Sofi Garfias-Rabi

COM 100
21 November 2016

Informational Speaking and Persuasive Speaking

"Some people call it the age of Information. But others call it the age of information glut, data
smog, and clutter. There are, in fact, a hundred names for it but they all deal with the same idea:
there is just too much information around" (Adler and Rodman, 380) How we communicate all
the information can be done many ways such as Informational speaking and Persuasive speaking.
However these two distinct types of speaking have many similarities and differences.
To begin with, Informational speaking is a fact-based speech intended to teach its audience
about a specific topic. A Persuasive speaking is the process of motivating someone, through
communication, to change a particular belief, attitude or behavior. Informational speaking
primary types are expressed through content and purpose. With informative speeches they are
categorized according to each content such as speeches about Objects, Processes, Events, and
Concepts. Additionally, is Purpose we can tell among the types of informative speeches because
of the speakers purpose. For example, is the speaker trying to describe, explain or instruct?
Speeches of description are known as the most straightforward type of informative speech.
Explanations clarify ideas and concepts that are already known but not understood by an
audience. As well as instructions, this type teaches something to the audience in a logical, step

by step fashion. On the other hand, the types of Persuasive speaking is known by the types of
"Proposition" Persuasive topics go into three sections of proposition of fact, proposition of value
and proposition of policy. Proposition of fact focuses on issue in which there are two or more
sides of the conflicting information, to where the listeners are required to choose the truth for
themselves. Proposition of Value is issues that go beyond truth and explore the worth of some
idea, person or object. Lastly propositions of policy goes one step beyond questions of fact or
value, such as a specific course of action. Another difference is structure and organization. With
information speaking the way humans process information, organization is extremely important.
This is because humans learn in "chunks" or small bits of information at a time so when
preparing an information speech it is key to prepare and assembly in a specific way so it can be
clear to the audience. On the other hand, the object in a persuasive speech is to come or convince
the audience. In this form of speaking it is important to focus on the first two components which
is establishing the problem and describing the solution and then follow with the last component
of describing the desire audience reaction.
The similarities between an informative and a persuasive speech for example is in
Informational speech you are persistently trying to "persuade"your audience to listen,
understand, and remember. In a persuasive speech, you "inform" your audience about you
arguments, you evidence, and so on. Another example is, an effective informational technique is
to create "Informative hunger" this phrase means to give a reason for your audience members to
want to listen to and learn from you respect. Persuasion has similar characteristics, such as
persuasion is not the same thing as coercion. An example is if someone held a gun to a clerks
head and told them to do what they wanted or they'll shoot. The gunman would be acting

coercively. This would result as ineffective, because as soon as the police arrives and takes the
gunman away the clerk stops following demands or the reason to listen. As the same can go
when teaching or speaking to an audience you cant force them to believe a certain way, even if
force was implicated it would only be temporary and then fade. That is the reason behind
persuasion to try and convince and persuade others to see and belief your specific point of views.
In conclusion, it has been shown that through communication there are many forms of
speech and interaction. Such as Information and Persuasive that both share common qualities of
meaning and are both used in each individual form of speech. Along with similarities, came its
differences that proved the different ways to interact with audiences and how to "persuade" or
inform" through it structure, types and characteristics.

Work Cited
Adler, Ronald B., and George R. Rodman. Understanding Human Communication. New York:
Oxford UP, 2003. Print.