There are four basic methods or styles of presenting a speech: manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, and impromptu. Each style will work well for differing speaking contexts. In this chapter, we will explore when each style should (and shouldn’t) be used.
Manuscript Style
In this delivery style, the speech is written and the speaker reads it word for word to the audience. This style is common with newscasters and television personalities. A teleprompter (working like a periscope) is attached to the camera so the newscaster is looking at the lens while reading. Another example of manuscript delivery is by the U.S. President. The speeches a President gives will often reflect national policy, define international relationships, and the press will scrutinize every syllable. It has to be more than brilliantly accurate; it has to be impeccably phased. Professional writers and policy experts compose the speech, and the President delivers it as though he not only wrote it but made it up on the spot. That is the skill of a good politician, actor, or speaker.
Why is this speaking style used? Precision. In the news reporting industry, every fraction of second counts because broadcast time is costly. Also, the facts and names must be exact and accurate so there is no room for error. Errors in reporting decrease the credibility of the news organization and the newscaster.
Those who are not skilled in using a teleprompter or manuscript will sound stilted and boring. Public speaking is about presenting, not reading, to an audience. Because of this, manuscript style should only be used in specific situations (such as those mentioned above) and never in a classroom speech.
Memorized style
This style is used when the manuscript is committed to memory and recited to the audience verbatim (word for word). Think about your fifth grade poetry contest where students received poems to the class.
There are several contexts where this style is appropriate. Often times actors on stage are obligated to memorize the script of the play and perform it exactly as written. Speakers on high school and university speech and debate teams may memorize their competitive speeches. Some monologists (such as the stand-up comics) also use a memorized delivery style. In all cases, they create the impression that the speech is spontaneous.
When we use memorization to present our speech, we are often times so focused on remembering what comes next that we lose focus on our audience. Our focus is internal and this causes us to sound robotic and monotone. We are disengaged from our audience and this causes them to be disengaged from our message. A better technique is to memorize your key points, not your word-for-word speech. We will talk about this strategy more when we discuss extemporaneous speaking.
Impromptu Style
Impromptu speaking is typically a short presentation without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is asked to “say a few words” or give a toast on a special occasion. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking. Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question in class.
The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and we tend to deliver our message more naturally and conversational. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme or how to organize their message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.
Impromptu speaking is an important skill to have. It can help us to get the job, stand out at work, be a good leader, and persuade others. However, it is a skill that takes time and effort to develop. Whenever you are given time to prepare for a presentation, this should not be your go-to style.
Extemporaneous Style
This speaking style is carefully planned and rehearsed, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. Speaking extemporaneously has many advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally.
Extemporaneous speaking requires a great deal of preparation for both the verbal and the nonverbal components of the speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak. The key to this speaking style is that it is carefully planned yet appears to be natural and conversational. Speaking extemporaneously requires speakers to work through the speechmaking process, create a preparation outline, use that outline to create speaking notes, and practice, practice, and practice some more.
Because extemporaneous speaking is the style used in the great majority of public speaking situations, this is the style we will learn and employ in this course.
Why Extemporaneous Style?
While there are several methods you can choose from to deliver a speech, the easiest approach to speech delivery is not always the best. Substantial work goes into the careful preparation of an effective speech, so it is understandable that students may have the impulse to avoid “messing it up” by simply reading it word for word. But students who do this miss out on one of the major reasons for studying public speaking: to learn ways to “connect” with one’s audience and to increase one’s confidence in doing so. You already know how to read, and you already know how to talk. But public speaking is neither reading nor talking. Speaking allows for meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any nonverbal interpretation. Extemporaneous speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, provides a more animated message that will connect with your audience and leave a lasting impression.
