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Speak
Speak
Speak
Speak
to
to
to
to
inform
persuade
entertain
motivate
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•
Informative speaking “informs” listeners by
teaching them something they don’t already
know.
Informative speaking involves:
• Gaining listener interest (creating information
hunger)
• Increasing audience understanding (helping
audiences comprehend the information)
• Teaching rather than influencing (educating without
attempting to change beliefs, values, and actions)
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Speeches about issues (not recommended
because it is difficult to discuss controversial
issues without bias)
Speeches about events (The Cherry Mine
Disaster in 1909)
Speeches about people (The Maroons of
Jamaica, serial killer Edmund Kemper)
Speeches about objects (the new wheelchair –
WHILL, Cotard’s Syndrome)
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Speeches about concepts (not recommended
because it is difficult to discuss concepts
without bias and opinion)
Speeches about processes: (the creation of a
ghost heart, how to start a college fund)
Speeches about politics: (discuss a specific
law or a political process but be careful not to
share opinions on controversial headlines or
current policies)
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Speak to define
◦ Denotative meaning – dictionary meaning of Virus
◦ Connotative meaning – culturally implied meaning of
Virus
◦ Etymology – origin or history of the marriage ceremony
◦ Synonyms – words with the same meaning
◦ Antonyms – words with the opposite meaning
◦ Examples – providing examples of endangered sea life,
providing examples of occupations in the
communication field
◦ Compare and Contrast – compare and contrast
marriage ceremonies in Japan and U.S., compare legal
definition to religious definition of marriage
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Speak to Describe -portraying person, place,
object or experience
◦ Physical description of the Mona Lisa
◦ Psychological description of love
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Speak to Explain – providing why it happened
or how it happened
◦ Be careful when addressing “why” because your
explanation of “why” is potentially biased and
opinionated.
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Speak to Demonstrate – demonstrating how
to do something