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¡¡WHAT IS AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH

¡¡¡¡Informative speaking is all around us. Any speech is an informative speech if it present information to an audience. A report, a teacher¡¯s explanation, and a talk at asgroupsmeeting are all examples of informative speeches.

¡¡¡¡When do we make informative speeches? We make them all the time. Whenever we give a stranger direction, explain a problem to a mechanic, or describe an illness to a doctor, we are speaking to inform.

¡¡¡¡The goal in giving an informative speech is to state ideas simply, clearly, and interestingly. If you achieve this goal, the audience will understand and remember your speech. In this chapter, you will learn how to build an informative speech.

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PREPARING THE INTRODUCTION, BODY AND CONCLUSION

¡¡¡¡Step 1: Prepare an Attention-Getting Opener

¡¡¡¡At the beginning of your speech, it is very important to grab your audience¡¯s attention and make them interested in what you have to say. Four different ways to prepare an interesting, attention-getting introduction follow:

¡¡¡¡(1)Ask your audience a series of rhetorical questions.

¡¡¡¡Rhetorical questions are asked for dramatic effect with no answers expected. Your listeners will immediately be interested in knowing the answers. The following rhetorical questions were used to open a speech about the process of getting a tattoo:

¡¡¡¡What can cost ten dollars or a thousand dollars?

¡¡¡¡What can be every color of the rainbow?

¡¡¡¡What can be with you as long as you live?

¡¡¡¡What can you wear on your arm, your cheek, your leg, or even your back?

¡¡¡¡(2)Tell a story.

¡¡¡¡People love to listen to a story. They want to find out what it is about. This story was used to open a speech about the Gold Museum in Bogot¨¢, Colombia:

¡¡¡¡A guard took mesintosa square room with no lights. The room was so black I couldn¡¯t even see my own feet. All of a sudden a hidden electric wall closed behind me. There was no way out. I thought I was in a tomb. All at once bright lights came on. I was surrounded by gold on all four sides!

¡¡¡¡(3)State a surprising fact.

¡¡¡¡The statement below was used to introduce a speech about the billion-dollar business of services, or products to get almost anything you want without cash:

¡¡¡¡You can get almost anything you want without cash! And you can begin today!

¡¡¡¡(4) State a well-known quotation.

¡¡¡¡This quotation from William Shakespeare¡¯s Hamlet was used to open a speech about the disadvantages of borrowing:

¡¡¡¡Neither a borrower nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend.

¡¡¡¡Step 2: Prepare the Body

¡¡¡¡Then prepare the body of your speech. Arrange the points of your speech in a clear, logical manner. That way, your audience can follow you, understand your information, and remember what you have said. Insgroupsto do this, it is important to choose an organizational pattern that fits your topic.

¡¡¡¡Read about the eight organizational patterns below. Then, choose the best one for your particular topic.

¡¡¡¡(1)Past Present-Future. Use this pattern to discuss how something once was, how it has changed, and how it will be in the future. For example, in discussing the Olympics, you might organize your information under the following three headings:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.The history of the Olympics

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡The Olympics today

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡The future of the Olympics

¡¡¡¡(2)Time. Use this pattern to describe how processes, personal experiences, events, or activities happen by the hour, part of the day, week, month, or year. It can also be used to explain the steps in a process. For example, in speaking about making a speech, you might organize your information under the following headings:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.Choosing a topic

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡Gathering information

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡Making an outline

¡¡¡¡¢ô.¡¡Presenting the speech

¡¡¡¡(3)Problem-Solution.Use this pattern to speak about a specific problem and ways to solve it. (Note: A problem isn¡¯t always a negative situation, such as crime or child abuse. It can also be a positive situation, such as choosing a career or about the problem of choosing.) For example, in speaking about the problem of choosing the college that¬ðs right for you, you might present the following solutions:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.Read the different college catalogs.

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡Visit campuses of different colleges.

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡Talk to people who attend various colleges.

¡¡¡¡¢ô.¡¡Talk to teachers at the colleges you are considering.

¡¡¡¡(4)¡¡¡¡Location.Use this pattern to divide a topicsintosdifferent geographical locations. For example, in speaking about interesting marriage customs, you might use the following sequence:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.Marriage customs in Japan

¡¡¡¡¢ò.Marriage customs in Saudi Arabia

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡Marriage customs in the United States

¡¡¡¡(5)¡¡Cause-Effect.Use this pattern to describe a particular situation and its effect. For example, in speaking about the effects of cigarette smoking, you might discuss:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.The effects of smoking on pregnant women

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡The effect of secondhand smoke

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡The effects of smoking on people with allergies

¡¡¡¡(6)¡¡Effect-Cause. Use this pattern do describe a particular situation and its causes. For example, in speaking about reasons for drug addiction, you might discuss:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.The easy availability of drugs

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡The need to escape from the pressures of work

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡The lack of education about harmful effects of drugs

¡¡¡¡(7) Related Subtopics. Use this pattern to divide one topicsintosdifferent parts, or subtopics. For example, in speaking about false advertising, you might discuss:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.¡¡False advertising on television

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡False advertising in magazines

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡False advertising on the radio

¡¡¡¡(8)Advantage-Disadvantage. Use this pattern to talk about both positive and negative aspects of a topic in a balanced, objective manner. For example, in speaking about the death penalty, you might discuss:

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.Advantages of capital punishment

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡Disadvantages of capital punishment

¡¡¡¡Step 3: Prepare a Summary

¡¡¡¡Every speech needs a summary of the information presented. The best way to summarize your information is to remind your audience of what you said by repeating the main points covered in the body of your speech.

