How To Write an Informative Speech

Informative Speech - A speech designed to convey knowledge and understanding.

If you are taking Public Speaking for college credits, one of your first classroom assignments will likely include the delivery of an Informative Speech. While presenting an informative speech, you will be filling the shoes of a lecturer or teacher. Taking a direct aim to convey knowledge and understanding - NOT to advocate a cause.

In an Informative Speech you may describe an

Object - Anything that is visible and stable in form.

• To inform my audience about the geological features of the Grand Canyon.
• To infrom my audience about the major contributions of Pablo Picasso to modern art.
• To infrom my audience what to look for when buying smart phone.

Process (show how something works) - A systematic series of actions that lead to a specific result or product.

• To infrom my audience how a tornado develops.
• To infrom my audience how to write an effective cover letter to a job resume.
• To inform my audience how U.S. currency is made

Concept - A belief, idea, theory, notion, principle, or the like.

• To inform my audience about the different philosophies of education in Russia and the U.S.
• To inform my audience about the basic principles of nonviolent resistance.
• To inform my audience about the basic principles of Islam.

Event - Anything that happens or is regarded as happening.

• To inform my audience about what happened at the Battle of the Alamo
• To inform my audience about the major types of clinical massage.
• To inform my audience of the festivities celebrated during Yule.

Which ever classification you choose or have assigned, your speech will most likely be judged in light of three general criteria.

1. Is the information communicated accurately?
2. Is the information communicated clearly?
3. Is the information made meaningful and interesting to your audience?

BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH AND THE BASIC OUTLINE USED

“The Education System in Russia”

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the different levels of the educational in Russia verses the educational system in America

Central idea: I will be discussing the three divisions of education used in Russia, Compulsory Basic, Vocational, and Higher education, while briefly defining the major similarities and difference in regards to the U.S.

Method of Organization: Topical

Introduction:

I. The Russian Education System begins at Compulsory Basic Education or Basic general education which lasts for nine years, but graduates can continue their education at senior high school to receive secondary general education.

II. Vocational school or non-university level higher education institutions offer’s one and a half to two years' purely professional education.

III. Higher education, which provided by public and non-public (non-State) accredited higher education institutions and include only two levels.

Transition: Let’s start by discussing the basic and required forms of education offered in Russia.

Body

I. Compulsory Basic Education or Basic general education lasts for nine years, but graduates can continue their education at senior high school to receive secondary general education.

A. Primary general education, with a standard duration is four years, and basic general education, with the standard duration of five years, is the required basis of Russian education.

B. A finale examination may entitle students to be admitted to a secondary (complete) general education.

Transition: Now that we know the basis of education offered, primary general education, compulsory basic education, and the requirements for secondary general education let’s see what Russian Vocational School has to offer.

II. Vocational school or non-university level of higher education institutions offer’s one and a half to two years' purely professional education.

A. After finishing the 9th form or grade, students can go on to a vocational school, which is the initial stage of professional education.

B. There are two types of Vocational Schools, Professional Schools (Professionalnoe Uchilishche) or Professional Lycei (Professionalnye Litsei) offered.

Transition: Now, let’s turn to the two forms of higher education Russia has to offer.

III. Higher education is provided by public and non-public accredited institutions and includes only two levels.

A. Educational institutions for the non-university level of higher education of advanced type as well as two-year programs leading to the award of the Intermediate Diploma.

B. Universities or higher education institutions offer training programs at all levels of higher, postgraduate, and continuing education in a wide range of natural and social sciences and the humanities.

Conclusion

I. As we have seen, education is an important part of Russian culture “The right to education is stated in the constitution of the Russia Federation”

II. We’ve seen the divisions of education used in the Russia Federation, Compulsory Basic, Vocational, and Higher education and learned all educational programs are devised into of two types.

III. Russia’s unique categorization of distributing each unit of the education system into subunits provides a great deal of opportunities for its students, in delivering a broad range of options that incorporate all intellectual levels.

Works Cited

"Russia." CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2011. Web. 20 Feb 2011.

"Moscow State University." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.world.eb.com/ebc/article-9372663>.

"Education: U.S. Students Lag in Math and Science." Facts On File World News Digest: n. pag. World News Digest. Facts On File News Services, 23 Dec. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <http://www.2facts.com/article/2008477170>.

"Education: Science, Math Education Study Released." Facts On File World News Digest: n. pag. World News Digest. Facts On File News Services, 7 Dec. 2000. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://www.2facts.com/article/2000194780>.

“Educational System in Russia”. Russian Crafts, 1998 – 2007. Web. 17 Feb 2011

"The Past and Present of Education in Russia.” Can the Vision Survive Unchanged: Roeper Review. Donoghue, Eileen and Alexander Karp. Jan. 2000 Web. 16 Feb. 2011

DONT OVER ESTIMATE WHAT THE AUDIENCE KNOWS: In most informative speeches, your listeners will be only vaguely knowledgeable about the details of your topic. You should not just assume they know what you mean. Instead, you should make sure to explain everything in such a thorough manner, the audience cannot help but to understand. While working on your speech, consider if your topic would be clear, to someone who is hearing it for the first time.

RELATE THE SUBJECT DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE: There is no such thing as a successful speech that puts people to sleep. It is your job as the speaker to get your listeners interested and more important, to keep them interested. The biggest hurdle you must overcome as an informative speaker - is to recognize that what maybe fascinating to you, may not be fascinating to everyone. Once you have chosen a topic that you believe could be interesting your listeners, you should take specials steps to relate it to them. Meaning, you should tie it in with their interests and concerns.

Example: In the intro. Instead of saying: I would like to talk to you about extreme hot wings, You could say: Imagine your mouth burning like wildfire, your eyes releasing tears faster than a waterfall while your face projecting a red glow under the profuse sweat rolling out of your pours. Are you sick? No. You just attempted a bite at an extreme hot wing. Congratulations. You just partook in the tasting of peppers, spices that have been a worldwide tradition in our lives and diet s for thousands of years.

Don't stop at the introduction. Continuously put your listeners into the body of the speech. After all, nothing interest people more than themselves.

AVOID BEING TO TECHNICAL : In other words, you maybe very educated in a subject such as electronic amplifiers and are fluent in using the technical terms while engaging in conversation with other experts, but, you are not speaking to experts. Avoid these technical terms completely if possible. Instead use language that is straightforward to make the ideas easy to grasp.

AVOID ABSTRACTIONS: One way to avoid abstract is through description. Description - A statement that depicts a person, event, idea, and or the like with clarity and vividness.

Another way to avoid this is with Comparisons - A statement of the similarities among two or more people, events, ideas, etc. As well as Contrast- A statement of the differences among two or more people, events, ideas, etc. Using either or both of these, you are putting your subject in concrete, familiar terms.

PERSONALIZE YOUR IDEAS: Your audience wants to be entertained as they are being enlightened. Whenever possible, you should attempt to personalize your ideas and dramatize them in human terms. By putting a face on a familiar topic, taking the subject out of the realm of general statistics, you are causing your audience to key in on a reality that maybe similar to their own.