Impromptu speaking
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Impromptu speaking is a speech and debate consolation event that involves an eight minute speech, with up to three of these eight minutes available for use as preparation time (known as prep time, or simply prep). At the college level, the speaker is granted seven minutes to divide as he or she sees fit, as stipulated by the National Forensics Association and the American Forensics Association. Another variation exists in which the speaker must speak for five minutes and half of a minute is given for preparation time. The speaker receives a slip of paper, which provides three choices for their speech. The topics can be abstract or concrete nouns, people, political events, quotations or proverbs. While the format is simple, it takes time to construct a speech in that time and talk on your feet. Mastery of this event is difficult, but many enjoy it, because one does not have to prepare for the event beforehand. Similar in theory to extemporaneous speaking, however unlike that category, impromptu speeches need not be factual and are indeed encouraged to be humorous. In some impromptu rounds, there is a "triad" prompt, in which the participant is given three key words to talk about and connect during the speech.
OHSSL Impromptu differs from the rules provided above in the fact that you are provided with seven minutes of time to divide at your discretion between prepping and speaking. Additionally, all topics are quotations--occasionally themed but generally random. Ohio Impromptu is also more factual and less humour based, resembling extemp. Analysis of quotations typically follows a general structure of:
I. Intro, Statement of Quotation, Thesis (main point) A. B. II. First contention (main point) A. B. III. Second contention(main point) A. B. IV. Third contention (main point) A. B. V. Conclusion
There are other structures that can be used. Double analysis is normally used by experienced impromptu speakers. Experienced speakers usually divide the prep and speaking time at a 1:6 ratio.
Not all state competitions, however, follow the same rules for impromptu. In Indiana, for instance, the event is not a consolation event. A speaker will walk into his or her speaking room and receive the topic from the judge. The speaker then has 30 seconds to prepare a speech that lasts up to 5 minutes. In the three preliminary rounds, a speaker generally receives a word, a quotation, and a current event.
In Academic Decathlon an Impromptu speech consists of an alloted one minute to prepare a speech followed by approximately two minutes to deliver the speech. Various schools will compete in the competition with their respective team members, schools like Acalanes and Antioch High School.
