PUBLIC SPEAKING

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPEECHES AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS

GLADDIE MAE RAZO

The four basic types of speeches are: to inform, to instruct, to
entertain, and to persuade. These are not mutually exclusive of one
another. You may have several purposes in mind when giving your
presentation.

For example, you may try to inform in an entertaining style. Another

speaker might inform the audience and try to persuade them to act
on the information.

However, the principle purpose of a speech will generally fall into one
of four basic types:

1. Informative – This speech serves to provide interesting and useful

information to your audience.
Some examples of informative speeches:
o A teacher telling students about earthquakes
o A student talking about her research
o A travelogue about the Tower of London o A computer
programmer speaking about new software

Characteristics of an Informative Speech:

Informative speeches are speeches that are designed to teach the

audience about a specific topic. There are several characteristics of
informative speeches that set them apart from other speech types. If
you are asked to give an informative speech, it is important to pick a
topic that interests you and that you already know something about.

Structure

An informative speech is designed with the same structure as most

other speech types, and contains three sections. Informative
speeches begin with an introduction that explains the topic in a
captivating manner. The body of the speech is next; it provides
greater details about the subject. The last section is the conclusion,
which is designed to summarize the subject and tie all of the loose
ends together.

Topic

Informative speeches have one distinct characteristic from other

types of speeches. The sole purpose of an informative speech is to
inform the audience about a topic that is useful, unique and
interesting. The topic a person chooses for this type of speech should
be something that creates interest and is unique in some way. It also
should be presented in a way that the audience can relate to.

Organization

Like other types of speeches, one characteristic of an informative

speech is organization. When a person writes an informative speech,
he should research the topic thoroughly and organize the information
in a clear, logical manner. This is often accomplished by writing an
outline for the speech. List each goal or point of the speech topic in
order and determine ways to move from one point to the next.

Details

Informative speeches use relevant examples, they employ smooth

transitions, and they are delivered in a conversational tone. Provide
examples that help your audience understand your main points either
orally or through the use of visual aids. Make your transitions clear
from one point to the next to keep your audience’s attention. This
prevents their losing track of what you are saying. Visual aids are an
ideal way to help an audience clearly see what you are explaining.

2. Demonstrative Speeches – This has many similarities with an

informative speech. A demonstrative speech also teaches you
something. The main difference lies in including a demonstration of
how to do the thing you’re teaching.
Some examples of demonstrative speeches:
o How to start your own blog
o How to bake a cake o How to write a speech
o How to… just about anything

Characteristics of Demonstrative Speech:

Nature of a Demonstration Speech: In a demonstration speech,

you inform your audience by showing them…

1. How to make something (e.g., food; crafts; household

decorations; technological gear);
2. How to complete a process (e.g., playing a game or sport, or
inspecting, maintaining, or repairingsomething); or
 3. How something works (e.g., part of a car; a machine; computer
software)

Selecting a Topic: It’s best to choose something which…

1. You know well

2. Can be shown within reliable time boundaries
3. Isn’t highly technical and doesn’t include too many steps
4. Can easily be shown to a large group
5. Will expand listeners’ knowledge

Organization:

1. Organize the body of your speech into 2-5 main points which
correspond to parts of your process- -rather than in a long series
of steps
2. Provide clear “signposts” for each main step in the process

 Presentation:

1. Be as clear as possible; use simple language; explain jargon;

define acronyms
2. Use easy-to-follow, step-by-step processes, and large, visible
visuals
3. Avoid obstructions; make sure everyone in the room can see you
without having to strain
4. Speak at a pace which your audience can easily follow, keeping
in mind that you may beintroducing them to terms and concepts
which are new to them
5. Speak to your audience rather than to your objects, using the T-
T-T method (touch/turn/talk); maintain eye contact
 3. Persuasive – A persuasive speech works to convince people to
change in some way: they think, the way they do something, or
to start doing something that they are not currently doing.
Some examples of persuasive speeches:
o Become an organ donor o Improve your health through better
eating
o Television violence is negatively influencing our children
o Become a volunteer and change the world

Characteristics of a Persuasive Speech

Attention-getting Introductions
A persuasive speaker engages his audience from the start. One way
is to open with a simple declarative statement and details that
support your position. For example, a speaker on global warming
might begin by saying, "There is little doubt that the planet is
warming," states "Presentation" magazine. In your next few
sentences, offer statistics to show how the Earth's climate is
changing in ways that have negative impacts on human, animal and
plant life. Lastly, introduce the consequences by saying something
like, "If the ice caps melt, a vast majority of our countries' borders will
be underwater."

