Whether in conversation, writing, or speeches, typically we communicate information by defining, describing, demonstrating, and/or explaining it. Some informative speeches rely almost exclusively on a single approach (e.g., their main purpose is to demonstrate how something works or to explain what something means). Many speeches, however, combine strategies within a presentation (see Table 23.1). As you prepare your speech, ask yourself, “How much emphasis should I give to defining my topic, demonstrating it, describing it, or explaining its meaning?”
Definition
Some informative topics clearly require more definition than others. When you define information, you identify the essential qualities and meaning of something. Consider, for example, these speech topics: What is cholesterol? What is a fractal? What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
When your topic is new to the audience or is a complex concept (“What is a fractal?”), pay particular attention to providing clear definitions. Definition can also be necessary when clarifying a controversial idea or issue. For example, many of us are aware that affirmative action is a strategy to provide special opportunities for underrepresented groups, but how many people know about the Fisher decision that ruled it unlawful for colleges to use affirmative action as an admissions criteria?
TABLE 23.1 Types of Informative Speeches and Sample Topics
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Objects or phenomena Define and describe object or phenomenon Demonstrate properties and functions |
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People Vividly describe person’s compelling characteristics and explain person’s significance Offer stories about overcoming obstacles and lessons to be drawn from person’s actions |
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Current or historical events Use description to paint a vivid picture Use reporting and analysis Tell the backstory |
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Speeches about processes If physically showing a process, rely on demonstration Use presentation aids |
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Speeches about issues Focus on explanation Avoid advocating for one position versus another |
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Speeches about concepts Offer multiple definitions Use analogies Discuss underlying processes/causes |
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Defining information may sound straightforward, but there are in fact a number of ways to define something, including the following:
Description
Some speech topics, such as an overview of postwar architecture in Rotterdam, call for a good deal of description. When you describe information, you provide an array of details that paint a mental picture of your topic. For example, you might offer your audience a “virtual tour” of the top of Mount Everest, or describe the physical ravages wrought by drug abuse. The point of speeches, or sections of speeches, relying on description is to offer a vivid portrayal of the topic.
Demonstration
Yet another approach to presenting information is to explain how something works or to actually demonstrate it. The many “how-to” television shows and podcasts on the Web, ranging from step-by-step guides to home remodeling to using software programs, rely on demonstration. A speech may not include an actual physical demonstration, but the speaker will nevertheless verbally demonstrate the steps involved. Speeches that rely on demonstration often work with the actual object, representations or models of it, or visual aids that diagram it. Table 23.2 contains sample topics for a speech using demonstration.
Explanation
A final, and very common, tool for conveying information is explanation. Certain informative speech topics are built on explanation—providing reasons or causes, demonstrating relationships, and offering interpretation and analysis. The classroom lecture is a classic example of using explanation in an informative context (see Chapter 31). But many kinds of speeches rely on explanation, from those that address difficult or confusing theories and processes such as What is the relationship between the glycemic index and glycemic load? to topics that challenge conventional thinking (Why do researchers say that sometimes emotion makes us more rather than less logical?)
TABLE 23.2 Sample Topics for a Speech Using Demonstration
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