Extemporaneous Speaking
Extemporaneous speaking is prepared and practiced but not written out or memorized. It offers a spontaneous and natural-sounding presentation, and makes it easier to establish immediacy with an audience. The speaker is not the prisoner of a text, and each presentation will vary according to the audience, occasion, and inspiration of the moment. Another large advantage is that it encourages interaction with an audience. A Vanderbilt speaker who distributed photographs and then instructed listeners on how to view them, and another student who asked listeners to close their eyes and imagine themselves living as dwarfs, were playing up these advantages. Such interaction encourages the audience to participate in constructing the message of the speech. It becomes their creation as well, which is especially important when persuading listeners.
Extemporaneous speaking involves preparation and practice, and is therefore more polished than impromptu speaking. But it also allows you to respond to feedback and to adapt accordingly, giving it a strong advantage over manuscript and memorized presentations. Because extemporaneous speaking combines the best characteristics of these various modes of presentation, many instructors require that you use it for most classroom speeches.
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