Question

The textbook states that an Informative speech should "Relate the familiar to explain the unfamiliar". What does this statement mean AND how does the speaker in the video achieve this goal? Be sure to provide examples to support your views.

Watch Video Stress Informative Speech (with captions) Duration: (6:47) YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4RLULR6iNg *** Post initial response of 150-200 words

Answer 1

It is very rightly said that informative speech should ‘relate the familiar to explain the unfamiliar’. By this is meant that for the reader or audience an instant connection may be established between the author and the reader, if the author relates to the psyche of the reader. It is easier for anybody to understand the finer nuances of anything which is difficult to comprehend if we strike the right chord by giving examples from day-to-day life. An instant connection is established if familiar real life examples are narrated to explain something which is very technical.

In the given video, the presenter explains the causes and mitigation of stress. She explains by giving the real life examples like changing environment, peer pressure, and other such things to refer to the stress. Stress is a technical concept she beautifully explains it to her audience that stress is something that can be dealt away with a little efforts in place. She says that “stressing over small things is tiring”. She lets the audience imagine a stressful situation which they encountered and asks them to take a deep breath and let go of that stress. She even quotes the researches on stress management and says that by being optimistic and having a positive attitude will help an individual to deal with stress.

Overall, it may be said that she very well connects the stress and how to deal with it by talking about small familiar things that can be done by anybody to deal with an unfamiliar stressful situation.