Chapter 4.

Speaking to Inform

Preparing for the Informative Speech

• Blueprint: a vision of what you want to build.• Analyzing your audience• Choosing your topic• Narrowing your topic• Gathering information • Preparing visual aids• Organizing your speech

Step 3: Narrowing your topic

• Not to tell everything you know about the topic.– It’s impossible to say

everything in a short amount of time.

– Your audience can’t remember too many details after a speech.

How narrow is NARROW? • A good informative speech topic is specific, contains only one

idea, and is achievable.• General topic: – Food culture.

• Width: – Food cultures in western countries – Food cultures in western and eastern countries.– Food cultures in the US and Taiwan.

• Depth: – Taiwanese food culture.– Food culture of Japan.

Too broad~

Too broad~

More specific. But why?

Specific. But need insights.

Overview. Need width and depth.

• Top-down or Bottom-up?• _____ Introduction• _____ Body• _____ Conclusion

• Why?

Organizing your speech

1

3/2

2/3

Order of preparing informative speech

• Body• Attention-getting opener• Preview• Summary• Memorable concluding remarks

Transitions

Step 1: Prepare the body

• Past-Present-Future• Time (Step-by-Step Process)• Problem-Solution • Location• Cause-Effect• Effect-Cause• Related Subtopics• Advantage-Disadvantage

Step 1. Prepare the Body

• First, list subtopics that you might include in your speech. brainstorming

• Second, narrow the list of subtopics. Rewrite the list and select 3 or 4 subtopics that best develop the speech.

• Third, order the subtopics logically. coherence • Fourth, develop each subtopic with factual

information, logical proof, and visual aids. outlining

Plan Your Introduction

• Greet your audience• Capture attention• Establish your credibility• Preview your talk

Audience members are wondering, "What's in it for me?"

Step 2: An attention-getting opener

• Ask rhetorical questions– Have you ever stood in a freezing river at 5 o'clock

in the morning?• Tell a story• State a surprising fact– According to the research reported by the National

Cancer Intelligence Network in UK in 2006-2007, men are almost 40 percent more likely to die from cancer than women.

• State a well-known quotation.

Time to use rhetorical questions:1. Is the audience ready?2. Are you ready?3. Is the question appropriate for the audience?4. Is it even possible to start a speech with a rhetorical question?

Step 3: Prepare a preview

• To tell your audience what you’re going to cover before you actually begin the body part.–Present the thesis – Forecast the major points on the speech

Plan Your Conclusion

• Signal the end of your talk• Summarize your main points• Suggest a call to action or provide a

memorable statement• Thank your audience for listening

Don't finish your talk with, "That's about it. Any questions?"

Step 4: Prepare a summary

• To remind your audience of what you said.– To summarize your info in order to remind

your audience of what you said – To repeat the main points covered in the

body of your speech.

Step 5: A memorable concluding remarks

• Rhetorical questions• Stories• Surprising facts• Quotation – We have to be like the bird–the bird that author

Victor Hugo once observed –passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.

• End your speech with an attitude, not a platitude.Freedom

Transitions between Parts

• Transitions tell your audience that sth new or important is about to happen in your speech.

• Transition after the introduction– Signal that the main part of the speech is about to

begin• Transitions within the body– to review the information just presented– to preview the next section

• Transition before the conclusion– signal that the speech is about to end

Write for the Ear

• Speech delivery style are different from cultures to cultures.

• The language and style used when making an oral presentation should NOT be the same as the language and style you use when writing.

• Use your own words• Use short words• Use short sentences

Approaching to the end…

• Say your concluding remarks slowly and clearly.

• Maintain eye contact with your audience.• Be as dramatic & confident as possible.• Thank you audience for listening.• Leave time for Q&A section.