CHAPTER 7
Selecting a Topic and Purpose
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Explore topics for your speech
A. Identify personal interests, and select a topic you are enthusiastic about.
B. Consider current events and controversial issues.
D. Steer clear of overused and trivial topics.
1. Avoid topics that your audience might be tired of hearing about, as well as trite topics.
E. Try brainstorming to generate ideas.
1. Brainstorming, a technique that involves the spontaneous generation of ideas, is one
of the most popular ways to select a topic.
a. Word associations help a speaker generate topics by writing down words and
phrases as they come to mind.
F. Use internet tools.
2. Internet search engines such as Google offer a wealth of resources to help discover
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and narrow topics.
II. Identify the general purpose of your speech.
A. The general speech purpose answers the question “What is my objective in speaking on
this topic to this particular audience on this occasion?” Speeches fall into one of three
1. Informative speeches increase the audience’s awareness by imparting knowledge.
3. Special-occasion speeches entertain, celebrate, commemorate, inspire, or set a social
agenda.
III. Refine the topic and purpose.
A. Narrowing a topic involves focusing on specific aspects of the topic to align with
audience expectations, time constraints, and the nature of the occasion.
1. Brainstorming can be used to narrow a topic.
B. Form a specific speech purpose.
2. To determine the specific purpose, ask yourself: “What do you want the audience to
learn/do/reconsider/agree with?”
1. A thesis statement is a single statement that expresses the theme or central idea of the
speech and serves to connect all parts of the speech.
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a. The specific purpose describes in action form what you want to achieve with the
speech; the thesis statement concisely identifies, in a single idea, what the speech
is about.
KEY TERMS
brainstorming problem-solving technique that involves the spontaneous generation of ideas;
includes making lists, using word association, and mapping topics
word association brainstorming technique in which one writes down ideas as they come to mind,
show relationships among them; useful for selecting and narrowing a speech topic
general speech purpose statement of the broad speech purpose that answers the question “Why
am I speaking on this topic to this particular audience on this occasion?” Usually the general
speech purpose is to inform, to persuade, or to celebrate or commemorate a special occasion.
informative speech a speech with the general purpose of increasing the audience’s awareness and
understanding of a topic
persuasive speech a speech with the general purpose of changing the attitudes, beliefs, values, or
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thesis statement theme, or central idea, of a speech that serves to connect all the parts of the
speech in a single line. The main points, supporting material, and conclusion all relate to the
thesis.
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
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 and experiences. This will give your speech a sense of authenticity and
enthusiasm. Other sources for topics may be found in current events or controversial issues.
What is brainstorming, and how is it used to generate ideas for topics?
Brainstorming can be done individually or in a group. Write down anything that you know
something about or that may capture your interest—the key here is quantity. Then narrow the list
to two or three topics that can be researched. You also can try word association, in which you first
write down a single topic that interests you. Then write down the next thing that comes to mind.
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What kind of techniques can be used to narrow the topic?
A topic is just a general idea. When you narrow a topic, you focus on specific aspects of it that
you want the audience to remember. You need to narrow your focus to align with audience
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
What are some ways of composing an effective thesis statement in support of the topic?
The thesis statement is even narrower than the specific speech purpose because the thesis
statement conveys the theme or central idea of the speech. The thesis is a single, declarative
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II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How would you describe the difference between the specific purpose statement and the thesis
statement?
The specific speech purpose lays out precisely what you want the audience to get from the speech.
It answers the question “What do I want the audience to learn/do/reconsider/agree with?” The
2. 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 audience
or whether a topic directly or indirectly results in physical or psychological harm. For a short
writing assignment, have students rate their perceived level of controversy surrounding their
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Using the word association brainstorming technique, generate a list of fifteen to twenty speech
2. Write five different thesis statements for five different topics. Be prepared to report your work
to the class.
In small groups, have students write five topics generated by using word association. Write a thesis
3. Describe those elements of an audience’s characteristics that affect topic selection (e.g., age,
gender, religion). How do these elements affect audience outcomes?
