COMM 101, Speech - Midterm Exam (Chapters 1, 2, 7, 8, & 9)

Speech design process

(Planning Stage) 1. Select a general purpose 2. Select a topic 3. Narrow the topic 4. Find the key organizing feature 5. Write the specific goal statement 6. Write the thesis statement 7. Analyze the audience (Creating State) 8. Research 9. Organize 10. Outline 11. Select delivery style, visual aids, and practice

Another time structure

1. First events: Thomas Dudley called the new settlement, Boston, after its English namesake, 2. Second event: a 1630 meeting between William Blackstone, John Winthrop, and Isaac Johnson decided the location of the new settlement, and 3. Third event: the first homes were erected in 1630 (key events).

There are 4 delivery styles:

1. Impromptu 2. Manuscript 3. Memorized 4. Extemporaneous

Three facts about Bunker Hill:

1. June 17, 1775 battle, 2. about 1,500 American militia fought against 5,000 British, and 3. 40 percent of British forces were killed (key: facts)

5 Organizational patterns for informative speeches:

1. Time 2. Space 3. Topical/Classification 4. Comparison 5. Contrast

3 main purposes for public speaking:

1. inform 2. persuade 3. entertain

3 types of noise:

1. physical 2. personal 3. semantic

3 types of personal noise

1. prejudice 2. closed-mindedness 3. self-centered noise

APA

American Psychological Association

Noise

Anything that interrupts communicators from encoding, sending, receiving, and/or decoding a message properly.

MLA

Modern Language Association

Closed-mindedness

Occurs when we refuse to listen to another person's point of view.

Personal noise

Refers to the ongoing thoughts in our minds.

Disruptive Audience Member

The behavior is outwardly disruptive--answering a cell phone during the speech, socializing with another audience member, loudly sorting through his/her school bag, or leaving/entering the classroom during the presentation--and is distracting other audience members.

General purpose

The overall goal of your speech.

Decoding

Thinking about the received symbols or actions, applying meaning to them, and making them into a usable thought for an appropriate response.

Tangential Audience Member

This person asks questions that are unrelated to the speech.

Participatory Champion Audience Member

This person dominates question-and-answer sessions. Although very well-informed and asking thought-provoking question, he/she is preventing other students from participating

Hostile Audience Member

This person has clearly rejected the speaker's central idea and uses his/her nonverbal behaviors to openly dismiss and reject the speaker's message.

Disengaged Audience Member

This person has mentally checked out during another student's speech. The person may be sleeping, quietly reading a newspaper, or discreetly working on homework for another course.

Encoding

o A communicator reviews all of the available symbols or actions that could represent the thought and selects the most appropriate ones. o The person then selects a channel to send words or actions to other communicators. The other communicators receive the words or actions and decode them.

Statistics

o A descriptive use of numbers--and a good way to make numbers have meaning to a listener. o For instance, on a campus of 3,000 people.

Keyword outline

o A list of the the words and phrases you need to remember to remain organized. o Ex. If you are going to give a speech to introduce yourself you don't need to write out, "Hello, my name is Mark Henry. I am from Newark, New Jersey...." o Instead, you can just jot down the words "name," "hometown," etc., on a 3 x 5 card. o You should use enough keywords and phrases in your outline so you don't forget what you want to talk about. o Allow you to practice extemporaneous speaking.

Definitions

o An explanation of a word, phrase, or concept. o They are important if the audience doesn't know the specialized vocabulary used in the speech. Be sure to think about your presentation as if you were an audience member. o What may be perfectly common language to you may sound foreign to some audience members. o In order to avoid sounding condescending, you may want to introduce a definition with a phrase such as, "As you may know..."

Visual aid/Visual

o An important part of good presentational speaking. o Use a _________ whenever you wish to clarify a concept or enhance the understanding of audience members o Some people need a ______ to back up the auditory message they hear--they need to see what you are talking about to understand. o PowerPoints, DVDs, and streaming video are some of the many choices available to help engage listeners. o When choosing a ______, think about which concepts in your speech may be hard for the audience to understand without seeing something. o A good general rule is to make sure your visuals do not take any more than 5 percent of your total speaking time.

Physical noise

o Anything external, from loud construction sounds outside a window to a bug flying around your head at an outdoor concert. o Distracts us and competes with our thought processes.

