The statement of significance is an important, albeit underutilized tool in extemporaneous speaking. In a single 10 second statement, your judge will either feel connected or distanced from your topic. Thus, nailing this part of the speech is critical to being a successful speaker. In this article, learn some tips about how to utilize statementsContinue reading “The Statement of Significance: An Underutilized Tool”
Author Archives: Ananth Veluvali
Interview with René Otero
In April of 2020, I was fortunate enough to interview René Otero, the 2019 IX NSDA National Champion. The paraphrased version of that interview can be found below. The full version can be found on our podcast, the Extemper’s Bible! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
Book Summaries: Part 2
Citing a book (or books!) is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books (with their summaries) you mayContinue reading “Book Summaries: Part 2”
The Ultimate Novice Guide to Extemp
The following is the ultimate guide for novices on how to succeed in extemporaneous speaking. Covered are the following sections: what is extemp, what goes into a speech, the art of substructure, confidence in this activity, free extemp resources, and concluding commentary. Since this is an ongoing project, we will be continually updating this resource.Continue reading “The Ultimate Novice Guide to Extemp”
2020 in Review and a Preview of 2021
Check out our year in review, which highlights our proudest accomplishments from this year! Then, keep reading this article, so you know all of the exciting updates we’re planning for 2021!
Weekly Questions: December 27th – January 2nd
Happy early new year! Stay tuned for some exciting updates from the Extemper’s Bible in the new few days. In the meantime, happy practicing! We tried something new this time, adding one additional novice question for both USX and IX.
Weekly Questions: December 21st – 27th
Happy Holidays everyone! We’ll still be posting articles over the holiday season, so keep your eyes peeled for future posts, and happy practicing!
Weekly Questions: December 7th – December 13th
Written by Ananth Veluvali. Happy practicing!
Book Summaries: Part 1
Citing a book (or books!) is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books (with their summaries) you mayContinue reading “Book Summaries: Part 1”
The Art of AGDs
Introduction The attention-getting device, better known by its moniker the AGD, is one of the most important parts of an extemp speech. Despite this, most extempers recycle the same 2-3 AGDs for an entire tournament, often resulting in strenuous ties between their opener and the topic. Fortunately, it requires little effort to produce stronger attentionContinue reading “The Art of AGDs”