Extemporaneous Speech

1. This is a middle and high school event.
2. Competitors will draw two topics from a basket. They can choose one of the two topics for their presentation.
3. Competitors will have three minutes to prepare their presentation. They can make notes to be used during their presentation.
4. The competitor will then be asked to speak to the judges and the audience on their topic.
5. The presentation should be done in persuasive form. In other words, each topic will lend itself to have you take a side. Convince the audience to agree with you.
6. Begin your presentation with your name. Read the topic you choose to the judges.
7. Be sure to begin your presentation with an introduction of your ideas and what you hope to persuade the audience to believe.
8. Be sure to put at least three points into your talk to supply the audience with enough support for your ideas.
9. Be sure to sum up your points and your persuasive ideas at the end of your talk.
10. Your presentation should be at least 2 minutes and no more than 3 minutes.

HERE ARE SOME SAMPLE TOPICS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS FOR YOU TO USE FOR PRACTICE:

1. Why attending ZLO is a great choice for a student.
2. Why going on a missions trip some time in their middle or high school years is important for a teenager.
3. Why lying to another person is a sure recipe for trouble.
4. Discuss the important lessons that students learn from the school experience besides just “book learning.”
5. Discuss how teenagers can encourage one another to become better drivers so that they can raise their reputations in our society as drivers and help to lower their insurance rates.
6. Discuss the various types of music groups and styles of music that teens and adults enjoy today.
7. Discuss how technology affects our society and evaluate those affects as good or bad.
8. Discuss if parents should give their children allowances for jobs done around the house.
9. Discuss the idea of the growth of pirating music and how you feel it should be handled by the government and the music industry.
10. Discuss the idea that teenagers should not get their driver’s licenses until they are 17 or 18 years of age.