Hand gestures are an important, albeit underutilized tool in extemp. In this article, Ananth Veluvali discusses how you can work on creating effective hand gestures.
Author: Ananth Veluvali
Founder, the Extemper's Bible.
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Wiki #1: Canada’s Freedom Convoys
On our first installation of The Extemper’s Wiki (a series where we break down important news in 175 words or less), Ananth Veluvali dives into Canada’s Freedom Convoys.
Happy New Year! In this article, founder Ananth Veluvali reflects on the success of the Extemper’s Bible in 2021, while also highlighting new leadership opportunities that have opened up. This is a MUST READ!
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The Extemper’s Briefing: Inflation
Over the past year, inflation in the United States has significantly increased. What is it, why does it matter, and what can governments do to address it? Those are just a few of the questions Ananth Veluvali explores in this briefing.
In this article, Ananth Veluvali provides a strategy for practicing before big tournaments.
In this article, Ananth Veluvali explores how extempers can read the news efficiently and comprehensively.
Few things spice up a speech like a timely quote. In this article, we’ll go over some quotes that can be used in any extemporaneous speech and go over how to use them.
In this article, Ananth Veluvali breaks down how you, as a captain, can run practices for your extemp team. This will be Part 2 in a longer series about starting, managing, and leading your team.
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Recruiting an Extemp Team
In this article, Ananth Veluvali breaks down how you, as a captain, can recruit people for your extemp team. This will be Part 1 in a longer series about starting, managing, and leading your team.
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Weekly Quiz: July 26th – August 2nd
Are you caught up with the news? Find out with our weekly quiz! 10 questions, once per week — it’s back!
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Economics 101
Economics is one of the more difficult subjects that extemp covers. In this article, Ananth Veluvali breaks down interest rates and modern monetary theory.
The speech and debate season is coming up in less than two months, which means it’s time for recruitment! Hopefully, this ‘sales pitch’ for joining the speech and debate team helps! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
While summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and the sweet feeling of freedom that comes with having no homework, it’s also a great time to improve your extemp skills. In this article, Ananth Veluvali delves into some tips and tricks for becoming a better extemper over the summer.
Work closely with three-time national finalist Christopher Maximos at 6 PM CST tomorrow as he delves into what makes an effective introduction. Interested in signing up for our full camp and working one-on-one with Maximos? Check out extempinstitute.com! The link to the meeting can be found here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81140285031. The Meeting ID is 811 4028 5031 […]
Sometimes, you want to get your extemp information without having to pore over news articles and think tank reports. That’s where podcasts enter into play: you can stay up-to-date with the latest events and relax a bit! Keep reading to discover some enjoyable podcast sources. This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
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Weekly Questions: May 3rd – May 9th
Happy practicing and remember to check out our camp at https://www.extempinstitute.com/!
After months of careful planning and coordination with nationally-renowned extempers and extemp coaches, we have finally got our camp up-and-running! Read more to find out some details.
In important rounds, you may have to cross-examine your opponents. In this article, we’ll delve into what cross-examination is and how to effectively do it. This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
With important tournaments like the TOC and Nationals coming up and tournaments likely online through December of 2021 (if not longer), we thought we’d revisit one of our favorite articles. Below is a list of different tips & tricks for navigating online tournaments that will help maximize your speaking appeal.
We’ve decided to extend the deadline to register for our tournament until 7 PM CST today! You can sign up using this tabroom link: https://www.tabroom.com/index/tourn/index.mhtml?tourn_id=20022.
Effectively outlining your introductions and points can be a daunting task. Fortunately, with a little practice, you can nail your outlines every single time! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
Looking for a list of drills to practice? Look no further!
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Interview with Brian Zheng
In May of 2020, I interviewed Brian Zheng, the runner-up at the 2019 ETOC and the NCFL National Champion. The shortened version of that interview can be found below. The full version can be found on our podcast, the Extemper’s Bible!
Citing a book 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 you may want to cite in your […]
With the extemp season winding down, we wanted to provide extempers with a high-quality tournament to help prepare for state tournaments, the TOC and ETOC, NCFLs, and NSDA Nationals. Our judges are nationally- acclaimed extempers, and the tournament is open to anyone in high school and middle school. The link to register is below — […]
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The Case for Layered Analysis
Sometimes, it’s hard to come up with three distinct points to answer a question. In this article, Ananth Veluvali lays out a potential solution: utilizing layered analysis.
After months of careful deliberation and thoughtful editing, nationally-acclaimed extempers Sam Padmanabhan, Kevin Bi, and Alex Yang wrote a handbook for extempers of all skill that we’ve published in this article. Enjoy!
In this article, Ananth Veluvali lays out a four-step practice routine that novice and varsity speakers alike can follow during Spring Break to become a better speaker.
Here are our weekly questions for March 1st – March 7th. Happy practicing!
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Five Big Changes and Updates!
February has been an exciting month for the Extemper’s Bible. As you may have noticed, we made some big changes to our website. We’ve also been planning some awesome things under the hood. Read below to find out more!
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 statements […]
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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.
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 may […]
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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. […]
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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!
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.
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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!
Written by Ananth Veluvali. Happy practicing!
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 may […]
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 attention […]
Written by Ananth Veluvali.
The following is a new series by the Extemper’s Bible where we’ll take a deep dive into relevant domestic and global subjects. For our very first article, we’ll examine the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. As the second largest country in Africa, if this conflict goes unresolved, the violence in Ethiopia risks […]
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to interview Gary Arndt, a nationally-acclaimed former extemp coach. While coaching several state champions and national finalists is certainly an accomplishment in itself, it’s Gary’s other exploits that make him a truly interesting interviewee. From traveling to over 130 countries to running his own successful podcast (Everything Everywhere), […]
Need some sources to file? Look no further!
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers, as well as corresponding news articles, are provided at the very bottom of this article. The questions may take a few seconds to load!
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers, as well as corresponding news articles, are provided at the very bottom of this article. The questions may take a few seconds to load!
With most tournaments through February already online, it’s clear this extemp season will be different than the past. Accordingly, your speaking strategy might have to change. Below are a list of different tips & tricks for navigating online tournaments to maximize your speaking appeal.
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Weekly Quiz: October 6th – October 11th
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers, as well as corresponding news articles, are provided at the very bottom of this article. The questions may take a few seconds to load!
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers are provided at the very bottom of this article.
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A Thank You
Just a thank you to everyone who has made this website possible.