Improving language Skills with “Rapid Fire Improvisation”

I adapted Rapid Fire Improvisation from a method I learned in a speaker’s boot camp in the mid-1990s. The purpose of the boot camp was to improve skills as a public speaker. Our instructor would select an object or thing in the room and we would speak about the object as quickly as possible, saying anything and everything we could think of about the object for 1 minute. At first it was difficult to do. It even seemed silly. But with practice, I noticed I began to think on my feet very quickly – and with entirely new ideas and spontaneity in speaking engagements in ways I had not been able to do prior to taking the workshop.

Years later, when I was facilitating summer camps and social skill groups for kids on the autism spectrum, one day I pulled the exercise out of a hat to use with some of the kids I was working with. One girl in particular, Krista, who was about 15, had a very difficult time with language. She was pedantic, with words coming out slow, repetitive and monotone. Her responses to general questions and conversations in social situations were strung together with a great deal of effort and challenge. She had a lot of fun with the exercise – as we made it a game – and I felt she connected to the process steps involved, so I asked her parents if they would allow me to work with Krista over the coming months to see if my process steps worked to improve her speech and language abilities.

As a freshman in high school, Krista wanted to make new friends badly, but had no idea how to go about it. She was isolated and in fear of making new friends at her new “big” school. What to say and how to say it made her confused and anxious. But she desperately wanted to be a part of girls’ life on campus. We began our work together. The improvement in speech and her ability to think on her feet was outstanding.

Teachers, family friends and others in the community began to ask Krista’s parents what they did to create such improvement. How had she improved so quickly? “Krista seems to have come out of her shell. She’s so much more animated.” One teacher said.

Benefits of RFI

Turning Rapid Fire Improvisation into a game with your child is an excellent way to make it fun, entertaining, and educational. Benefits include:

-core connections to the brains synopsis

-exercising brain muscles and memory connections

-connection to observing and really “seeing”

-speed and verbal agility.

-comprehension

-language development

-thinking on your feet

In my work with Krista, I worked with her for 4 months 1 x per week, while at the same time I had her mother doing 3 improvisations each night just before Krista went to bed – a more calm and suggestive hour of the day. After a couple of weeks of perfecting her ability to speak about an object with more definition and pace, I introduced a new strategy. We would work at her computer with the camera, pretending the camera was a girl at school she admired and wanted to get to know.  I would put objects behind the camera that were girl friendly (a necklace, scarf, telephone, etc.) so that Krista could focus on things of interest to other girls.

The goal of filming Krista was to allow her to see herself as others see her. We would talk about what she was feeling when she needed to look away. Krista began to develop both speech and eye contact through this method. Eventually we sent Krista out into her school community to “practice” on a real girl.  The result was that Krista attended most football games, proms, dances, and other activities with peers on campus throughout her high school life. Today Krista is in college in Washington State.

I don’t make scientific claims with this process, but am hoping to get others – experts in the field of speech to look at this more critically as a strategy for language development. Here how RFI works:.

Rapid fire works like this:

Select an object – any object in the room.  e.g., a light switch, drapes, bed, flowers, closet, etc.

2. As quickly as you can say everything and anything you can think of about the object. Talk about the object in a firm voice, do so for 30 seconds at first, evolving to 1 minute per object or thing. A “thing” may evolve into concepts, for example, such as making friends, taking turns, playing a game, etc.) But until you learn how to facilitate and your child learns how the game is played, I recommend you start out with objects.

e.g., THE LIGHT SWITCH – “The light switch is attached to the wall next to the door for easy access when I walk in the room, it is close to the door so I can turn it on immediately when the room is dark. Light switches come in many different shapes and sizes, and styles. The light switch plate in my room is brushed silver…”

When you try this yourself, initially you will probably stammer over your own words. You may find it difficult at first to speak about a random item quickly and succinctly without going “blank”. The exercise – if you are having fun, will make you laugh because you might feel a little silly. Good for you! But you’ll probably need to practice yourself in order to perfect your ability to facilitate your child in rapid fire improvisation. This is the perfect opportunity for you to practice getting good at this exercise WITH your child. Enjoy yourselves with the process steps of this activity. Lighten up.

I suggest you do 2 or 3 improvisation exercises with your child to start, increasing the number of items or things as you go along.  Introduce a video or computer camera later in the process after you and your child are relaxed with the exercise. “Catch” your child being brilliant!  Encourage them to have fun.