CHAPTER 22
Informative Speaking
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Informative speaking.
A. The goal of informative speaking is to increase the audience’s knowledge or deepen
understanding.
II. Use audience analysis.
III. Present new and interesting information.
A. Seek out unusual (but credible) sources, novel (but sound) interpretations, moving
stories, compelling examples, and striking facts.
IV. Look for ways to increase understanding.
A. Prepare a well-organized introduction that previews the thesis and main points.
V. Subject matter of informative speeches.
A. Informative speeches may be about objects or phenomena, people, events, processes,
concepts, or issues.
VI. Decide how to communicate your information.
A. Information may be communicated by defining, describing, demonstrating, and/or
explaining.
1. Definition: Speeches of definition can take at least five forms.
a. Operational definition identifies what something does.
3. A speech of demonstration gives a step-by-step lesson on how to do something.
4. A speech of explanation involves providing reasons or causes, demonstrating
relationships, and offering interpretation and analysis.
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VII. Take steps to reduce confusion.
A. Use analogies to build on prior knowledge.
2. Use analogies accurately and state the limits of the comparison.
B. Appeal to different learning styles.
2. Some people are multimodal learners, and combine two or more learning preferences.
4. Plan on conveying and reinforcing information in a variety of modes.
VIII. Arrange points in a pattern.
A. Audience understanding of a speech is directly linked to how well it is organized.
B. Use any of the patterns described in Chapter 12, such as topical, chronological, spatial,
KEY TERMS
informative speaking speeches that provide new information, new insights, or new ways of
thinking about topics. The general purpose of informative speaking is to increase the
audience’s understanding and awareness of a topic.
analogy an extended metaphor or simile that compares an unfamiliar concept or process with a
Chapter 22, p. 483
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What is the general goal of informative speaking?
The general goal of informative speaking is to increase the audience’s understanding or
awareness by imparting knowledge.
What four strategies or approaches for presenting information are available to the
informative speaker?
To achieve the informative speaking goal of increasing understanding and awareness,
informative speakers rely on definition, description, explanation, and demonstration. When you
define information, you identify the essential qualities and meaning of something. You can define
How can a speaker help the audience comprehend the message?
Before we can retain information, we must be able to recognize and understand it. Adopting
the principles and practices described in preceding chapters can help make your informative
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(7) conducting a thorough audience analysis.
What are some key points to keep in mind while creating an informative speech?
Paying attention to informational strategies will help you create an effective informative
speech. These include gaining and sustaining involvement by using audience analysis, presenting
new and interesting information, and helping listeners follow along; deciding how to communicate
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you think informative speaking lies in your future? If you have selected an academic major,
relate it to possible situations in which you might have to give an informative speech. In what
areas of your personal life might you be called on to give an informative speech?
We speak informatively all our lives, whether it is to share interesting information or to
give instructions. Therefore, almost anyone can count on giving an informative speech
sometime in the future. Students in business-related majors will have to present information
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2. What are some of the things you can do in an informative speech to help listeners understand
and process your message?
By now, students should be able to list several topics that have been covered in the text. A
few important topics include:
• Audience analysis: Finding out what the members of your audience already know or what
they are capable of understanding is helpful in presenting information that will be clear.
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Imagine that you have been asked to give a short informative presentation about the internet to
a group of fourth graders. Write a few paragraphs on message requirements for this
presentation. What kind of organizational pattern will you use? How much technical
information will you include? (Remember, children often know as much—or more—about
computers as many adults do.) What can you do to be direct and maintain clarity in your
explanation?
It may be helpful for students to work in groups when generating these requirements. The
first set of requirements should include audience analysis—figuring out what fourth graders
already know about the internet and determining what children their age are able to
2. Practice using visualization and descriptive language. Think of an everyday object, such as a
chair or a kind of food, and describe it in as many ways as possible.
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3. Using the topic of immigration (an issue), how would you present the speech information to
your classmates? What combination of definition, description, explanation, or demonstration
would you select? What organizational pattern would you use?
