Informative Speeches

Now that we have covered the basics of research, organization, and how to make reasoned claims, we turn our attention to the first of three types of speeches you might find yourself delivering one day. We often equate speeches with political candidates making appeals to an audience, or perhaps a sermon on morality from a preacher, but not all speeches are designed to persuade a person. In fact, one of the most common types of speeches is an informative speech. Informative speeches are presentations in which speakers explain a topic to an audience without trying to convince them of anything. These speeches of explanation occur in a variety of formats, but the one you may be most familiar with is a classroom lecture by a teacher or instructor. These presentations are designed not to convince you to believe or do something, but rather to explain something to you so you understand it. These are informative speeches.