Selecting a Topic and Purpose Chapter Seven Selecting a Topic and Purpose

Chapter Seven Table of Contents Assigned Versus Self-Selected Topics Identifying the General Speech Purpose Choosing a Topic Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas Refining the Topic and Purpose From Topic and Purpose to Thesis

Selecting a Topic and Purpose The first task is to select a topic and purpose that are appropriate for the rhetorical situation, or the overall speech situation (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 General speech purpose: indicates why you are speaking on the topic for this particular audience and occasion.

Identifying the General Speech Purpose Informing Persuading The Special Occasion Speech

Gauge the audience’s knowledge of the subject Identifying the General Speech Purpose: When the General Speech Purpose Is to Inform Informative speech : increase the audience’s understanding or awareness of a topic. Gauge the audience’s knowledge of the subject

Persuasive speech: effect some degree of change in the audience. Identifying the General Speech Purpose: When the General Speech Purpose Is to Persuade Persuasive speech: effect some degree of change in the audience. Controversial issues are good topics.

Identifying the General Speech Purpose: The Special Occasion Speech Special occasion speech: prepared for a special occasion and for a purpose dictated by that occasion. Such as acceptance speeches, toasts, after-dinner speeches, and eulogies.

Choosing a Topic Broad social issues of national or global consequence Your own interests and experiences

Choosing a Topic Personal Interest: Looking Within Current Events and Controversial Issues Grassroots Issues

Choosing a Topic: Personal Interests: Looking Within Select a familiar topic Personal interests run the gamut from from favorite activities to deeply held values.

Choosing a Topic: Current And Controversial Events Current events Few people have time to research the news Controversial issues Issues such as abortion, gun control, and drug abuse profoundly affect us as a society

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 technique that involves the spontaneous generation of ideas

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas Word Associations Topic Mapping

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas: Word Association Write down one topic Write down the first thing that comes to mind As soon as your words remind you of something, write it down. Review your list and pick two or three topics as possible final choices.

Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas: Topic Mapping Put your initial topic in the middle of the paper Write down new ideas in clusters to form groups Use each group to show how closely they relate both to one another and to your topic

Refining the Topic and Purpose Now the topic and general speech purpose must be narrowed with regards to time constraints, audience expectations, and the nature of the occasion.

Refining the Topic and Purpose Narrowing the Topic Forming a Specific Speech Purpose

Refining the Topic and Purpose: Narrowing the Topic Focus on specific aspects of the topic and excluding others Consider time and research constraints Brainstorming can help categorize different aspects of your topic.

Refining the Topic and Purpose: Forming a Specific Speech Purpose Specific speech purpose: expresses both topic and general purpose in action form and in terms of the speaker’s specific objectives. “What is it about my topic that I want to affect the audience with?”

From Topic and Purpose to Thesis Thesis statement: the theme or central idea of the speech. Specific purpose: states in action form what you want to achieve with the speech.

From Topic and Purpose to Thesis Making a Claim Making 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 thesis, the audience cannot easily follow the speech body.

The exact phrasing of your thesis depends on the type of audience From Topic and Purpose to Thesis: Making the Thesis Statement Relevant and Motivating Relevant statements can be created by adding a few key words or phrases The exact phrasing of your thesis depends on the type of audience