Verbs, Visuals, and Vignettes: Incorporating Images into the Impromptu Speaking Exercise

This activity extends the rich pedagogical scholarship on impromptu speaking by integrating visual imagery into the impromptu speaking exercise. The goal of this semester-long series of exercises is to provide students with the opportunity to apply effective delivery skills across general purposes of speaking, receive feedback, and thus develop the ability to self-correct behaviors and strengthen core public speaking competencies over the course of a semester. The integration of visual imagery offers an engaging medium through which these quick-thinking skills are developed and refined for both the speaker and the audience.

Courses: Introductory Public Speaking, Advanced Public Speaking, Business and Professional Speaking, Interview Communication, Mass Communication, Public Relations.

Objectives: After repeated participation in impromptu speech exercises for varying general purposes, students should be able to (a) demonstrate an increased awareness of nonverbal behaviors, (b) apply practices of effective delivery across general purposes of speaking, and (c) demonstrate increased ability to speak extemporaneously.