Impromptu Speech Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: SL.9-10.1

Core Standard

Three-quarters of the population is thought to suffer from something that is called Glossophobia. This is the fear of speaking in public. This is whether the speech was planned well ahead of time or just a few days. You can be sure that few people are comfortable giving a speech with little to no preparation. Speeches that take place without any chance or effort of preparation are called Impromptu. This is rare skill possessed by students in today's heavily tech-dependent culture. We highly encourage teachers to spend time with their students working on this skill as it can be superiorly beneficial for them. This series of worksheets will provide students an opportunity to learn how to give an impromptu speech.

Impromptu Speech Worksheets To Print:

The Prep Sheet - You get get this together in minutes.

Kickoff Topics - This can be used to practice. Teachers can assign the topics or volunteers can get their choice.

Topics to Get Us Started - Choose from one of the topics below. Decide on three main points you want to make for your topic. Be prepared to speak on your topic.

How to Do It - This will get you in the thought process that is required to be successful with these.

Creating a Speech - You will need to focus on three solid arguments that you can make.

Fun Topics to Get Us Going - Great for practice and breakout sessions with students.

The Steps - You are walked through what you need to do to get this done.

Main Thoughts - You can successfully give an impromptu speech if you take a few minutes, first, to think about what you are going to say.

Make it Great! - This can help you organize your thoughts and present them well.

Think It, Then Say It - Use the space inside the head to make brief notes to plan your approach of these thoughts.

A Place to Start - This helps you plan where to start.

Eyecatcher and My Points - The most important things that you need to ponder before getting up there.

Modern Topics - Great things to help you practice. The more practice you get, the easier it is.

Prepping an Outline - This is the bare minimum you should do, even if it in your head and not written down.

My Clear Thoughts - Imagine that your school is hosting visitors from a foreign country. Your principal has asked each student to be prepared to speak for about a minute, if called upon, about your school.

How to Approach an Impromptu Speech

Imagine you are called in front of a huge crowd and asked to deliver a speech. No prior warning or time to organize your thoughts! What would you do?


Speaking to a large crowd without any preparation often results in panic and embarrassment. Therefore, everyone should know what to do in such situations. Here are a few tips to help you deliver an effective impromptu speech.

 

What Is An Impromptu Speech?

 

Impromptu means without preparation. Such speeches are common in classrooms, informal meetings, panel discussions, or ceremonies.

Being asked to speak on the spot means you have just a few minutes to come up with something good and relevant to say.

 

Tips to Deliver an Effective Impromptu Speech

 

The first thing you should keep in mind is not to panic. Delivering a speech without preparation is challenging but not impossible. Below is a list of measures you can follow.

 

1. Take a Few Minutes to Think

Let's imagine you are in a meeting, and the director asks you brief everyone on an on-going project. Instead of panicking, stay relaxed and start thinking. Try to recall the main points about the topic. Focus on how would you start and end your speech. Thinking about the topic for 2 to 3 minutes with full concentration will give you a mental outline of your speech.

 

2. Remain Confident

Your mind will turn completely blank if you start to panic. Take deep breaths and tell yourself you will be fine. If you don't know how to continue after a few sentences, take a pause. You may ask for a glass of water to buy time. Remember it's not just your words that matter; try to compensate for your lack of preparation with confident body language.

 

3. Use the Story-telling Technique

You can turn any topic into a personalized story. Just try to remember an experience relevant to the topic and convey it to the audience in a conversational way. It not only gives you content for your speech but also helps you connect with the audience better.

 

4. Use the 5Ws Structure

The fastest way to prepare for an impromptu speech is to follow who, what, why, when, and how questions. These questions help you cover the topic comprehensively and organize your thoughts within a few seconds. For example, if you are asked to speak about a specific project, tell the audience about the people involved, the purpose behind it, the location where its taking place, and the timeline of the project.

 

5. Follow the Issue-Pros & Cons-Conclusions Outline

This is another effective outline to cover an impromptu speech. You can start off by explaining an issue related to the topic, state a few benefits and drawbacks, and then end with a few recommendations from your side. You can also ask the audience for their input on the issue you are talking about.