module speech

8/8/2019 Module Speech

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Types of Speeches

Every speech is unique. Even when delivering from the same text, a speakers speech isaffected by a number of factors. Keeping this fact in mind, a speech will tend to fall inone of a few categories.

Informative: An informative speech is one whose purpose is to convey knowledge andelicit understanding. Generally, informative speeches are evaluated according to threegeneral questions:

y Is the information communicated correctly?y Is the information communicated clearly?y Is the information made meaningful and interesting to the audience?

Kinds of Informative Speecheso Speeches about objectso Speeches about events

The Battle of Gettysburg A job interview A tsunami

o Speeches about concepts Confucianism Philosophies of education Abstractions

o Speeches about processes How hurricanes develop How to write a resume H

ow to perform aP

ilates exercise

Persuasive: Persuasion is the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing peoplesbeliefs or actions. Persuasive speaking is the most complex and challenging kind ofspeech. In a persuasive speech, you are an advocate, and your job is to get listeners toagree with you and, perhaps, to act on that belief.

y This is unlike an informative speech, where the audience is simply presentedfacts. In this case, the audience is evaluating your presentation of your evidence,as well as of yourself. Are you credible? This is what Stephen Lucas refers to asa mental dialogue with the audience, or, a mental give-and-take.

y Your target audience is the portion of the audience that you will most want topersuade. (See The Rhetorical Situation for more details).

y Always be mindful of your duty to maintain the ethical responsibility to theaudiencethey have to trust you before they believe you. Be completely honest;never try to purposely mislead or deceive.

Kinds of Persuasive Speecheso On questions of fact


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o On questions of valueo On questions of policy

Gaining immediate action Gaining passive agreement

Stronglyopposed

Moderatelyopposed

Slightlyopposed

Neutral Slightlyinfavor

Moderatelyin favor

Stronglyin favor

Persuasion involves any movement by a speaker from left to right

Occasional /Entertaining: A speech whose purpose is entertainment will stimulate asense of community through the celebration of common bonds among speaker andlisteners. Here are some tips:Kinds of Occasional Speeches

y After Dinner Speecho A speech to entertain that makes a thoughtful point abut its subject in a

lighthearted manner.

y Speeches of introduction: Introduces main speaker to audienceo Be brief.o Be accurateo Adapt remarks to occasion/speaker/audience.o Create a sense of anticipation

y Speeches of commemorationo Speech of praise or celebration.

Eulogies, July 4th, testimonials, etc. Similar to informative speech.

y Speeches of acceptanceo Speech giving thanks for a gift, award, etc.

y Speeches of presentationo Gives a gift, award, recognition.o If a competition, acknowledge competitors.o Explain award, but also remember context.

The Informative Speech Defined

As the word informative implies, an informative speech informs those in attendance byproviding them with information. Therefore, the speaker is a teacher, and his or her purpose is to

educate the audience regarding a topic; and that topic may be an object, an event, a concept, or aprocess.

Speeches About Objects


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Objects are things that are tangible and, thus, recognized through sight, hearing, taste, or touch;so speeches about objects include those about people, places, animals, structures, etc; for

example:

y What to look for when purchasing a new computer systemy W

hy President John F. Kennedy was the Prince of Cameloty Is Ethanol a Viable Alternative to Fossil Fuel?

Speeches About Events

Events are happenings or occurrences, both past and present, so possible speech topics includethe following:

y The origins of the holiday known as Halloweeny What led to the Salem Witch Trialsy The Primary Causes ofWorld WarII

Speeches About Concepts

Concepts are ideas, philosophies, hypotheses, and arguments, etc, so informative speeches mightaddress topics such as these:

y The Big Bang Theoryy Karl Marxs concept of socialismy The principles of Feng Shui, the Ancient Chinese Art of Placement

Speeches About Processes

A process is how something is made, how something is done, or how something works; therefore,possible topics include these:

y How pearls develop in oystersy How to administer the Heimlich maneuvery How to organize a plot for a novel

Note: Given their visual nature, most informative speeches are more successful if the speaker

uses visual aids such as PowerPoint presentations, flip charts, graphs, models, etc.

The Persuasive Speech Defined

A persuasive speech usually challenges an audiences beliefs and/or tries to move those in

attendance to change existing viewpoints or at least recognize the validity of opposingviewpoints. For this reason persuasive speeches are the most difficult to deliver, at least

successfully, since they usually deal with controversial topics about which people in the audiencealready hold strong, deeply engrained opinions.


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Types of Persuasive Speeches

There are three main types of persuasive speeches: those that deal with questions of fact, those

that deal with questions of value, and those that deal with questions of policy.

Examples of Questions of Fact

y Will the stock market rally in 2010?y Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy?

Examples of Questions of Policy

y Should pro-athletes have mandatory tests for performance-enhancing drugs?y Are smokers being unfairly singled out for higher taxation?

Examples of Questions of Value

y Do people have the right to choose to die with dignity?y Should dogfights be legalized?

Note: Whenpreparing a persuasive speech, speakers must accept that at least some listeners aregoing to disagree, perhaps adamantly so, with their viewpoint, which is why speakers should

attempt to anticipate objections and counterarguments and address them during the course of thespeech.

Speeches for Special Occasions

There are myriad special occasions in life, for example, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations,weddings, bar mitzvahs, christenings, award presentations, retirement dinners, and funerals. Infact, there are so many special occasions that its impossible to list them. However, whatever the

occasions, chances are that someone will be asked to deliver a speech, which could be anythingfrom a toast to a couple who have been married for 50 years to the eulogy for a departed loved

one.

Regardless of the occasion, however, there are several important points to keep in mind:

y The speech must fit the occasion. If the occasion is formal, for example, the speechshould be as well; but if the occasion is casual, the speech should reflect a similar mood.

y The speech must meet the allotted time. Speakers should be neither too brief nor toolongwinded.

y Intended remarks must be accurate. For example, if someone is presenting an award andintends to begin with interesting facts about the recipient, these facts must be correct.

At some point in life most people will be called upon to deliver a speech, some formally, othersquite informally; yet, as long as they possess an understanding of the different types of speeches


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and have their objective clearly in mind, they will be capable of delivering a speech that theaudience will remember for a long time to come.

module speech

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