Chapter Seven

Selecting a Topic and Purpose

Chapter Seven

Table of ContentsAssigned Versus Self-Selected TopicsIdentifying the General Speech PurposeChoosing a TopicUsing Brainstorming to Generate IdeasRefining the Topic and Purpose From Topic and Purpose to Thesis*

Selecting a Topic and Purpose

The first task in preparing a speech is to select a topic and purpose that are appropriate for the audience and the occasion.*

Assigned Versus Self-Selected Topics

Public speakers are either given a topic, or asked to choose one of their own.

You may be given a: purpose time constraint challenge*

Identifying the General Speech Purpose

The general speech purpose for any speech addresses the question of why you are speaking on your topic for your particular audience and occasion.*

Identifying the General Speech Purpose

When the General Speech Purpose is to Inform

When the General Speech Purpose is to Persuade

The Special Occasion Speech*

Identifying the General Speech Purpose:

When the General Speech Purpose Is to Inform

The general purpose of an informative speech is to increase the audience’s understanding or awareness of a topic.

Try to gauge the audience’s knowledge of the subject to avoid going over—or under—their heads.*

Identifying the General Speech Purpose:

When the General Speech Purpose Is to Persuade

The general purpose of a persuasive speech is to effect some degree of change in the audience. Controversial issues

are natural persuasive speech topics because people hold strongly contrasting opinions.*

Identifying the General Speech Purpose:

The Special Occasion Speech

Special occasion speeches are prepared for a special occasion and for a purpose dictated by that occasion.

They include: acceptance speeches, toasts, after-dinner speeches, and eulogies.*

Choosing a Topic

You can begin by focusing on broad social issues of national or global consequence, or by considering your own interests and experiences.*

Choosing a Topic

Personal Interest: Looking WithinCurrent Events and Controversial

IssuesGrassroots Issues*

Choosing a Topic:

Personal Interests: Looking Within

Select a topic with which you are familiar and enthusiastic. This can help the audience to perceive

you as a knowledgeable and competent speaker.

Personal interests run the gamut from from favorite activities to deeply held values.*

Choosing a Topic:

Current And Controversial Events

Current events Society is constantly barraged with

newsworthy topics, but few people have time to research all the facts.

Controversial issues Issues such as abortion, gun control,

and drug abuse profoundly affect us as a society, thus many people hunger for more information on these topics.*

Choosing a Topic:

Grassroots Issues

The majority of people react with interest to issues that affect them directly.*

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas

Brainstorming A problem-solving

technique that involves the spontaneous generation of ideas*

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas

ListsWord AssociationsTopic Mapping*

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas:

Lists

Lists: Create a list of interesting topics that

you could comfortably prepare to speak about.

Narrow the list to two or three topics. Choose one of the remaining topics

based on your audience’s interests and demographics.*

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas:

Word Association

Word Association Begin by writing down one topic which would

be of interest to you and your audience. Write down the first thing that comes to mind

when you read what you have just written. As soon as your words remind you of

something, write it down. Once you have generated a list, review it and

pick two or three topics as possible final choices.*

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas:

Topic Mapping

Topic Mapping: If you find it more helpful to visualize

ideas, draw a topic map. Put your initial topic in the middle of the paper, and as new ideas come to you cluster them together to form groups demonstrating how closely they relate both to one another and to your original topic.*

Refining the Topic and Purpose

Once you have selected a topic and general speech purpose, these must be refined or narrowed with regards to time constraints, audience expectations, and the nature of the occasion.*

Refining the Topic and Purpose

Narrowing the TopicForming a Specific Speech

Purpose*

Refining the Topic and Purpose:

Narrowing the Topic

Narrowing the topic involves focusing on specific aspects of it and excluding others.

Consider time and research constraints when focusing on a specific topic.

Brainstorming can also be used to narrow your focus by categorizing different aspects of your topic.*

Refining the Topic and Purpose:

Forming a Specific Speech Purpose

The specific speech purpose expresses both topic and general purpose in action form and in terms of the speaker’s specific objectives.

It answers the question, “What is it about my topic that I want to affect the audience with?”*

From Topic and Purpose to Thesis

After you have a topic and general and specific purposes, you need to formulate a thesis statement (the theme or central idea of the speech).

The specific purpose describes what you want to achieve with the speech; the thesis statement concisely identifies, in a single idea, what the speech is about.*

From Topic and Purpose to Thesis

Making a ClaimMaking the Thesis Statement

Relevant and Motivating*

From Topic and Purpose to Thesis:

Making a Claim

The thesis statement proposes that the statement being made is true or is believed.

Without the claim, or thesis, the audience cannot easily follow the ideas that make up the speech body.*

From Topic and Purpose to Thesis:

Making the Thesis Statement Relevant and Motivating

Creating relevant statements can be accomplished by adding a few key words or phrases to the claim.

The exact phrasing of your thesis depends on the type of audience you’re speaking to.*