978-0205930661 Chapter 13

Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank for Essentials of Human Communication, Eighth Edition

Unit Planner

CHAPTER 13: THE INFORMATIVE SPEECH

CONCEPTS OF THIS CHAPTER

· guidelines for informative speaking

· supporting materials

· presentation aids

· three types of informative speeches

KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

·

understand the ways in which information is communicated from speaker to audience more

effectively

· identify varied types of informative speeches

SKILLS OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, students should:

·

apply the principles of communicating information to a variety of informative speeches

· develop a variety of informative speeches

· use presentation software with maximum effectiveness

INSTRUCTIONAL OUTLINE

I.

Guidelines for Informative Speaking

– In informative speeches, you tell listeners something

they don’t already know. Guidelines for informative speeches include:

·

Center Information on the Audience

– around the audience’s needs and interests

·

Limit the Information

– don’t overload your audience with too much information; covering

two new ideas in depth is better than skimming through five

·

Adjust the Level of Complexity

– based on audience’s present level of expertise, the topic,

time you are allotted, etc.; don’t use jargon with a non-technical audience

·

Relate New Information to Old

– use information your audience already knows as a

springboard to the new information you will present

·

Make the Information Easy to Remember

– using the principles of public speaking (e.g.,

effective language use, organization, and delivery) enhances the audience’s ability to retain

the information. Some specific suggestions for making a speech memorable include:

– Repeat or restate important points.

–

Use guide phrases (e.g., “My first point is,” “This is important to remember”).

–

Use internal summary transitions to remind an audience of what you have said and how

it relates to what will follow.

–

Pattern your messages by using an organizational that is logical and parallel construction

of main points.

–

Focus audience attention (e.g., “I ask you focus on these three things”).

II. Supporting Materials

·

Examples, Illustrations, and Narratives –

specific instances in varying degrees of detail

used to explain an idea; a relatively brief instance is an example, a more detailed instance is

an

illustration, and an extended instance (a story) is a narrative

– they make an idea vivid and memorable

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–

they may be factual or imaginary

(hypothetical)

·

Testimony

– experts’ opinions or witnesses’ accounts; add a note of authority to claims

– use direct quotations if they are short and easily understandable

– paraphrase quotations of they are long or unwieldy

– always credit the source and stress the person’s credibility

· Numerical Data

– make numbers easy to remember

– clarify your meaning for using numbers

– connect numbers to something familiar

– reinforce your numerical data

– use numbers in moderation

– stress reliability and currency

·

Definitions

– consider the expertise of the audience in deciding the need for definitions; do

not overuse; several types of definitions may be useful in clarifying concepts:

–

etymology

: explains a term’s origins

–

authority

: citing an authority’s perspective on the meaning of the term

– negation: defining something by what it is not

–

actual objects or pictures/models

: showing the actual item or a model or picture of the

item

–

operations

: description of an item’s construction; definition by component parts

·

Additional Forms of Support

– quotations

– comparisons and contrasts

– statements of fact or series of facts

– repetition and restatement

III.

Presentation Aids

– visual or auditory means for clarifying important ideas; presentation aids

serve a number of functions including:

o

gaining attention and maintaining interest

o

adding clarity

o

reinforcing main ideas

o

establishing speaker credibility and confidence

·

Types of Presentation Aids

– object being discussed: generally the best presentation aid

– models: useful to explain complex or very small structures

–

graphs:

useful in demonstrating different trends over time, different amounts, or sizes

– word charts: help highlight key points of speech

–

maps

: useful for showing geographic elements and changes throughout history

– people: useful for showing body movements, voice patterns

–

photographs

and

illustrations

: useful for showing scenes not easily described

·

The Many Forms of Presentation Aids

•

whiteboard

:

easiest to use but not necessarily the most effective; useful for key terms or

definitions

> be sure not to lose eye contact with the audience for too long

>

write legibly

•

chartboards:

useful if presenting only one or two simple charts

> be sure you have a way of holding them up; e.g., bring tape to secure to wall >

use light-colored board; white with black or red lettering works best

•

flip charts

:

work well if you have a large number of word charts

> be sure the flip chart is positioned so everyone can see it

•

slides

and

transparencies

:

helpful for showing a series of visuals that are of different

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types, e.g., photo, charts, and maps

> easily created with computer software programs, e.g., PowerPoint™

>

be sure you have the proper equipment and power supply

•

audios

and

videos

:

useful to show actual interaction or performing arts; best in small

doses

•

handouts

:

helpful if you have a great deal of information that you want the audience to

refer to

> distribute handouts only when you want your audience to refer to them

· Using Presentation Aids

•

Know your aids intimately: be sure you know what goes where and when and how to

introduce the aids.

