Extempore practice
Extempore topics
Extempore means speaking on a topic with little or no preparation. Spin for a topic, take five seconds, and speak for one minute.
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Sample topic: AI in everyday life
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What is extempore?
Extempore (say it ik-STEM-puh-ree) means speaking on a topic you get on the spot. You may get a few seconds or a minute to think, then you speak for one to three minutes.
Schools hold extempore competitions, colleges run it in clubs, and some MBA and job interview panels use it to see how quickly you can organise your thoughts.
Extempore is close to JAM, but it's more like a mini speech: take a clear stand, explain it, and close well.
How to speak extempore
- 1
Pick a side fast.
Decide your opinion in the first few seconds. A clear stand is easier to follow.
- 2
Use PREP.
Point, Reason, Example, Point. One real example from your life is enough.
- 3
Close strong.
End by repeating your point in one sentence. Don't trail off.
A sample extempore answer
Sample answer
Topic: Should coding be taught in school?
- Point
- Yes, every school should teach basic coding.
- Reason
- Coding isn't only for future engineers. It teaches you to break a big problem into small steps, and that helps in any job.
- Example
- When my cousin started simple coding in class eight, her maths got better too, because she began solving problems one step at a time.
- Point
- So coding belongs in school, not as a job skill, but as a thinking skill.
120 extempore topics
Extempore topics on technology
- AI in everyday life
- Are smartphones making us smarter?
- Online privacy
- Digital payments in small towns
- Robots at work
- Screen time for children
- Social media and mental health
- Video calls versus meeting in person
- The future of jobs
- Should coding be taught in school?
- Fake news
- Electric vehicles
- Online gaming
- Learning apps
- Self-driving cars
- Space travel
- Smart homes
- Technology and old age
- Cyber safety
- The internet without ads
Extempore topics on education
- Marks versus skills
- Online versus classroom learning
- Should exams be open book?
- Learning in your mother tongue
- Is college necessary?
- Extra classes after school
- Life skills in school
- Teachers as role models
- Studying abroad
- Group study or study alone
- Sports and studies
- The value of reading
- Internships for students
- Choosing a career
- Homework
- Learning from failure
- Public speaking in school
- Libraries in the digital age
- Should attendance be compulsory?
- Learning a new language
Extempore topics on society
- Kindness to strangers
- Joint or nuclear families
- Women in leadership
- Volunteering
- Respecting elders
- City life versus village life
- Celebrity influence
- Peer pressure
- Saving money young
- Fitness trends
- Fast fashion
- Food waste
- Road safety
- Festivals and noise
- Helping the elderly with technology
- Small businesses
- Being on time
- Work-life balance
- Friendship online
- Equal pay
Extempore topics on the environment
- Plastic bans
- Saving water at home
- Planting trees
- Public transport
- Climate change and you
- Recycling
- Clean cities
- Cycling to work
- Air pollution
- Saving electricity
- Wildlife in cities
- Green buildings
- Eating local food
- Paperless offices
- Beach clean-ups
- Fireworks
- Rainwater harvesting
- Solar power at home
- Less shopping, more fixing
- Nature walks
Extempore topics on life and ideas
- Failure is the first step to success
- Hard work or smart work
- Money can't buy happiness
- The power of habits
- Dreams versus reality
- Honesty is the best policy
- Time is money
- Change is the only constant
- Learning never stops
- Confidence or competence
- The best things in life are free
- Practice makes perfect
- First impressions
- Saying no
- Patience
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Risk-taking
- Gratitude
- Simple living
Extempore topics for school students
- Good manners
- My role model
- My motherland
- The value of discipline
- The importance of games
- If I were the Prime Minister
- Junk food
- Unity in diversity
- Cleanliness
- Water is life
- My favourite season
- Helping at home
- The importance of sleep
- A visit to a museum
- Save the birds
- Science in daily life
- Sharing is caring
- Books are our best friends
- Yoga
- Grandparents
Want a different round? Try JAM topics or Impromptu speech topics.
Common extempore mistakes
Sitting on the fence.
'There are pros and cons' without a view sounds unsure. Pick a side.
Quoting facts you half remember.
A wrong number hurts more than no number. Use an example from your own life.
A long, formal opening.
Keep the greeting to one line, then say your point.
No ending.
Finish by repeating your stand in one sentence.
Questions
What is extempore?
Extempore is speaking on a topic you get on the spot, with little or no time to prepare. Rounds are often one to three minutes.
How do I start an extempore speech?
Start with your point in one clear sentence. Don't open with 'Good morning, today I will talk about'; get to your idea fast.
How much time do you get to think?
It depends on the event: anything from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Practise with five seconds and anything longer will feel easy.
What are good extempore topics for school students?
Simple, familiar topics like cleanliness, good manners, yoga or junk food. See the school students group above.
How is extempore different from JAM?
JAM is a strict one-minute game with rules against hesitation and repetition. Extempore is a short speech with a clear opinion.
What is StageMinute?
A speaking-practice app coming soon to Android. You spin a topic, speak for up to a minute, and get a report with a score and one thing to fix.