Extemporaneous speaking

Extemporaneous speaking, colloquially known as extemp, is a limited-preparation speech event based on research and original analysis. Extemporaneous speaking is a competitive speaking event in the United States in both high school and college forensics competition. Extemporaneous speaking provides 30 minutes of preparation time, followed by a seven-minute speech. When preparation starts, speakers are offered three questions to answer. Questions are based on current affairs, and topic areas generally include international and domestic policy, economic policy, and social or scientific issues. Speakers generally speak persuasively, though some areas of the US offer informative speeches.

According to Pausanias (6.18.6), Anaximenes was "the first who practised the art of speaking extemporaneously." Extemporaneous Speaking was designed as an event to not be a memorized, rehearsed speech, but rather, a short, analytical speech spoken off the cuff, emphasizing critical thinking in addition to performance.

Extemporaneous speaking is a speech that is either persuasive or informative in nature, usually modeled off of a 5 paragraph essay. At top levels, extemporaneous is a smooth, dynamic performance that incorporates research, background knowledge, and opinion. A successful extemporaneous speech has an introduction that catches the listener's attention, introduces the theme of the speech, and answers the question through three, or sometimes two, areas of analysis, which develop an answer to the question. These areas of analysis are followed by a conclusion, which summarizes the speech. Extemporaneous speaking sometimes allows for the use of index cards, but many extemporaneous competitors forgo their usage, and many forensic leagues do not allow their usage. The use of the Internet is often not allowed during preparation.

Debate and public speaking (collectively called "forensics") are generally stratified into novice and varsity levels. A varsity level extemporaneous speech typically contains anywhere from 6 - 15 sources, while averaging 8-10, to provide a basis of fact for analyzing the question. References are often referred to as a "cite" or "citation." Quality sources include newspapers like the New York Times and Christian Science Monitor, magazines like the Economist and Foreign Policy and journals like the The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs and Foreign Affairs. For a speech dealing with a certain region's issues, say Africa or the Middle East, it is good to include regional sources as well, like All Africa and Al Jazeera respectively.

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