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Table Topics

The Global Toastmasters Resource

The portion of a club meeting devoted to exercises in impromptu speaking. Presided over by the Table Topicsmaster, who calls on each Table Topics Speaker to give a short, impromptu speech, Table Topics provides you with an opportunity to practice careful listening, quickly preparing a relevant response, and expressing fluent, clear, and organized thoughts in a limited time.

Contents

[edit] Benefits

As Table Topics Speaker, you

  • Become more fluent.
  • Learn how you can, with a minimum of preparation, present your thoughts in a clear, organized fashion,
  • Learn to listen carefully and tailor your remarks to the question presented to you.
  • Practice drawing on your own knowledge and experience on the topic.

[edit] How to run a Table Topics session

The intent of Table Topics is to offer a speaking opportunity to every meeting participant who doesn't otherwise have a speaking role. In some clubs, it is customary to excuse the Toastmaster, Speakers, General Evaluator, and Speech Evaluators, but the decision is entirely up to the Table Topicsmaster. Guests may be invited to speak, but it's always a good idea to chat with them before the meeting, to see if they would be willing to participate. The number of speakers varies according to the time available on the meeting agenda.

Each speaker speaks for one to two minutes, with a 15-second grace period: the Timer switches on the green light at 1 minute, the yellow light at 1 minute 30 seconds, and the red light at 2 minutes. However, the Table Topicsmaster has the option of setting different time limits.

The Table Topicsmaster should record the question asked (or the topic of the response) for each Table Topics Speaker. At the conclusion of the session, the Table Topicsmaster gives a terse rundown of Table Topics Speakers and their respective topics, then invites the participants to vote for the meeting’s Best Table Topics Speaker.

Alternatively, the Table Topicsmaster can offer an evaluation of the session.

In an ideal program, clubs would run Table Topics while the evaluators are discussing the prepared assignments.

[edit] Formats

In a Table Topics session, the Table Topics Speaker will have limited time to prepare their speech: a few seconds, a few minutes, or many minutes.

[edit] Instant Speech

The Table Topicsmaster gives the Table Topics Speaker the topic, and when the applause dies down, the speaker starts speaking and doesn't stop until the end. The speaker has to prepare their speech in the few seconds it takes to stand at their chair or to walk to the front of the meeting.

[edit] Limited Prep Speech

The speaker has one to two minutes to prepare. An example of this format: the second speaker opens his or her envelope as soon as the first speaker starts speaking. When the second person starts to talk, the third person opens their envelope, and so on.

[edit] Common Speech Topic

When all speakers are responding to the same speech topic, the last of them will have many minutes to prepare to speak; the first of the speakers gives, in effect, an Instant Speech. However, a speaker will not necessarily know when they will be called upon to answer.

[edit] Program Ideas

[edit] Questions from the Audience

The speaker stands in front of the audience and receives questions (Thanks to Sara Marks for this suggestion. Check out her blog and podcast at http://ah-um-er.blogspot.com/) The questions go this way:

  • Five audience members have been given a question to ask the speaker.
  • The audience members put up their hands as if they have a question for the speaker.
  • The speaker recognizes an audience member and is asked the question, to which they then give an Instant Speech.
  • The speaker responds.
  • Repeat for a new speaker.

[edit] Round Robin

The Table Topicsmaster gives a Common Speech Topic that each person will comment on, such as a shared community concern. Each Table Topics Speaker describes the issue and proposes their solution.

Example: “Tonight's topic is the extreme frost our county had last month. Identify an impact of the incident and comment.”

[edit] Quiz the Expert

The Table Topics Speaker is asked to give an Instant Speech on a concern about which they have particular knowledge. For such a session, the Table Topicsmster prepares by ascertaining each participant’s area of familiarity and expertise.

Example: “Dr. McKinley, you are an economist of over 20 years experience. Please tell us how you see the current economic meltdown and what should be done to recover.”

[edit] Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me

From a collection of current news stories, the Table Topicsmaster selects one to ask the Table Topics Speaker to give an Instant Speech on. It is probably useful for the speaker actually be familiar with the news story; the Table Topicsmaster can prepare by ascertaining this beforehand.

[edit] Pro, Con, and Evaluator

Participants are formed into groups of three, each group consisting of a “Pro”, a “Con”, and an “Evaluator”. The Table Topicsmaster presents each group with a question to debate, such as “Drivers licenses should be automatically revoked in the case of a DUI conviction” or “The citizens of our county should be assessed to pay for the high-speed rail corridor”. The “Pro” argues in the affirmative, “Con” the negative, and the “Evaluator” comments on the quality of the two speeches. Each group of three may be given a different question, or a single question may be debated by all groups.

[edit] Ask Abby

The Table Topicsmaster presents a situation, and each Table Topics Speaker attempts to offer a solution or advice. The format can be Instant Speeches or Common Speech Topic.

Example: “My neighbor’s dog keeps me awake nights with her barking. Any suggestions on how to handle this problem?”

[edit] Blue Sky

The Table Topicsmaster presents a fictitious or imaginary situation for the Table Topics Speaker to address, encouraging a creative response.

