"Speaking to inform" is of great importance
to college graduates in the work-force
62% use informative speaking daily
Selection of informative
topics
consider audience appropriateness
* consider the background of your audience
* if we have first-hand experience with your topic, your speech will be more memorableconsider speaker appropriateness
* can you speak competently on the subject?
* can you become well and accurately informed?consider your competency and appropriateness to audience
* we don't want to listen to someone who does not appear well-informed
* topic of the speech must meet our needs
1--DESCRIBE OBJECT
2--SHOW HOW SOMETHING WORKS (PROCESS)
3--REPORT ON AN EVENT
4--EXPLAIN A CONCEPT
success judged on three general criteria
* is the info communicated accurately?
* is the info communicated clearly?
* is the info made meaningful and interesting to audience?
FIRST TYPE: OBJECTS
* objects are anything visible, tangible and in stable form such as
places, structures, animals etc.
examples: Catcher in the Rye, whales, painted desert
example 1: To inform my audience of the characters in Catcher in the Rye
example 2: To inform my audience about the migration routes of Gray Whales
example 3: To inform my audience about soil types in the painted desert
* note how the specific purposes are precise
3 BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS FOR OBJECT SPEECHES
CHRONOLOGICAL : the history or evolution of object
example: To inform the audience about the accomplishments of the NAACP; (listing major accomplishments from beginning to present)SPATIAL : describing main features of subject
example: To inform my audience of natural attractions of the Pacific Northwest
(start in northern CA and head up the coast)TOPICAL : for more diverse topics
example: To inform the audience on the classes of computers
super computers, mainframes, workstations, personal computers
(although topical, note that the main points can be arranged along a continuum)
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL THREE ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN
* limit the number of main points in your speech: 2 to 5 main points, maximum
* keep main points separate and discrete
* balance amount of time devoted to each main point
example 1: to inform audience how to save a person
from chocking
example 2: to inform audience on how read aloud to children
example 3: to inform audience on how glass is recycled
TWO TYPES OF PROCESS SPEECHES
process speech often CHRONOLOGICAL in organization
Example:
* specific purpose: to inform the audience on
how theatrical makeup is applied
* central idea: To create three dimensional illusions on their faces,
actors must know the painterly devices of applying a base color, accentuating
shapes with shadows and describing prominent features through highlights.
* main points:
process speech sometimes TOPICAL in organization
* specific purpose: To inform the audience about
outdoor
photography
* central idea: Outdoor photography techniques
can be very different
depending upon whether the day is sunny or overcast or if the subject is
in the shade.
* main points
(even though this example is topical, a semi-spatial organizational pattern is used)
CONCISE ORGANIZATION IMPORTANT
THIRD: EVENTS
Events: anything that happens or is regarded as happening: Operation Desert Storm, job interviews, terminal illness, movie viewing. Examples:
* to inform my audience on the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm
* to inform my audience on common mistakes made during job interviews
* to inform my audience how terminal illness affects surviving family members
* to inform my audience of how advance publicity affects movie viewing
organization for events:
historical if warranted (operation
desert storm)
causal: analytical approach: describing the cause and showing the
effect
* main points must subdivide subject logically and consistently
specific purpose: To inform my audience on the reasons people become vegetarians.
central idea: The two main reasons cited for becoming a vegetarian are the benefits derived from a vegetarian. diet and the ethics of eating meat.
main points:
"CONCEPTS" speeches usually arranged in TOPICAL order
Some topics require definition of key concepts, identification
of major elements, illustration through specific examples
Another approach: explaining different schools of thought on the same subject
specific purpose: to inform my audience on three major cosmologies
central idea: The three major theories of cosmology propose an initial "big bang" followed by either a steady state, dissolution into nothingness or a rebounding collapse.
main points
Concepts speeches are more complex
* They might deal with abstract concepts and be difficult to explain
* It is important to avoid technical language
* define key terms clearly
* use examples and comparisons to illustrate
NOTES ON ORGANIZATION PATTERNS: DIVISION NOT ABSOLUTE
* some subjects can fit into more than one category
* depends on the slant you take
* decide how you will handle subject, object, process, event or concept
* develop accordingly
HELP THE AUDIENCE SORT OUT FACTS
* transitions, internal reviews/previews, summaries and signposts
* "tell 'em what you're going to say, say it, tell them what you said"
* preview the main points in the introduction
* summarize in the conclusion
USE AUDIENCE ANALYSIS WISELY
establish credibility in the introduction and don't assume the audience
know the material
* never overestimate the information of your audience
* never underestimate their intelligence
--even if we learned about your topic
long ago, if it's held little relevance to us in the meantime, it's gone
-- listeners will be vaguely familiar
with topics at best so explain and define as you go
* ask yourself if someone hearing your information for the first time would
understand
* don't sound like a speaker reviewing information the audience knows
-- if handled properly; it won't sound
like "talking down" to us
test of a good speaker is to communicate complex ideas clearly
* it takes hard work and creative thinking
tip: prepare your speech as if the audience has never heard of the subject
* define special terms
* clarify every idea
* illustrate every concept
* support every conclusion
relate your topic to the audience; their wants and needs
* get them interested at the beginning of the speech
* let the audience know how and why your topic is important to them
* put your speaker's into the body of the speech
* talk about topic in the terms of the audience
AVOID BEING TOO TECHNICAL
* discern what can and cannot be explained to an ordinary audience
* avoid jargon specific to certain activities
* language must be straightforward and easy to grasp
AVOID ABSTRACTIONS
* too many abstractions are tedious
* informative speeches can be improved through:
--descriptions: external and internal events, feelings and emotions
-- comparisons: putting subject in analogical, familiar terms
* put abstractions into meaningful perspectives: statistics
TRY TO PERSONALIZE TOPIC
* listeners want to be entertained
* personal illustrations enliven speeches
* people are infallibly interested in personal stories
* personalize your ideas in dramatic, human terms