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Impromptu activities
Introduction
Activity list
1 Favourite minute
2 Hot off the press
3 Impromptu practise
Complete these three activities to practise impromptu speaking.
Try each activity more than once. Practising is an important part of developing skills.
Remember, an impromptu speech should have a beginning, middle and end, be easy to follow and have a clear message.
Only write key words or phrases on your palm cards.
When delivering your impromptu speech, remember to use your presentation skills (manner).
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Activity 1
Favourite minute
Purpose: to practise speaking fluently and clearly.
- Work with a partner and take it in turns to complete the following.
- Choose from the following 'favourite' topics or make up your own.
- Think for 30 seconds about what you will say on the topic.
- Speak to your partner for 1 minute on the topic.
- Ask your partner for feedback: Did you speak fluently? Were your ideas well-organised? Was your message clear? Did you engage the audience?
Topics:
My favourite food
My favourite place in the world
My favourite book
My favourite expression
My favourite person
My favourite sport
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Activity 2
Hot off the press
Purpose: to deliver a persuasive speech about a current event.
- Work with a partner.
- Go to a news website such as one of these useful links (opens in a new window).
- Each choose a current news story that interests you.
- Read, listen to or watch the story.
- Spend three minutes thinking about the events, ideas or issues in the story and your own opinion.
- Spend five minutes planning a one minute speech that will persuade your partner to your point of view about the story.
- Put your key words or ideas on palm cards.
- Deliver your speeches to each other (decide who will go first.)
- Evaluate each speech: talk about whether the message and subject was clear and the persuasive language techniques used to convince the listener.
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Activity 3
Impromptu practise
Purpose: to gain experience giving 2 minute impromptu speeches.
- Work with up to two other people.
- Together select a topic for the group (use th elist below).
- Each prepare your own 2 minute speech on the topic. You have a 5 minute time limit for this task.
- Take it in turns to deliver your speech to the group. Record the speeches on video or as audio.
- Review the speeches: compare how each person interpreted the topic.
- Share two positive things about each speech and one thing that could be improved.
Topics
Changes
9 to 5
Ready or not
Bargains
Opportunity knocks
Rubbish
No guts, no glory
Give and take
It's no joke
Haves and have nots
Decisions
Good news
The best things in life
It's never too late
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