VHSL 5A Speech
2026 — Chesapeake, VA/US
Impromptu
Event Description:
Purpose of Contest: To encourage students to combine clear thinking, good speaking skills, and interesting presentation in responding quickly to one of three topics with a clear, specific point in a well-developed speech.
Contest Regulations:
1. Impromptu topics will include ordinary objects, events, quotations and famous people. All students, in each section, will draw from the same list of topics. A different subject area will be used foreach round. Enough topics will be provided so that each student will have at least three topics to choose from.Each student will deliver a speech on their own topic each round. No topics will be repeated.
2. Students will be assigned to a room with an adjudicator present. All students willreport to the assigned room and remain in the room for all the speeches. When the student is asked to speak,he/she will draw three topics from the envelope and will choose one. The other two topics will be returned tothe envelope so that other students have the opportunity to draw from them. All students will have theopportunity to select from at least three topics.
3. The contestant shall prepare a speech without consultation and without reference to prepared notes or research materials. The student may make limited notes on both sides of one note card not exceeding 4” x 6” in size. Visual aids and/or props are prohibited
4. Timing begins immediately a????er the three topics are drawn. There is NO minimum time requirement, but the contestant must cover the subject adequately. The maximum time for preparation and speaking is seven minutes. The student may divide this time in any way he/she see fit. Visual aids and/orprops are prohibited. The adjudicator is expected to provide the student with oral time signals, indicating theamount of time elapsed at one minute, two minutes, etc. until the student begins speaking. The adjudicatorshould then provide the student with hand signals, showing the progression of each minute, again at 6:30 andat the end of the seventh minute, indicate that time has expired. The speaker must conclude the speech at theend of the seven minutes. Impromptu students have a seven‐minute time limit plus a 30‐second grade period.
Any contestant who exceeds the established time limit by more than 30 seconds may not rank first or score highest in the round.
5. A student may not leave the impromptu round until all students have finished speaking.