Informative Speech

The goal of an informative speech is simply to give information Not to persuade

Being knowledgeable about a subject gives you confidence when you speak

Types of informative speeches The public lecture -- this is what you will be doing Status report - business Briefing - change in policy or procedure Fireside chat - addresses concerns, worries, and issues of the moment Chalk talk - this uses a visual aid

The 6 Cs of Informative Speaking Clear Concise Complete Correct Concrete Connect

Be Clear How can you be sure your listeners will understand what you mean?? Define important words or phrases Make distinctions about what something is or is not Compare and contrast Avoid jargon

Be Concise Be conscious of your own language Do not ramble Avoid being repetitive and wordy Make each word count - choose the word that best fits your meaning

Be Complete A speech can never fully cover and entire topic But it should be structured, organized, and logically put together You should have a framework and stick to that framework so that the audience knows what to expect Work from a plan

Be Correct PLEASE USE CORRECT INFORMATION Check and double check the accuracy of the information -- if you are wrong this hurts your credibility as a speaker (ethos) Look at where you found your research….that will tell you if it is credible Cite your sources (when giving your speech, you should tell your audience when you are citing something that isn’t yours)

Be Concrete Focus on the concrete details and avoid being vague A concrete example helps listeners get a mental picture of what you’re talking about

Connect Analyze the people who will be in your audience Try not to see from only your point of view - think how they would react Would they find this boring, exciting, informative, etc… Examine their cultural literacy The info that an average american citizen has You can’t choose your audience but you can tailor your speech to them

How do you find a subject to talk about Have a creative mind Think less about what knowledge you have and more about what you want to know -- this will pique your interest -- and then what do you want to do with that knowledge Find a fresh way to look at your topic

Personal Experience First hand knowledge contributes unique and original information that others won’t know Find an area that you would consider yourself an expert on and use that Think about things that you do well

Observations Immediate Environment Things that you obsearve happening

Surveys Consider your listeners’ interests and concerns Poll them or ask them

After choosing a subject Narrow it down Choose a specific topic about that subject If your topic is too broad, you will struggle writing yoru speech Limit your speech Time Space Extent