Extemporaneous Speaking, also known as "Extemp,"
is a high school and college speech event which students speak
persuasively or informatively about
current events. In Extemp, a speaker chooses
a question out of three offered, then prepares for thirty minutes
with the use of previously prepared articles from magazines,
journals and newspapers before speaking for seven minutes on the
topic. There are four different speaking events (depending on the
contest rules) informative, persuasive, domestic, and
foreign.
Basic information and format
The actual speech is delivered without the aid of notes and, at top
levels, is a smooth, dynamic performance that incorporates
research, background knowledge, humor, and opinion. A successful
extemp speech has an introduction that catches the listener's
attention, introduces the theme of the speech, and answers the
question through three, or sometimes two, areas of analysis which
develop an answer to the question. The preview of the three or two
areas of analysis to come is called the "menu". The conclusion
summarizes the speech and ties everything together, relating back
to the introduction and body of the speech.
Debate and public speaking (collectively called "Forensics") are
generally stratified into novice, or beginning, and varsity, or
experienced, levels. A varsity level extemp is expected to cite
anywhere from five to ten sources within the speech to substantiate
the credibility of the analysis and demonstrate ample preparation.
References are often referred to as a "cite" or "citation." Quality
sources include newspapers like the New York Times and Christian
Science Monitor, magazines like the Economist and Foreign Policy
and journals like the Fletcher Forum on World Affairs and Foreign
Affairs. Also, on a speech dealing with a certain region's issues,
say Africa or the Middle East, it is good to include regional
sources as well.
During the speech, competitors are evaluated by way of comparison
to the other speakers in a 'round' of competition. Generally, there
are five to eight competitors in a given round. Judges give
speakers time signals to help them pace their presentations. Judges
rank all students in a room in order, with one being the best and
the worst speaker ranked last (sixth, for example in a round of six
competitors).
The
National Forensic
League (NFL), the
National
Christian Forensics and Communication Association (NCFCA) and
the
National Catholic
Forensic League (CFL) host most Extemp tournaments. Both
leagues have a national tournament at the end of every year, with
the NFL tournament drawing a larger number of competitors.
Northwestern University also hosts the Tournament of Champions in
Extemperaneous Speaking each year.
Other good national extemp tournaments
include the MBA (Montgomery Bell Academy) Round Robin, Harvard
University
Invitational, George Mason University's Patriot
Games, St. Mark's Heart of Texas Invitational, the Glenbrooks in
Northbrook, IL a suburb of Chicago, and the Barkley Forum at
Emory
University
.
The Different Types of Extemp
Most high school level districts offer two different kinds of
Extemp Speaking. Normally, those are FX (or Foreign Extemp or
IX) and DX (or
Domestic Extemp or
USX). Both follow the
same format but have questions concentrated on either foreign or
domestic political/economic topics. Some states, like Pennsylvania,
offer a different event called Extemp Commentary. In Extemp
Commentary the speaker, seated behind a desk, gives a five-minute
speech about a topic rather than about a question. Extemp
Commentary is also held at the
National Speech and Debate
Tournament as a Supplemental Event.
In college forensics, as well as at a number of large tournaments
like the Tournament of Champions in Extemporaneous Speaking at
Northwestern University, the Barkley Forum at Emory University, the
Harvard Invitational and the NCFL National Championship, there is
only one mixed category for Extemporaneous Speaking, referred to as
simply 'Extemp' (with the event code 'EX'). Mixed extemp can prove
more challenging, calling upon a speaker's broad awareness of
possible topics ranging for questions about American culture to
foreign policy or obscure international economic issues.
The Extemp Speech Structure
The structure of an extemporaneous speech varies widely depending
on whether the competition is a high school or college tournament,
and can often vary in style across the country. The most common
method, exemplified in several high school and college national
final rounds, follows a similar structure to the one described
below.
Introduction
- Attention Getter - A device used to get the attention
of an audience. Some examples include quotations, statistics,
history, narratives, political cartoons, anecdotes, and pop culture
references. A typical attention getting device (sometimes referred
to as an AGD) seeks to set the tone for an extemporaneous speech
and acquaint the audiences with the particular style of the
speaker.
- Link - A description of how the attention getter
relates to the actual topic (for example, a speaker might describe
how the movie "The Godfather" applies to a topic like American
foreign policy). Links can be abstract (connecting the attention
getter to the topic using a one word comparison that usually
employs 'like' or 'as') or concrete (making multiple connections
between the attention getter to the topic).
- Significance Statement - A sentence justifying the
importance and relevance of the chosen topic.
- Source- Most introductions include at least one
source, often used to substantiate the Significance Statement.
Sources are cited orally and include the name of the publication
and the date, at the minimum (e.g. "The Washington Post of October
23, 2006 reports that...")
- Question - A word-for-word recitation of the question
(topic) as selected (e.g. "Is Pakistani President Musharraf doing
all he can to fight extremism in his country?")
- Definition - A definition of any vague words that are
critical to your argument (e.g. "extremism") Some definitions can
be frowned upon if given in a monotone, or robotic, voice. It is a
good tip for all speakers to watch how and when you give
definitions.
- Answer - A summary of the position to be taken on the
issue.
- Preview - A preview of the body areas of the speech.
Each point should be a short declarative sentence. ("First,
Brazil's economic performance will outweigh the alleged
corruption.")
Body
It is common that Extemporaneous speeches will have good deal of
structure. One of the most frequently employed speech structures
will accommodate three contentions or points, each containing two
or three sub-points. A popular and easy to follow method of
composing contentions includes the three sub-points: Theory,
Application and Case Study.
Example
In this example, the first point is illustrated in
detail.
Question: Will Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi win his campaign
for re-election?Answer: Yes, because he is seen as an effector of
necessary reform.
First Point - Koizumi is placing emphasis on the
privatization of the Japanese Postal System
Theory - When a candidate focuses their energies on a limited issue
that the public supports, they have a greater chance for
success.
Application - While Koizumi's approval rating often dips below 50%,
his pledge to privatize the Postal System keeps him more popular
than any other person or party
Case Study - An Economist article date June 9, 2005 notes that The
Japanese Postal system currently sits at ¥386 trillion ($3.6
trillion) in assets, making it the world's biggest financial
institution. It continues to explain that Mr. Koizumi is now close
to getting a vote on a bill that will—eventually—turn it over to
the private sector.
Impact - Because Prime Minister Koizumi will so effectively reform
the postal service he will be seen as an effector of reform which
will easily win him the re-election.
The conclusion is an opportunity to recap the ideas discussed in
the speech and contains many elements of the introduction. A
conclusion may look like this:
- Question - A word-for-word restatement of the
question.
- Answer - A review of the answer and points
discussed.
- Tie to Introduction/Conclusion - This should be along
the same lines as the opening attention getter. The same 'vehicle'
or theme (for example, an anecdote about Margaret Thatcher) is
employed to conclude the speech as was used initially to introduce
it. A clever closing line is common place and many strong
competitors will remind the judge of the question, while
simultaneously referencing the theme discussed in the introduction
and conclusion.
References
External links
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