Coaching
Extemp
Tim Cook,
Extemp Topic Analysis
This handout can be found at http://www.extemptopicanalysis.com/instruction.asp
Disclaimer
Not all the answers.
I want you contribute ideas!
Not a sales presentation.
This project is still under
construction.
Objectives
Basic requirements you need to cover with students.
Provide 25 Helpful Hints.
Direct you to some excellent resources / materials.
Topics
of discussion
Part One:
Speech
Part Two: Delivery
Part Three:
Files
Part Four:
Teaching
Addendum: Sample speech
Part One: Speech
What should I do in the extemp speech?
Simple,
the speech must answer the question.
The speaker must have a clearly articulated reply to the question. Many speakers will have a beautifully
delivered 6 ˝ minute speech, but never answer the question. These are the
students you see in the cafeteria during finals.
A.
Format
All
speeches must have an introduction, body and conclusion. In competitive extemp, a rather rigorous
standard has developed. Mastering the
format is the first step in the extemp process.
Introduction
Attention Getter – also called a hook; it captures the audience
interest
Connection – relate attention getter to the question
Question – state question word for word
Answer – briefly answer the question, answer should be clear
and direct
Foreshadow – state your main points
Background – limited information to form a backdrop to speech or
Justification – tell the judge the importance of the topic.
Body
I. Main point
II. Main point
III. Main point
Conclusion
Repeat Main Points
Restate the Question
Reiterate your Answer
Link back to the Attention
Getter and bring closure
Student worksheet to write an extemp speech
Introduction
Attention Getter
captures the audience
interest (quote, joke, anecdote, startling fact, poem, etc.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Connection
relate attention getter to
question
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question – state question word for word
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer – briefly answer the question, answer should be clear
and direct
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Foreshadow – state your main points
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background –
limited information to form a backdrop to speech or
Justification
– tell the judge the importance of the topic.
Use
evidence.
Body
I. Main point
Analysis
Source
Importance
Analysis
Source
Importance
Internal Summary
Link to question
II. Main point
Analysis
Source
Importance
Analysis
Source
Importance
Internal Summary
Link to question
III. Main point
Analysis
Source
Importance
Analysis
Source
Importance
Internal Summary
Link to question
Conclusion
Repeat Main Points
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Restate the Question
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reiterate your Answer
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Link back to the Attention
Getter and bring closure
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introductions / Conclusions
The introduction is the most important part of the
speech. You must “hook” the audience.
A good introduction will:
1. Hook the audience
2. Set a framework or theme for the speech
3. Set the mood for the speech
4. Make the speaker “likeable”
Common techniques include:
1. Jokes
2. Rhetorical questions
3. Anecdotes
4. Fables
5. Startling statistics
6. Quotes
7. Political cartoons
8. Movie
A good conclusion will:
1. Review
2. Dispel any remaining doubts that the
question was answered.
3. Restate the thesis.
4. Motivate the audience to think or do
something. An emotional response
(topic’s importance, desire to resolve the problem, etc.)
5. Provide a definite ending for the
speech. Tie a bow
1 Helpful Hint
Students should manuscript only the introduction to a speech. They should write at least two drafts before
reaching the final product.
This teaches them choosing the “perfect word” and format are important
to a successful introduction.
Samples
Woodrow Wilson in 1914 said, “The truth is our economic system is
heartless.” Now this may have been true in 1914, but is our economic
system heartless today. The 9 million unemployed Americans today
would argue the system is heartless, merciless, cruel, and even
ruthless. President Bush could be the first president since Herbert
Hoover to witness the total number of jobs fall during his term. 3.2
million private sector jobs have vanished during the Bush term. Hence,
many people today are asking: Is Bush responsible for the record number of jobs
that have been lost during his term? The answer is no. Bush may
have been at the helm, but the ship was built before he was elected. To
fully understand my position I will develop two points: First, American
manufacturing is in long-term decline and Bush does not have the power to reverse
the trend; Second, the administrations has enacted economic recovery
programs, but time is needed for job growth. With the current
presidential election rhetoric, a proper understanding of this issue is
imperative. Bush is responsive to unemployment concerns and is acting.
President Bush said while speaking to the International Union of Operating
Engineers in
First, American
manufacturing is in long-term decline and Bush does not have the power to
reverse the trend…...
Two young engineers applied
for a single position at a company. They both had the same qualifications. In
order to determine which individual to hire, the applicants were asked to take
a test. Upon completion of the test, both men had each missed only one of
the questions. The manager went to the first applicant and said, ‘’Thank you
for your interest, but we’ve decided to give the job to the other applicant.’’
“And why would you be doing that? We both got nine questions correct,” asked
the rejected applicant. “We have based our decision not on the correct answers,
but on the question you missed,” said the department manager. “And just how
would one incorrect answer be better than the other?” the rejected applicant
inquired. ‘’Simple,’’ said the department manager, ‘’Your fellow applicant put
down on question #5, ‘I don’t know.’ You put down, ‘neither do
First, American
manufacturing is in long-term decline and Bush does not have the power to
reverse the trend…...