Authority to Speak
Success in persuasive speaking hinges on how favorably the
speaker's audience evaluates his credibility or competence. A
speaker can draw on his expertise in an industry or subject to pre-
empt common objections that an audience might raise. For example,
a climatology professor or meteorologist would draw on his
specialized knowledge to refute assertions that sudden climate shifts
aren't serious. Credibility also comes from personal experience,
which might prove more relevant to an ex-offender arguing the need
to reform the criminal justice system, for example.

Logical Presentation
Structure is important for managing the flow of information in
persuasive speeches. Most speakers make just two or three main
points, with special emphasis on the first and last ones. One common
option is problem-solution organization, in which you cite a problem
and propose a way of addressing it. For more complex issues,
consider the stock issues format of describing the problem, the
harms that result and how you might remedy them. In other cases, it
may be sufficient to make points sequentially, from beginning to end.
Whatever format you use, make sure it's easy to follow.
 Smart Pacing
Good speakers recognize the value of a balanced presentation.
Many of the best remembered historical speeches are the shortest --
like the Gettysburg Address, which runs only 300 words, according to
"Time" magazine. Time your speech while you're practicing it, so you
can cut repetitious or unnecessary phrases. Also, make sure
you spend roughly the same time on each main point. This approach
gives your speech a steady, measured pace that's important in
maintaining credibility with an audience.

Stirring Conclusions
The closing paragraph is your last opportunity to persuade
listeners. You'll briefly review the main points once more, and then
you'll state the actions you want audience members to take. For
example, your global warming speech might close with an outline of
measures -- such as planting more trees or starting recycling
programs -- to ease pressure on the environment. Then finish with a
statement that summarizes your purpose.

4. Entertaining — The after-dinner speech is a typical example of an

entertaining speech. The speaker provides pleasure and enjoyment that
make the audience laugh or identify with anecdotal information.
Some examples of entertaining speeches:
o Excuses for any occasion
o Explaining cricket to an American
o Things you wouldn’t know without the movies

Characteristics of an Entertaining Speech:

Choose an appropriate topic:

You don’t want the topic to be too dense, complicated or heavy.
Remember, you’re not trying to give your audience a greater
understanding of anything. You’re there to help them have a good
time.
 

Enjoy yourself:
Believe it or not, it is hard for an audience to enjoy your presentation if
it looks like you are not enjoying presenting it!
Keep it simple:
Your presentation should be easy to follow. Don’t make it hard for your
audience to keep up with you mentally … or in any other way.

Make it visceral:
Use vivid word pictures. This is not the type of presentation where you
can be lazy in your descriptions. Make your words pop with strong
images that pop in their minds.

Say it like a roller coaster!

Add unexpected twists and turns to your presentation. When you
surprise your audience with where your story is going, that adds to the
entertainment factor.

5. Impromptu Speech- An impromptu speech, by definition, is the

one that a speaker delivers without any prior preparation on the
topic. Impromptu, itself, means “doing something without
preparation”.

In declamation contests, a random topic is fired at the speaker

on the spot, and the speaker gets just a few seconds to think over the
topic. In the span of these few seconds, the speaker is expected to
come up with relevant content to speak on the topic, for a specified
duration. In group discussions too, speakers are given a topic to
discuss and are required to come up with their content at the spur of
the moment. In debates, the speech is often regulated by the
arguments of the opponent.