This activity works well as a group assignment if it is done in class; otherwise, it can be
assigned a day in advance as a solo assignment. Suggest that students choose one or more of
the approaches (definition, description, explanation, and demonstration) before deciding on an
organizational pattern.
III. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. In a small group of three to four people, listen to a speech on campus or in your community that
you feel would be primarily informative. Conduct a meeting of your group after the speech to
determine the type of informative speech you heard and its organizational pattern. What were
the strongest features of the speech? The weakest? Report your findings to the class.
After listening to the speech, students may want to assess whether the speech was primarily
informative in purpose. Sometimes speeches that appear to be informative turn out to be
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2. In a group of four to five classmates, compare the various sources you use for information
(e.g., television, radio, newspapers, magazines, internet sites). Brainstorm about different
situations, topics, and audiences in which giving an informative speech (compared with the
sources just listed) is the best way to provide information. Report your findings to the class.
The timeliness of the topic may necessitate the use of mass-media sources (e.g., television
news broadcasts, current documentaries) because they can provide up-to-date information.
IV. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
• Homework questions
• Quizzes
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1. What is the goal of informative speaking? What is the goal of your informative speech?
2. To accomplish the goal of informative speaking, you must analyze your audience. Your
audience needs to identify with the topic and see why it is relevant. To ensure that this happens,
what do you need to do?
• Find out what the listeners want to know.
3. According to the text, what’s involved in defining information? Cite five ways in which you
can define something.
Defining information involves identifying the essential qualities and meaning of
something. Defining information can be handled in the following ways:
• Operational definition: identified by what something does
• Definition by negation: explains what something is not
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4. Give an example in which you define something using each of the five methods mentioned in
question 3.
5. According to the text, in addition to defining information, you can communicate information
informatively in three other ways. Identify and briefly explain each.
• Describe information: Provide an array of details that paint a mental picture of your topic.
6. List the four types of informative speeches, and give specific examples of each.
• Speech of definition
ACTIVITIES
What Holds Your Attention?
Purpose: To introduce informative speaking and get students to think about interesting
informative speeches.
Instructions: When you think about informative speeches or presentations, it’s a good idea to
reflect on situations in which you were absorbed by material being presented to you. Ask students
to think of four or five times this has happened to them; ask students to write down what the
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should be used at the beginning of the chapter, as a way to introduce the topic of informative
speaking.
Information, Knowledge, Power
Purpose: To illustrate the importance of information.
Instructions: Have students form small groups (three to five members) and brainstorm about
people they perceive to have power. Students should think of individuals in all areas of life:
politics, law, work, school, family, close friends, and acquaintances. They should address the
relationship between information and power in each of these types of relationships. Does more
information usually mean power? Why? Students can use both real and hypothetical examples.
Discussion: Students should be prepared to share and discuss their ideas with the class.
Putting Principles into Practice: Informative Speech Analysis
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to apply the concepts of informative speaking to actual
student speeches.
Instructions: Using the sample informative speech in the chapter text, have students critique the
speech in terms of the function(s) of informative speeches and the design(s) used to arrange main
Additional instructions: If you have access to informative speeches on DVD or online on
LaunchPad Solo for A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking, this assignment can be done in class
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
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organization and of skill of speaker on comprehension. Journal of Communication, 2, 58–65.
Coates, J. (2006). Generational learning styles. River Falls, WI: LERN Books.
Hamilton, C. (2007). Informative presentations. In Communication for results: A guide for
business and professions (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Johnson, J. R., & Szcupakiewicz, N. (1987, April). The public speaking course: Is it preparing
students with work-related public speaking skills? Communication Education, 36, 131–137.
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Rowan, K. E. (1995). A new pedagogy for explanatory public speaking: Why arrangement should
not substitute for invention. Communication Education, 44, 236–250.
Scholl, J. (2005). Helping students explore three styles of learning to illustrate the perception
process. Communication Teacher, 19, 53–56.