¡¡¡¡Example 1

¡¡¡¡Well, I¡¯ve given you some very important information today. You now know:

¡¡¡¡A. How to prepare if a hurricane is coming

¡¡¡¡B. What safety measures to make during the storm

¡¡¡¡C. What to do after the hurricane is over

¡¡¡¡Example 2

¡¡¡¡As you can see, the Olympic Games are very important to people all over the world. I hope you learned some interesting information about:

¡¡¡¡A. The history of the Olympics

¡¡¡¡B. The Olympics today

¡¡¡¡C. The future of the Olympic Games

¡¡¡¡Step 4: Prepare Memorable Concluding Remarks

¡¡¡¡Every speech needs an ending that leaves the audience thinking about and remembering what was said. Like attention-getting openers, memorable concluding remarks can take the form of rhetorical questions, stories, surprising facts, or quotations. Of these suggestions, quotations are popular among many famous public speakers.

¡¡¡¡Example 1

¡¡¡¡President John F. Kennedy ended many of his speeches with this quotation from the poet Robert Browning:¡°Some men see things as they are, and ask,¡®Why¡¯? I dare to dream of things that never were, and ask,¡®Why¡¯not?¡±

¡¡¡¡Example 2

¡¡¡¡Civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. ended his famous¡°I Have a Dream¡±speech with words from an old spiritual song:¡°Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last.¡±

¡¡¡¡Say your memorable concluding remarks slowly and clearly, maintaining eye contact with your audience. Be as dramatic and confident as possible!

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¡¡OUTLINING AN INFORMA-TIVE SPEECH

¡¡¡¡The outline that follows shows how one student outlined an informative speech. Notice how it includes the following components:

¡¡¡¡Attention-getting opener

¡¡¡¡Preview

¡¡¡¡Body

¡¡¡¡Summary

¡¡¡¡Presentation

¡¡¡¡Memorable concluding remarks

¡¡¡¡Also, notice how transitions have been used to connect the components.

¡¡¡¡ATTENTION-GETTING OPENER

¡¡¡¡Every student in this room has something in common with famous astronauts, Olympic athletes, actors, politicians, and business executive. It¡¯s a common affliction that causes pain, suffering, and distress. Can you guess what it is? I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s called stage fright.

¡¡¡¡PREVIEW

¡¡¡¡Today we will be learning four major facts about stage fright.

¡¡¡¡¢ñ.The physical symptoms of stage fright

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡The causes of stage fright

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡Famous people who have had stage fright

¡¡¡¡¢ô.¡¡What can be done about stage fright

¡¡¡¡TRANSITION: OK, let¡¯s get started on our investigation of stage fright by first looking at its six major symptoms.

¡¡¡¡BODY

¡¡¡¡¢ñ. Physical symptoms of stage fright

¡¡¡¡A. Rapid breathing

¡¡¡¡B. Rapid heart rate

¡¡¡¡C. Dry mouth

¡¡¡¡D. Butterflies in stomach

¡¡¡¡E.Increased perspiration

¡¡¡¡F.¡¡Trembling hands

¡¡¡¡TRANSITION: Now you understand the symptoms of stage fright. Let¡¯s continue our investigation by examining the causes of stage fright.

¡¡¡¡¢ò.¡¡Causes of stage fright

¡¡¡¡A. Many people worry that they¡¯ll forget what they want to say.

¡¡¡¡B. Others are afraid that they¡¯ll look silly.

¡¡¡¡C. Some people think that the audience won¡¯t like them.

¡¡¡¡D. International students might worry that their English isn¡¯t very good.

¡¡¡¡TRANSITION: Now you are aware of some of the causes of stage fright. Let¡¯s continue our inquirysintosstage fright by looking at a few famous people who have suffered from this affliction.

¡¡¡¡¢ó. Famous people who have had stage fright

¡¡¡¡A.Winston Churchill once said that he thought there was a block of ice in his stomach each time he made a speech.

¡¡¡¡B. Julio Iglesias has revealed that he is nervous about his pronunciation when speaking English.

¡¡¡¡C. Jane Fonda has admitted to having¡°tremendous fear.¡±

¡¡¡¡D. Olivia Newton-John admits to shaking and crying before a performance.

¡¡¡¡TRANSITION: As you can see, you are in good company with famous people who have has stage fright. Now, let¡¯s investigate what you can do to overcome this common problem.

¡¡¡¡¢ô.What can be done about stage fright

¡¡¡¡A. Short-term solutions

¡¡¡¡1.¡¡Be thoroughly prepared and practice before a presentation.

¡¡¡¡2.¡¡Take your time before you start to speak.

¡¡¡¡a)¡¡Gently put your notes on the speaker¡¯s stand.

¡¡¡¡b)¡¡Establish eye contact with your audience before beginning.

¡¡¡¡c)¡¡Take several deep breaths before beginning.

¡¡¡¡B. Long-term solutions

¡¡¡¡1.Remember that stage fright is normal.

¡¡¡¡2.¡¡Get as much experience as possible.

¡¡¡¡3.¡¡Talk about stage fright with friends.

¡¡¡¡TRANSITION: Now that you understand what you can do to reduce stage fright, our investigation is complete.

¡¡¡¡SUMMARY

¡¡¡¡You should now understand four important facts about stage fright.

¡¡¡¡¢ñ. The physical symptoms of stage fright

¡¡¡¡¢ò.The causes of stage fright

¡¡¡¡¢ó.¡¡Famous people who have had stage fright

¡¡¡¡¢ô.¡¡What can be done about stage fright

¡¡¡¡MEMORABLE CONCLUDING REMARKS

¡¡¡¡In conclusion, stage fright is like a lion in a cage. It¡¯s only dangerous if it¡¯s allowed to roam free! Now that you know how to deal with stage fright, you¡¯ll be able to keep this beast under control. Remember, as long as you are in control of it, your stage fright, like the lion, will be unable to harm you!