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7
Selecting a Topic and Purpose
<A> OBJECTIVES
To select a topic and purpose appropriate to the audience, occasion, and rhetorical situation.
To select from the three
general speech purposes.
To narrow the topic.
To formulate the thesis statement.
<A> CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Understanding your constraints
A. Consider the specifics of your rhetorical situation. Constraints on your speech range
from being able to select the speech topic, whether the speech is meant to be persuasive,
time constraints, and audience interest and preliminary knowledge (gauged by audience
analysis).
II. Discovering good topics for your speech
A. Selecting a topic that you are personally interested in and are enthusiastic about is
advantageous because your research will be more enjoyable and your enthusiasm will be
contagious. Your topic should be interesting to your audience as well as yourself.
1. You can translate personal interests and experiences into powerful topics,
especially if sharing them in some way benefits the audience.
B. Current events gleaned from daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, and online
publications offer another rich source of public speaking topics.
1. Other possibilities are controversial issues; these are especially relevant because
they profoundly affect us as individuals and as members of society. In such
situations, speeches must be planned carefully so as not to offend audiences with
alternative views, and keep their positive attention.
C. Grassroots topics affect the audience directly. Consider issues specifically connected
to school, community, and state. The majority of people react with interest to issues that
affect them directly, and these tend to be of a local nature.
III. Try brainstorming to generate ideas
A. Speakers can use brainstorming, a problem solving process that involves the
spontaneous generation of ideas, when choosing a topic.
1. Word associations help a speaker generate topics by thinking of words or phrases
in sequence.
2. A topic (mind) map is a brainstorming technique in which you lay out words in
diagram form to show categorical relationships among them.
3. Internet tools offer excellent ways to discover and narrow potential speech topics.
IV. Identifying the general purpose of your speech
A. The general speech purpose answers the question, “Why am I speaking on this topic
for this particular audience on this occasion?” The rhetorical situation—the
B. In an informative speech, the general purpose is to increase the audience’s
understanding and awareness of a topic.
C. Most topics are appropriate so long as they are presented with the goal of giving the
audience something new to expand their understanding and awareness.
D. The general purpose of a persuasive speech is to effect some degree of change in the
audience’s attitudes, beliefs, or even specific behaviors.
E. The general purpose of the special occasion speech will vary depending on the specific
event.
1. Depending on the kind of special occasion speech (speeches of introduction,
2. Special occasion speeches might also have secondary specific purposes to
inform or to persuade
V. Refine the topic and purpose
A. Narrowing a topic involves focusing on specific aspects of the topic.
2. You should also carefully consider the speech occasion, time constraint, and
your own research constraints.
B. Brainstorming can also be used to help you narrow a topic, to find out what aspects
your audience most likely will want to hear about.
VI. From topic and purpose to thesis statement
A. A thesis statement is the theme or central idea of the speech stated in the form of a
single declarative sentence. The thesis statement identifies what the speech is about,
whereas the specific purpose states in action form what the speaker wants to achieve
with the speech.
1. The thesis statement provides the central idea about the topic and aids
the speaker in developing a coherent, understandable speech.
2. The thesis statement also guides speech preparation. All research
materials, examples, and main points in the speech should be reviewed in
light of whether they contribute to the thesis statement.
B. Your speech should be developed from your thesis statement; therefore, you should
postpone developing main points and supporting material until you have formulated
your specific speech purpose and thesis statement.
D. Speakers can often make the thesis statement more motivating and engaging by
adding a few key words or phrases that attract attention and emphasize the relevance
of the main message.
<A> KEY
TERMS
brainstorming a problem-solving technique, useful for developing speech topics, that involves
the spontaneous generation of ideas. You can brainstorm by making lists, using word association,
and mapping a topic, among other techniques.
general speech purpose
a statement of the broad speech purpose that answers the question
“Why am I speaking on this topic for this particular audience and occasion?” Usually the general
informative speech
speech providing new information, new insights, or new ways of thinking
about a topic. The
general purpose of informative
speaking is to
increase the audience’s
understanding and awareness of topic.
special occasion speech
a speech whose
general purpose is to entertain, celebrate,
commemorate, inspire, or set a social agenda.
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
A
topic should be appropriate for what three things?
A topic should be appropriate for the audience, the occasion, and the overall speech situation
(the rhetorical situation).
What are the various sources a speaker can use to select a topic?
In most cases it may be best to start with what you already know or are most familiar with, such
as personal interests. This will give your speech a sense of authenticity and enthusiasm. Other
sources for topics may be found in current events or controversial issues. Whether the speech
is informative or persuasive, controversial topics can generate audience interest simply because
What is brainstorming, and how is it used to generate ideas for topics?
Brainstorming
is a method of spontaneously
generating ideas through word association, topic
mapping, or through Internet browsing using search engines and directories. Write down
anything that you know something about or that may
capture
your interest—the key here is
diagram form to show categorical relationships among them. Then as related ideas come to mind,
write them down, circle them, and connect the interrelated circles with lines. Keep going until
you find a topic that appeals to you. Finally, you can use a wide
variety of Internet tools, such
as popular search engines or your library’s portal.
What are the various kinds of general speech purposes
(also called
rhetorical purposes)?
Speeches typically attempt to accomplish one of three
general purposes: to inform,
to persuade,
or to mark a special occasion. The
purpose of an informative speech is to increase the
audience’s understanding and awareness of a topic by defining, describing, explaining, or
demonstrating
your knowledge of the subject. When you deliver an informative speech, you
What is a specific speech purpose and how can
a speaker clearly state a specific speech
purpose?
A
specific speech purpose
lays out precisely what you want the
audience to get from the speech.
What are some ways of composing effective thesis statements in support of the topic?
The
thesis statement (also called the central idea) is the theme of the speech stated as a single
declarative sentence that concisely expresses what the speech will attempt to support from the
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How might a different general purpose (e.g., to inform versus to persuade) change the way
you would present a topic?
According to the text, just about any topic is appropriate for an informative speech, as long as it
is presented with the goal of enlarging understanding and awareness. Informative speeches
How would you describe the difference between the specific speech purpose and the general
speech purpose?
The general speech purpose stops at expressing the broad goal of the speech, whether it be to
inform, persuade, or in some way commemorate or celebrate an occasion. The specific speech
What ethical considerations figure in selecting a topic and a speech purpose?
For discussion, students should be able to identify
such issues as potentially offending an
What types of topics do you feel are overdone? How could a speaker make these topics
fresh and exciting again?
This discussion not only
helps students identify topics that they should avoid; it also helps with
their audience analysis, as the discussion will reveal the attitudes and opinions of audience
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may help you illustrate important points in the chapter and facilitate
students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
B. homework questions
C. quizzes
D. in-class work (individually or in groups)
E. topics to generate discussion
F. question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
What is brainstorming? Give three brainstorming techniques.
When selecting a topic, what things should you consider?
Public speaking can be
classified into three general speech purposes. List these purposes,
and give an example of each.
I. To inform: Providing information about volcanoes
II. To persuade: Getting students to start recycling
III. To mark a special occasion: Giving a toast at a wedding
Name the six different types of special occasion speeches.
4. speeches of acceptance
6. roasts, toasts
8. after-dinner speeches
What is a specific speech purpose? Give an example of a general purpose and a specific
purpose.
The specific speech purpose expresses both the topic and the general purpose in action form and
