Page 394 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 13 Informative Speaking 361

A second factor that is important in speeches that explain a process or a con-
cept is to make it observable with visuals. They can make an abstract concept
concrete and thus easier to understand.
During your college career, you will undoubtedly be called on to explain
something to an audience, if not in your public speaking class, then in another
setting. Similarly, in the professional world, it is common for people to be called
on to explain everything from a new product idea to why the last quarter’s sales
were so bad. Using the principle of accessibility can help you enhance your
explanations.

Speeches That Instruct

Informative speaking can also be used to instruct an audience. The key to in-
struction is to provide new information the audience can put to use, or a new
perspective on old information. Modern educational theory emphasizes observ-
able behavioral objectives; that is, after receiving instruction, students should be
able to show that they have mastered the subject, either by answering questions
or by engaging in some activity.
Involving the speech audience is important to speeches that provide instruc-
tion. Unless the information in a speech presents new information or a fresh per-
spective to our audience, all we have done is bore them with what they already
know. For example, speeches on how to ride a bike or how to pack a suitcase
are unlikely to provide anything new to an audience. However, even new topics
can be perceived as irrelevant by large portions of an audience. For example, a
speech on how to wax your skis is old news to experienced skiers but irrelevant
to nonskiers in the class.
So, the key to speeches that instruct is to provide new, yet relevant informa- www.mhhe.com/brydon6
tion to your audience, or at least a new perspective on such information. That
means using the novelty of your topic to involve people while pointing out how To gain a clearer understand-
ing of an informative speech to
learning the information can be life enriching.
instruct, click on the Speech
Certainly Arin Larson’s speech on sex preselection was probably a novel Coach link on our Online
topic for most of her classmates. You can read the outline in the box, “In Their Learning Center Web site, and
go to Segment 13.2 to view
Own Words: Choosing Your Baby: The Methods of Sex Preselection” (pages
Arin Larson’s speech on sex
366–367). preselection.

Speeches That Demonstrate How to Do Something

Speeches with a demonstration are closely related to those that provide instruc-
tion, but the speaker actually shows the audience how to do something. Further,
a good demonstration allows the audience to try out what is being demonstrated,
if not during the speech itself, then later on their own.
A good example of speeches that demonstrate can be found on the Food Net-
work channel. As Rachel Ray explains one of her 30-minute meals and Bobby
Flay talks about the thrill of the grill, they simultaneously demonstrate what the
audience needs to re-create at home.
A demonstration speaker needs to provide audience members with enough
information to do the activity on their own or with information on where to