Informative Speech Topic Ideas

Need an Informative Speech Topic?

I've never had trouble choosing an informative speech topic- I started speaking after I was already learning alternative health, and there's plenty that people don't know about that.


What makes a good or bad informative speech topic?

I was already part of the way there- my speech topic was interesting. So when you choose your informative speech topic, don't pick something your audience is going to groan about as soon as they hear it! Gun control has been done. Drunk driving is old. Abortion is too polarized. Legalizing marijuana... all of these are a death sentence, and so is capital punishment. You can't talk about them without bias, and even if you could your audience won't put aside theirs. Save them for a challenging persuasive speech topic.

What kind of informative speech does your audience want to hear?

Choose an informative speech topic either your audience knows nothing about, or that hasn't given much thought to - for the second one, I mean things that are commonplace, but when you think about it, you realize you don't know how it works or what it is - e.g., what is escrow? Why does inflation happen? What happens to your trash after the garbage truck takes it? Who determines TV and radio ratings? And so on. Look around your life and see if something like this sticks out.

Your informative speech topic should be entertaining, or useful. What happens to your trash is trivial unless you make it funny, or there's an ethical implication. But don't get into persuading - just inform!

What does Toastmasters say about informative speech topics?

According to Toastmasters International, the best known public speaking organization, people learn when the information is relevant, relates to what they already know, involves them, is clearly organized, is presented in an interesting way, is repeated, and involves visual aids.

So, in some ways, your informative speech topic is not as important as the spin you put on it, how your package it, and how you present it.

First it must be interesting to you. Second, the information must reach your audience by being interesting to them... there are all kinds of presentation tricks you can do to involve them, but that's another topic!

But here's an example- I wanted to inform people about something specific with acupuncture. People are afraid it will hurt. Yet, most of my patients think it's basically painless, and were pleasantly surprised the first time how good it made them feel. I wanted to contrast the negative expectation with the positive reality. So my informative speech topic was "How Acupuncture Feels" but I used surprise as a tactic to deliver the message. I also used analogy, because the "Acu Buzz" was so elusive- I compared it to a number of good and complicated experiences (swimming and the taste of oysters) that were hard to describe but fairly commonplace. I answered their questions, kept it interesting, delivered something unexpected, and related it to something they already knew about.



Article Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.com
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/communication.php/19918

Other Articles related to "Informative Speech Topic Ideas" by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAc

