Week 15 — Readings & Resources · Impromptu & Adapting on the Fly / Handling Q&A

Course: Public Speaking — Fundamentals of Oral Communication (COMM 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Marchetti
Objective covered: Objective 8 — Deliver with confidence across impromptu settings, and manage audience questions and answers.

How to use this page

Everything here is a link to an external resource — open it in your browser, the same way you'd open a YouTube link. Nothing needs to be downloaded, and there's nothing to buy.

This week's load is deliberately focused: 1 short chapter + 1 guide + 1 video, grouped by the ideas from the lecture. Read or watch one item per group and you're ready for the quiz; do all of them and you'll feel very confident going into the Impromptu Speech. Total time is roughly 35–45 minutes if you do everything.

Order that matches the lecture: ① what impromptu is and the four delivery methods (review) → ② PREP and structured impromptu frameworks → ③ video on thinking on your feet.

A habit worth keeping: every resource this week features speakers who think and respond on the fly. As you read and watch, notice the move: they always have a point first. Structure before inspiration, every time.

① Impromptu Speaking — The Delivery Methods (Review + Impromptu Focus)

Maps to Lecture Segments 2 and 3. Impromptu is one of the four delivery methods; this section of the textbook describes all four and focuses on what makes impromptu different — and when it succeeds.

Reading — "14.1: Four Methods of Delivery" (Stand up, Speak out, Ch. 14)
🔗 https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Public_Speaking/Stand_up_Speak_out_-_The_Practice_and_Ethics_of_Public_Speaking/14%3A_Delivering_the_Speech/14.01%3A_Four_Methods_of_Delivery
Why it's assigned: covers all four methods (impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, memorized) side by side — the exact comparison the quiz tests. Pay special attention to the "Impromptu Speaking" section and the step-by-step guidance for brief impromptu speeches. Read online, no account needed.
⏱ ~10 min

Chapter-level page (if you want the full context):
🔗 https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Public_Speaking/Stand_up_Speak_out_-_The_Practice_and_Ethics_of_Public_Speaking/14%3A_Delivering_the_Speech
⏱ Use as needed

② PREP and Structured Impromptu Frameworks

Maps to Lecture Segments 3 and 4. PREP (Point → Reason → Example → Point) is the most widely-used impromptu structure in professional speaking training. This guide puts it in practical terms.

Reading — "Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques" overview (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
🔗 https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/think-fast-talk-smart-communication-techniques
Why it's assigned: a concise, practical guide to structured spontaneous speaking from Stanford's communication program — describes strategies for managing anxiety in low-prep situations, organizing a quick response, and listening before answering. This is the professional-training frame behind what we call PREP in class. Read online, no account needed.
⏱ ~8 min

Note: The course's PREP framework (Point → Reason → Example → Point) is a well-established, widely-used teaching structure for impromptu speaking. No specific quote or statistic from an external source is claimed in the lecture materials — PREP is taught as a conceptual tool, not an attributed formula.

③ Video — Thinking on Your Feet (TED)

Maps to Lecture Segments 3–5. This talk by a communication researcher focuses on how to speak spontaneously with structure, not just confidence — exactly the skill this week drills.

Video — "Think fast, talk smart: Matt Abrahams at TEDxMontaVistaHighSchool" (TED)
🔗 https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_abrahams_think_fast_talk_smart
Why it earns the click: Matt Abrahams is a communication lecturer at Stanford who has made impromptu and spontaneous speaking his specialty. This talk is one of the most practical public resources on thinking on your feet — he covers managing anxiety, the "what/so what/now what" and similar quick structures, and why being present beats being perfect. Watch it for both the content and the delivery — he models the very move he's teaching.
⏱ ~12 min

Optional deep-dive

• Chapter 14 full text (all sections — delivery practice, notes, contexts) (Stand up, Speak out, Ch. 14).
  🔗 https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Public_Speaking/Stand_up_Speak_out_-_The_Practice_and_Ethics_of_Public_Speaking/14%3A_Delivering_the_Speech
  Good if you want a complete review of all delivery modes plus specific advice on managing Q&A contexts and using notes effectively.

Pick-one quick path (≈22 min total)

In a hurry? Do exactly these two and you'll be ready for the quiz:
1. Read "14.1: Four Methods of Delivery" (group ①) — especially the impromptu section.
2. Watch the Matt Abrahams TED talk (group ③).

Heads-up (links rot): these point to outside sites that occasionally move or rename pages. If a link ever fails, tell Prof. Marchetti and use the Stand up, Speak out table of contents or a search for the title in the meantime.