Informative speeches can be organized using any of the patterns described in Chapters 12 and 26, including the topical, chronological, spatial, cause-effect, comparative advantage, and narrative patterns. (Note that although the problem-solution pattern may be used in informative speeches, it often is a more logical candidate for persuasive speeches.)
TABLE 23.3 Communicating Information to Different Types of Learners
Type | Advice for Communicating Information |
---|---|
Visual | Will most easily grasp ideas communicated through pictures, diagrams, charts, graphs, flowcharts, or maps. |
Aural | Will most easily grasp ideas communicated through the spoken word, whether in live lectures, tapes, group discussions, or podcasts. |
Read/Write | Will most easily grasp ideas communicated through text-based delivery, handouts, or PowerPoint with text-based slides. |
Kinesthetic | Will most easily grasp ideas communicated through real-life demonstrations, simulations, movies, and hands-on applications. |
There are any number of ways to organize the various types of informative speeches. A speech about the Impressionist movement in painting, for example, could be organized chronologically, in which main points are arranged in sequence from the movement’s early period to its later falling out of favor (subpoints, as discussed in Chapter 12, can assume a different pattern than that of main points). It could be organized causally (cause-effect), by demonstrating that it came about as a reaction to the art movement that preceded it. It could also be organized topically (by categories), by focusing on the major figures associated with the movement, famous paintings linked to it, and notable contemporary artists who painted in the style.
Following are some possible pairings of speech types and organizational patterns:
Objects—spatial, topical
People—topical, narrative, chronological
Events—topical, chronological, causal, narrative
Processes—chronological, spatial, causal
Concepts—topical, causal
Issues—topical, chronological, causal
In a speech describing how to buy a guitar, Richard Garza organizes his main points chronologically:
THESIS STATEMENT: | Buying and caring for a guitar involves knowing what to look for when purchasing it and understanding how to maintain it once you own it. |
MAIN POINTS: |
|
In a student speech on using radiofrequency waves to cure cancer, David Kruckenberg organizes his main points topically, dividing his points by categories:
THESIS STATEMENT: | An engineer outside of the medical establishment discovers how to refine a medical procedure called radiofrequency ablation, potentially making it a critical tool in the fight against certain kinds of cancer. |
MAIN POINTS: |
|
In your introduction, tell audience members what you hope they will learn by listening to you.