Informative Speech
CREATING THE INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION ON CULTURE •
The purpose of any informative speech is to explain a specific subject and to help the audience remember the knowledge later.
Any effective speech also requires that the student integrate some concepts from the text, such as audience analysis to determine an appropriate topic and delivery strategy.
For this particular presentation, your topic must be related to CULTURE. Your textbook defines culture in Chapter 5 as the “shared symbols, language, values, and norms that distinguish one group of people from another.”
Do not confuse culture with ethnicity, which refers to ancestry or heritage.
Obviously, different countries have different cultures. However, culture may be local as well.
For example, how do churches vary in their practices or culture? (Remember a church could have members of different ethnicities who share a common religious culture.)
Does NSU have a different culture than LSU? Does the military or particular military units have distinct cultures? Do gamers have a distinct culture?
Think of any organization or group and start asking yourself what makes this group unique and what are their shared values, norms, “lingo” or jargon, and so on.
Your presentation topic could be related to an aspect of culture personal to you or your family, or you can research a culture that interests you and will interest your classmates. Regardless, your presentation may NOT rely solely on personal experience. Research is required.
Given the time limit of 4-6 minutes, you must narrow your topic, which could be social customs, traditions, holidays, food, artifacts, sporting or entertainment activities, and the like.
For the purposes of audience analysis, your audience will be our class, for which you have been asked to be a guest speaker. During the semester, you will have had ample opportunity to learn more about your classmates.
Although you are not required to “dress up” for your presentation, showing some care in your appearance can help with your credibility.