Narrow the topic

o Beginning speakers often make the mistake of using a topic that is much too broad, such as the symptoms, causes and cures of depression. o When speakers have this much material to cover, the only thing they can do is to provide a list of facts: here are the six symptoms, these are the eight causes, and here are the three cures of depression. o If you narrow this subject and discuss only three of the symptoms of depression, the audience will remember more information from your speech. o You can explain what each symptom is and give examples. o Focusing on fewer specific and presenting them in depth enhances understanding. o Here are a few examples of narrowing a topic: Ineffective: The band Maroon 5 Effective: The drummer from Maroon 5 uses three unique types of instruments Ineffective: Edwardian furniture styles in antique stores Effective: Edwardian-style furniture has three distinct characteristics

Transitions

o Bridging statements that tie the organizational elements of your speech together. o You need _____ between the introduction and the body of the speech, between each main point, and between the body and the conclusion. o A transition statement is another place where mentioning the key is imperative to helping the audience follow along.

Expert opinion

o Can come from a local source or quotations in national publications. o Helps boost your credibility.

Title

o Captures attention o It is read by the emcee before you stand up to give your presentation. o However, it should not give away your topic, nor should it be the topic. o Be creative with your title. o Some good titles we have heard are: Digging Up Your Dead Relatives (speech about genealogy) I Melt for No One (speech about M&M's candy) On the Rocks (mountain climbing) How to Play with a Bear (trading stocks) What a Relief (drawing techniques to reduce stress)

Analogies

o Comparisons o They show how one thing is similar to another thing. o When we learn new information, we often to compare that information to something that we already know. o Ex. In the South, a student was giving a speech about a ski slope and tried to explain the appearance of a newly groomed slope. o Since the students in the room had no idea, she used an _______ . o Rather than saying the snow looks "bumpy" or "had long lines through it," she said, "A groomed ski slope looks like a Ruffles potato chip." o Immediately the students could grasp exactly what she was talking about.

Extemporaneous speaking

o Conversational speaking o The __________ style is the best delivery style for a public speaker because you aren't reading to the audience--you are talking to them in a relaxed, conversational manner.

Comparison structure

o Demonstrates the similarities between two things. o If we compare programs at Harvard and Boston University, we talk about 1. type of school (private/public), 2. founding dates (1636/1839), and 3. location (Cambridge/Boston) (key: differences), o If we contrast the climate between Boston and Little Rock, we could discuss 1. temperatures, 2. precipitation, and 3. severe weather incidences (key: differences)

Attention getter

o First statement you make. o It should not be, "Hi, my name is..." or "My topic today is..." or "How are you today?" o You need to prepare an effective opening that relates to the topic to grab the audience's attention. o There are a number of attention-gaining devices: 1. Painting a picture 2. Quotations 3. Rhetorical questions 4. Actual questions

Introduction

o Has four parts: 1. gaining attention 2. making a connection 3. stating credibility 4. stating the preview o Although the speaking time for an introduction is roughly 10 percent of your total speaking time, it is a key element of the presentation. o You audience should be ready to listen and engaged with the topic after listening to the introduction.

Personal references

o If you have a unique or strong connection with your topic, a _________________ can be useful as an attention getter, especially if your audience knows or likes you. o One of the best __________________ we have heard came from a student had leukemia. o She began, "Some people live without arms, and some live without legs, but I live without hair," and she pulled off her wig. o No one in the class knew she wore a wig, and she had our immediate and full attention throughout her speech on leukemia. o Note that this combines the ______________ with a startling statement.

Media Clips

o If you use a ______ to reinforce a speaking point, keep it short. o Generally, you need to limit media clips to about 10-20 seconds depending on the length of the speech. o Make sure the segment you need is cued to the exact spot. o If you aren't cued, communication stops, and so does your credibility.

Projection

o Important so that everyone in the room can hear you comfortably. o Audiences lose interest immediately if they cannot hear you. o But remember, a booming delivery style can also be uncomfortable for an audience who may feel as though a speaker is yelling at them. o Moderation is the key.

Body

o In the ____ section of the outline, list your main points and all your supporting material. o We recommend a keyword outline.

Facts

o Include information known to be true, such as dates, names, titles, and numbers. o Often defined as observable phenomena. o The number of people who died in a local tragedy is a _____ .

