Digital @ The Arts Unit Creative Classes
I have confidence!
Build confidence in delivering impromptu speeches
Student public speaking resource developed by The Arts Unit
Years 3 to 6 public speaking
What will I learn?
You will:
build confidence in giving impromptu speeches
explore current events for impromptu speeches
organise your ideas
practise impromptu speeches.
Before you begin
You will need:
an ideas notebook and a pen or pencil
palm cards or pieces of paper.
Dealing with nerves
A lot of people get nervous about public speaking!
Watch the video to hear how champion public speaker, Fanulla, dealt with public speaking nerves.
Nerves and public speaking
Duration: 01:03Boosting your confidence
Watch the video about boosting your confidence.
After you watch the video think and write down some ways you can help yourself feel more confident about public speaking.
3 tips to boost your confidence - TED-Ed
Duration: 04:16
Quick thinking
Word association game
This game teaches you to think quickly and respond to the meanings of words.
Work in pairs for this activity (you could work with a classmate or someone else around you).
One person says a simple word, such as ‘elephant’.
The other person replies with the first word that comes into their head, such as ‘big’, ‘trunk’ or ‘remember’.
Focus on saying the response word as quickly as you can and not repeating words that have already been said.
Aim to keep going for a set time (for example: 30 seconds).
Looking for a challenge? (Select the drop-down to find out!)
After you've had a few turns at the 'regular' way, try responding with a whole sentence! For a super challenge, have a go at using some more difficult words!
For example:
River – My uncle likes to go fishing in the river.
Hope – I’ve always been taught that when I feel sad I should try to look for hope.
Advantage – The referee blew his whistle for a penalty and gave the other team an advantage.
Practising in pairs
Fast favourites
Work with a partner and take it in turns to:
Choose from the following 'favourite' topics or make up your own.
Think for 30 seconds about what you will say on the topic.
Speak to your partner for 1 minute on the topic.
Think (and discuss) with your partner:
Did you speak fluently?
Were your ideas well-organised?
Was your message clear?
Did you engage the audience?
Topic ideas:
My favourite food
My favourite place in the world
My favourite book
My favourite expression
My favourite person
My favourite holiday
My favourite hobby
My favourite sport
My favourite character
Practising with a small group
Practise in a small group
In small groups of 3, each person takes a turn at presenting their impromptu speech to the group.
All students can practise writing down ideas for each topic, but only one student will present each time.
Don't forget to put a 5 minute timer on when students are preparing for their speech.
Students will take turns presenting their speech to the group.
The group will then give feedback using '2 stars and a wish' – 2 things they did really well and one thing they could think about improving upon.
Did you know?
In competitions such as the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition:
speakers in Years 3 and 4 are given
5 minutes of preparation time for a
1 minute impromptu speechspeakers in Years 5 and 6 are given
5 minutes of preparation time for a
2 minute impromptu speech.
Ideas for impromptu topics
Changes
Ready or not
Bargains
Rubbish
Decisions
Good news
Taking over
The best things in life
It's never to late
Talking about current events
Hot off the press
Visit a news website for kids such as Kids News or Behind the News (BTN).
Choose a current news story that interests you.
Read, listen to or watch the story.
Spend 3 minutes thinking about the events, ideas or issues in the story and your own opinion.
Spend 5 minutes planning a one minute speech that will persuade your partner to your point of view about the story.
Note down your key words or ideas on palm cards.
Deliver your speech to someone or record your speech and watch it back.
Evaluate your speech: think about whether the message and subject was clear and the persuasive language techniques used to convince the listener.
Practise, practise, practise!
Once you're more confident with presenting an impromptu speech, make sure you take any opportunity to practise! Practising is a good way to improve your time, confidence, eloquence and manner.
Improving time with one-word impromptus
This game will help build your confidence when responding to impromptu topics.
Go to the game: Subjects
Go to the category: Travel
Press 'New word'.
Use the word that comes up as a stimulus for a 30 second impromptu. Keep practising until you can build up to 1 minute and then 2 minutes.
Option: you can also try other categories such as feelings and emotions, or art. Or, try cutting up lots of words and put them in a hat for your own one-word impromptus.
If you come across a word you don’t know, look it up in a dictionary and note down the definition in your public speaking or literacy notebook.
Challenge
After some practice, try to relate to the word as a bigger idea. For example, the topic might remind you of something you read or viewed or talked about with someone else.
Super-duper challenge
Go to the game: Wordplay
Go to the category: Idioms and Sayings
Press 'New Word'.
Use the saying that comes up as a stimulus for a 1-2 minute impromptu. Note: If you come across a saying you haven’t heard before, look it up as a class and write the meaning down in your public speaking book or literacy book.
Problem solving with impromptu speeches
Listen as champion public speaker Fanulla discusses some common issues that occur in impromptu speaking and how to overcome them.
Discuss:
What can you do if you don't completely understand the topic?
What is Fanulla's advice for if you make mistake?
Problem solving with impromptu speeches
Duration: 1:40List a few things that might go wrong in your speech (for example: your palm cards get mixed up).
Come up with at least one solution for each problem.
Participate in other speaking opportunities
Don't forget... the ONLY way to get better at public speaking is to do more public speaking!
Brainstorm other activities and things you could do to practise speaking. How many can you come up with?
Some answers might be ...
Answer questions in class and make an effort to put up your hand during class discussions.
Try other school activities that require speaking such as drama club, school podcasts or debating teams.
Play some of the games and practise some of the public speaking activities you have done in class. You can do these with friends in the playground or at home with family!
Learn by watching successful speakers – you can actually watch all of The Arts Unit public speaking finals online!
Get involved in class activities that require discussion (such as working in small groups).
Share what you've learned with others. Have a go at teaching some public speaking techniques to a buddy, sibling, friend or family member. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it!
Listen carefully to your classmates when they are public speaking. You never know... you might pick up something useful for when it's your turn!
Spend time working on other things that will help you become a great speaker. This includes writing (stories, persuasive writing and information reports), reading widely (check out the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge for great book recommendations) and watching current affairs programs for kids like Behind the News (BTN).
And of course... practise, practise, practise! Practise writing and presenting speeches at home (by yourself or in front a friend/family member).
Congratulations!
You have completed this Digital @ The Arts Unit Creative Class
You are on your way to becoming a great public speaker!
To investigate public speaking in more detail and explore a range of skills building activities you might like to complete these Creative Classes:
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