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CHAPTER 5 TOPIC AND PURPOSE
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY
Chapter 5 covers strategies for finding a topic and coordinating it with the purpose of the speech,
whether to inform, to persuade, or to mark a special occasion. When students understand their
speech as a part of an ongoing public conversation, picking a topic and a purpose can be both
straightforward and rewarding as long as they consider their interests, the interests of the audience,
and the demands of the specific speaking situation. Finally, the chapter discusses how to craft a
thesis statement that captures the essence of a speech.
CHAPTER 5 OUTLINE
I. Introduction: Picking a topic and defining your purpose
A. Public speech is result of choices
B. First choice is topic
1. Subject of speech
2. Focused to fit audience, purpose, situation
C. Second choice is decide how to narrow topic
1. Narrow to specific purpose
2. Create a thesis statement reflecting topic and purpose
II. Strategy for picking a topic
A. Coordinate picking a topic area based on three considerations
1. Your important interests
a. Identify interest markers, such as themes in media choices, topics for reading or web
E. Compose a thesis
1. One-sentence summary of topic and goal
2. Summary of argument to be made or information to be imparted
3. Sets stage for elements of speech to follow
4. Helps you compose speech
III. Finding a topic among your interests
A. Start with own knowledge and interests and publics
1. What already know or care about
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2. What want to know more about
a. Specific topic
b. Specific problem
3. Brainstorming
a. Process (Remix)
b. List of all interests and experiences
c. Keywords
d. Internet engine
B. Choosing one of topic ideas
1. Beware of being overly passionate about topic
2. Novel or new angle
3. Appropriate for time limits
V. Speaking purposes and speaking situations
A. Situation can determine purpose
B. General purposes of speeches
1. Informing
a. Giving audience information that might be useful
2. Persuading
a. Change minds or actions of audience
3. Engaging
a. Primary purpose is to draw audience into the experience
C. Specific purpose
1. Tied to topic
2. Tied to audience
3. Related to occasion (situation)
D. Types of speaking situations
1. Often dictates what will talk about
3. Invited speaking situations
a. Situation can constrain choices
4. Public situations
a. Likely one of several speakers in meeting with specific purpose
b. Sometimes one solid argument is best
c. Sometimes vivid, memorable, and relevant short speech is best
5. Business settings
a. Often presentations
i. Clarity and relevance
ii. Less is more
b. Often pitches
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i. Problem-solution structure
ii. Lot of background research needed
E. Time constraints
2. Less time = more focused topic and purpose
3. More common to have too much than too little content
4. Balance allotted time with topic
a. Excessive amount of explanation?
5. Balance time, size of topic, goals
VI. Thesis statement: Putting your topic and purpose into words
1. Enough research?
2. Included audience?
3. Thesis statement fit general purpose?
READING TARGET FOR CHAPTER 5
This is the instructor-assigned goal for students to consider in their writing, discussion, and individual
reflections:
Read the chapter to help you select a topic, generate a specific purpose, and write a thesis
statement for your speech.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR CHAPTER 5
General strategies and techniques
Use the Questions for Review and Questions for Discussion at the end of Chapter 5 as prompts
for writing or discussion (in class, online, before and after class).
Use the Try It activities in the chapter as the basis for points of discussion, in-class activities, or
assigned work outside of class.
Chapter learning objective: Differentiate topic, purpose, and thesis statement
Create an analogy. After reviewing the definition of topic, purpose, and thesis statement, ask
small groups of students to generate a new comparison of the relationship among topic,
purpose, and thesis statement that they believe will help the class better understand how topic,
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purpose, and thesis statement are connected.
Chapter learning objective: Analyze topic selection from the perspective of the
audience, the speaker, and the occasion
Audience identification and topic selection. Select a public for the entire class, such as people
who care about fitness or people who care about their financial future. Brainstorm topic ideas
for the selected public.
Topic selection inventory. Ask students to draw three circles like those in Figure 5.1 and fill in
information for an upcoming assigned speech. Start with the occasion or speaking situation
because that will be the same for everyone. Then ask students to list as many ideas as possible
in the other two circles. A few volunteers can share ideas with the entire class.
Chapter learning objective: Construct specific speech topics from general topic
areas
Public/topic coordination. Ask students to list all of the publics to which they belong in one
column. Then, in a second column, the students should list all of the subjects that they know
about or would like to know about. Ask students to match subjects with publics. Ask them to
select the most interesting topic and public combination and to conduct an Internet search to
find information related to the topic.
Trending topics. For a potential public-topic combination (previously selected), instruct students
to search the Internet for trending issues via social media and search engines such as Twitter
and Yahoo. Ask students to describe the public conversation related to the topic.
Chapter learning objective: Compose general and specific purposes for your
speeches
Create general and specific purposes. Assign a topic to each student or small group of students.
Ask them to generate a specific purpose for a speech with the general goal of informing an
audience and a second specific purpose for a speech with the general goal of persuading an
Chapter learning objective: Draft thesis statements
Tell students to create a general and specific purpose for a topic (see previous activity).
Alternatively, assign a general and specific purpose. Ask the students to write a potential thesis
statement for the speech (see Tables 5.3 and 5.4) and share them with classmates.
MINDTAP AND CENGAGE RESOURCES FOR CHAPTER 5
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Chapter 5 support materials in MindTap include the following:
Quiz questions that reinforce student learning and understanding
GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR CHAPTER 5
Engaging: drawing audience into the experience of the speech itself
General purpose: kind of communication act that the speaker would like to accomplish with
the audience
Informing: giving the audience information that the speaker believes is useful to
them