Practice

o It is essential that you _______ out loud with a stopwatch. o We do not recommend practicing in front of a mirror or with a tape recorder. o The most important aspect of practice is to hear yourself say the words. o One of our favorite student quotes is, "I didn't think I needed to practice. I sounded so eloquent in my mind." o When you go through a speech in your mind, there are no vocalized pauses, no problems with transitions, no mispronounced words, no throat noises, and no delivery errors. o But, there is no yellow brick road to a speaker's podium. o You must practice out loud.

Objects

o Items such as sculptures, musical instruments, shop tools, running shoes, horse gear, a newspaper, a hundred-dollar bill, clothing, craft items, or sports equipment can attract attention. o An object can bring a portion of your speech to life for an audience. o But the object must fit the topic you are presenting and not be distracting.

Outlining

o Make sure your thoughts are sequential and thoroughly developed. o Never show up for a presentation and say, "Well, I thought I'd just answer whatever questions you have." The only message the audience receives from this statement is that you did not message the audience receives from this statement is that you did not bother to prepare and that you're arrogant--and the audience is correct.

Prejudice

o Occurs when we "pre-judge," or have a preconceived, often negative, view of someone or something. o Ex. If you have biases against small towns, you may have less than 3,000.

Communicators

o People involved in a verbal/nonverbal exchange. o Simultaneously sends and receives messages. o Ex. During a lecture, a professor sends both nonverbal (smiles, hand gestures, eye contact) and verbal messages (the lecture material). o At the same time, each student sends messages to the professor by maintaining eye contact, writing notes, or yawning. o Everyone is communicating, whether they intend to or not. o Effective communicators are aware that they intentionally and unintentionally send and receive messages. o They constantly monitor and reflect on their verbal and nonverbal behavior as well as on the behavior of others around them as they fine-tune their skills.

Communication process

o People share meaning, verbally and nonverbally. o You are familiar with verbal messages, but keep in mind every gesture you make, the clothes you wear, or even the way you sit in class communicates a message about you. o Communication can be intentional or unintentional. o i.e.: Most of you can remember making a remark you never intended for someone else to hear. o i.e. (continued): When the person overheard the remark, you communicated a message about your true feelings.

Examples

o Phrases or stories used to describe, illustrate, or explain a concept. o They can be real or hypothetical. o You should use an example any time you make a statement that may need clarification. o If Laquan states, "Volunteering can be a rewarding activity," he needs to follow the statement with an example of a time when he volunteered and found it to be rewarding. o The example he uses will help clarify the concept of volunteering for his audience.

Traditional Visuals

o Poster boards, transparencies, or drawings on easels or chalkboards are now outdated and should not be used, perhaps because they appear far less professional than images prepared using computer technology. o Only a few ________________ are still used today, such as objects and media clips.

Manuscript

o Reading from a written paper o Some professionals use ___________ speaking. o The president of the United States, for example, must speak from a ____________ during national addresses to ensure every word that has been planned is delivered correctly. o The speech is read from a teleprompter to make the president look more natural to the television audience. o The audience may think the president is talking directly to them during an address, but the president is actually reading from a _________________ .

Visual technology

o Refers to electronic equipment used to enhance a presentation, such as a PowerPoint presentation, laser pointers, a website, YouTube, and DVD players. o Many speakers forget the purpose of a visual aid when they begin to use technology. o Speakers may have a great time with the technology, but they generally forget to focus on the audience rather than the technology.

Rate

o Refers to the speed at which you deliver a sequence of words. o You do not want to speak too quickly or too slowly, because either one makes it difficult for the audience to pay attention.

Rules for Visuals

o Simply having a visual to help the audience understand a concept does not ensure their understanding. o The use of visual aids can enhance or detract from a presentation depending on how you use them. o There are a number of things you can do to make sure that your use of a visual aid goes smoothly. 1. Make sure to practice with your visual. 2. Make sure the visuals are large enough to be seen and read by everyone. 3. Passing visuals through an audience is risky. 4. Only show the visual while you are talking about it. Never turn your back on the audience. 5. Explain the visual. Take a minute o explain to the audience what the visual means. 6. Do not bring anything illegal or harmful as a visual. 7. Make sure to cite the visual source. 8. Most importantly, have a backup plan.

