Basic Principles
Memory Lane
Speeches of Description
Speeches of Definition
Speeches of Demonstration
100
According to this principle of informative speaking, it is better to emphasize depth by covering fewer points than to emphasize breadth by covering more points.
What is limiting the amount of information?
100
You can help your audience remember the main points by doing this several times during your speech.
What is repeating the points?
100
For a speech that describes an object (e.g., the layout of a city) you should consider using this organizational pattern.
What is spatial?
100
This is the central idea of your speech; in a speech of definition about Christianity and Islam it might be the sentence "Christianity and Islam have much in common."
What is your thesis?
100
This is the central idea of your speech; in a speech of demonstration about home security it might be the sentence "You can burglarproof your house in three different ways."
What is your thesis?
200
In informative speaking you should adjust this to the level of your audience's knowledge as well as the time you have available, the purpose you hope to achieve, and the topic on which you are speaking.
What is complexity?
200
You can help your audience remember your speech by using these to direct listeners to the main points (e.g., "The first point to remember is . . .").
What are signposts?
200
For a speech that describes a person (e.g., the achievements of Thomas Edison) you should consider using this organizational pattern.
What is topical?
200
You generate these by asking questions about your central idea; e.g., a speech of definition with the idea "Christianity and Islam have much in common" would raise, What do they have in common?
What are main points?
200
You generate these by asking questions about your central idea; e.g., a speech of definition with the idea "You can burglarproof your house in three ways" would raise the question, What are the three ways?
What are main points?
300
Listeners will remember your information best if they see that it has these two qualities.
What are relevance and usefulness?
300
You can help your audience remember your speech by using these after each main to remind your audience what you have said and relate it to what follows.
What are internal summary transitions?
300
For a speech that describes an event (e.g., the Iraq war) you should consider using this organizational pattern.
What is temporal?
300
These might include examples, stories, and testimony; e.g., a speech of definition whose central idea is "Christianity and Islam have much in common" might make the point that both religions believe in good work by quoting their scriptures, telling stories about notable Christians and Muslims, and giving examples of major charitable works.
What are supporting materials?
300
For a speech of demonstration whose central idea is "You can burglarproof your house in three different ways," these might include examples of security protocols, testimonies from experts, stories from homeowners, and statistics about the protocols' effectiveness.
What are supporting materials?
400
Listeners will learn more easily and retain it longer if you relate new information to this.
What is information they already know?
400
Your audience will better remember your main points if you help them see this, so they realize the logic of why your points follow each other.
What is your organizational pattern?
400
For a speech that describes a process (e.g., how to buy a house) you should consider using this organizational pattern.
What is who-what-where-when-why?
400
For a speech of definition (e.g., "Christianity and Islam have much in common") you should consider using this organizational pattern in which each main idea is treated equally.
What is a topical pattern?
400
For a speech of demonstration (e.g., "You can burglarproof your house in three different ways") you should consider using this organizational pattern that demonstrates each step in sequence.
What is temporal?
500
According to this principle of informative speaking, you might talk about freedom of the press by first referring to the Bill of Rights and then telling a story about your local newspaper.
What is varying the levels of abstraction?
500
Simply saying "I want you to concentrate on these three points" or "What I want you to remember is this" are examples of doing this.
What is focusing audience attention?
500
When you give these during a speech, you are attributing the sources for your information.
What are oral citations?
500
For a speech of definition it is especially important to observe this principle of informative speaking; e.g., in a speech to a Christian audience that argues "Christianity and Islam have much in common" you might start be defining Christian precepts.
What is relating new information to old?
500
These should be provided not only in the text and bibliography of your speech preparation outline, but also provided orally during the speech itself.
What are citations?
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