What are Table Topics?

Sessions of impromptu speaking held during a Toastmasters club meeting are fondly called Table Topics. These sessions can be based on a series of questions, quotations, storylines, points and counterpoints and many other formats. The basis of Table Topics are all the same, to practice thinking and speaking on the fly as well as improve our impromptu speech skills.

What are the benefits of practicing impromptu speaking skills through table topics?

• You will have the ability to sharpen your interviewing skills and your ability to respond to performance evaluations on the job.
• You will have the opportunity to improve your conversation skills especially when meeting new people.
• Table topics will improve your thinking skills

What questions should I choose if I am the Table Topics Master?

Let us choose open-ended questions rather than close-ended questions.

Open ended questions can be answered with more than a one word or a short phrase answer. Quite often open-ended questions can be developed further by incorporating your own thought, stories, and explanations.

In comparison, a closed-ended question is a question that has a definate answer that often short in nature. A person should consider a question that would result in a yes or no to be closed-ended. An example of a close-ended question is "What is your name"?

How should I respond to the Table Topic?

Table topics are speeches, although shorter in time than your manual speeches; your aim is to have the three main components just like any other planned speech.

The three components to include are:

1. An Introduction, where you state your point of view.
2. A Body where you develop 2 or 3 points to support your point of view and,
3. A Conclusion, where you summarize your ideas on the topic.

As the saying goes . . .

1. Tell us what you’re going to tell us, (introduction)
2. Tell us, and (body)
3. Tell us what you told us. (conclusion)

Each Table Topic is 2 minutes in length with a 30 seconds grace period.

Try to answer the question.

Be creative!

Have fun with it!

Try to speak for your allotted time (2 minutes). If you are stuck at first, repeat the question back to the Table Topics Master or ask them to repeat the question. Try to work on your first sentence as you hear the question. Take a deep breath and just start speaking. Take some natural length pauses. The pauses will add character to your speech in addition to give you time to think of more to say. If you feel you have nothing else to say, just wrap it up with a summary, and sit down.

Sources:

1. Communication and Leadership manual: Table Topics
2. Think Fast! (Table Topics Handbook): When You’re the Speaker

How do I know what I am doing well and what I need to work on?

• Some clubs in District 11 routinely evaluate their members' table topic at each meeting or for special meetings. You are probably saying to yourself, "where do I get the Toastmasters International evaluation manual or evaluation form for table topics"? A common way to evaluate table topic is using the what did I hear, what did I see, and what did I feel way of evaluation.

  Here are some examples of evaluation forms that are used in clubs in District 11. If you have a different formatted form that your club uses, please send it to the webmaster to be posted on this page.

• Ask your Vice President of Education to assign you a mentor to help you with your impromptu speaking skills. Opportunities to practice these skills happen more often than you may think during a Toastmasters meeting. Table Topics are by far the best time to work on your "thinking on your feet and talking on the fly", but being the Toastmaster of the Day, Grammarian or Ah Counter, Speech or Table Topics Evaluator, and even the Timer has some elements of impromptu speech.
  
  See the article regarding using listening and impromptu speaking during speech evaluations. (pdf)

Are special events for Table Topics available?

One that comes to the mind of Toastmasters is a special event meeting that features only table topics.

An example:
Best in the Business Toastmasters Club #5615 Impromptu Challenge 2005

During 2005, the Best in the Business Toastmasters Club held the Impromptu Challenge which included 2 sets of table topics led by 2 Table Topics Masters.The speakers were chosen by random draw.

Since the Best in the Business Club is a corporate club of 1 hour meeting time, each Table Topics Master had 25-28 minutes to develop a table topics program which included the speaking, evaluations, and awards. This club doesn't include table topic evaluations or awards on their meeting agenda during a typical Toastmasters meeting.

See the tools that Best in the Business Toastmasters Club used for their 2005 Impromptu Challenge:

• Evaluator Sheet (pdf)
• Timer Sheet (pdf)
• Vote Tally Card (pdf)

Are other skill building tools available outside of a Toastmasters meeting?

Several other options are available to you outside of a regular Toastmasters meeting to build your skills.

1. Let us make table topics a family event. Each night at the dinner table, start a table topics session with your family. It will get everyone engaged with each other's lives and improve skills too! If you don't know what to use for the table topic ideas with your family, see what Toastmasters International has to offer in their online store.
2. Do you have other suggestions? Let us post them here! Send in your suggestions about Table Topics to the webmaster!