Thesis statement

o Some instructors call this the central idea. o Integral for speech design purposes. o You write it so you know what the main points of the speech will be. o Keep in mind that the thesis/central idea in oral communication may be dissimilar from those you learn about in an English class. o Oral and written forms of communication differ because the channel for information is different--spoken delivery versus written delivery. o An extension of the specific goal statement. o Clarifies what "three items" you are going to discuss.

An audio or visual aid

o Sometimes ________________ can be useful as an attention getter. o One student who was going to give a speech on a Spanish festival played 10 seconds of festival music to gain the audience's attention. o If you choose a topic of childhood obesity, you might begin with a visual of the number of obese children in 1980 vs. the number of obese children today. o Typically if you use a startling statistic, having it visually available gives it even more impact.

Impromptu

o Speaking with no preparation at all o Everyone must do ____________ speaking at one time or another. o If a teacher calls on you in class, you do impromptu speaking. o You also do impromptu speaking in an employment interview when you answer an unexpected question. o This style is not appropriate for a formal speaking situation. o Very few people are talented enough to pull off an effective impromptu speech.

Specific goal statement

o Specific purpose statement o For design purposes only o You write it so you know exactly what you want your audience to to remember or learn. o This statement places listeners in the central position; you want the audience to come away with an understanding of the topic. o Should be a full sentence. o Should be limited to on idea. o Generally, the statement will read: - there are three different drugs that are used to combat depression. - there are three steps in planting a tomato. - there are three reasons why Bon Jovi became famous.

Channels

o Target a different sensory receptor and must be chosen appropriately to accomplish your goal. o Include a cell phone, pager, handheld devices, computer, newspaper, radio, television, books, notes, sound systems, social media, and face-to-face interaction. o Technology has increased the number, reach, and speed of ________ exponentially.

Pronunciation

o The accepted sound of a word according to the dictionary. o A word like "get" is often pronounced "git." o People say "you are taking me for granite" instead of "for granted." o "Ask" in urban speech is pronounced "aks" or "axe." o There is also an interesting pronunciation rule for the word "the." o There is a difference between "the" pronounced "thee." o You should use "thuh" before all words that begin with a consonant such, "thuh choir." o But, you use "thee" before any words that begin with a vowel, such as "thee orchestra." o This subtle difference can make you stand out to an audience.

Physical setting

o The arrangement of a room is important. o You need to know where the audience is seated in relation to your speaking area. o This allows you to develop a mental picture of how to make eye contact with each section of the audience when you practice giving your speech. o If the space has a balcony, you need to look up in addition to scanning the main audience level. A speaker should be aware of the seating arrangement to be prepared for audience interaction. o If an audience is seated in rows, members of the audience are less likely to interact with each other during a speech. o If the audience is in a circle or in small seating groups, they may talk to each other more easily while you are delivering your speech. These more intimate setting can be challenging for a speaker.

Credibility

o The beleivability factor of a speaker. o A critical consumer of communication should always ask, "Why should I listen to you?" o Effective speakers present solid information in the introduction of the speech. encouraging the audience to believe they are credible. o Speakers can mention their credentials (certification, degrees), their research (articles, books) and their personal connection (experience with the topic).

Preview

o The final step of the introduction. o The navigational tool for the speech. o When you read something, if you become lost or confused, you can go back and reread the paragraph. o But in presentational speaking, the audience has only one chance to follow you. o By providing a preview that states your three main points, the audience can mentally join your journey through the topic. o Audiences should know what you are going to discuss and the precise order in which you will discuss it. o Relates directly to the key you selected. o Audiences have short attention spans, are egocentric, and may have difficulty seeing connection among main points. o Reinforcing the commonality of your points helps your audience follow your speech. o Be sure to use your key in the preview of your speech. o However, try to be somewhat subtle in your preview. o Speakers should not say, "My three main points are....", but they can say, "Today I'd like to cover the three historical aspects [key] of Faneuil Hall Market Place, which are its founding, the designer, and its original name."

Research

o The first thing that you want to do is look at your key and your thesis. o They provide you with your three main points and identify the place to begin gathering ___________ .

Supporting material

o The information you use to convey a point. o Once you find your sources of information, you pull supporting material from them that will assist you in explaining your topic to the audience. o As you draft your presentation, you may identify an area of your speech that needs additional support, and you'll do more research to find material to add to your presentation.

