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INFORMATIVE SPEAKING

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“Effective informative speakers share accessible, understandable information in a compelling way.”

Suppose you have a work-study job at the campus health center. To help promote campus health, the center will offer free influenza inoculations to students in the coming weeks. The center’s director has asked you to deliver a brief presentation at the student union to inform students about the program.

An informative presentation teaches the audience something and increases listeners’ understanding, awareness, or sensitivity to your topic. Your speech might include information about the way the flu spreads, its symptoms, and the dangers it poses, particularly for college students. It would be helpful to talk about simple measures students can take to prevent the spread of the flu, especially students who live in dense campus housing and commuters who share homes with young children or pregnant women. You could present information about the three methods for inoculating people from the flu—including a standard flu shot; the flu mist, which is a simple spray that goes into the nose; or an Intradermal, which is a new injection that is administered by a needle so small that subjects barely feel it.1 Finally, you’d need to describe the logistics of your school’s program—where and when the shots will be given, how to get an appointment, and what information students will need to give to the professionals who are administering the shots.

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Your goal should be to provide all the information students need to decide whether they want to get a shot and how to get one if they decide to do so. Although the presentation is primarily informative, it also may contain a bit of persuasion. After all, you are speaking about something that you and your school believe is an important health concern and hope that students who are armed with good information will take advantage of the program.

In this chapter, we take a close look at informative speaking. First, we examine specific techniques for informing. Next, we consider the common types of informative speaking. Finally, we address how to develop an informative speech, including strategies for analyzing your audience and simplifying complex information in your presentation.