Speech to Inform

The goal of your third speech is to inform; that is, to provide general information to satisfy your audience’s interest or curiosity about a given topic. Your topic should be selected from two broad subject areas: either a phenomenon or an intangible concept (See below for a list of suggested topics; you are, however, obviously not limited to this list).You may, if you desire, select a topic that does not fall into either of these broad categories, e,g., a discussion of some disease or health condition, so long as it remains an informative presentation.

 

This speech is to be research-based; a minimum of five different research sources must be cited within your speech with no more than one coming from the Internet. Also, with a few exceptions, encyclopedias and dictionaries are not considered to be acceptable as one of your sources. A reference list of sources cited in your presentation must also be submitted to your professor along with the presentation (either hand-delivered if the speech is given live or accompanying a recorded presentation); please follow the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide when creating your reference list. As will be the case with all of your oral presentations, your Speech to Inform should be presented using the extemporaneous mode of delivery.

 

The time limit for your speech will be six to eight minutes; when your speech has reached the ten minute mark, you will be asked to conclude your speech if it is being given live; if it has been recorded, your grade will be established by what was completed up to the ten minute mark. The goal is not to be punitive; however, speaking beyond the ten minute mark will likely have you intruding on another class member’s time slot.  Visual aids should be included where deemed appropriate, i.e, their addition will significantly contribute to the audience’s understanding of the topic.

 

Please organize your speech using the following outline:

 

Introduction

 

• Gain audience’s attention using one of the introductory devices discussed in your course text and class discussions
• Gain audience’s interest
• Establish your source credibility using any of the techniques discussed in class
• Overview your speech/ State your thesis (You will discuss your topic from a minimum of three different perspectives; for example, for a medical condition, you may wish to discuss, causes, symptoms, and treatments. If you chose to speak on the Bermuda Triangle, your three perspectives might be three theories as to why ships and planes mysteriously disappear.)

 

Body

• Define, explain, and illustrate Perspective #1
• Provide data for support

 

• Define, explain, and illustrate Perspective #2
• Provide data for support

 

 

• Define, explain, and illustrate Perspective #3
• Provide data for support

 

• Define, explain and illustrate….#4, #5, #6 ???

 

 

Conclusion

• Briefly summarize the three (or more) categories you discussed in your body
• Summarize your speech with a logical close using one of the closing techniques discussed in your course text and class discussions

 

 

Sample Concept Topics

• Personality
• Religion
• Marriage
• Love
• Conflict

Sample Phenomenon Topics

• Bermuda Triangle
• Stonehenge
• Shroud of Turin
• Crop Circles
• Angels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Personality
• Religion
• Marriage
• Love
• Conflict