FIRST FUNCTION: TO PROVIDE INFORMATION

 A lot of talking goes on in the world, and a large part of it is done to give instructions, provide facts, or
clarify ideas. It may be as basic as announcing facts (the plans for the next school project) or as complex
as giving an oral report based on research. In all these instances, your emphasis is on statement of facts,
and your goal is to make your listeners understand.
 Information are facts provided or learned about something or someone. We can provide information
through talking by giving instructions, providing facts and clarifying ideas.

NATURE OF INFORMATIVE COMMUNICATION

1. Objects - may include anything that is visible, tangible, and stable in form. They may be nonliving or living,
such as places, structures, animals, and even people.

Examples: Rodrigo Duterte as President, Electronic gadgets, Dinosaurs ruling the world, A trip to
Boracay

2. Processes - may comprise any systematic series of actions that lead to a specific result or product.
Communication about processes explains how something is made, how something is done, or how something
works.

Examples: How flashfloods develop, Writing an effective résumé, Flow of communication in business

3. Events - can be anything that happens or is regarded as happening.

Examples: Fight against drugs, Sleep deprivation, Festival of the Gun

4. Concepts - may consist of beliefs, theories, ideas, principles, and the like. They are more abstract than
objects, processes, or events.

Examples: Philosophy of Education, Confucianism, Terrorism

FORMAL SITUATIONS REQUIRING INFORMATIVE COMMUNICATION

1.The public lecture.
2.The status report.
3. The briefing.
4. The fireside chats.
5.The chalk talk.
ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS FOR INFORMATIVE SPEECHES
(Nelson,2012)
1. The Chronological Pattern - This pattern allows you to explain how someone or something has developed
over a period of time.
 This example uses the chronological pattern to discrete the stages in the life cycle of a living creature.
Topic: The Life Cycle of Jellyfish
General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose To help the audience understand the life cycle of jelly fish
Thesis: Jellyfish go through four main stages in their life cycle, larva, polyp,
strobili, and medua.
Main points: I. The first stage in the life cycle is the jellyfish larvae.
II. The second stage is the polyp that attaches itself to the sea floor.
III. The third stage is the strobili, a cluster of tiny jellyfish that
emerges from, the polyp,
IV. In the last stage, the organism separates from the cluster and
swims away, to eventually become a mobile adult jellyfish.

2. The Spatial Pattern - This pattern allows you to describe the physical or directional relationship between
objects of places.
 Topic: Zuni Indian Reservation
General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose To inform the audience where Zuni Indians live
Thesis: The Zuni Indians live on the Zuni Indian Reservation in Western New
Mexico and on surrounding lands in New Mexico and Arizona.
Main points: I. The tribal government is based on the Zuni reservation in
McKinley Country and Cibola Country, New Mexico.
II. Some members of the Zuni tribe also live in Catron Country,
New Mexico, South of the main reservation in the western part
of the state.
III. The Zuni tribe has land holding and residence in Apache
Country, Arizona, in the eastern part of the state, where it
shares territory with Navajo tribes.

3. The Topical Pattern - In the topical pattern, you divide your topic into subtopics that address the
components, elements, or aspects of the topic.

Topic: A Dog Show

General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose To make the audience aware of how a professional dog show is run
Thesis: The best dog in a professional dog show is judged after a series of
competitions.
Main points: I. On professional dog show, dogs are divided into breeds, and
breeds are classified into groups, such as sporting or working
dogs.
II. Dogs are judged according to conformity with the bread standard,
as well as personality, age and sex within breeds.
III. The winner of each bread then competes within the appropriate
group.
IV. The winners of the groups then compete for best in show.

 In speeches about concepts and ideas, when you want to explain rather than simply describe important
elements of the topic, the topical pattern can help make your explanation clear.

4. The Narrative Pattern - The narrative pattern is used to retell a story or a series of short stories.
  It has much in common with the chronological pattern, but it provides a stronger emphasis on the
dramatic unfolding of event.

Topic: Pluto, a Dwarf Planet

Specific Purpose To help the audience understand why Pluto is considered a dwarf planet
Thesis: The story of Pluto began with the discovery of Neptune, reached its peak
with Pluto’s naming as a planet in the early 1900’s and ended recently with
Pluto’s demotion to dwarf planet.
Main points: I. The story of Pluto began with the discovery of Neptune in the
1840's.
II. In the early 20th century, the planet Pluto was discovered and
named.
III. Beginning in the 2006, scientists began to doubt that Pluto should
have the same status as the other celestial bodies circling the sun.
IV. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reduced Pluto to a
secondary status, dwarf planet.
 The narrative pattern is most useful for turning the chronology of a person's life events into an absorbing
story, adding suspense and dramatic flair to the topic.

Topic: Eva Longona

General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose To make the audience aware of major turning points in Mexican-American
actress Eva Longona's life
Thesis: Eva Longona was born in Texas, was a motivated student who graduated
from college, became a highly successful actress, and used her celebrity
status to advocate human rights.
Main points: I. Eva Longona was born in 1975 in Corpus Christi, Texas, the
youngest of four children to poor, working-class parents.
II. A highly motivated student in high school, she received a college
degree from Texas A & M University.
III. Beginning with small parts in soap operas and films, Eva became a
Golden Globe award-winning actress for her starring role in
Desperate Housewives.
IV. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in
philanthropy and human rights politics, advocating for the poor,
disabled immigrants and women.

GUIDELINES FOR INFORMATIVE SPEAKING

 A common complaint about informational speaking is its being boring. To keep your audience's
attention and to be both understandable and relevant, remember these guidelines for producing comprehensible,
effective messages (Jaffe,2010).

1. Do an obstacle analysis of the audience.

2.Organize the material carefully.
3. Personalize your material to your audience.
4.Compare the known to the unknown.
5.Choose your vocabulary carefully.
6. Build on repetition and redundancy.
7.Strive to be interesting.