Example: “On your way to tonight’s meeting, you were pulled over by the Highway Patrol. How did you avoid getting a citation for speeding?”

[edit] Dialog

Participants are divided into pairs, with one speaking to the other, the latter responding.

Example: One presents an award or gift; the other receives it. Possibilities: a going-away present, service award, honorary degree.

[edit] The Continuing Saga

The Table Topicsmaster begins a narrative breaking off at a crucial point, then asks the first Table Topics Speaker to continue the story to a point and call on the next Table Topics Speaker.

[edit] Confucius Says

The Table Topicsmaster gives each participant a fortune cookie. When the Table Topics Speaker is called, they open the cookie, read it out, and then comment on the statement. Alternatively, the Table Topicsmaster may distribute envelopes, each with a topic. This program can be one of Instant Speeches or Limited Prep Speeches.

[edit] Thumbs Way Up

The Table Topicsmaster asks each Table Topics Speaker to review a movie or other entertainment. The speaker may select the show to review, or the Table Topicsmaster may assign one. If the latter, the Table Topicsmaster prepares by ascertaining that the Table Topics Speaker has seen the particular show.

[edit] Speech Discussion

The Table Topicsmaster asks each Table Topics Speaker to discuss one of the speeches given at the meeting. The speaker should not evaluate the speech, but react to the ideas or content presented, perhaps expressing their own thoughts or giving suggestions for future speeches.

[edit] Guidelines for the Table Topicsmaster

  • Avoid taking excessive time introducing the Table Topics session, the question for the Table Topics Speaker, and remarks on what the speaker says. Give all possible time to the responses of the Table Topics Speakers.
  • Select stimulating, realistic, and useful topics. Encourage participants to comment on community, national, or international issues.
  • Avoid selecting a mundane theme, such as “Where I Would Like to Spend My Vacation” or “My Most Embarrassing Social Situation”.
  • Ensure that the topic given to each Table Topics Speaker is one they know something about. Avoid embarrassing the speaker.
  • Conclude the Table Topics session at an appropriate time, in consultation with the Toastmaster.

[edit] Guidelines for the Table Topics Speaker

  • Keep your remarks to the point of the topic.
  • Try to make a sensible, worthwhile presentation that adds to the listener’s knowledge or perspective.
  • If there is a Common Speech Topic, you may elaborate on (or dispute) ideas presented by previous speakers.
  • In some clubs, you are allowed to redefine the speech topic you wish to respond to. If so, introduce your topic properly.

[edit] Six Outlines for the Table Topic Speech

Here are six suggestions for handling your Table Topic speech. You may, of course, develop your own approach.

  1. State your opinion, then back it up with two or three reasons.
  2. State a problem, then show its causes
  3. Articulate a viewpoint, then elaborate on it (the viewpoint need not be your own).
  4. Set forth a goal or a problem, then give your solution.
  5. Present a process, then describe it in more detail.
  6. Analyze a situation into its components, then comment on them.

In each case, your speech starts with a succinct statement that sets the context. The rest of your remarks then address that statement and fit into that context. The result is a cogent expression of ideas.

[edit] Tips for Table Topic speaking

[edit] Three Tips

It is a good idea to have memorized ahead of time some appropriate quotes which can be applied to almost any situation. Using them effectively will not only start your table topics speech off on a reasonably strong note, but it will also give you some time to think and develop your topic more fully.

Don't feel that you need to start speaking as soon as you are introduced. (If you do, it automatically starts the clock, and you are committed). It's fine to wait a few seconds (some recommend as many as 10) to collect your thoughts before responding.

Remember that strong delivery and gestures can make the difference, particularly in higher level contests. I'd suggest that you continually volunteer to participate in Table Topics at each meeting when preparing for a contest, and even ask your friends to toss you some Table Topics questions outside of meetings to practice responding.

[edit] Winging It

Remember, too, that a Table Topics response does not have to be accurate, or even truthful in any way! It doesn't even have to be an answer to the question asked, although this should only be used as a last resort if you really are at a loss.

Another technique that's fun is to expound at length about you have no idea how to answer the question. You might try explaining why you were really hoping you wouldn't be called upon or what your fears were about answering the question.

Believe it or not, another thing that can work is simply don't worry about it. Don't over think or prepare; just relax, and if you're called on, stand up and start talking. This may sound ridiculous, but sometimes worrying about it is counterproductive.

[edit] Practicing for a Table Topics Session

Table Topics is my favorite contest, but it can also be a nerve wrecker because you never know what kind of question you're going to get. Here's one way to practice for Table Topics and it works just as well for regular meetings as it does for contests:

  • Pick a topic out of the newspaper or something you hear on the radio (it may even be an idle thought that passes through your head) and create an instant Table Topics response. Make it a point to practice this on a daily basis.

You'll be amazed at how good you can get at it. And you'll have a backlog of material to draw on the next time you get called on! You may also find that you start to catalog material in your mind to "save" for Table Topics.

One final piece of advice: make a point of reading the newspaper closely. There's nothing worse than being hit with a newsy Table Topic—and you don't know what they're talking about!


[edit] Resources

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