Table Topics Tips for Toastmasters

• Toastmasters International is dedicated to helping its members overcome the fear of public speaking. Compassionate Eye Foundation/David Leahy/Digital Vision/Getty Images

  Impromptu table topic sessions are the essence of any Toastmasters meeting, as anyone who's ever attended one knows. For new members, delivering a coherent and entertaining speech in just 1 or 2 minutes may seem like a daunting task. However, these feelings can be minimized by training the mind to address topics in the required time frame. Depending on the speaker's creativity, topics can be organized around many themes, from holidays to role playing games and even sociopolitical issues.

Informational Speeches

• Sometimes, asking participants to describe an event is enough to jump-start a memorable speech, according to information posted by Toastmasters New Zealand. Speakers can be asked to outline the "who, what, when, where, why and how" particulars of a situation, such as a sporting event that they witnessed or attended. By the time the speaker finishes, they will have offered a concise 1- to 2-minute response.

Divide and Conquer

• Training the mind to think in 2 minutes and organizing the information accordingly is crucial for any speaker's success. One theme that lends itself to this approach is "Divide and Conquer," which requires a speaker to develop their chosen topic by comparing and contrasting its main themes. Some examples include costs and benefits; low, medium or high; ideal versus real; now versus then; and past, present and future. The list can be as extensive or narrow as the speaker desires.

Role Playing

• Role playing is an effective audience participation device. The speaker chooses one person to explain an unusual situation convincingly, such as finding a naked woman in their bed, according to information posted on Toastmasters Public Speaking's website. Once established, the scenario can be expanded for multiple participants, with two men or women playing the husband and wife involved. Other variations include having people assume the mannerisms of celebrities, politicians or sportscasters.

Holiday Themes

• Looking at the calendar offers many holiday themes for table topic ideas, according to a list compiled by Mark LaVergne, former international director for Toastmasters. Besides the obvious starting points of Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, novice speakers can try lesser-known holidays such as Presidents Day. In other cases, the occasion may call for a more reflective theme. As LaVergne notes, one example is 9/11, which is not precisely a holiday, but definitely a time to remember and reflect.

Self Debate

• Tricky social or political topics offer a surefire jump-off point for any meeting. In "Self Debate," speakers are asked to speak in favor of a contentious topic, until signaled to stop. The speaker is then asked to take the other side. For an alternate approach, the speaker can redirect the conversation through a noncommittal reply. If the topic is abortion, the speaker can suggest that his own views are irrelevant -- and then shift to a different question.