Tips for Impromptu Speech
( Slides prepared by Dr. Loi
Chek Kim )
Be confident and relaxed
- When you are confident and relaxed, you would be able to think well and thus know what to say in relation to the given topic
- Try to sound confident even if you are not
Have a simple mind-mapping (visual representation of ideas) - by thinking of some main points relating to the topic
- do not worry about the elaboration at this initial stage
Have a helpful structure to guide the audience during your speech:
(i)Inform the audience on what you are going to tell the audience
(ii) tell the audience
(iii) summarize what you have told the
audience
Use definitions, explanations, examples, stories, your own
encounters, friends’ experiences,
news, etc. to elaborate your points
Some suggestions (STAR, PREP and SIS) on the impromptu speaking frameworks [see Stanford Graduate School of Business (2014) for further details] that you can use to:
- deliver a more structured speech - organize your thoughts
- elaborate your points
STAR
Situation- tell the audience about a situation you encounter
Task- explain to the audience on your task Action- describe the action you take in
realizing the task
Results- elaborate on the results of the action
PREP
(i) Point- start presenting your argument
(ii) Reason- give your reasons for your argument (iii) Example- give examples to support your
arguments (examples can be facts, personal experiences, news, current issues, etc.)
(iv) Point- close your speech by stressing the
same point
SIS
(i) Story- Start talking to your audience by telling them a story relating to the topic
(ii) Implication- Mention the implication of the story explicitly
(iii) Strong - attempt to finish strong in your
speech (positive points/conclusions)
Talk to your audience conversationally
-tell them your personal stories/experiences - make it a point to pause and ask them
some rhetorical questions
- look at them when you speak (positive eye contact can build rapport with your
audience)
Be fluent in your speech and
pronounce your words clearly
Use body language when necessary
-use body language/non-verbal cues (for example, hand gesture, posture, eye contact) to stress a
point or engage with your audience
-be natural in the use of body language and be careful not to overdo it lest it distracts the
audience from listening to your speech
Speak in standard English and not
Manglish or Singlish
Some examples (Manglish) compared to their standard English equivalents: (Zhia, 2015, p. 23)
A: Eh bro, can give me three ringgit or not ah? Boh lui lah now. (Could you please lend me three ringgits? I currently
have no money with me.)
B: Dei macha you ask money from me I where got la? My mother control, man! (I do not have the money that you’re
asking for; my mother controls my sp;ending.)
C. Ala bang, you’re a good man. Don’t worry lah, sure you success wan! (Hey man, you’re a good man. Don’t worry,
it’d be fine!)
Try to minimize grammatical mistakes - too many grammatical mistakes in
your speech may not facilitate your
audience’s comprehension on what you
are trying to say
Conveying your thoughts clearly in your speech is more important
-do not worry about using complex English grammar
-do not worry about using the best sounding English
words
Have a Q & A (Question and Answer) session at
the end of your speech (optional)
References
Sophie Thompson. (2017, August 10). 8 elements of confident body language [Blog post]. Retrieved from
https://virtualspeech.com/blog/8-elements-of-confident-body-language
Stanford Graduate School of Business (2014, September 3). Impromptu Speaking Frameworks. [Video file]. Site name. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
FMB6xtQdjM
Zhia, E. L. (2015). Colloquial Malaysian English (CMalE): A problem or a cool phenomenon? Master thesis submitted to Universitat Jaume I.
