SpeakingtoInform

2024年1月9日發(作者：給女兒的生日祝福)

Speaking to Inform

I. Speaking to inform is one of the most important skills a student can develop.

A. Informative speaking is vital to success in business.

1. In one survey, informative speaking was ranked as the most important speech

skill in the workplace.

2. In another survey, 62% of the respondents said they ud informative

speaking “almost constantly.”

B. Nor are people in business the only ones who rely on informative speaking.

1. There are endless situations in which people need to inform others.

2. The ability to convey knowledge and understanding will prove valuable to

students throughout their lives.

C. There are three criteria for effective informative speaking.

1. The information should be communicated clearly.

2. The information should be communicated accurately.

3. The information should be meaningful and interesting to the audience.

II. Informative speeches can be classified into four types.

A. Some informative speeches are about objects.

1. Speeches about objects describe something that is visible, tangible, and stable

in form.

a. Objects may have moving parts or be alive.

b. They may include places, structures, animals, even people.

2. Speeches about objects need to be sharply focud.

a. A speaker cannot convey everything about an object in a brief speech.

b. It is important to choo a specific purpo that is not too broad to be

achieved in the allotted time.

3. Speeches about objects can u a variety of organizational patterns.

a. A speech about the history or evolution of an object would be arranged in

chronological order.

b. A speech about the main features of an object might be arranged in spatial

order.

c. Most informative speeches about objects will fall into topical order.

B. Some informative speeches are about process.

1. A process is a systematic ries of actions that lead to a specific result or

product.

2. Speeches about process explain how something is made, describe how

something is done, or convey how something works.

3. There are two kinds of informative speeches about process.

a. One type explains a process so the audience will understand it better.

b. The other type explains a process so the audience will be able to perform

the process themlves.

4. Speeches about process often require visual aids.

a. Charts are an effective way to outline the steps of a process.

b. In some cas, the speaker will need to demonstrate the steps or

techniques of the process.

5. Speeches about process require careful organization.

a. Speeches that explain a process step by step are arranged in chronological

order.

b. Speeches that focus on the major principles or techniques involved in

performing the process are usually arranged in topical order.

c. Whichever method of organization is ud, each step in the process must

be clear and easy for the listeners to follow.

C. Some informative speeches are about events.

1. Speeches about events can deal with any kind of happening or occurrence.

a. The occurrence may be historical in nature – such as the Battle of Little Big

Horn or the civil rights movement.

b. The occurrence may be in everyday nature – such as modern dance or

chronic fatigue syndrome.

2. There are many ways to organize a speech about an event.

a. Speeches that recount the history of an event are arranged in chronological

order.

b. Speeches that analyze the caus and effects of an event are arranged in

casual order.

c. Speeches that deal with particular elements of an event are usually

arranged in topical order.

D. Some informative speeches are about concepts.

1. Speeches about concepts convey information concerning beliefs, theories,

principles, or other abstract subjects.

2. Speeches about concepts are usually arranged in topical order.

a. One common approach is to enumerate the main features or aspects of the

concept.

b. A more complex approach is to define the concept, identify its major

elements, and illustrate it with specific examples.

c. Yet another approach is to explain competing schools of thought about the

concept.

3. Speeches about concepts are often more complex than other kinds of

informative speeches.

a. When discussing concepts, a speaker should avoid technical language and

define terms clearly.

b. A speaker should also u examples and comparisons to make concepts

understandable to listeners.

E. The lines dividing speeches about objects, process, events, and concepts are

not absolute.

1. Most topics can fit into more than one category depending on how the speech

is developed.

2. The most important thing is that speakers decide how they want to handle a

topic and then develop the speech accordingly.

III. There are five guidelines for effective informative speaking.

A. Informative speakers should be wary of overestimating what the audience knows.

1. In most cas, the audience will be only vaguely knowledgeable about the

speaker’s topic.

2. The speaker cannot assume the audience will know what he or she means.

3. To avoid misunderstanding, the speaker must explain ideas thoroughly and

clearly.

4. One way to do this is to consider whether the speech will be clear to someone

who is hearing about the topic for the first time.

5. Informative speakers should keep in mind the journalists’ code: “Never

overestimate the knowledge of your audience; never underestimate the

intelligence of your audience.”

B. Informative speakers should find ways to relate the subject directly to the

audience.

1. Informative speakers must recognize that what is fascinating to them may not

be fascinating to everybody.

2. Effective informative speakers work to get the audience interested – and to

keep them interested.

a. They begin with a creative introduction that connects the topic with

interests and concerns of the audience.

b. They find way throughout the body of the speech to talk about the topic in

terms of their listeners.

C. Informative speakers should avoid being too technical.

1. An informative speech may be overly technical becau the subject matter is

too specialized for the audience.

2. An informative speech may also be overly technical becau of the speaker’s

u of jargon or obscure language.

3. Effective informative speakers lect topics that are not too technical for the

audience.

4. Effective informative speakers recognize that language appropriate for an

audience of specialists may well be confusing to a general audience.

D. Informative speakers should avoid abstractions.

1. Replacing tedious abstractions with specific details makes an informative

speech more compelling.

2. One way to avoid abstractions is through description.

a. Colorful descriptions of external events can draw listeners into the speech.

b. Description can also be ud to communicate internal feelings vividly and

engagingly.

3. A cond way to avoid abstractions is with comparisons.

a. Comparisons allow a speaker to explain new ides in concrete, familiar

terms.

b. Effective informative speakers are adept at using comparisons to draw

listeners in to the speech.

4. A third way to avoid abstractions is with contrast.

a. Like comparisons, contrast can put abstraction into concrete terms.

b. Contrast is also an excellent way to give listeners a n of perspective

on concepts and events.

E. Informative speakers should personalize their ideas.

1. Nothing enlivens an informative speech more than personal illustrations.

2. Whenever possible, informative speakers should try to dramatize their ideas in

human terms.

3. The best way to accomplish this is with examples – real or hypothetical – that

personalize the subject matter.

Exercis for Critical Thinking

1. Below is a list of subjects for informative speeches. Your task is two-fold: (1) Select

four of the topics and prepare a specific purpo statement for an informative

speech about each of the four. Make sure that your four specific purpo

statements include at least one that deals with its topic as an object, one that deals

with its topic as a process, one that deals with its topic as an event, and one that

deals with its topic as a concept. (2) Explain what method of organization you would

most likely u in structuring a speech about each of your specific purpo

statements.

computers

animals

science

education

television

sports

music

cultural customs

technology

hobbies

Discussion: This example gets students to work on developing specific

purpo statements for informative speeches. It also leads them to apply

what is said in the text about methods of organizing informative speeches.

If you include Chapter 4, “Selecting a Topic and Purpo,” or Chapter 8.

“Organizing the Body of the Speech,” in the unit on informative speaking,

you may wish to forego this exerci in favor of the exercis in Chapters

4 and 8.