1. Selecting Topic, Purpose, and Central Idea
CHAPTER 5 NOTES
Selecting Topic, Purpose,
and Central Idea
*Is it exciting to you?* Do you truly enjoy sharing info. on the topic?
* If you are enthusiastic about the topic, your audience will be too.

2. Selecting a Topic Select topic you care about
Select topic you can master
Select topic that will interest audience
Narrow the topic

3. General Purpose
To Inform
To Persuade
To Entertain

4. Specific Purpose
States exactly what you want to accomplish in your speech.
Gives your speech focus.
Should begin with the infinitive “To…”
Should not be a complete sentence

5. Include a reference to the audience.
Limit the statement to one major idea.
Make the statement precise.
Don’t use language which is too technical.

6. Central Idea The key concept of a speech
It is written like a thesis statement.
It is the main thing you want your audience to know when the speech is over.

7. General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose: To tell my listeners how to understand and deal with children who suffer from Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
Central Idea: Children with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) are often misunderstood, yet they are children with much potential.

8. Another example General Purpose: To Inform
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how to make pizza from scratch
Central Idea: Knowing how to make pizza from scratch is easy and can save you money.