•How to Write a Speech in 13 Steps    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcYou can see my credentials in my bio. You should also know that I love to write speeches. In fact, I've been accused of being a better speech writer than speech giver! I'm working on that. ;-)I'll tell you how to write a speech the way I do it, and I'll tell you how to make it great. Plus I'll give you some tips on what to put in, and what to leave out. I love this topic. How Good Do You Want Your Speech to Be?From the outset, you should know that how to write a... •Healing Without Side Effects Drugs vs Herbal Formulas    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcHow can you say that an herbal formula will alleviate multiple symptoms, and yet have little or no side effects? How can there be a good effect without bad effects?- Dr. W.H., MD, Great Falls, MTI understand your question, Dr. H., and the reason for it. Most doctors expect herbs to act just like pharmaceuticals. If there is a beneficial healing effect, they reason, there must also be side-effects. Conversely, if there are no side-effects, then there can be no... •9 Ways to Nurture Your Emotional Health    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcI think we need to break Chinese medicine's wisdom down into bite-sized, practical pieces. Though I think they are rather cliché and simplistic, the popular magazine style, 5 Tips to Make Your Life Perfect in 5 Minutes Without Lifting a Finger! piques the curiosity, and gets in our heads. If we can pick up one useful thing, we've learned and can live better. On the other hand, it does no good to overwhelm people with something they can't digest or use. Nine Ways... •Herbs and Natural Supplements for Breast Cancer    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcA returning patient called me yesterday. She was a breast cancer survivor when I saw her as a student intern in Chinese medical school. If I had been more confident at the time, I would have suggested she be diligent in preventing a recurrence of breast cancer, and explained how she might attempt that with Chinese medicine. Even if I had, however, she might not have followed my advice, because Chinese medicine's credibility has yet to catch up with its... •Research based Fertility Acupuncture That Works    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcA 2003 study proved that acupuncture increases in-vitro fertilization success rates nearly two-fold. Maybe you saw the October 2003 'Sex in the City' episode that talked about fertility acupuncture. It's true, there is now a good research study from Germany that showed how a specific acupuncture treatment could raise the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) from 26.3% to 42.5%. Is Fertility Acupuncture the Best Way? If you have access to an acupuncturist,... •Lifestyle Advice for Angry Type A Action People    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcThe Wood Personality Type (Inspiration and Strategic Planning for Success without Coffee and Espresso)Chinese Medicine has a system of five body-mind-emotion types. This article explains one of those types.Strategic planning for success is a trademark of Wood Personality Types in Oriental Medicine. They are driven with the ambition to win. One unhealthy fuel for inspiration is coffee (espresso, caffeine). The effects of caffeine on this personality profile are... •Acupuncture and Pain Relief    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcIn my later years of medical school, I thought that pain treatment was below me. Even though acupuncture was best known for its effective pain relief, I thought that the Western medical world was simply behind as usual. We were amazed to learned all the other diseases we could treat with acupuncture, like neurological problems, immune system dysfunction, anxiety, and depression, and I thought, Anyone can treat pain. I'd rather focus on something more interesting.... •Recovering From Stroke with Acupuncture    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcQ: I had a stroke 7 years ago. It was due to a blood clot in the brain. I am making a good recovery, but I am curious to know if acupuncture would benefit me. TimA: Tim, the best time to get acupuncture for stroke is immediately afterwards - ideally while still in the hospital, if the docs will allow it. Seven years is a long time to wait for acupuncture. But it still may help you… You won't know unless you try it.Scalp AcupunctureUsually scalp style acupuncture... •Sinusitis and Hoarseness Natural Health Q amp A Sinusitis and Hoarseness Natural Health Q&A   by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcQ: I had my spleen removed because of Hodgkins Disease. What should I use for stuffy sinus and constant hoarseness? - PatrickA: In my opinion, you shouldn't use anything, but go see a Chinese medicine (CM) practitioner (acupuncturist/herbalist) for the appropriate herbs for your condition, which I cannot diagnose over the internet. I wonder if you are hoarse because of over the counter decongestants? - BQ: I went to the... •The Yin and Yang of Social Phobia    by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAcQ:I feel that I am experiencing social phobia symptoms (red face, racing heart, sweating) and don't want to take a prescription drug with a bunch of bad side effects that will only mask these symptoms. I'm very interested in Chinese medicine but feel that I may be the person it has no effect on. I'd like some more information on overcoming anxiety and social phobia so I may live again. I'm probably yang deficient but no one would expect me to say that nor would...

Click here to see More Articles by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAc

Articles In LimeLight

Work At Home Customer Service Could Be The Best Home Based Business By Dustin Heath Cannon Added on Saturday, April 26, 2008 Visualize Your Ideal Client And Market Accordingly By James Copper Added on Friday, April 25, 2008 Student Loan Consolidation And Government Student Loan Consolidation By Dave Text Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Laser Tattoo Removal Cost: What You Should Know By Matty Mathias Added on Saturday, April 26, 2008 How To Pick An Online Pharmacy By Daniel Millions Added on Friday, April 25, 2008 Commercial Desks By Camille Howe Added on Friday, April 18, 2008 Prophylaxis Of Rheumatic Fever (RF) / Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) By Safron Jeen Added on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Do You Know Which Ivory Is Legal? By Anita Satin Choudhary Added on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Tips For Choosing Personalized Corporate Gifts By Gabriel Adams Added on Friday, April 25, 2008 Many Owners Do Not Prefer Pomeranian Cuts By Rosie A Allan Added on Thursday, April 17, 2008 Abraham-Hicks vs Eckhart Tolle By Gary Evans Added on Thursday, April 24, 2008 Choosing A Prototyping Machine For Custom Jewelry Design By Andy Moquin Added on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 How Accurate Are Standard Iq Tests? By Amy Nutt Added on Friday, April 25, 2008 How To Control Your Diabetes? By Safron Jeen Added on Friday, April 25, 2008 How To Potty Train A Yorkshire Terrier By Michelle Arthur Added on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Residential Vertical Platform Lifts By Brad Brubaker Added on Sunday, April 27, 2008 What Is The Best MLM / Network Marketing Company? By Jason Paul Added on Thursday, April 24, 2008 Surviving The First Year In Network Marketing By D.H. Cannon Added on Friday, April 18, 2008 Fathers Day Gift Baskets By La Tunya Sifford Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Using Myspace For Advertising By N. Robbins Added on Sunday, April 27, 2008