LESSON 7: TYPES OF SPEECH ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
audience about their recent discoveries.
Every speech should have a purpose, that is, the aim or goal of your piece. Why
are you speaking? To inform, to persuade, or to entertain knowing your purpose allows
you for a better choice of words, how to organize them, and finally, how to deliver them.
Speech is human vocal communication using language. It is the ability to
express thoughts and emotions through vocal sounds and gestures.
1. Informative Speech is given for the purpose of providing information about a
topic to the audience. To write an informative speech, you first choose a topiceither
one that you already know about or one that you are willing to research and learn
about. Then, you outline and draft your informative speech based on the topic, key
points, and details and information you want to give about your topic. Make sure
you catch your audience's attention and that you summarize key points and "take-
aways" as you go.
Types of informative speeches
 A definition speech explains the meaning, theory, or philosophy of a
specific topic that the audience likely does not know much about. The topics
may be general, such as a sport, or highly specific, like a particular person.
The main goal of this speech is to educate the audience so that they
understand the main points regarding this subject.
 A demonstration speech explains how to do something. If you have ever
sat through a lecture where a teacher explained how to create a
bibliography, then you have heard a demonstration speech. Like most
informative speeches, a howto speech will likely use visual examples that
show the audience how to move from step to step through a particular
activity. Visualizations help the audience retain what each step looks like,
increasing the likelihood that they will retain the overall information of the
speech.
 An explanatory speech might give a description of the state of a given
topic. As an example, consider the types of speeches that are given at
industry conferences. The goal of these speeches is for the speaker to inform
the audience on a particular part of an industry. Commonly, these will also
utilize visualizations that give the audience a visual representation of the
particular data or statistics contained in the speech. This is one way to
condense highly complex information into an easily retainable package for
the audience.
 A descriptive speech creates a vivid picture in a person's mind regarding an
object, person, animal, or place. An archaeologist who has discovered a new
temple in South America or a palaeontologist who believes they have found
a new dinosaur may use a descriptive speech to inform an interested
Examples:
College professor lecturing on a specific topic during a class
Guest speaker presenting information to a group of students about how to
apply for college
Company president presenting information about last quarter's sales to a
group of board members
2. A persuasive speech is given for the purpose of persuading the audience to feel a
certain way, to take a certain action, or to support a specific view or cause. To write a
persuasive speech, you choose a topic about which people disagree or can have differing
opinions. Your persuasive argument will be made stronger if you can demonstrate that
you are passionate about the topic and have a strong opinion one way or the other. Then,
you outline and draft your persuasive speech by taking a position on the topic and
outlining your support for your position. It is often helpful to also discuss why the "other
side" is incorrect in their beliefs about the topic. Make sure you catch your audience's
attention and that you summarize key points and "take-aways" as you go.
Examples:
A teenager attempting to convince her parents that she needs to be
able to stay out until 11pm instead of 10pm
A student council president trying to convince school administrators to
allow the students to have a dance after the final football game of the
season
A lawyer giving a closing argument in court, arguing about whether the
defendant is innocent or guilty of the crime
3. Inspirational speech is a kind of speech that convinces people they can succeed in
life. This speech includes uplifting stories that the speaker thinks the people listening to
it will be moved and inspired to do greater and better things in their life.
4. Entertainment speech, the primary purpose of the speech is to entertain, to have the
audience relax, smile and enjoy the occasion. The speech should have a central theme or
a focus. The sole purpose is to have the audience enjoy the presentation. There are many
ways to entertain the audience. You can tell jokes, tell funny stories, dramatize an
anecdote tell a scary story.
Examples: A person telling a story of how he got his nickname
A mother telling her experiences of the funniest things her kid ever said
Basic types of entertaining speeches:
  The after-dinner speech is a form of speaking where a speaker takes a
serious speech topic (either informative or persuasive) and injects a level of
humour into the speech to make it entertaining.
 A ceremonial speech is a type of entertaining speech where the specific
context of the speech is the driving force of the speech. Common types of
ceremonial speeches include introductions, toasts, and eulogies.
 Inspirational speeches are based in emotion with the goal to motivate
listeners to alter their lives in some significant way. The speaker's primary
goal is to inspire her or his audience.
4. Impromptu speech is unrehearsed, with very little to no preparation. It
involves delivering a message on the spur of the moment. The speaker is given very little
advanced notice to speak for a few minutes regarding a specific topic. Speaker develops
his/her ideas, thoughts, and language at the moment of delivery. You have probably done
impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions
in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m a
volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu
speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the
movie?” Your response has not been preplanned, and you are constructing your
arguments and points as you speak.

LESSON 8: TYPES OF SPEECH ACCORDING TO DELIVERY

Having been done with the types of speeches according to their purpose, it is
now time to learn how we could communicate to our listeners. Writing and preparing
your speech is not the end goal, but presenting them to your audience.

1. Reading from a manuscript is a manner of speaking where a written speech

is read and delivered word for word. The speaker stands behind a lectern where he/she
can place the manuscript, looking at it from time to time. The speech should be rehearsed
to perfection until the time of presentation. An example of this is when you listen to the
President as he delivers a State of the Nation Address, you listen to a well-crafted speech
being read from a teleprompter. The speech has been polished by a staff of speech
writers and has been practiced many times. The President will know how to anticipate
the reaction of the audience and will know when to pause for applause and when to
expect laughter. This form of speaking is used when the exact words matter and when
much time and energy is expended on getting everything just right.

2. Memorized speech is mastered and delivered entirely from memory. This

kind of speech requires the speaker a considerable memory skill in order not to forget
his/her presentation. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from
a script. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message
needs to be exact and the speaker does not want to be confined by notes. The advantage
to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience
throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the
stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom
is even more of an advantage.

3. Extemporaneous speech is the presentation of a carefully planned and

rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes
rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye
contact with the audience and assess how well they understand the speech as it
progresses. And since you will be graded (to some degree) on establishing and
maintaining eye contact with your audience, extemporaneous speaking can be extremely
beneficial in that regard. Without all the words on the page to read, you have little choice
but to look up and make eye contact with your audience.