Introduction to Public Speaking – Week 6 Lecture

Chapter 12 Outline

This week, we’re turning our attention to one of the primary forms of public speaking—informative speaking. The purpose of informative speaking is to inform your audience (simple, right?). Chapter 12 presents the focus on the characteristics of good information speaking and the methods that you can use to develop an effective informative speech. The first section will focus on five distinguishing characteristics of informing. The second section will focus on the five methods of informing. The final section discusses two common types of informative speeches and provides examples of each.

CHAPTER 12 OUTLINE

Introduction (p. 213): An informative speech is a speech whose goal is to explain or describe facts, truths, and principles in a way that stimulates interest, facilitates understanding, and increases the likelihood of remembering.

I. Characteristics of effective informative speaking (p. 213).

A. Intellectually stimulating: the perception that information that is new to audience members and is explained in a way that piques their curiosity and interest.

1. If your audience is unfamiliar with your topic, consider how to tap their natural curiosity.

2. If your audience is familiar with your topic, you will need to identify new insight about it.

B. Relevant. Don’t assume listeners will recognize how the information is relevant to them. Incorporate listener relevance links to clarify how a particular point may be important to listeners.

C. Creative: the perception that your information will yield innovative ideas and insights.

1. Creative information speeches begin with good research.

2. Creativity takes time.

3. Use productive thinking, working to think about something from a variety of perspectives.

4. Several strategies can help in becoming better productive thinkers.

a. Rethink a topic, issue, or problem from many perspectives.

b. Make your thoughts visible by sketching drawings, diagrams, and graphs.

c. Set regular goals to actually produce something.

d. Combine and recombine ideas, images, and thoughts in different ways.

D. Memorable: effective informative speeches emphasize the specific goal, main points, and key facts in ways that help audience members remember them.

E. Learning styles: develop your informative speech in ways that address diverse learning styles based upon feeling, watching, thinking, or doing.

II. Methods of informing (p. 216). Decide what methods you will use to educate your audience about your topic.

A. Description: method used to create an accurate, vivid, verbal picture of an object, geographic feature, setting, person, event, or image. To describe something effectively:

1. You can describe size subjectively as large or small and objectively by noting the specific numerical measures.

2. You can describe shape by reference to common geometric forms or by reference to common objects.

3. You can describe weight subjectively as heavy or light and objectively by pounds and ounces or kilograms, grams, and milligrams.

4. A safe way to describe color is to couple a basic color with a common familiar object.

5. You can describe composition of something by indicating what it is made of or by describing what it looks like.

6. You can describe something by age as old or new and by condition as worn or pristine.

7. You can describe by spatial organization, going from top to bottom, left to right, or outer or inner.

B. Definition: a method of informing that explains the meaning of something.

1. You can define a word or idea by classifying it and differentiating it from similar ideas.

2. You can define a word by explaining its derivations or history.

3. You can define a word by explaining its use or function.

4. You can define a something by using a synonym or antonym.

a. Synonym: a word that has the same or a similar meaning.

b. Antonym: a word that is directly opposite in meaning.

C. Compare and contrast is a method of informing that focuses on how something is similar to and different from other things.

D. Narration is a method of informing that explains something by recounting events.

1. Narratives generally have four parts:

a. The narrative orients the listeners to the event by describing when and where the event took place and by introducing important characters.

b. The narrative explains the sequence of events that led to a complication or problem.

c. The narrative discusses how the complication or problem affected key characters.

d. The narrative recounts how the complication or problem was solved.

2. Narratives can be presented in a first-, second-, or third-person voice.

E. Demonstration is a method of informing that shows how something is done, displays the stages of a process, or depicts how something works.

1. In a demonstration, your expertise is critical.

2. Organize the steps from first to last to help the audience remember the sequence.

3. Effective demonstration requires practice.

a. Consider the size of your audience and the configuration of the room.

b. Be sure everyone in your audience can actually see what you are doing.

III. Informative speech types (p. 220).

A. Informative process speeches: the goal of a process speech is to explain and show how something is done, made, or works.

1. Most process speeches rely heavily on the demonstration method of informing.

2. If not suited for demonstration, use visual aids to help the audience “see” the steps in the process.

B. Expository speeches: an informative presentation that provides carefully researched in-depth knowledge about a complex topic.

1. All expository speeches require that the speaker draw from an extensive research base and to use a variety of informative methods to sustain attention.

2. Expository speeches include the following:

a. Political, economic, social, religious, or ethical Issues: help your audience understand the context of an issue, including the forces that gave rise to the issue and continue to affect it. The speaker should present all sides of the issue.

b. Historical events and forces.

c. Theories, principles, or laws: inform the audience by explaining these important phenomena.

d. Creative works.

GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS

antonym: a word that is directly opposite in meaning

compare and contrast: a method of informing that focuses on how something is similar to and different from other things

definition: a method of informing that explains the meaning of something

demonstration: a method of informing that shows how something is done, displays the stages of a process, or depicts how something works

description: a method of informing that creates a verbal picture of an object, geographic feature, setting, or image

expository speech: an informative presentation that provides carefully researched in- depth knowledge about a complex topic

informative speech: a speech whose goal is to explain or describe facts, truths, and principles in a way that stimulates interest, facilitates understanding, and increases the likelihood of remembering

intellectually stimulating: information that is new to audience members and is explained in a way that piques their curiosity

narration: a method of informing that recounts events

process speech: an informative presentation that teaches how something is done, is made, or works

productive thinking: to contemplate something from a variety of perspectives

synonym: a word that has the same or a similar meaning