Characteristics of an Impromptu Speech:

Telling the Truth is Perfect

When mentally planning your impromptu speech, it’s best to choose

impromptu speech topics that center around the truth. 
There is no need to exaggerate or develop a new scenario. Your
brain already has a difficult task trying to figure out perfect
impromptu speech topics, so you do not need to add to the burden.
With impromptu speech topics, it is best to:
Stick to facts
Say what is valid at the moment.
Summarize and try to be better next time― if you feel like you are at
your wit’s end.
Choose Speech Topics You Know Very Well

Like every speech, impromptu speech topics are better focused on

an area where you have a proper education. WIth other public
speaking categories, it is easy for the presenter to run in-depth
studies on topics they aren’t familiar with and prepare properly to give
a spectacular speech.
The case is different for extemporaneous speaking since you do not
have enough time to conduct proper research on your
impromptu speech topics examples. Therefore, it’s best to stick with
a topic under a field you have in-depth prior knowledge. 

Sharing Personal Experience is Helpful

When you think of impromptu speech topics, it is best to center it

around your personal experience, except you have a separate
impromptu speech topics generator. Talking from experience doesn’t
need special memory aids or research.
It’s understandable that we have limited experiences as humans, so
you may not have any experience with the assigned
impromptu speech topic. The best thing to do here is to search your
memory for anytime someone has told you a story about it or when
you read it in a book.
For example, if you were to talk about the meaning of life, you could
share a near-death experience, a quote on it, a friend’s experience,
or something you read in a book that made you question the meaning
of life.
The best part of sharing from personal experiences is that you could
try your luck with funny impromptu speech topics.

6. Motivational Speech- A motivational speech is to convince or

to persuade the listener to take action to improve or to start
doing any particular thing. This convincing involves improving
efforts and energy to lead to good performance. The main
objective is to encourage reflection or influence convictions by
appealing to their emotion.

How to write a motivational speech?

Writing a motivational speech is a robust process, mostly if you are
not a professional in this area. But with practice, you can improve
and enhance your skill. So, you have to keep in mind that you have
to draw your audience’s attention and make them comfortable and
 believe you and what you speak. After all, nobody wants to hear a
boring speech, so the primary purpose of the speech is to inspire the
audience to take action.

Outlining a motivational speech

A motivational speech is just like other speeches. You need to have
an introduction, body, and a conclusion that must be strong. You
need to follow this pattern mentioned below to write a perfect
motivational speech.

Introduction
Your introduction needs to be captivating, and you have to grab your
audience’s attention as well. You need to start with attention-
grabbing sentences, which is always to greet your listeners and help
them build a comfortable environment. Tell them why you are
presenting this motivational speech. Give them the reason to be the
ears of your motivational speech. Also, you need to include the thesis
statement in the introduction as well.

Body
The body is the main area that carries the main message of your
motivational speech. It consists of several paragraphs, each
incorporating a few major points. Therefore, you should have a
theme and points to support each argument. Don’t claim without
producing evidence to support your points. Try making this section as
attractive as possible for you; include jokes, metaphors, and
analogies.

The body of the motivational speech must include these all points-

 Connect your ideas

 A theme and correct purpose
 You have to write in a way you talk
 Use storytelling technique
 Incorporate a sense of humor 
 Use quotes in your speech

Concluding part
The conclusion summarizes all the main points that you’ve presented
in your speech. So, state the reasons for your thesis statement and
finish with a remarkable conclusion. It’s where you give your final
remarks and your call to their action. Therefore, your conclusion must
 be strong, and you can end up by giving a quote and a sense of
humor as well.

Do’S and Don’ts 

Do’s

 Practice your speech several times

 Use simple language so that you don’t stop while speaking
 Build a comfortable and trustworthy bond
 Use your hand while speaking
 Use a sense of humor to make the audience feel comfortable
 Target the desire and emotion of the audience
 Make eye contact with the audience
 Make them feel good and boost their spirit

Don’ts

 Avoid dead air time
 Don’t use too much humor [sometimes people feel uncomfortable]
 Don’t just stare at objects; you should have eye-eye contact with
the audience
 Do not embarrass anyone in the room
 Avoid talking too fast 

Final words
Motivational speech must target the emotion of the audience so that
they would use more energy and effort to fulfill their desire and
achieve wonderful goals. The main objective is to make the audience
move from their place to fulfill their goals. Now that you know the
fundamentals, you are good to go with a fabulous motivational
speech.

Possible Motivational Topics

1. Before social media, people had a real-life

2. The importance of being disciplined by our parents
3. Ways of appreciating yourself to appreciate others