Chapter 15 Informative Speaking
The Goals of Informative Speaking Meeting the audience’s informational needs Gauge what they know Decide on an appropriate approach Make it relevant to them
The Goals of Informative Speaking Informing, not persuading Keep the speech objective Speaking appropriately and ethically Relevant and reliable Honest and truthful Avoid plagiarism
Topics for Informative Presentations People Places Objects and phenomena Events Processes Concepts Issues Plans and policies
Approaches to Conveying Information Description Paint mental pictures for listeners Demonstration “How to” topics Combine physical demonstration with explanatory narration
Approaches to Conveying Information Definition (provide answers to “what” questions) Operational definition Definition by negation Definition by example Definition by synonym Definition by etymology
Approaches to Conveying Information Explanation (answer “why?” or “what does that mean?” questions) Clarifying concepts Big picture Challenging intuition
Guidelines for Informative Speeches Create information hunger Arouse curiosity Work your topic
Guidelines for Informative Speeches Make it easy Clear organization and structure Emphasize important points Don’t overwhelm the audience Build on prior knowledge Define your terms Use appropriate supporting material Use appropriate presentation aids