Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations C1
Effective Impromptu Speaking
The Golden Rule: Buy Yourself Time to Think ⏳
Before you can structure your thoughts, you need a few seconds to form them. Use these techniques to buy time gracefully.
- Acknowledge and Repeat the Question: This confirms you've understood and gives your brain a 5-10 second head start.
"That's an excellent question. So, what do I think is the most important quality for a leader?... Well..." - Use a "Thinking Time" Phrase:
"That's a very interesting topic, let me think about that for a moment..."
Frameworks for Instant Structure 🏗️
Once you have your breath, choose a simple mental framework to structure your answer. Here are three powerful options.
- Point: State your main point clearly.
- Reason: Give your primary reason.
- Example: Provide a specific, concrete example.
- Point: Restate your main point to conclude.
- Past: Describe how things used to be.
- Present: Describe the current situation.
- Future: Offer a prediction or suggestion for the future.
- Problem: State the challenge or problem clearly.
- Solution: Propose your solution.
- Benefit: Explain the positive outcome of your solution.
Framework in Action: A Scenario
Imagine a speaker, Mr. Dara, is asked an unexpected question from the audience after his presentation.
Audience Member: "Thank you for your talk. My question is, what do you think is the future of the workplace?"
Mr. Dara: "(Pauses) Thank you, that's a very big and important question. The future of the workplace... (Buys time) I think the best way to answer is to look at the past, present, and future. (Chooses a framework)
(Past) "In the past, the workplace was a physical office. We commuted every day, and work was defined by a specific location."
(Present) "Presently, we are in a hybrid model. The pandemic accelerated the trend of remote work, and companies are now much more flexible."
(Future) "Looking to the future, I predict the focus will shift from 'where' we work to 'how' we work, with more project-based teams, greater autonomy, and a stronger reliance on collaborative technology."
Delivery & Practice 🎯
💡 Delivery Under Pressure: Less is More
When speaking impromptu, clarity is more important than complexity.
- Slow Down: Nervousness makes us speak faster. Consciously slow your pace. It makes you sound more thoughtful and gives your brain time to keep up.
- Use Simple Language: Stick to words and structures you know well and can use confidently.
- Make One Point Well: A short, clear, structured answer is more impressive than a long, rambling one.
📝 Practice Quiz: Which Framework Fits?
1. Question: "Our company's staff turnover is very high. What should we do about it?"
A) Past, Present, Future
B) Problem-Solution-Benefit
C) PREP
→ Answer: B. The question explicitly states a problem. The Problem-Solution-Benefit framework is perfectly designed to propose a course of action.
2. Question: "Do you believe that artificial intelligence is a threat to humanity?"
A) Past, Present, Future
B) Problem-Solution-Benefit
C) PREP
→ Answer: C. This is a classic opinion question. The PREP method allows you to state your opinion clearly, give a reason and example, and then conclude.
Key Vocabulary
- Impromptu Done or said without any previous preparation or thought.
- Coherent Logical and well-organized; easy to understand.
- Concise Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words.
- Framework A basic structure underlying a system, concept, or speech.
- Off the cuff To speak without preparation.
Your Mission: The "Impromptu Speaker" Challenge ⭐
The only way to improve at impromptu speaking is to practice it. This exercise simulates a real-world scenario.
- Find a list of impromptu speaking topics online.
- Choose a topic at random. Do not think about it beforehand.
- Start a recorder immediately. Your first words should be a "thinking time" phrase.
- Your Goal: As you speak your opening phrase, mentally choose a framework (PREP is often the easiest). Then, speak for 60-90 seconds, trying your best to follow the structure you chose.