Tips to write an Informative Speech | English Language for Grade 10 PDF Download

Professionals may write and deliver informative speeches for a range of reasons, such as for a class assignment or an internal training opportunity. Informative speeches can give you an opportunity to present unknown facts, inform an audience about a subject they may not be aware of and develop your public speaking abilities. Knowing more about the various components of and steps for writing an informative speech may assist you in optimizing this unique tool for your personal or professional goals.

What is an informative speech?

An informative speech is a type of speech that provides detailed facts to an audience about a particular subject. This subject might be a person, place, event, object or process. When you're giving an informative speech, your fundamental aim is to give your audience information they never knew in a compelling way.
Although an informative speech may offer the speaker's opinion on the subject, the primary goal of the speech is to offer factual information rather than persuade your audience to develop a particular opinion. For example, an informative speech about social media marketing might review in-depth both the benefits and potential drawbacks of this strategy, even if the speaker is an advocate of this type of marketing.

Reasons to write an informative speech

There are several reasons to write an informative speech, including:

• Offer new information on a topic: If you've discovered additional details about a subject, an informative speech can be a great way to present this new information through an engaging format. For example, you may decide to present new scientific research through an informative speech at a university or research institution.
• Inform a particular audience: Sometimes, you may want to provide information to an audience that doesn't have access to learning about it through other means or is simply unaware of the subject. Health educators, for example, often visit and talk about proactive health measures in various communities that may not have access to other credible sources of information.
• Expand your audience's skills: An informative speech can help your audience build new or hone existing skills. This can make informative speeches a great tool for academic courses or internal workplace training sessions.
• Improve your public speaking: One of the best ways to improve your public speaking abilities is to give speeches. Performing a speech lets you practice public speaking skills like enunciation, confidence, projection and memorization.

How to write an informative speech

Follow these 10 steps to help you write an informative speech:

