1. For each of the characters described below, what types of informative speeches might each person be called upon to give in her or his personal and professional life? List as many as you can think of for each.
Stacy is an emergency room physician and medical school professor. She also serves on the board of directors for a local college. For recreation she enjoys rock climbing.
Illicit drug policies.
Hospice care.
Adventure vacations.
Space vacations
Rick is an animal control officer who volunteers his time at both the animal shelter and the local Habitat for Humanity group. He is in a bowling league with other city employees.
Matching dog breed with owners.
Building a pond.
Orchids
Akiko is in insurance sales and volunteers in the math classroom at her children’s middle school. As a hobby, she collects and sells antiques.
Diamond selection.
What to do when your identity is stolen.
Robots for the home.
2. Early in the module, the importance of credibility was discussed. Can you think of any presentations you heard where you DID NOT feel that the speaker had credibility? What did the speakers do and/or say to make you think they lacked credibility? If you were to give these speakers advice on how to improve their credibility, what would you say?
Credibility is an important factor when it comes down to understanding someone and the content they are trying to disburse. Based on previous presentations, I would say that there are maybe two or one instances where I felt the speaker lacked credibility. Personally, I felt the speaker was incredible since they were providing inconsistent results that did not match with objective expectations. If I was to advise them on how to improve their credibility I would encourage them to use consistent results that match with their objectives
3. The chapter states that speakers need to be objective, credible, knowledgeable and that they need to make the topic relevant to the audience. Rank these responsibilities in order from most to least important, and then explain your ranking.
In response to sharing information to a group of learners, the speaker first needs to be knowledgeable so that his or her group of learners can be able to relate with what is being taught. A speaker who lack knowledge in what he or she is teaching is not reliable. Secondly, they should be objective. Generally, objectivity is important since it helps a learner clearly understand what is expected of them at the end of the learning process. Credibility comes in last during the assessment of the information learnt.
4. Imagine you are giving an informative speech on creating a website. How would you apply each of the five attention getting techniques—intensity, novelty, contrast, activity and humor—in your speech? Make note of at least one idea for each technique.
Getting one’s attention is a very easy task provided one uses the five techniques mentioned above. In regards to creating a website I would use positive intensity so as create a positive learning mood. One of the main reasons why most learners fail in the learning process is because they lack the mood and focus.
Secondly, I would use novelty by providing the best quality of books and informational resources that learners can easily get along and refer to during the learning process. Contrast can easily be used to differentiate different ways of creating a website. Lastly, the activity, humor process will involve the process of assessing learners by giving them web creation activities and initiating humorous examples that will help learners easily remember a concept.
After you have selected a topic for your informative speech, answer the questions below to help determine ways to orient your topic to your audience. Questions adapted from Ulloth and Alderfer, (1998b, pp. 61–62).
How much information does your audience already have about your topic?
Average information since some of the members had more information about creating a website while the others had little or no information at all.
What social or cultural influences of audience members might affect their reaction to your topic?
How can your topic be made interesting if the audience has no knowledge or apparent interest in it?
In regards to social or cultural influences, some people do not believe in the creation of websites since they come from background communities that do not support such job innovative opportunities.
Are there any mental, physical, or emotional factors in the audience that may affect their response to your speech?
In response to my speech, only mental factors can affect responses to my speech as not everybody has a flexible mind that can be accommodate the complex software and procedures needed to create a website.
What do you want your audience to understand after you have delivered your speech?
I want my audience to understand that there are different ways of creating different websites. I also want my audience to understand how to operate and use a website efficiently without any forms of difficulties.
Choosing your Informative Speech Topic
1. The list directly below includes a number of potential sources for your informative speech (Walters, 1995; Ulloth " Alderfer, 1998; Slutsky " Aun, 1997). Using this list for ideas, which of these potential sources could be used in the research process for each of the following speech topics?
Speech Topics
-Tattoos -Action figure collecting -Free local activities
-Making great BBQ -Music piracy -Auctions
-Bruce Lee -Decorating on a budget -Creating a web site
Source of Interesting Materials
Libraries
Bookstores
Used book stores
Video stores
Music stores
Reference books
Phone books (use for experts and specialized businesses)
Schools and colleges (where your topic is taught or researched)
Magazines and newsletters
Trade associations and publications
Special interest clubs and groups
People selling products and services
Research departments of television stations and newspapers
Objects related to the subject
Museums
Computer search engines and data bases (on and off campus)
Other sources (e.g. specialized stores, friends, colleagues, educational videos)
2. Use the list of potential informative speech topics below to complete the steps of this activity.
- Which of the topics listed below might also be used for a persuasive speech?
Characteristics of successful managers.
- For each of the four different types of informative speeches (Definitional, Descriptive, Explanatory, Demonstration), identify three topics that would be appropriate to use for each type of speech.
- Definitional – Laziness, marriage and rudeness
- Descriptive – My pet, My best friend and a specific photograph
- Explanatory – Media, health and Religion
- Demonstration – Nature, games and Pet
- At this point, you should have twelve topics listed—three each under each type of speech. Now, take one topic from each of the four groups and generate a specific purpose statement and three potential main points. You will have four different speeches, each with their own specific purpose and main points.
- Definitional – Marriage.
Generally, this definitional topic example deals on the marriage concept. Some of the main ideas tackled include the essence of marriage, how it occurs and its role.
- Descriptive – My pet
In most cases, this descriptive form of essay defines one’s pet. The topic may have potential points such as what kind of pet one has, what it likes, dislikes or even feed on.
- Explanatory – Health
Health is an explanatory concept since most health topic deal on the ideas on what is good, bad and important for your health.
- Demonstration – games
In relation to demonstration, games can be used to show its importance. Some of the main point that can be covered under this topic why games are important, the contributions and relativeness.
Potential Speech Topics
Adventure vacations
The Alamo
Alternatives to chemotherapy
Boating safety
Building a pond
Changing the oil in your car
Characteristics of successful managers
Cultural changes resulting from 9/11
Diamond selection
Ghandi’s achievements
Hospice care
Hot air balloons
How a meteor killed the dinosaurs
How to set up a wireless network
Illicit drug policy
Matching dog breeds with owners
Orchids
Ramadan
Robots for the home
Space vacations
Using Power Point effectively
Unemployment and the economy
What to do when your identity is stolen
