Speaking to Inform

How to Prepare for a Speech

What is an Informative Speech?

• Provides information to an audience• Helps the audience to understand and

remember the information you are presenting• Expository Speech – gives information about a

specific subject• Your “specific purpose” relates to your thesis

statement

Preparing the Speech

• Prepare the Introduction:– Attract audience’s attention– Focus attention on the subject– Gain the audience’s goodwill

• Methods for beginning a speech– Startling statement– Question– Quotation– Story/anecdote

Preparing the Speech

• Organizing the Body – Chronological Order– Arrange details or events according to the order in

which they occurred in time• Preparing Your Conclusion– Typically a summary of the main points that lead

to and reinforce your thesis statement– Restate the thesis (i.e. concluding thesis

statement)

Preparing the Speech

• Preparing Your Conclusion (Con’t)– Closing the speech• Quotation• Anecdote/story• A final thought that makes the conclusion more

memorable

Delivering the Speech

• Credibility– The amount of trust and belief the speaker

inspires in the audience– Establish trust that you will give accurate

information– Be thoroughly prepared for the speech

Delivering the Speech

• Enthusiasm– Be enthusiastic about your topic– Audience will find it difficult to be interested in

your topic if you, yourself, are not interested/excited

– Having enthusiasm will help to hold your audience’s attention

Delivering the Speech

• Eye Contact– Keep/establish eye contact with your audience– If you look at them, they will look at you

• Vocal Variety– Vary tone, rate, volume, and pitch to emphasize

key points and make the speech more interesting

Delivering the Speech

• Clear Articulation and Enunciation– Speak clearly, do not slur your words

• Good Pronunciation– This can either help or hurt your credibility– Make sure you know how to pronounce key words

and phrases (especially names) within your speech

Delivering the Speech

• Good Speaking– Language used must be immediately

understandable to the audience– Use to help clarify meaning:• Facial expressions• Gestures• Tone of Voice

Delivering the Speech

• Good Speaking (Con’t)– Use Verbal Cues• I think…• That is to say• The point I would like to make

– Repeat words and phrases to help aid memory and/or to reinforce points

Delivering the Speech

• Choosing the Right Words– To have Clarity (clearness) use:• Simple words• Precise words• Specific words• Concrete words

– Simple Words• Familiar• 1-2 syllables• Ex: Cloudy/Nebulous, Avoid/Eschew, Home/Residence

Delivering the Speech

• Choosing the Right Words (Con’t)– Precise Words• Expresses thoughts and feelings accurately/exactly• Vague words may have multiple meanings

Ex (vague): We had a club meeting yesterday. (precise): We had a (frustrating/boring/noisy) club meeting today.Ex (vague): The boy looked through the window. (precise): The boy (peered/gazed/squinted/spied) through the window.

Delivering the Speech

• Choosing the Right Words (Con’t)– Specific Words

• Identify items within a category• (General words refer to an entire category)• Specific words help the audience to form a picture in their

minds of specific imagesEx (general): She brought them several things. (specific): She brought them pencils, paper, and crayons.Ex (general): A bird was at the feeder. (specific): A blue jay was at the feeder.

Delivering the Speech• Choosing the Right Words (Con’t)– Concrete Words• Name things that can be perceived by one or more of

the 5 sensesEx: Peanut Butter – names a substance you can touch, taste, smell, and see• Abstract words name things that cannot be perceived

by the senses (ideas and beliefs)Ex: Liberty, Fairness, Democracy• Use concrete words to explain abstract words

– Ex: We are fighting for democracy. We are fighting for men and women at the voting booth, for workers demanding the right to negotiate, and for students speaking against a proposed law.

Delivering the Speech

• Emphasis– The force or special attention given to a particular word

or point– Used to signal to the audience exactly what they should

remember– Use it sparingly– Repetition: saying something more than once

• Restatement is the repetition of an idea using different words• Parallelism is the repetition of words, phrases, or sentences

to emphasize an idea or a series of ideas (ex: MLK, “I Have a Dream” speech)

Delivering a Speech

• Emphasis (Con’t)– Announcements clearly state your evaluation of a

point made in the speech– Ex:• Now I come to what I consider my most important

point.• This second idea is the key to understanding the

material.

Delivering the Speech

• Avoiding Common Language Problems:– Jargon: language of people within a particular

group or field, but not necessarily understood by people outside of that field.• Ex: Starboard & Port for Right & Left

– Clichés: figurative expression that has been used so often that it has lost its power• Ex: Tried and true; Known far and wide; Cold as ice

Delivering the Speech

• Avoiding Common Language Problems:– Euphemisms: words and phrases used in place of

words that are thought to be unpleasant/distasteful• Use them to avoid offending the audience, but be

careful not to over use• Ex: (euphemism) sanitary engineer, powder room

(direct words) garbage collector, bathroom

Delivering the Speech

• Avoiding Common Language Problems:– Slang: highly informal language; formed by

creating new words or giving common words new meaning• Ex: bread/moolah/dough = money

bad/radical = good/excellent trippin’ = overracting

– Words with UN-intended meanings: • Connotations are the emotions and associations that

are suggested by certain words• Avoid words that stereotype or label people

Introduction Speech• Length: 2 minutes• Possible Topic Information:– Full Name (and how you got it)– Birth place/date– Family– Places you have lived– Activities in which you participate– Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

• Prop (Optional) – symbol of you or something unique about you. Must explain the prop.

Impromptu Speech

• Length: 1 minute (no less!)• Must talk for the entire minute• Must stay on topic• Draw a topic from a hat and give the speech

on the spot

Love/Hate Speech• Length 2-4 minutes• Persuade the audience to love/hate along

with you• Looking for:– Signs of Preparation– Eye contact with audience– Voice (volume, pitch, etc.)– Posture (no slouching!)– Filler words (do NOT use them… um, like, uh, ya

know)

Researched Speech – Fame 20th C.• Length: 5-7 minutes (will be cut off at 7)• Visual Aid– Must be CLEARLY seen from the back of the room– Anything to be shown electronically MUST be

submitted to the teacher by no later than Tues., May 1st (via email, usb-drive, or disk)

• MUST give the speech to the class (no exceptions)

• Audience members will fill out an evaluation form for each speech given