\u201cSpeech is power. Speech is to persuade, to\nconvert, to compel.\u201d \u2014 Ralph Waldo Emmerson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many events in human history can be traced back to that one well-written<\/a>, well-presented speech. Speeches hold the power to move nations or touch hearts<\/a> as long as they\u2019re well thought out. This is why mastering the skill of speech-giving and speech writing is something we should all aim to achieve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But the word “speech” is often too broad and general. So let\u2019s explore the different types of speeches and explain their general concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the core purpose is to deliver a message to an audience, we can still categorize speeches based on 4 main concepts: entertaining, informing, demonstrating and persuading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The boundaries between these types aren\u2019t\nalways obvious though, so the descriptions are as clear as possible in order to\ndifferentiate between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve been to a birthday party before, that awkward toast given by friends or family of the lucky birthday person is considered to fall under the definition of an entertaining speech<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The core purpose of\nan entertaining speech is to amuse the audience, and obviously, entertain them.\nThey\u2019re usually less formal in nature to help communicate emotions rather than\nto simply talk about a couple of facts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s face it, we want to be entertained after a long day. Who wouldn\u2019t enjoy watching their favorite actors giving an acceptance speech<\/a>, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find that entertaining speeches are the most common type of speeches out there. Some examples include speeches given by maids of honor or best men at weddings, acceptance speeches at the Oscars, or even the one given by a school\u2019s principal before or after a talent show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you want to educate your audience about a certain topic, you\u2019ll probably opt to create an informative speech<\/a>. An informative speech\u2019s purpose is to simplify complex theories into simpler, easier-to-digest and less ambiguous ideas; in other words, conveying information accurately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The informative speech can be thought of as a polar opposite to persuasive speeches since they don\u2019t relate to the audience\u2019s emotions but depend more on facts, studies, and statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although you might\nfind a bit of overlap between informative and demonstrative speeches, the two\nare fairly distinct from one another. Informative speeches don\u2019t use the help\nof visual aids and demonstrations, unlike demonstrative speeches, which will be\ndescribed next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some examples of\ninformative speeches can be speeches given by staff members in meetings, a paleontology\nlecture, or just about anything from a teacher (except when they\u2019re telling us\nstories about their pasts).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u0650From its name we can imagine that a demonstrative speech<\/a> is the type of speech you want to give to demonstrate how something works or how to do a certain thing. A demonstrative speech utilizes the use of visual aids and\/or physical demonstration along with the information provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some might argue that\ndemonstrative speeches are a subclass of informative speeches, but they\u2019re\ndifferent enough to be considered two distinct types. It\u2019s like differentiating\nbetween \u201cwhat is\u201d and \u201chow to\u201d; informative speeches deal with the theoretical\nconcept while demonstrative speeches look at the topic with a more practical\nlens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tutors explaining how\nto solve mathematical equations, chefs describing how to prepare a recipe, and\nthe speeches given by developers demonstrating their products are all examples\nof demonstrative speeches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Persuasive speeches<\/a> are where all the magic happens. A speech is said to be persuasive if the speaker is trying to prove why his or her point of view is right, and by extension, persuade the audience to embrace that point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Persuasive speeches\ndiffer from other basic types of speeches in the sense that they can either\nfail or succeed to achieve their purpose. You can craft the most carefully written\nspeech and present it in the most graceful manner, yet the audience might not\nbe convinced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Persuasive speeches\ncan either be logical by using the help of facts or evidence (like a lawyer\u2019s\nargument in court), or can make use of emotional triggers to spark specific\nfeelings in the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A great example of persuasive speeches is TED \/ TEDx Talks<\/a> because a big number of these talks deal with spreading awareness about various important topics. Another good example is a business pitch between a potential client, i.e. \u201cWhy we\u2019re the best company to provide such and such.