaster hit? Do you know what to do should this happen if you are in public? Share one tip with others as to what to do in any natural disaster situation.

Do you have a cell phone? What rules have your parents or guardians put into place regarding it's use? Do you abide by those rules?

If you were in a mall and suddenly all the power went out, what would you do? Would you choose to crawl to the nearest exit or would you go towards a group of people you could hear but not see?

If you were dropped off at a mall and told there was a new theatre opening that played any movie you wished to see, what movie would you choose and why?

If you could have a Birthday party anywhere in the world and invite 2 celebrities, where would you have the party and whom would you invite?

What is your opinion of cell phone usage and driving? Do you feel it should be up to the driver to decide or the state to mandate? Explain your opinion.

Do you feel cell phone usage should be available to students within school hours or should be banned all together? Explain your opinion on this matter.

What age do you think a child is old enough to have a cell phone for emergency usage? And what do you think of the cell phones available that are programmable only for 911 and family phone calls?

These are but a few of the questions you can ask students to get them comfortable with communication and speaking aloud. Notice there is no right or wrong to the questions and that they are open ended enough for anyone to put their opinions into play, despite their age or speaking experience. A way to add to your evergrowing catalogue of topics to speak on is to ask students to add their own to the mix. After a few tries with impromptu speaking, have each student fill out cards with topics they would like to see addressed in the classroom. Oftentimes, these topics prove to be ones that are the most beneficial. And keep your ears tuned as well, you will find topics in the most unlikely places. Having cards on hand at all times can prove to be a great asset to this exercise.