Cyril Muring’s Way: Tips on Public Speaking

Title: Cyril Muring’s Way: Tips on Public Speaking

Activity: Media Month, 4H Club Communication Seminar

Date: October 20, 2011 (Thursday)

Time: 1 p.m.

Venue: Ceremonial Hall, Capitol Compound, Tagum City

What comes out of your mind when you hear the words IMPROMTU SPEAKING or the other one EXTEMPORANEOUS TALKING? Sounds complicated isn’t it?

According to Webster Universal Dictionary and Thesaurus IMPROMPTU simply means an unprepared speech while Extemporaneous defines as a spoken or an acted speech.

Based from my experiences way back years before, I have been a contestant of this impromptu speaking contest as well as the extemporaneous talking competition; as what I understand with the mechanics of this battle of wit and intelligence is that; impromptu speaking is an unprepared speech where the contestant as soon as the chair committee reads the question or the statement to be elaborated the latter will answer it immediately while in the extemporaneous talking, contestants are given ample time to construct and organize their thoughts and ideas.

I won several speech competitions such as oratory, dramatic dialogue, story telling, debate, impromptu speech and extemporaneous talking - but for me the most challenging events are the impromptu and the extemporaneous, why did I say that? It is for the reason that both of this event are unprepared and needs abrupt construction of ideas; I even formulated an equation for that, NO IDEA = NO ANSWER!

Ideas and stored knowledge is the best weapon in Impromptu and Extemporaneous talking, you have to be good in your English, diction, enunciation, pronunciation as well as in your word emphasis, you need to have focus, determination, total commitment and most of all you need to read, read and read as well as practice, practice and practice – every now and then; you need to activate your neurons every day in order for your ideas not to be stagnant! The more vocabularies you have the better!

My first speech competition is when I was 6 years old and the recent one is just this year, I have been into a lot of places because of my winnings in speech contest, I also earned money and build a good character to other people. You need to be a role model to everybody – practice what you preach!

Would you like to be a good impromptu or extemporaneous speaker? Would you like to win in any speech contest? Would you like to go to other places? I can share with you my secrets for free! It is not anymore a secret because I am going to reveal it to you now!

Tips on How to Become a Good Impromptu/Extemporaneous Speaker:

1. Know yourself – it is very imperative to know your true self before engaging to any speech competition; you need to discover your strengths as well as your weaknesses as a speaker. Try to ask yourself with theses questions: “Is my English good enough? Have I mastered my fundamental rules in constructing sentences? Whether you like it or not Impromptu or Extemporaneous talking is using English as its medium of communication!

2. Be confident – in everything you do, in every endeavor you need to accomplish or in any decision you make you need to be confident! Confidence is a manifestation of a positive outlook in life! Remember! Don’t be misconstrued with being confident to being arrogant! It’s far different!

3. Be a wide reader – the more books you read the more knowledge you gain! Reading is an investment of the mind; it gives you a high interest rate and can make you rich more than you’ll ever know! Successful individuals are those who read a lot!

4. Practice makes perfect! – don’t you ever believe on the saying that goes “practice makes perfect but nobody’s perfect so why practice?” it’s only a joke and don’t take it seriously but instead you need to follow this one “practice makes perfect but nobody’s perfect so you need to practice more for you to become perfect!”; Spend an hour everyday talking to yourself in the mirror just make sure that there’s no one around seeing you or else they will be thinking that your having some mental problems.

5. Always ask Guidance to God – I find it very necessary! I will never forget the quote that my mentor in high school told me “Just do your best and God will do the Rest!”

6. Join Toastmasters International – If you really want to become the best speaker then join Palm City Toastmasters Club it offers you training on communication and leadership skills. Palm City Toastmasters Club is where leaders are made!

7. Don’t quit – before I end with my topic this afternoon please watch this video. Don’t ever quit! If you failed in life take it as a challenge! Don’t you ever quit because only losers do that!

Good Afternoon.