Chapter 16: Informative Speaking

Individuals or Groups

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Giving an informative speech about an individual or a group offers an equally wide range of possibilities. People are fascinated by others, as can be seen from the popularity of celebrity-focused magazines, reality-based television shows, and personal memoirs. Human subjects with extraordinary physical or emotional characteristics or compelling life stories can provide engaging and informative material for speeches. Groups, likewise, are collections of people with whom your audience can identify; these can include famous politicians in the same party or musical performers who capture tremendous amounts of attention. To illustrate, you could focus your talk on one of the following:

A famous politician, entertainer, sports star, explorer, or artist. For example, you might give a speech about Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress (in 1968) and a candidate for president in the 1972 Democratic primary, nearly four decades before Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
An unsung hero (a person or group that did something great but never won recognition for the accomplishment). For instance, you could tell your audience about members of a small tribe in the forests of Burma who survived persecution by the ruling junta.
A tragic figure whose life provides a cautionary tale. For example, you might discuss Philip Seymour Hoffman’s untimely death from mixed drug intoxication after starring in many critically acclaimed films.

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An influential political party, artistic movement, sports team, or musical group. For instance, you might discuss the rise of women in comedy—both those writing and starring in their own television shows, such as Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, Ilana Glazer, and Abbi Jacobson, as well as those who have helped to diversify existing shows, such as Leslie Jones of Saturday Night Live.

As with objects, you could easily use description to deliver your informative speech about an individual or a group. For example, if your speech focused on aviator Amelia Earhart, you could describe her youth and personal qualities along with her famed accomplishments. You also might use narrative to tell a story about the defining experience that led her to become a pilot (namely, attending a stunt-flying exhibition in her late teens). Or you could use explanation to trace the events that led her to attempt her biggest challenge—flying around the world.

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Remember that although you will not be able to describe all of a person’s life experiences in a single speech, you can use life events to make a larger point about a person’s character—what kind of person he or she is. You could support such claims by using narratives supplied by the person’s family, friends, associates, and even critics or enemies.

A presentation on a person or group might effectively incorporate information about an object or a process as well. Consider a talk on renowned inventor Thomas Edison. To convey Edison’s innovative spirit, you could discuss the life experiences that led to his great achievements and also several of his most famous inventions—objects such as the lightbulb and the phonograph. Or you could describe the process by which he developed one of his best-known inventions, including how he resolved problems that arose while designing it.