440 Part 4 Public SpeakingProcesses
A process is a series of actions, changes, or functions that brings about a par-
ticular result. Process speeches help an audience understand the stages or steps
through which a particular outcome is produced and usually fall into one of two
categories. The first type is a speech that explains how something works or devel-
ops. For example, you might give a speech detailing how a hybrid car works, how
the human brain system processes sound, or how lightning forms. The second
type of process speech teaches how to do something: how to knit, for example, or
how to sync your data on your mobile devices. For this type of speech, it is often
helpful to incorporate props, visuals, or hands-on demonstrations into your
presentation.Concepts
Although people, places, objects, events, and processes are concrete things that
we can readily visualize, concepts are abstract or complex ideas or even theories,
like “art,” “patriotism,” “artificial intelligence,” or “loyalty,” which are much
more difficult for us to understand. The challenge of a concept speech, then, is
to take a general idea, theory, or thought and make it clear and meaningful for
your audience.
Despite the challenge, many worthwhile informative speeches focus on
the explanation of a concept. The idea of “ethnocentrism,” the belief that one’s
cultural ways are superior to those of other cultures, would be an informative
speech about a concept (Armstrong & Kaplowitz, 2001). You could then make
reference to important historical events that were influenced by ethnocentrism:
the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Rwanda, or the September 11 ter-
rorist attacks.Issues
An issue is a problem or matter of dispute that people hope to resolve. Informa-
tive speeches about issues provide an overview or a report of problems in order to
increase understanding and awareness. Issues include social and personal problemsYOUR SPEECH doesn’t
necessarily have to be about
a historical event. The first
time you went skydiving can
be just as compelling a topic
as the first time man walked
on the moon. (left) Digital Vision/
Getty Images; (right) NASA-KSC