•

Pretest the presentation aids: be sure they can be seen from all parts of the room.

•

Rehearse your speech with the presentation aids: work out any logistic/technical

problems before the actual presentation.

•

Integrate presentation aids into your speech seamlessly: aid should not appear as an

afterthought or intrusion.

•

Avoid talking to your aids: don’t let your aid interfere with your contact with your

audience.

•

Use your aids only when relevant: remove the aids when you are finished with them to

refocus audience’s attention on your verbal message.

·

Computer-Assisted Presentations:

possess all the advantages of aids already noted; have

advantages of their own: state-of-the-art; give your presentation an up-to-date, professional

look; add to credibility; show preparation and care for your topic and audience

•

Ways of Using Presentation Software:

to produce a variety of aids (e.g., slides,

handouts); to produce speaker notes; to produce overhead transparencies

•

Rehearsing with Presentation Programs

o

Advantages of using presentation packages to rehearse include: precise timing

(program records time spent on each slide and total time); allows for rehearsing

individually selected slides as many times as you want

o

Suggestions for using presentation packages to rehearse include: check out the

equipment available in the room you’ll speak in if possible; rehearse with the actual

equipment you’ll use

•

The Actual Presentation

– suggestions for successful presentations include:

o

Remember you can control your slides with your mouse, going backward and forward

through your sides as needed.

o

If you set the slide show to run automatically, don’t try to use the mouse.

o

Focus on the audience; don’t allow the computer or slides get in the way of your

immediate contact with the audience.

IV. Three Types of Informative Speeches

·

Speeches of Description –

explains an object, a person, an event or a process; suitable topics

include the process of digestion, the inventions of Thomas Edison, and the structure of the

human body

•

Thesis and Main Points

– simply states what you will describe in the speech (e.g.,

“Children acquire language in four stages”); the main points of the speech are the

subdivisions inherent in the thesis statement (e.g., babbling, lallation, echolalia, and

communication are the actual stages of language acquisition)

•

Support

– speakers flesh out the main points of a speech of description with examples,

illustrations, testimony, statistics, and presentation aids

•

Organization

– consider using a spatial; topical; or 5Ws organizational pattern when

describing objects or people; consider using a temporal pattern

for describing events and

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processes

·

Speeches of Definition

– used to explain difficult or unfamiliar concepts or to make a

concept more vivid or forceful; suitable topics include drug addition, virtual reality,

codependency, and Marxism

•

Thesis and Main Points

– identifies the term or system and your intention to define it or

contrast it with other terms (e.g., “Wellness is more than having a fit body”); the main

points of the speech are derived from asking questions about the thesis (e.g., How is

wellness more than a fit body? Wellness has emotional, mental, social, and spiritual

dimensions as well as a physical dimension”)

•

Support

– speakers flesh out the main points of a speech of definition with examples,

testimony, and the like; the speaker should give special attention to the kinds of

definitions they are using (e.g., etymological, definition by negation, definition by

authority, etc.)

•

Organization

– use a variety of definitions (etymology, authority, operation); use

credible sources when defining by authority; proceed from what your audience knows to

what they don’t know

·

Speeches of Demonstration

– shows the listeners how to do something or how something

works; suitable topics include how to wax skis, how to perform CPR, how to use Microsoft

Excel™.

•

Thesis and Main Points

– identifies what the speaker will show audience how to do or

how something operates (e.g., “Growing your own vegetables is a fairly easy process if

you take the time to do it right”); the main points of the speech are derived from asking

questions about the thesis (e.g., What are the steps in the process of growing vegetables?

Researching what and when to plant; preparing bed; planting seeds; thinning, tending and

weeding; harvesting”)

•

Support

– presentation aids are particularly useful and relevant for demonstration

speeches, but remember to use them to enhance the presentation, not detract from it

•

Organization

– use a temporal organizational pattern (in most cases); explain each step;

connect the steps with appropriate transitions; consider presenting a broad overview and

then the individual steps; use presentation aids that show the steps in sequence

Q

UESTIONS FOR

D

ISCUSSION

1. What are some guidelines for informative speaking?

2.

