public speaking chapter 15

guidelines for informative speaking

1. don't overestimate what the audience knows 2. relate the subject directly to the audience 3. don't be too technical 4. avoid abstractions (description, comparison, contrast) 5. personalize your ideas 6. be creative

guidelines

1. limit your speech to between two and five main points 2. keep main points spate 3. try to use the same pattern of wording for all main points 4. balance the amount of time devoted to each main point

types of informative speeches

1. speeches about objects 2. speeches about processes 3. speeches about events 4. speeches about concepts

goals of speeches about processes:

1. understand 2. perform 3. use

concept

a belief, theory, idea, notion, principle, or the like (beliefs, theories, ideas, principles) -be sure to give listeners plenty of help in sorting out facts and ideas, one way is by using enough transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, and signposts

informative speech

a speech designed to convey knowledge and understanding

contrast

a statement of the differences among two or more people, ideas, etc.

comparison

a statement of the similarities among two or more people, events, ideas, etc.

description

a statement that depicts a person, event, or like with clarity, and vividness

process

a systematic series of actions that leads to a specific result or product

event

anything that happens or is regarded as happening

object

anything that is visible, tangible, and stable in form

personalize

to present one's ideas in human terms that relate in some fashion to the experience of the audience

spatial order

if your specific purpose is to describe the main features of your subject, you may organize your speech in spatial order

chronological order

if your specific purpose is to explain the history or evolution of your subject