Suppose you approach a householder and begin to give a prepared presentation, the outline of which you have already firmly fixed in your own mind. Beyond that outline you have not memorized the exact words by which you will develop the material. You are speaking extemporaneously.

4. What preparation is needed for an effective extemporaneous speech?

⁴ Extemporaneous speech. Preparation is the key element in effective extemporaneous speech, whether it is a house-to-house presentation or a discourse from the platform. If you are going to give a discourse extemporaneously, prepare a good outline with several main points to be developed. Under the main points you can list the supporting ideas, proofs, scriptures and illustrations, so that you will be ready to present a truly informative talk. Determine in advance everything but the exact words you will use.

5-7. Mention the advantages of extemporaneous speech.

⁵ The extemporaneous manner of speaking has several advantages. One is that it allows for versatility. The material is not so rigidly set that you cannot depart from it, as is the case with reading from a manuscript or reciting from memory. Last-minute developments may dictate some changes in the planned discourse. Suppose you find out just before going to the platform that the audience contains an unexpectedly large number of newly interested persons. The extemporaneous method allows you to make adjustments to help them fully to grasp the arguments. Or perhaps you note that there are many school-age youths in the audience. You can adjust your illustrations and application with a view to aiding them to appreciate how the material affects their lives.

⁶ A second advantage of extemporaneous speaking is that it has the effect of stimulating your mind. It leaves you measurably free to develop fresh thoughts. Often, when you encounter an appreciative, responsive audience, you warm up and new ideas flow into your mind, ideas that can easily be incorporated in an extemporaneous speech.

⁷ A third advantage of this type of speech is that it also allows you to keep your eyes on your listeners. This improves your communication with them. The result is that they will likely give closer attention to what you are saying. And the listeners will feel that you know your subject, since you do not have to keep your eyes on some written material all the time. Then, too, you are in position to note the reactions of the audience. If you see that their interest is waning, you can take steps to overcome this difficulty. Thus, this type of delivery lends itself to a warm, conversational presentation, a real heart-to-heart talk.

8-10. How can the pitfalls in regard to extemporaneous speaking be avoided?

⁸ There are, however, some pitfalls with regard to extemporaneous talks; but these can be avoided. For example, the speaker may insert too many additional ideas so that his talk runs overtime. Also, in view of his freedom to introduce spontaneously ideas that come into mind, the speaker may dwell much longer on certain points than he planned. You can guard against this by making notations on your outline as to the time allowed for each section of the talk. Then stick closely to this schedule.

⁹ There is also the danger of omitting points, making incomplete or inaccurate statements, or making claims without adequate supporting evidence. If you look at your notes from time to time, unhurriedly, you should be able to stick to your material and avoid omissions and inaccuracies. By forming a good outline, with several main points to be developed with supporting proofs and scriptures, you can avoid the danger of making assertions.

¹⁰ While it is not necessary to memorize the very words of an extemporaneous talk, yet appropriate phrasing can be practiced, and you are helped by having the train of thought firmly fixed in mind. In this way you can avoid inferior language and poor choice of words. And if in your everyday conversation you try to use good language, it will become easier when delivering a talk. True, even then you may not have the choicest expressions and grammatical precision of the manuscript talk, but you can more than make up for this by your conversational style. Also, make it a point to review your talk several times before delivering it. Some find it sufficient to do so silently, in their own mind. But many find it very helpful, particularly in connection with timing, to practice giving it aloud.

11, 12. Why is it a safeguard for the speaker to have an outline?

¹¹ In time, and with practice, you should soon be able to reduce your outline to just a few words for each point of your talk. These, together with a notation of the scriptures you will use, might all be listed on a card or sheet of paper easily referred to. While for shorter talks, such as a student talk in the ministry school, some may prefer to memorize the outline, there is no objection to having a brief outline on hand for reference in case some distraction or memory lapse breaks your train of thought. For longer talks, such as a public talk, it is usually the course of practical wisdom to have your detailed outline available for reference while speaking.

¹² The extemporaneous style of delivery is very valuable in the house-to-house ministry. For when the householder raises an objection or interrupts in some way, it is possible to depart briefly from the points under consideration, meet the objection and then continue with the material that has been prepared. It would be difficult, were the precise words in the presentation committed to memory, to meet such an interruption and then resume the talk.