Concluding statement

o The last part of an effective conclusion. o Unfortunately, many speakers do not plan their ____________________, so they end up saying something like "that's it." o This does not leave the audience with a favorable impression. o A weak _________________ destroys your credibility.

Select a topic

o The next part of the design process. o Generally the hardest part of the public speaking endeavor.

Key

o The organizing feature that describes the similarity among your main points. o Examples: - steps - aspects - characteristics - parts - areas - reasons

Articulation

o The proper formation and release of the sounds that make up a spoken language. o Using "proper" speech should be the goal of all speakers. o Many local dialects don't use properly articulated English sounds, or the modify those sounds. o Ex. Many people drop word endings. o Going fishing becomes "goin' fishin'." o In other regional dialects, people drop the "t," "k," and "p" sounds. o Gift becomes "gif." o A word like "fact" should actually be articulated as "fa-k-t," but some people drop the "t" sound and simply say fak." o Proper ________ relates to proper pronunciation as well.

Feedback

o The response one communicator gives to another. o Can be verbal or nonverbal. o Essential to the communication process. o Acknowledges the presence of the other person, lets the communicator know the message was received, and demonstrates that the communication is valued.

Review

o The same as the preview. o This is your chance to remind the audience what your three main points were. o It helps the audience to solidify the points in their minds, so be sure to mention your key one last time (So today I covered the three steps of...). o It also lets the audience know you are wrapping up the speech. o We recommend you do not say something like, "In conclusion...." o This phrase is not necessary for short speeches. o It also shows the audience you lack creativity in your transitions. o The audience will know you are concluding when you review your main points.

Connection step

o The second part of the introduction. o In this section of the speech, you must connect with the audience to let them know why the topic is relevant to them. o Audiences are egocentric--they care about what relates directly to them.

Restate the connection

o The second step of the conclusion. o Remind the audience why this information is important or relevant to them. o It reemphasizes why the audience just spent their time listening to you.

Grammar

o The set of rules that determine the correct use of a specific language. o Usually people think about grammatical errors when they write. o Also applies to oral communication. o Review your speech patterns for the following potential errors: - One of the biggest errors in spoken speech is the adverbial form. People drop the "ly" ending from adverbs. For example, many people say, "Please drive safe" instead of "safely," or they use an adjective instead of an adverb, saying, "He draws good" instead of "He draws well." - Some people also misuse pronouns. Someone might say, "It is a conversation between my brother and I." Because the pronoun in this case is the object of the preposition, the objective form is correct: "between my brother and me." - Verb forms may also be skewed, particularly in broadcast sports speech. "That team was beat last night" rather than "beaten." Listen carefully to electronic media sports personalities and announcers at a local game. What do you hear? Do you mimic their mistakes?

Conclusion

o There are 3 parts to an effective ________: 1. review 2. restatement connection 3. concluding statement o Like the introduction, it is a short segment of your speech. o You should not spend more than 5-10 percent of total speaking time on your conclusion.

Rhetorical questions

o This is a question where you are not expecting any response from the audience. o We use ________________ to set the tone of the speech. o For instance, if you want to talk about very serious topic like teenage suicide, you might ask the audience, "How many of you have been hurt, upset, and depressed to the point of thinking about taking your own life?" o You aren't expecting audience members to raise their hands.

Communication Apprehension

o We have given you advice about how to reduce ______________ . o Fear of public speaking is perfectly normal. o Most people, including ourselves, get butterflies in the stomach or slight nausea or heart palpitations. o Through careful planning and preparation, most of these symptoms will subside once you begin your presentation.

Bibliography

o We talked about keeping track of your sources in the section on research. o There are different bibliographic styles, such as APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and others. o The order of elements, capitalization use of quotation marks and italics are some of the differences in each styles. o You instructor will tell you which style to use. o We encourage you to consult published manuals or Internet sources that explain how to use each form of citation. o The rules change with every edition of these manuals, so you need to check the most current edition.

Humor

o We urge caution with the use of _______ . o You should only use it if it is relevant to the topic. o Sometimes, speakers tell a joke and then proceed with a presentation on a totally different topic. o This is confusing to the audience. o _______ must be appropriate for the topic and the audience. o Any joke that is offensive whatsoever (and that really limits your choices) will lose the audience's attention instead of gaining it. o Finally, the material must be genuinely funny. o If a speaker delivers a joke and is the only one who laughs, that is an extremely awkward beginning. o Given the diversity of audiences, we advise using ______ with extreme caution.

