Approaching the analysis of an Extemporaneous topic can be overwhelming without a plan.  It is difficult enough developing and supporting a thesis statement let alone trying to structure the speech.  However, Extemporaneous Speaking is much like a research paper in that the structure of one is often the same for the other.  Thus, taking what you know from school and applying it to Forensics is not a bad idea.  If, however, you are still craving a skeletal frame to...

Extemporaneous Speaking is a hard event.  Practice entails not only scheduled practice runs but also regular updating of files for the box, keeping current with National and World affairs from research, improvements to public speaking, enhancing outlining/speech writing skills, and analysis work.  It is an event that, when done properly, will push you due to the sheer amount of skills you need.  But all of these abilities can be taught and honed.  However, it is with...

When you are doing an Interpretive event timing is something that can be whittled down and shaped outside of competition.  Timing is one of the lesser worries; every performance may have slight nuances, but the words do not change.  In Extemporaneous Speaking though, timing is critical.  The structure of a speech might translate across rounds, but being in control and aware of timing and structuring your Extemporaneous speech around limited time is a practiced...

Putting together a good Extemporaneous speech full of relevant, quality sources is only possible if a speaker maintains a well organized tub.  That black box is every Extemper's life source really.  If you are sketchy on a subject that tub could hold an article of enlightenment.  If you have a fantastic argument the box should hold exquisite evidence to support your claim.  But what good is that if you cannot find it!?  Ultimately, what effort you put into...

Extemporaneous Speaking should be a team effort.  For any one tub there will be numerous sources used, enough paper to burst, and an organizational system to be followed.  Regardless of how user-friendly a team has devised their Extemporaneous tubs, maintenance of files is ongoing and always tedious.  And most teams use more than one tub, so the task multiples.  Therefore, someone will always have to play caretaker for the Extemp tubs.  But why should the job be...

When something is optional should you make use of it or forgo its help and look more professional by working unaided?  This is a query every Extemporaneous speaker must pose to themselves.  The event of Extemporaneous Speaking allows for the use of a note card during the speech.  The note card is intended for notes, mainly to be used to remember sources.  The question becomes should you take advantage of this helpful piece of paper?

Use it?If you are new to the...

Extempers are some of the most diligent people in Forensics. Not only are they competing in an event most speechies know little about, Extempers need to be masters of organization, research, improvised speech delivery, public speaking, and current events in politics/history. They basically have to deliver a research paper after being given a fraction of the time you would take to write one—and deliver it with only the aid of an index card. With so much to focus on, what are some...

For someone who has never competed in extemp, the categories of Domestic and International seem pretty self-explanatory. But in reality, there are more to these categories than what first meets the eye. And the challenges that come with each one can be equally surprising.

When students here about domestic extemp, the obvious explanation is extemperaneous speaking involving domestic affairs. However, this category is much more broad than that. While current events and economic...

One Speech event that has always captured my intrigue is Extemporaneous Speaking.  The whole event boggles me.  I can research and write well.  I can form solid arguments, and my analytical skills earned me A's in even the more challenging college courses.  Yet, having to do all of that in the amount of prep time allotted to Extempers terrifies me.  Working under pressure is usually when I produce my best work, but Extemporaneous Speaking is insanity; only...

Canned speeches have a terrible stigma among extempers. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's not fair. It just simply isn't extemp. Unfortunately, once you have competed in speech for three years, it is hard to NOT have canned speeches. By my senior year, I had my education speech memorized. I had statistics, quotes, and facts at my disposal for the most often seen topics. At times, it would only take me 2-3 minutes to prepare my speech because I had delivered it so many times...