Page 382 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 13 Informative Speaking 349

Informative speaking is the process by which an audience gains new in-
informative speaking
formation or a new perspective on old information from a speaker. Put another
The process by which
way, the goal of informative speaking is audience learning. An effective informa-
an audience gains new
tive speaker needs to master several skills, which we will look at in this chapter. information or a new
These skills include: perspective on old
information.
• Focusing on the audience and appealing to their various styles of learning.
• Understanding the relationship between informative speaking and
persuasion.
• Understanding the relationship between informative speaking and
audience analysis.
• Understanding how you are likely to give informative presentations
throughout your life: in the classroom, the workplace, and the
community.
• Making informative speeches audience involving, audience appropriate,
audience accessible, and potentially life enriching.
• Putting theory into practice in speeches that explain, instruct, demonstrate,
or describe.

Focusing on the Audience: Adapting
to Different Styles of Learning

Consider the following scenarios. In the fi rst, a high school principal goes before
the student body to explain the school board’s decision to install metal detec-
tors and surveillance cameras on campus. In the second, a nurse practitioner
demonstrates to a group of student nurses how to use a new skin test for food
allergies. In the third, an offensive line coach teaches linemen a new offensive
scheme they will use in their next football game. In the fourth, a driving instruc-
tor at a high-performance racing school explains the concept of heel-and-toe
braking and shifting on a road course. And in the fi fth, a tennis pro explains
how to improve your serve.
Each of these scenarios can be viewed as a speaking situation. Further, each
involves a speaker publicly informing an audience. In each case, the speaker must
focus on relating the information to the needs and goals of the audience mem-
bers. Jaime Escalante had to fi rst reach out to and connect with his students be-
fore he could really begin to teach them calculus. So, too, must every informa-
tive speaker reach out to and connect with his or her audience before presenting
them with information.
One important consideration in focusing on the audience is recognizing that
not everyone has the same style of learning. Not everybody thinks in a linear
or “logical” fashion. Some people can simply read a book and absorb the infor-
mation, whereas others need to hear and see to learn. Still others learn best by
doing. Good public speakers recognize these differences and appeal to as many
styles as possible. learning styles
There are, of course, many useful ways of categorizing how people learn Differences in the way
information, such as this listing of diverse learning styles: 3 people think about and
learn new information
• Auditory linguistic: Learning by hearing the spoken word.
and skills.
• Visual linguistic: Learning by seeing the printed word.