2 Helpful Hints
Xerox this page and have students label the parts of the introduction.
Next, copy the final drafts of the introductions the students
wrote. Have students label the parts of
those introduction. They are identifying
the parts, but also reading some “good” introductions they might use at the
next tournament.
Rushin, Prearranged
introductions
During
my senior year, I became known on the extemp circuit as the “Joe Millionaire
Guy” because in my two biggest rounds at TFA state, I chose to use what I felt
was the most applicable and strongest introduction available to me. So, in TFA
state semifinals and finals, I chose to use the same introduction each
time. The tactic got to me finals and helped me succeed. Nevertheless, many
would see this as cheap; I completely disagree. The bottom line is that almost
every extemper in state finals and national finals has an array of pre-arranged
introductions that they can use at different times. It is never good to
rely on only one introduction, but having a set of 5-6 introductions
that you use at different times is a very efficient way to not be too contrived
and greatly enhance fluency at the beginning of your speech.
It is a good idea to use
humor and make the introduction something in popular culture, a joke, and
generally not a personal story. Here is my example:
TOPIC: How has the war in
(AGD) FOX has always been the
champion of quality television, whether it be a show in which supermodels are
forced to work in foreign farm labor jobs, or whether it be a show in which
average Americans compete for the opportunity to be publicly embarrassed by
Simon Cowell. But perhaps FOX’s
classiest show came in the fall of 2003 when a handful of women fought for the
heart of one supposed millionaire. After weeks of fighting for his heart, one
woman was crowned the winner and was allowed to marry the man, only to be told
one small detail: The man whose heart she had won was in fact not a
millionaire, but a construction worker who made 17,000 dollars a year.
(LINK) Now in the example of
Joe Millionaire, the women involved in the show felt as if they were deceived
by the FOX corporation, led to believe one thing only to find out that what
they believed was in fact false. While the marriage between Joe Millionaire and
his spouse might have been unsuccessful, a similar marriage of sorts, the
marriage between the British Labour Party and populous of the
J- Justification for
O- Opposition parties have
gained support
E- Economic impact of the war
has exacerbated financial crisis
Weaving
Use the introductory technique throughout the
speech, use it as a transition. Don’t
just have it on the top and bottom of the speech. However, it should not become a filler or a replacement for content.
One of my favorite Aseop’s fables is the The Crow and the Pitcher:
A crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a
Pitcher which had once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into
the mouth of the pitcher he found that only very little water was left in it,
and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it. He tried, and
he tried, but at last had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to
him, and he took a pebble and he dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took
another pebble and dropped it into the pitcher. Then he took another
pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and
dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that
into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the
Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he
took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. At last, he saw
the water mount up near him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was
able to quench his thirst and save his life.
The moral of the story:
Little by little does the trick.
In other
words, the answers to our troubles may not always come immediately, or
instantaneously. We may have to take many steps before we finally reach
the resolution. A culture based on fast-food restaurants, cell phones and
24 hour photo processing, will find it difficult to accept this
“incrementalism” or “gradualism.” Just ask FEMA. Nevertheless for
many of our problems, the solution will only come “little
by little.” Such is the case in
This
is a significant war, a war we must win. Air Force General Richard Myers
said, “Winning the war in
Therefore
it is imperative to ask the question: Is the
First, little by little stability is being achieved in
On
September 29, The Washington Post reported, “President Bush warned yesterday
that the bloodshed and violence by Iraqi extremists will escalate as the
country moves into the last phase of its transition over the next three
months…”
The
surge in insurgency activity is not an indication that we are losing the war,
but rather is a last ditch effort by the terrorists to cause civil unrest in
the final stages of transition in
According
to Times Online, September 13, “we know…Abu Musab al-Zarqawi remains a very
potent force. He has many volunteers for suicide missions. He is
being supplied with men and probably money via
However,
Air Force Captain Patrick Horn argued, “The insurgency is waning. This movement
was never well organized and the ones who remain at odds with each other are
losing the critical support of the populace.”
For
example, the killing of al Qaeda's second-in-command in
The
Christian Science Monitor quantified efforts to minimize the Iraqi insurgency
on September 28, “According to American military officials, the US has either
made key arrests or developed informants who have led to a cascade of
actionable intelligence over the past month. Since the middle of August, the
Colonel
Stephen Davis contended little by little the insurgency
is being minimized, "We are dismantling the network. We are
taking out the leaders, the facilitators, the financiers, the operational guys,
and the foot solders."
If expediency is the goal we should remember George
Orwell's wise words, “The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.”
Therefore,
Reuters reported on September 28, “Iraqi forces are taking an increasing role
in security operations and holding control of cities where military operations
have flushed out insurgents.”
