Informative Speeches
Informative Speech: Purpose
• Information is new knowledge that
the listener will in some way add to
the some dimension of self (social,
intellectual, physical, economical,
moral, and/or spiritual) that he/she
wants to develop.
• Giving and receiving information is a
major reason we communicate with
one another.
Informative Speeches:
Real World Examples
• Public Lecture: Speaker is asked to give
information because of his/her expertise in a
given area.
• Status Report: Used by business professionals
to update the company’s executives of
ongoing projects.
• Briefing: often used by the government to
inform citizens of events. Ex. Updates on the
War in Iraq
• Sermons: religious informative speeches that
deliver God’s message to parishioners
The Six C’s of Informative
Speaking
1. Be Clear: Define and explain
important terms for the
audience. Make distinctions by
saying not only what something
is, but also what it is not.
Example: Topic- Fraternal Twins
• Fraternal Twins are two siblings who
were born during the same period of
labor (often within minutes).
• Fraternal Twins are not the same as
identical twins, who are created from
the same fertilized egg splitting into two
sections. Instead, fraternal twins
created from two different eggs that
have been fertilized by two separate
sperm.
The Six C’s of Informative
Speaking
2. Be Concise: Make each word count by
using precise and specific language.
Don’t say the same thing twice, unless
to reiterate an important point.
– Examples:
• Don’t use the word tree when you mean
to say oak.
• Don’t say things such as “She arrived at
8 a.m. this morning”
The Six C’s of Informative
Speaking
3. Be Complete: While no speech will
cover all the possible material about
your topic, you should create a sense
of completion in the minds of your
audience by raising certain
expectations and then satisfying them.
Example
• In your introduction, introduce your
three major points you will discuss.
When you begin talking about your first
point, say “First” so they audience
knows you are at the beginning. Also
consider using “Next” and “Finally” for
your other major points.
The Six C’s of Informative
Speaking
4. Be Correct: Check the accuracy of
your information. Make sure all
sources are credible and provide
documentation of your sources in your
outline. During your speech, just
reveal the name of your source.
– Example:
“The National Institute on Drug Abuse
states …”
MLA Documentation of Sources
• Book:
Last name, First name. Title. Publication
City: Publication Company, Year.
• Encyclopedia or Dictionary:
“Title of article or entry.” Title of
Encyclopedia or Dictionary. 15th ed.
Year.
MLA Documentation of Sources
• Magazine article:
Last name, First name. “Article title.”
Magazine. Feb. Year: Page numbers.
• Website:
Last name, First name of creator. Name
of website. 14 May 2004. 6 Nov.
2006. <http://www.webaddress>.
The Six C’s of Informative
Speaking
5. Be Concrete: Focus on the immediate
and the actual. Individual cases are
much more interesting that
generalizations.
– Example: Topic- The Women’s Movement
• Don’t say that a lot of women were
involved. Instead, tell us about Gloria
Steinem and her involvement.
The Six C’s of Informative
Speaking
6. Connect: Analyze the people in your
audience and find out what they might
want to know more about. Make your
speech interesting for them by
choosing a topic that relates to them
in some way. Don’t do an informative
speech on something we can assume
they already know.
• Example: Don’t give a speech on how
to say the ABC’s.
Turning a Subject into a Speech
• Preparation:
– Select a subject (broad area of knowledge
such as soccer or punk music).
– Narrow your subject. In the case of punk
music, focus your speech on a specific band
such as The Used.
– Research your subject. Use credible sources!
Turning a Subject into a Speech
• Format of speech:
• Follows same outline format of any
other extemporaneous speech.
–Attention Getter, Significance,
Credibility, Thesis, Preview, Point 1
and supporting facts, Point 2 and
supporting facts, Point 3 and
supporting facts, Restate thesis,
Strong final statement
Visual Aids
• Helpful when giving specific information
such as poll results, statistics, or
instructions.
• May be used at any time in the speech,
but must be kept hidden until you are
ready to use.
• Make sure visual aid is large enough for
everyone in audience to see!