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other types of speeches are mixes or variations of the basic types discussed previously but deal with a smaller, more specific number of situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A motivational speech<\/a> is a special kind of persuasive speech, where the speaker encourages the audience to pursue their own well-being. By injecting confidence into the audience, the speaker is able to guide them toward achieving the goals they set together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A motivational speech\nis more dependent on stirring emotions instead of persuasion with logic. For\nexample, a sports team pep talk is considered to be a motivational speech where\nthe coach motivates his players by creating a sense of unity between one\nanother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most well-known motivational speeches (and of all speeches at that) is I Have a Dream<\/a> by Martin Luther King Jr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suppose you\u2019re at\nwork, doing your job, minding your own business. Then your co-worker calls you\nto inform you that he\u2019s sick, there is a big meeting coming up, and you have to\ntake his place and give an update about that project you\u2019ve been working on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What an awkward\nsituation, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, that\u2019s what an impromptu speech<\/a> is: A speech given on the spot without any prior planning or preparation. It being impromptu is more of a property than a type on its own since you can spontaneously give speeches of any type (not that it\u2019s a good thing though; always try to be prepared for your speeches in order for them to be successful).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark Twain once said,\n\u201cIt usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This might sound a bit counterintuitive at first since the word oratorical<\/a> literally means \u201crelating to the act of speech-giving\u201d but an oratorical speech<\/a> is actually a very specific type of speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oratorical speeches are\nusually quite long and formal in nature. Their purpose could be to celebrate a\ncertain event like a graduation, to address serious issues and how to deal with\nthem, or to mourn losses and give comfort like a eulogy at a funeral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The debate speech has the general structure of a persuasive speech in the sense that you use the same mechanics and figures to support your claim, but it\u2019s distinct from a persuasive speech in that its main purpose is to justify your stance toward something rather than convince the audience to share your views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Debate speeches are mostly improvised since you can\u2019t anticipate all the arguments the other debaters (or the audience) could throw at you. Debate speeches benefit the speaker since it develops their critical thinking, public speaking, and research among other benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find debate\nspeeches to be common in public forums, legislative sessions, and court trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the American Forensic Association (AFA), the definition of a forensic speech<\/a> is the study and practice of public speaking and debate. It\u2019s said to be practiced by millions of high school and college students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s called forensic\nbecause it\u2019s styled like the competitions held in public forums during the time\nof the ancient Greeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to a forensic\nspeech, students are expected to research and practice a speech about a certain\ntopic to teach it to an audience. Schools, universities, or other organizations\nhold tournaments for these students to present their speeches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your speech doesn\u2019t fall under any of the previous types, then it probably falls under the special occasion speech<\/a>. These speeches are usually short and to the point, whether the point is to celebrate a birthday party or introduce the guest of honor to an event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Special occasion\nspeeches can include introductory speeches, ceremonial speeches, and tributary\nspeeches. You may notice that all these can be categorized as entertaining\nspeeches. You\u2019re right, they\u2019re a subtype of entertaining speeches because they\nneither aim to teach nor to persuade you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this type shouldn\u2019t be viewed as the black sheep of the group; in fact, if you aim to mark a significant event, special occasion speeches are your way to go. They are best suited (no pun intended) for a wedding, a bar mitzvah, or even an office party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve reached this far, you should now have a general understanding of what a speech is and hopefully know which type of speech is needed for each occasion. I hope you\u2019ve enjoyed and learned something new from this article. Which type will you use for your next occasion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo by Forja2 Mx<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cSpeech is power. Speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.\u201d \u2014 Ralph Waldo Emmerson Many events in human history can be traced back to that one well-written, well-presented speech. Speeches hold the power to move nations or touch hearts as long as they\u2019re well thought out. This is why mastering the skill of speech-giving …<\/p>\nBasic Types of Speeches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. \nEntertaining Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. \nInformative Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. \nDemonstrative Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. \nPersuasive Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Types of Speeches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Motivational Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Impromptu Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Oratorical Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Debate Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Forensic Speech <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Special Occasion Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n