Brainstorming

o Write down as many ideas as you can think of without evaluating them. o Ex. Start with a simple topic--pets. Pets remind you of cats, cats remind you of litter boxes, litter boxes remind you of sand, sand reminds you of the beach, the beach reminds you of the sun, the reminds you of tanning, tanning reminds you of burning, and burning reminds you of cancer.

Memorized

o Written out and committed to memory o _______________ speeches also have problems. o While memorized speeches sometimes sound very polished, they more frequently sound scripted, and the speaker usually lacks natural vocal variety. o An actor works from memorized scripts because he or she is performing someone else's word, but a good speaker works from notes. o Speakers need a relaxed conversational style. o When we memorize, we concentrate on the fact that "this word" follows that "word," which goes after "this word" follows that "word," which goes after "this word." o We do not think about the total concept and shape of the speech. o If we forget a word, it is much more difficult to recover mentally during the speech. o We have seen numerous students who _______ speeches despite our warning about potential problems. o In almost all cases, either the speeches sounded unnatural, or the student forgot a word, panicked, and could not complete the assignment.

Actual questions

o You can also ask an ________________ to get your audience's attention. o You may need to set this up by saying, "Raise your hands if..." o But, make certain you know what the response will be. o We have seen more than one speech introduction fail with the use of an ______________ because the audience's response didn't match the speaker's expectations. o It would be extremely rare for an audience member to have never eaten in a fast-food restaurant. o So, you could use the question, "Is there anyone here who has never eaten in a fast-food restaurant?" o It would be evident that everyone has done this because no hands would go up.

Quotations

o You can use literary ___________, historical __________ or contemporary ____________________. o "Ben Franklin was quoted as saying, 'Many people die at 25 and aren't buried until they are 75'" (Voorhees, 2002). o This quote could be a wonderful beginning to a speech about making the most out of every day.

Startling or striking statements

o You must do this responsibly. o Would it get your attention to hear the statement, "Americans are lazy and uncompetitive"? o This might be a great attention getter for a speech that compares the work schedule of Americans and Europeans. o Another example is to begin your speech in a foreign language. o You could begin a speech on Madrid with a quote in Spanish. o A student who wanted us to reduce our consumption of meat began by saying, "Did you know the average American eats over 20 animals a year?" o Really? Yuck.

Space structure

o emphasizes parts and how they fit together to form a whole. o You could give a speech on the four geographic areas in Boston. o These would include 1. First area: North Boston/Cambridge, 2. Second area: South Boston, 3. Third area: West Boston/Chestnut Hill, and 4. Fourth area: East Boston/Waterfront (key: geographic areas)

Time structure

o highlights steps in a process or a sequence of events. o If you want to give a time-structure speech, you might present the following three steps in the process of making plans for a trip to Boston: 1. First step: decide how to get there, 2. Second step: make reservation, and 3. Third step: pack (key: steps).

Topical/classification structure

o used most frequently. o highlights keys such as the three types, aspects, characteristics, parts, or reasons. o Here you could talk about three of the universities in Boston: 1. Harvard, 2. MIT, and 3. Boston University (key: universities).

Extemporaneous

o using key words and phrases to promote a conversational style o ________ speaking is conversational speaking. o This is the preferred delivery style for most speaking situations. o With ___________ speaking, speakers note key words and phrases on cards to help them remember the concepts they to cover. o They talk about those concepts, glancing at the written notes if they need to remind themselves about an example. o If you want to call a company to lodge a complaint about a defective product, you might jot down some of the key points you want to remember. o You don't write it out word for word or memorize it, but you refer to your list and make sure you cover all of the points on it. o This delivery style helps listeners feel as though they are important because we are talking to them and not at them. o The style also allows for adaptation on the part of the speaker. o If you see that the audience doesn't understand concept, you can add another example. o If you see they are bored, you might add some humor or pick up the pace. o One way to speak consistently in a conversational style is to imagine you are sitting at a kitchen table sipping a hot drink and communicating with a friend.

When you organize your main points and subpoints in an outline format,

you are building the structure of your speech. You want to reorganize or eliminate any information that isn't appropriate before you complete your project. While outline formats vary from instructor to instructor, the following includes the elements required for effective informative speaking.