To date,
On September 19, Guardian Unlimited confirmed this, “The Bush administration
and the Iraqi government claim to be making major strides in fielding a capable
Iraqi army, a force said to be nearing 200,000 strong. The plan calls for the
Iraqi force to increasingly take over control of the country from the 140,000
General George Casey, the senior
Given the minimization of the insurgency and establishment of an effective
Iraqi army, stability is being achieved in
Transition and Internal Summaries
The speech
must have transitions. Transitions establish the connection between the
main point just completed and next part of the speech. Transitions allow the speaker to move from
one place to another place in the speech. They make the speech fit together.
Without transitions the speech will be choppy and hard to follow.
Practice transitions so they become routine.
Internal summaries and previews should also be included in the speech.
Think of each point as a speech within a speech. After you present the
transition and argumentative point, the speaker should preview the sub
points. When the speaker has developed the sub analysis, a brief summary
of the point should be given. Internal summaries should link back to the
question and reinforce your answer to the question.
Major transitions, moving to a new point,
should also be highlighted nonverbally by taking three steps. As a general rule when you move your feet,
you should be saying a number.
3 Helpful Hints
Tag team impromptu speeches
Divide class into groups of 5.
Each student will deliver a portion of the speech.
Speaker #1 Intro
Speaker #2 Point 1
Speaker #3 Point 2
Speaker #4 Point 3
Speaker #5 Conclusion
While doing this activity, emphasize transitions.
Source Cites
Sources increase a speaker's credibility. Many people are from the
school of thought "the more sources the better the speech." I
disagree. A good speaker will emphasize quality over quantity. I
literally have seen speakers dump so many sources that it left very little time
for analysis. Make sure you give the date and have a variety of
sources. I would also like to see more information about the source, what
makes it a credible citation (authors credentials, based on a valid
study).
How to introduce sources
Trade deficits are normal during
times of industrial growth. Therefore, we should not be troubled about
the current trends. The National Review, which conducted an in-depth study of
trade deficits, reported on
How not to introduce sources
Newsweek reported, "The global
trading system is in trouble—mainly because it became over dependent on big
Mandates
I do this for the squad. Where should we be as a team, every student
may not be at that stage of development.
For
example:
1.
Find the file after you draw
2.
Give the speech
3.
No cards
4.
5-6 minutes
5.
6 sources
Build
on these throughout the year.
Analysis
How you
analyze the question will have a major effect on the outcome of the
speech. Poor analysis will only result in an ineffective answer to the
question.
Determine the “Heart” of
the question:
1. Identify the question’s thesis.
2. Determine relevant factors.
When
determining the appropriate organizational pattern, there should really be only
one factor: the answer to the question should determine the body of the
speech. Irrelevant material should not
be included in the speech. If the information does not answer the
question, then it does not belong in the speech.
Take for example these traditional patterns:
Past/Present/Future
Example: Is Social Security doomed?
I. Past
II. Present
III. Future
Problem/Solution
Example: What should the government do to prevent terrorism?
I. Problem
II. Solution
Cause/Effect/Solution
Example: School Finance: How should we reform it?
I. Cause
II. Effect
III. Solution
In the first example, the only part of the speech that is germane to the question is the third point. The second example does not need a discussion of the problem. And the third example, definitely does not need the effect, maybe you could convince me the cause is relevant.
To avoid these errors, use a pattern
called unified analysis. With this
organizational pattern, the body of the speech serves as a justification for
the answer, the organizational pattern unifies all the analysis. Typically, requires organizing the speech
with two main points and two sub points for each main point. Unified
analysis has been called the "one best organizational pattern."
Examples
Closed Questions:
ask for a yes or no answer
Example: Is
I.
II. Possession of nuclear weapons presents unique risks.
Open Questions:
ask for sequential steps in proposing the answer
Example: How can the federal government best protect the public from terrorism?
Provide state and local government with funds and increase intelligence.
I. State and local government are on the front line and need funding.
II. Intelligence is key to prevention.
4 Helpful Hints
Have students write several questions on a given topic.
They will see different questions require different speeches.
For example:
Does the
Is
Is
Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad trying to start a war with the West?
Iranian nuclear program:
Can the West and
Has Western pressure on
Can the
Is
What does U.N. Resolution
1696 mandate?
Choosing a topic:
1. You must understand terms of the topic.
2. Can you identify the intent of the topic?
2. Discard topics you cannot answer.
3. Use the following criteria with the remaining topics:
Part Two: Delivery
How should the extemp speech be delivered?
The
short version, it should be professional and polished. Your delivery
should be "lively," not boring.
Some Extemp Lessons...
Stephen Rushin
Lesson 1: Extemp
is an act
So often
people perceive extemp as an event where the most intelligent and the best read
students win. While there is no doubting that being well read and intelligent
helps your chances, it is rarely the smartest person who wins the tournament.
Rather, the more a student does extemp the more she/he realizes that extemp is
nothing more than an act, a performance like any interpretation event.
In Prose the objective is to offer the most satisfying performance of the
literature you are presenting. Extemp is no different.
The
objective of extemp is to offer the most believable, fluent, and intelligent sounding
speech possible. Now this isn’t to say that one should sacrifice quality
for clarity completely, but an extemporaneous speaker must find the moderate
balance between fluency and intelligent analysis.
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