WEEK 3:
SPEAKING TO INFORM
GENERAL PURPOSE
The broad goal of a speech:
To inform
To persuade
To entertain
Inform
Persuade
Entertain
“ A talk is a voyage with a purpose, and it must be charted.”
INFORMATIVE
SPEECH
DETERMINING THE GENERAL PURPOSE
• Your general purpose is to inform.
• Your aim is to enhance the knowledge
and understanding of your listeners.
• To give them information they did not
have before.
• Be clear, accurate and interesting.
TYPES OF INFORMATIVE SPEECHES
• How to save people from; How to buy
a used car; how to write an effective
job resume; how perfume is made…
• Cosmetic surgery; television viewing;
Halloween; jobs interviews…
Speeches about objects
Speeches about processes
Speeches about events
Speeches about concepts
TYPES OF INFORMATIVE SPEECHES
• Principles of psychology; Islam;
Extinction of dinosaurs…
• Objects include places, buildings,
animals, people...
Speeches about objects
Speeches about processes
Speeches about events
Speeches about concepts
SPECIFIC PURPOSE STATEMENT
A single infinitive phrase that
states precisely what a
speaker hopes to accomplish
in his or her speech.
GUIDELINES FOR THE SPECIFIC
PURPOSE
Do’s
•
.
Express as a full
sentence
Eg: To inform my
audience the
three uses of
laser in the
medical field.
Limit it to one
distinct idea
Eg: To convince
my audience to
become literacy
tutors and to
donate their time
to Green Peace
Don’t’s
Avoid figurative
language
Eg: To persuade
my audience that
Yoga is an
extremely cool
way to improve
your health.
Do not express as
a question
Eg: Is the US
intervention in the
Middle East
necessary?
Do not be vague
or overly general
Eg: To inform my
audience about
smoking
EXAMPLE
• To inform my audience about the three major rituals
in a Malay wedding.
• To inform my audience on how to make Italian
cappuchino.
• To inform my audience the major reasons for the
landslide occurrence at Bukit Antarabangsa.
• To inform my audience what to look for when
buying a digital camera/handphone.
EXAMPLE
Topic: Witchcraft Practiced in the Malay
Society
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my
audience the three major kinds of
witchcraft practiced today in the
Malay society.
EXAMPLE
Topic: Social Ills
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my
audience the three major social ills
facing the Malaysian society today.
EXAMPLE
Topic: Chinese New Year
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my
audience the three
important traditions
practiced
during the Chinese
New Year.
EXAMPLE
Topic: The Heimlih Maneuver
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To
inform my audience how
to perform the Heimlich
Maneuver.
EXAMPLE
Topic: The Truth About Caffeine
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: I would
like to inform the audience
about some of the facts
about caffeine and its
effects on the human
body.
A GOOD SPECIFIC-PURPOSE
STATEMENT
a. Describes whom, you want to influence, what
you want them to think or do, or how, when and
where you want them to do it.
b. In a single statement:
•
“I want (whom) to (do what) (how, when,
where).”
•
“I want to show each person in this office how
to operate the new voice mail system
correctly.”
•
“I want everyone in this group to show me that
he or she can operate a voice mail system
correctly after my talk.”
SPECIFIC PURPOSE
• Expresses the goal you hope to
achieve with your speech
• Be realistic
• Be able to measure success
• Begin with “to”
• Example: “to inform my audience of
the three major kinds of witchcraft
practiced today.
QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR
SPECIFIC PURPOSE
a. Does my purpose meet the
assignment?
b. Can I accomplish my purpose in the
time allotted?
c. Is the purpose relevant to my
audience?
d. Is the purpose too trivial for my
audience?
e. Is the purpose too technical for my
audience?
CENTRAL IDEA/THESIS STATEMENT
A one-sentence statement that sums up or
encapsulates the major ideas of a speech.
Usually found in the introduction of your speech.
EXAMPLE …
Topic: Witchcraft Practised in the Malay Society
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my audience the
three major kinds of witchcraft practised today in
the Malay society.
Central idea: The three major kinds of witchcraft
practised today in the Malay society are black
magic (n), sorcery (n) and satanism (n).
EXAMPLE …
Topic: Social Ills
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my audience the
three major social ills facing the Malaysian
society today.
Central idea: The three major social ills facing
the Malaysian society today are domestic
violence, close proximity and sexual abuse.
EXAMPLE …
Topic: Chinese New Year
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my audience the
three important traditions practised during the
Chinese New Year.
Central idea: The three important traditions
practised during the Chinese New Year are the
reunion dinner, ang pau giving and lion dance
performance .
EXAMPLE …
Topic: The Heimlih Maneuver
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform my audience how to
perform the Heimlich Maneuver.
Central idea: The effectiveness of the Heimlich
Maneuver depends on two factors – knowing
the symptoms of a choking victim and knowing
how to perform the maneuver to save the
victim.
EXAMPLE …
• Topic “ The Truth About Caffeine.”
• General purpose: To inform
• Specific purpose: I would like to inform the
audience about some of the facts about
caffeine and its effects on the human body.
• Central idea: I am going to talk about the
beneficial effects of caffeine, negative
effects of caffeine and levels of safe
caffeine consumption.
ASSESSMENT 5: WEEK 13-14
• Virtual Informative Speech
• Outline (10%)
• Virtual Presentation (20%)