Page 393 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

360 Part 4 Contexts for Public Speaking

ence and include photosynthesis, erosion, and osmosis. Because true processes
www.mhhe.com/brydon6
are complex and often hidden from our ordinary senses, their explanation re-
quires genuine creativity from a speaker. At a minimum, we must break down
To better understand an
informative speech explaining the process into increments that the audience can readily comprehend. If the
a process, click on the Speech process involves a specialized vocabulary, we also need to defi ne terms for the
Coach link on our Online
Learning Center Web site, and audience. Because the process also may be invisible, we may have to create visu-
go to Segment 13.1 to view als that approximate the process.
Trevor Morgan’s speech on The key to explaining a process is to fi nd the right complement of language
bees.
and visual media for your audience. This involves fi nding the best analogies,
metaphors, and similes to start. You can then complement these elements of lan-
guage with static visual media such as overheads or dynamic visual media such
as a DVD or CD-ROM, or even the actual objects themselves. You can review
an outline of a speech explaining a process in the box, “Sample Informative
Speech Outline: Bees and Beekeeping” by Trevor Morgan on pages 362–363.

Speeches That Explain a Concept

Although not as diffi cult to explain as a process, a concept demands care on the
part of the speaker who chooses to explain it. A concept is a symbolic abstraction
that pulls together a class of objects that share common attributes. The word
ball, for example, is also a concept that can be applied to baseballs, basketballs,
soccer balls, golf balls, racketballs, squash balls, and volleyballs. Although dif-
ferent in size and purpose, these types of balls share at least one common attri-
bute: They are round.
The key to explaining a concept is to describe the essential attributes that
distinguish it from other concepts. How is a democracy different from a repub-
lic? The United States is a republic, yet most people refer to it as a democracy.
A good informative speech would not only explain why this is the case but also
point out the specifi c attributes that distinguish a republic from a democracy.
In selecting a topic for a speech that explains a process or a concept, keep
in mind that the topic should be relevant to the audience, something they
are capable of understanding, and something you can explain in the time allot-
ted. Although the theory of relativity is highly relevant, explaining it in a 5- to
10-minute speech is a tall order.
The message attribute of accessibility is particularly important in speeches
that explain. Recall that one way to reduce complexity for an audience is to use
an analogy. Consider the use of analogy in this excerpt from a speech by Jona-
than Studebaker explaining his disease:
Like I said, I’m a nice person. I’m cheerful, I’m energetic. Okay, so I have a disability.
I was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease which causes my bones to be
fragile. Have you ever accidentally dropped a glass on the fl oor? What happens? It
breaks. Well, my bones kinda break like glass, which is why I tell people, when you
carry me, treat me like your best crystal. 7
The use of a simple analogy of bones to glass helps the audience understand a
disease most of us cannot even pronounce. For Jonathan’s purposes, which are
to introduce himself and explain his disability, that is the extent of the technical
information his audience needs to know.