Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Lecture Notes
Chapter 18: Speak to Inform
Learning Objectives
1-1 Define informative speaking and explain its purposes
1-2 Compare and contrast the following: a speech about objects and ideas; a speech about
events and people; a speech about processes and procedures
1-3 Deliver an informative speech that is organized and communicates as simply and
directly as possible, creates information hunger in receivers by relating ideas directly
to them, and is memorable
Outline
I. There are different categories of informative speeches.
A. There are speeches about objects and ideas, which often define and explain an
idea or concept.
1. An object speech describes or tells about the uniqueness of an object,
animate or inanimate.
2. Topical, spatial, and chronological organizational formats are most
often used when speaking about objects.
a. Topical format allow the speaker to divide the topic into groups
or categories.
b. Spatial format relies on a physical framework to enable the
speaker to discuss one major component of the object at one time.
c. Chronological order is most important if the speaker wants to
stress a process over time.
B. Speeches about ideas or concept speeches explain the idea in a way in which
the audience will recognize the relevance of this idea in their lives and as a result,
they want the speaker to clarify or elaborate more about the idea.
1. The best ideas are general or abstract ideas that allow for the most
creative analysis or interpretation.
2. Audiences may have different meanings for the concepts or words that
we use because personal experiences influence meaning.
Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
3. Speeches about ideas may utilize a topical speaking order that identifies
the key aspects of the idea.
4. Speeches about ideas may utilize chronological order to highlight the
progression of the idea over time.
II. Speeches about events or people serve as another type of informative speech.
A. Speeches about events focus on something that happens regularly or something
that happened once.
1. Sometimes speeches about events focus on something that has marked
our lives or something that has left a lasting impression.
2. The event may be one that the speaker experienced personally or one
that is researched.
B. Speeches about people may also appear in different forms.
1. These speeches may discuss a living or dead person.
2. These speeches may also describe an admired person or one that was
abhorrent to everyone.
3. The audience must be able to understand the impact of the person in
terms of why he or she is worth their attention.
4. Speeches about events or people may utilize chronological, topical, or
causal organizational patterns.
III. There are speeches about processes and procedures.
A. A “how” speech increases the audience’s understanding about a topic.
1. “How to” speeches are one example of a speech about how to complete
a process or procedure.
B. Chronological order is most often utilized for this type of speech.
1. If the speaker wants to address the major principles, techniques or
methods then a topical pattern may be utilized.
IV. Speakers must be able to achieve informative speaking goals.
A. The basic goals of an informative speech are to expand the audience’s
knowledge or to convey what the audience knows by reducing their confusion or
uncertainty.
1. One way to accomplish these goals is to be organized, clear, and accurate.
2. The information should be easy to follow.
3. The speech should use concrete language instead of jargon or confusing
words.
4. The information should be accurate and correct.
B. Informative speakers must also be able to deliver the right amount of
information, not too much or too little.
Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
1. Speakers should not race to see how much new information can be
crammed in a short span of time.
2. Appropriate analogies should be used to help the receivers make
connections, instead of assuming knowledge, which can lead to confusion.
3. Use repetition of the same words and restatement of key ideas to help
audience members process information.
C. Informative speakers must create information hunger in a memorable manner.
1. Speakers must convince the audience that they have a personal need to
know the information in the speech.
2. Audiences are more likely to listen if they want to do it.
a. The audience needs to believe that the speech will benefit them
somehow.
b. The speaker should not assume that the audience will determine
the relevance of the speech on their own.
c. The speaker must clearly articulate how or why the topic is
relevant to the audience.
3. The speaker must create and feed information hunger during all parts of
the speech.
a.The introduction is the appetizer.
b. The body is seen as the main course.
c.The conclusion is view as the dessert.
4. The speaker must learn to adapt to the audience.
a. Most subjects become interesting if well adapted to the
audience.
1. If it benefits them, they will pay attention.
2. Add to their knowledge
3. Satisfy their curiosity
4. Show them how what you know can help them enjoy or
improve their lives.
D. A speaker needs to find a way to make the speech memorable after the
audience has finished speaking.
1. Speakers should let the audience know what they think is
important for the audience to remember.
2. Speakers should stress the main points using verbal and nonverbal
communication (pausing, vocal emphasis, and gestures)
3. Speakers should promote audience participation.
Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018