Unit(s): Public Speaking
Purpose:
The purpose of this exercise is to provide the student experience in impromptu speaking and enhance their ability to use good transitions in bridging thoughts.
Objective:
The student will be able to listen carefully to speakers, use effective transition phrases, and develop impromptu speaking skills.
Materials:
- List of words for topics
- List of connective phrases
Procedure:
- The teacher must have individual words available--one for each student. Theteacher will also provide a list of connective phrases for each student.
- Determine who will begin the activity.
- Tell each student when it is their turn, they must choose a word out of the bowl, walk to the front of the room and speak about the word for one minute.
- Determine the speaking order ahead of time. When the first student is finished, the next student walks to the front of the room and chooses a word from the bowl.
- The student is to incorporate what the previous student said into his speech, and add his description of his own word.
- In doing this, the student will make a transition from the previous student's speech to his with one of the connective phrases on the list.
- The student must listen very carefully to the first student and be ready with the phrase he/she will use when he/she walks to the front to choose the word.
- This exercise is repeated until all students have spoken. After a while, it is apparent that a story is being told and it becomes rather humorous.
- This can be followed with a discussion from students about how they felt, the benefits of transitions in speeches, how their listening skills are enhanced. Asking questions about how they felt about getting up and speaking is useful in showing them they are able to speak in front of others on the spur of the moment.
- This assignment can be continued throughout the unit with longer time limits and different rules than those listed above.