Types of Speech

Informative Speech
Informative speaking offers you an opportunity to practice your researching, writing, organizing, and
speaking skills. You will learn how to discover and present information clearly. If you take the time to
thoroughly research and understand your topic, to create a clearly organized speech, and to practice an
enthusiastic, dynamic style of delivery, you can be an effective "teacher" during your informative speech.
Finally, you will get a chance to practice a type of speaking you will undoubtedly use later in your
professional career.
The purpose of the informative speech is to provide interesting, useful, and unique information to your
audience. By dedicating yourself to the goals of providing information and appealing to your audience,
you can take a positive step toward succeeding in your efforts as an informative speaker.
Types of informative speeches: Objects, processes, events, concepts
These categories provide an effective method of organizing and evaluating informative speeches.
Although they are not absolute, these categories provide a useful starting point for work on your speech.
In general, you will use four major types of informative speeches. While you can classify informative
speeches many ways, the speech you deliver will fit into one of four major categories.
Informative speeches about objects
Speeches about objects focus on things existing in the world. Objects include, among other things, people,
places, animals, or products.Because you are speaking under time constraints, you cannot discuss any topic in its entirety. Instead,limit your speech to a focused discussion of some aspect of your topic.
Informative Speeches about Processes
Speeches about processes focus on patterns of action. One type of speech about processes, the
demonstration speech, teaches people "how-to" perform a process. More frequently, however, you will
use process speeches to explain a process in broader terms. This way, the audience is more likely to
understand the importance or the context of the process.
Informative Speeches about Events
Speeches about events focus on things that happened, are happening, or will happen. When speaking
about an event, remember to relate the topic to your audience. A speech chronicling history is
informative, but you should adapt the information to your audience and provide them with some way to
use the information. As always, limit your focus to those aspects of an event that can be adequately
discussed within the time limitations of your assignment.

Informative Speeches about Concepts
Speeches about concepts focus on beliefs, ideas, and theories. While speeches about objects, processes,
and events are fairly concrete, speeches about concepts are more abstract. Take care to be clear and
understandable when creating and presenting a speech about a concept. When selecting a concept,
remember you are crafting an informative speech. Often, speeches about concepts take on a persuasive
tone. Focus your efforts toward providing unbiased information and refrain from making arguments.
Because concepts can be vague and involved, limit your speech to aspects that can be readily explained
and understood within the time limits.
Persuasive speech
Persuasive speech: A speech designed to change or reinforce the audience's beliefs or actions. The ability
to speak persuasively will benefit you in every part of your life from personal relations to community
activities to career aspirations. When you speak to persuade, you act as an advocate. Persuasion is a
psychological process in a situation where two or more points of view exist. The points of view may be
completely opposed, or they may simply be different in degree.
Persuasive speaking is complex & challenging. Audience analysis and adaptation is much more
demanding than in informative speaking. You should enter a persuasive speaking situation with a realistic
sense of what you can accomplish. If listeners are not strongly committed one way or another, you may be
able to move some of them toward your side.
If listeners are strongly opposed to your viewpoint, you are successful if you cause a few listeners to
reconsider their views.
A persuasive speaker must have a strategy to win the audience to his or her side.

Making a Good Speech

 Keep your audience in mind: Because your audience cannot "rehear" ideas, once you have stated
them, look for ways to help your audience easily follow your ideas.Speak slowly, vigorously, and enthusiastically. Be sure you enunciate your words carefully,particularly if you are addressing a large group. Maintain a conversational style. Talk with the audience,not at them.
 Use gestures to accentuate points. Move your body deliberately to aid you in announcing major
transition points. In short, avoid standing transfixed before your audience.
 Maintain eye contact with your audience. Doing so helps you keep your listeners involved in what
you are saying. If you look at the ceiling, the floor, the corners of the room, your audience may sense a
lack of self-confidence. Lack of eye contact also tends to lessen your credibility. In contrast, consistent
eye contact enhances the importance of the message. By looking at your audience, you can often sense
their reaction to what you are saying and make adjustments in your presentation if necessary. Be careful;
do not lock eyes with individual members.
 Do not memorize your presentation, and do not write your presentation. Otherwise, your speech will
sound as if you are reading it. Use brief notes, written on one page, if possible. Use colored pens to
highlight points. Avoid note cards and several pages of notes. If you suddenly forget what you are trying
to say, and if you have several pages of notes, you can easily lose track of where you are in your notes. If
possible, type the outline of your presentation on one sheet of paper. If you do forget what you are going
to say, a quick glance will usually refresh your memory.
 Rehearse your presentation until you are comfortable. Try walking around, speaking each segment
and then speaking aloud the entire presentation. Rephrase ideas that are difficult for you to say--these will
likely be hard for your audience to follow. Be sure to time your presentation so that it does not exceed the
time limit. Keep your presentation as short as possible. Therefore, avoid adding information to your
presentation (and your outline) as your rehearse.
 If possible, record your speech. Listen to what you have said as objectively as possible. As you
listen, consider the main issues of audience, purpose, organization, context, content, and style. Listen for
tone, attitude, and clarity. Is the tone you project appropriate for your audience and your purpose? Is each
sentence easy to understand? Are you speaking too rapidly? Are the major divisions in your presentation
easy to hear? Are any sentences difficult to understand?
 If possible, become familiar with the room where you will give the presentation so that you will have
some sense about how loudly you should talk and how people will be seated. Also check out for size,
temperature, cleanliness, and proper lighting.
 Try not to provide the audience handout material before you begin. To do so encourages your
audience to read rather than listen. If you must provide written material, be sure the material is
coordinated with your presentation. That way, you have a better chance of keeping your audience's
attention on what you are saying.
No matter what type of presentation you are giving, your ultimate success as a speaker and the success of
the presentation depends on your establishing credibility with your audience. Guidelines on planning,
structuring, and delivering the presentations are important because they are designed to build your
credibility with your audience. However, no amount of planning and organization will substitute for
practice, which builds confidence. Practice also enhances and displays your planning and the value of
your ideas.
Overcoming stage freight
Everyone experiences stage fright, speech anxiety, or fear of the audience. Surveys show that fear of
speaking in front of people is one of the greatest fears people have.
The following lists some techniques people use for coping with this freight:
Know the room. Be familiar with where you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and
practice using the microphone and any visual aids.