• Select your topic
  Pick a topic that relates to the goals of your informative speech. Professionals giving informative speeches to their coworkers, for example, might consider different topics than students giving informative speeches as part of a public speaking class. In general, it can help to pick a topic that you're interested in, so that you can have more fun working on your speech and more easily convey your passion for the subject to your audience. It's also often useful to pick a more specific topic that allows you to provide in-depth information.
  Be sure to keep in mind any external requirements for your informative speech. For example, if you're giving an informative speech to a class, you may have a strict time limit. Thinking about if you can thoroughly discuss your Informative speech topic within that time limit can help you more effectively narrow down or focus on your chosen subject. As another example, if you're giving this speech as part of an internal training session, you might want to consider subjects that are relevant to employees in various fields.
• Conduct research
  Perform research on your topic to help you prepare for outlining and writing your speech. Try to use credible sources, such as articles written by experts on the subject, or information provided by a more neutral source, like an academic institution. Take notes as you conduct your research, writing which information or quote comes from which specific source.
• Think about your audience
  Consider the information or angle most relevant to your audience as you conduct research or outline your speech. A great informative speech not only provides thorough details on its chosen subject but also presents information in a way that's personalized for its audience. An audience that already knows the basic facts about programming languages, for example, can benefit from a more in-depth, informative speech on this subject than an audience with no coding experience.
• Form your thesis
  Devise your thesis, meaning an introductory statement of about one to two sentences that summarizes your entire informative speech. Having a clear thesis statement can help you better organize your research and present your information in a logical order. A thesis statement may also assist you in engaging your audience, as it can tell them why what they're about to learn is important.
• Outline your speech
  Create an outline of your informative speech to help you structure your information. This structure can help your audience better remember your most crucial points and understand why those points matter. Following are the primary components that most informative speeches include:
  • Introduction: Your introduction summarizes your main ideas and presents any necessary background or contextual information. It may also briefly explain why you're a credible source on this topic.
  • Body paragraphs: Each body paragraph provides your audience with one main idea and a collection of related facts or details. Many informative speeches offer three main ideas, but this number may increase or decrease depending on a range of factors, like your time frame and how much knowledge your audience already has on the subject.
  • Conclusion: Use your conclusion to restate your thesis and summarize your primary points. A conclusion might also discuss what next steps your audience can take to learn more about the topic or thank them for their time.
  • Write a draft
    Create a draft of your informative speech. Depending on factors like why you're giving the speech and its length, you might write a full essay or create a list of key talking points you intend to elaborate on during your speech.
    If you're writing an informative speech for a class, for example, you may find it helpful to write your full speech ahead of time both to help you feel calmer while giving the speech and to demonstrate to your teacher that you've prepared ahead of time. Professionals who regularly give speeches or want to foster a more casual presentation environment may prefer to develop note cards with their main talking points instead.
  • Think about your tone
    Strive to write in a conversational yet informative tone. Most speeches have a more casual tone than a traditional essay, as speeches are meant to be spoken aloud to an audience rather than read silently. An informative speech maintains a professional tone to demonstrate the credibility of the information it's offering.
  • Edit your speech
    Edit your speech to make sure that it presents a logical flow of your ideas and information. Each sentence ideally relates to the previous one and all sentences in a body paragraph connect to their main idea. If you have a full draft of your speech, be sure to check for slight mistakes like typos or grammatical errors.
  • Practice your speech
    Practice giving your speech to either a friend or in front of a mirror. Speak a little slower than you usually do and make sure to enunciate each word. Practicing your speech can help you notice and fix any potential phrases in your speech that appear fine on paper but sound awkward when spoken aloud.
    If your speech has time restrictions, use a stopwatch to keep track of how long your speech lasts. If you discover that you're over time, think about areas in your speech that may be repetitive or offer details less relevant to your primary points. If your speech isn't quite long enough, consider what information you could add to bolster your existing main points or if your speech might benefit from having another primary point supported by details.
  • Memorize your speech
    Consider memorizing your speech if needed. In some situations, like for a class, memorizing your speech may be one requirement. Other times, even if you don't need or want to memorize your speech, teaching yourself to remember some of your main points or facts can help you look up more from your notes and engage more with your audience, such as by making eye contact or smiling.

Types of informative speeches

Following are the four primary categories of informative speeches:

• Definition: A definition speech aims to provide its audience with more generalized information about a topic. Definition speeches typically best serve audiences with little to no knowledge of your subject.
• Explanatory: Explanatory speeches give more detailed information about a subject to an audience that already knows at least basic information or has learned about the topic from another angle. Professionals often give explanatory speeches in places like internal training sessions or industry conferences.
• Demonstrative: A demonstrative speech describes the steps for how to perform a specific task. Demonstrative speeches may provide more generalized information, such as how to write a resume, or be very detailed, like how to pursue a specific career.
• Descriptive: Descriptive speeches activate an audience's imagination by exploring a subject through multiple senses. For example, a descriptive speech about a meal delivery service could use rich details to describe how the meals taste, smell and look.

Tips for writing an informative speech

Here's some advice to help you compose and deliver an informative speech:

Consider using visual aids

• Think about using visual aids if that's allowed. Having a visual aid can help your audience follow along with your speech and retain your primary points. Possible visual aids include slideshows, poster boards or pamphlets.

Get your audience's attention

• Figure out ways throughout your speech to get your audience's attention. At the beginning of your speech, this may involve asking them a rhetorical question or providing them with a fun fact related to your subject. During your conclusion, present them with a call to action, such as explaining where they can learn more about the subject.

Be specific

• Use specific details, facts and statistics throughout your speech. Specificity can demonstrate that you're a credible source on this topic. It may also help to engage your audience and convince them to continually listen.

Incorporate subtle repetition

• Use subtle repetition throughout your informative speech to help your audience remember your main ideas. Repeating earlier statements through unique phrasing may improve your audience's ability to follow along and take action related to your subject afterward. Your conclusion, for example, is a great opportunity to restate your main points in a different manner