What are the differences between the following types of informative speeches: speech of

description, speech of definition, and speech of demonstration?

3. What are the five methods of definition? Briefly explain each method.

4.

What are three organizational patterns that can be used for informative speeches? Identify a topic

that would be suitable for each pattern.

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5.

How do examples, illustrations, and narratives differ? Give examples of each.

6. What are some functions that presentation aids serve?

7. What are some tips for using presentation aids effectively?

ACTIVITIES FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT

13.1 Critically Evaluating Testimony

Guidelines:

[from Skill Development Experience, text p. 266]

For each of the propositions listed in the

exercise or below, students should write down how they would establish each person’s qualifications in a

speech. This individual work may be assigned as out–of-class work. After students have written their

individual statement to establish credibility, have them work in groups to refine how they would state the

credentials in a speech. In round-robin fashion, have each group make a statement of credibility they

could use in a speech for each instance. Continue until all the statements have been stated with author

qualifications.

Additional Statements for Evaluating Testimony

· A law enforcement officer reporting on an accident

· A speech instructor offering advice on improving communication skills

· A stock broker on how to read a stock page

· A CEO on how to rise in a corporation

· A CPA on how to save on your taxes

· An astronomer on the importance of space exploration

· A novelist on how to publish a book

13.2 Analyzing an Informative Speech

Guidelines

: Have students first evaluate the “An Excellent Informative Speech” (text pp. 278-279)

individually. This may be assigned as out-of-class work. Have students discuss their evaluations of the

speech in groups of five or six. Lead the whole class in a critique of the speech. This offers an excellent

opportunity to discuss the subjectivity of speech evaluations and what specifically you as an instructor expect

from student’s informative speeches.

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13.3 Preparing a Two-Minute Speech

The Two Minute Speech

Instruct the students to prepare a two-minute speech about one of the following topics. This can be

assigned beforehand and have students prepare a more detailed speech, or have students choose a topic at the

beginning of class and prepare an impromptu speech.

·

Explain a card game: Explain the way a card game such as solitaire, poker, gin rummy, bridge,

canasta, or pinochle is played.

·

Explain a board game: Explain the way a board game such as chess, backgammon, Chinese

checkers, Go, Othello, Scrabble, Yahtzee, or Monopoly is played.

·

Explain the essentials of any social networking site such as the well-known Twitter, Facebook,

LinkedIn, or Google+ or some lesser-known social networking site that you listeners might be

interested in.

·

Explain food preparation: Explain how to make a pie, a soup, a western omelet, a pizza, roast

beef, a dip, or a casserole (any kind you’d like).

·

Explain a sport: Explain the way a sport such as football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer,

tennis, or golf is played.

13.4 Let’s Apply the Concepts

Description

: Either alone or in groups, students should consider their responses to one or more of the

following scenarios. Relate their responses to the concepts indicated in the brackets.

·

You want to give a speech defining the basic tenets of your religion. Some members of your

audience have a fairly negative view of your religion while others hold positive views. You want

to acknowledge your understanding of these attitudes. What do you say? [Defining]

·

You’re going to speak on the new version of Microsoft Windows™, which you’ve used the last

few weeks. Unfortunately, the previous speaker turns out to be a Microsoft program designer and

gives a speech on exactly your topic. What do you say? [Unexpected Events]

·

You want to demonstrate to your audience how e-mail works. Your audience is probably mixed

in terms of their knowledge of technology generally – some know a great deal and others know

very

little. What do you say? [Demonstrating]

·

You want to present the testimony of a retired judge to explain the problems that probation

causes. For your purposes, what would be the ideal qualifications of this judge? How would you

weave these qualifications into your speech? What do you say? [Testimony]

·

You’ve prepared a great slide show for your informative speech. Unfortunately, the projector that

you need to show the slides never arrives. But you have to give your speech and you have to (or do

you?) explain something about what happened. What do you say? [Technical Problems]

AVAILABLE ASSETS ON MYCOMMUNICATIONLAB

“Informative Speeches”

“Eat Right”

“Interfaith Meeting”

“Analyzing Presentation Aids”

“Informative Speech: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation”

“Elegy for a Special Person”

“Tall Girls”

“Communication in an Ever–Changing World”

“Sweat”

“How to Unlock Your Car if You Lock Your Keys Inside”

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