1. A SPEAKER’S GUIDEBOOK 6TH EDITION Chapter 7
Selecting a Topic and Purpose

2. INTRODUCTION What precisely is my speech about?
What is my goal in speaking to the audience?
What specifically do I want my listeners to know or do?

3. EXPLORING TOPICS FOR YOUR SPEECH
Assigned versus self-selected topics
Determined by context and purpose
Adapt to any rhetorical situation by:
Considering speech purpose
Minding time constraints
Meeting a challenge

4. EXPLORING TOPICS FOR YOUR SPEECH (cont.)
Identify personal interests
Consider current events and controversial issues
But avoid highly charged topics about which people have deeply held beliefs
Survey grassroots issues

5. EXPLORING TOPICS FOR YOUR SPEECH (cont.)
Steer clear of overused and trivial topics
Try brainstorming: problem-solving technique that involves spontaneous generation of ideas
Word association
Topic mapping
Internet tools
Search engines
Library portal

6. IDENTIFY THE GENERAL PURPOSE OF YOUR SPEECH
General speech purpose: declarative statement that answers question “Why am I speaking on this topic for this particular audience and occasion?”
Three main purposes:
To inform
To persuade
To mark a special occasion

7. When the General Speech Purpose Is to Inform
Informative speech: intended to increase audience’s understanding and awareness by imparting knowledge
Even if listeners are already familiar with topic, present it with goal of offering something new to expand their knowledge

8. General Informative Topic Categories
issues
processes
concepts
& theories
events
people
objects
Informative
Topic
Categories

9. When the General Speech Purpose Is to Persuade
Persuasive speech: purpose is to effect some degree of change in audience’s beliefs, attitudes, values, or behavior

10. When the General Speech Purpose Is to Persuade (cont.)
Appropriate when:
Audience feels considerably different about the topic than you do
Audience holds similar attitudes and beliefs about the topic as you do but needs direction in taking action
Audience agrees with your position but is likely to encounter opposing information or circumstances in near future

11. QUESTION
Class poll: About which persuasive topic on this list would you MOST like to hear a speech?
Abortion
Immigration
Conversion to a particular religion
Death penalty
Environmental concerns

12. When the General Purpose Is to Mark a Special Occasion
Special occasion speech: general purpose is to entertain, celebrate, commemorate, inspire, or set social agenda
Examples include:
Introduction
Acceptance
Presentation
Eulogies
Roasts, toasts
After-dinner

13. DISCUSSION: Can a Topic Be Overused?
Think of some examples of overused speech topics.
Why wouldn’t an overused topic work for your classroom speech? After all, research information is readily available.

14. Narrow the Topic What is the purpose of your speech?
How long is the speech to be?
How much time do you have to do research?
How much information can you responsibly review so that you avoid distorting or falsifying the material?

15. Form a Specific Speech Purpose
Specific speech purpose: refined statement of purpose that zeros in more closely than general purpose on goal of speech
What is it about my topic that I want the audience to learn/do/reconsider/agree with?

16. FROM TOPIC AND PURPOSE TO THESIS STATEMENT
Thesis statement: theme or central idea of the speech that serves to connect all parts of the speech
Specific purpose describes in action form what outcome you want to achieve with speech
Thesis statement concisely declares, in a single idea, what speech is about

17. FROM TOPIC AND PURPOSE TO THESIS STATEMENT (cont.)
Use thesis statement to convey central idea
In persuasive speech, your comment on speech as stated in thesis represents what you are going to prove
In informative speech, thesis statement conveys scope of topic, steps associated with topic, or underlying elements of topic

18. FROM TOPIC AND PURPOSE TO THESIS STATEMENT (cont.)
Use thesis statement to guide speech preparation
Make thesis statement relevant and motivating
Use key words or phrases