Students should list such things as age, sex, religion, and so forth. Have them discuss each
audience characteristic and how it affects topic selection. For example, older audiences may have
4. Start searching online or browsing with general keywords or topics; then narrow your search to
more specific topics. Make notes of how these topics lead to other sources about topics that
interest you. Share them with your classmates during class discussions.
One option for this activity is to reserve a computer room or lab on campus and have students
conduct an online search during class. Another option is to have students conduct an online search
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II. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. In a group of four or five people, list ten current events or local issues that would make
interesting speech topics for your class. Identify topics that could be used to inform, to
persuade, and to celebrate or commemorate a special occasion. Identify at least one topic for
each speech purpose.
To help the class with this activity, bring in newspapers or news magazines (e.g., Time, Newsweek)
2. Try brainstorming a topic in a group of three to four people. One person should write down the
first word or phrase that comes to mind. That person then passes the paper to someone else,
who, through word association, writes down the next word or phrase that comes to mind. The
paper should be passed around so that everyone has a chance to write something. This method
of brainstorming allows members in a group to provide one another with ideas and feedback.
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3. In a group of three to four people, formulate a questionnaire to be circulated throughout the
class asking for demographic information about the audience (e.g., gender, academic major,
ethnic or racial background, age, hobbies). The questionnaire can be altered by each group
member to obtain specific information that may relate to each person’s speech topic.
The assumption of this exercise is that a group’s input will produce a much better product (i.e.,
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material.
These questions can be used as:
• Homework questions
• Quizzes
• In-class work (individually or in groups)
• Topics to generate discussion
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2. Give an example of each of the factors in item 1 that should be considered when selecting a
topic.
3. What is brainstorming? Give an example of a brainstorming technique.
generation of ideas; word association
4. What are some factors to consider when narrowing a topic?
• Aspects of the topic that most interest you
• Audience’s expectations
5. What is a specific speech purpose? Give an example of a general purpose and a specific
purpose.
The specific speech purpose lays out precisely what you want the audience to get from the speech;
it goes beyond the general goal of informing, persuading, or marking a special occasion.
General purpose: To inform.
6. What is the difference between a thesis statement and a specific purpose? Give an example of a
general purpose, a specific purpose, and a thesis statement.
A thesis statement concisely identifies, in a single idea, what the speech is about. The specific
purpose describes in action form what the speaker hopes to achieve with the speech.
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General purpose: To persuade.
ACTIVITIES
Visual Brainstorming
Purpose: To help spur students’ creativity during the topic selection process.
Instructions: Instructors should bring in an interesting object (e.g., small sculpture, piece of high
technology) and place it in front of the class. Using the object as a takeoff point, ask students to
generate topic ideas.
What Are Your Personal Interests?
1. What are your interests?
2. What are your hobbies, or what do you do in your spare time?
3. Where are you from, and what is unique about that location?
4. What places have you traveled to? Where would you like to go?
5. What issues are you passionate about?
6. What do your parents do?
7. Do you have any siblings? What do they do?
9. What types of food do you like?
10. What types of entertainment do you like?
11. What is your major?
12. If you work, what is your job? What is your ideal job?
I Don’t Have a Topic
Purpose: To get students thinking about a speech topic and to compile a list of potential speech
topics.
Instructions: This should be done as a homework assignment so that students will have time to
think about it. Students should generate a list of ten topics for each of the three general speech
purposes (speaking to inform, speaking to persuade, and the special occasion speech). Instruct
Brainstorming
Purpose: To learn the guidelines for brainstorming and use creativity and teamwork to solve
problems.
Instructions: This assignment can be divided into three stages, each of which can be a separate
activity. Alternatively, all three stages can be combined into one large activity/project. If
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follow these guidelines.
1. Designate one person in the group to write down all the topic ideas, using any appropriate
subheadings to organize the list.
3. Once the list has been completed, the group should evaluate the suggested topics: How
relevant is the topic to the audience as a whole (all class members)? Is the topic interesting,
substantive, meaningful, and important? Can it be dealt with within the allotted time? At
4. Compile a final list of topics.
Stage 2: Each group will select one of the problems or issues from the list compiled in stage 1.
Groups should then engage in the same process of brainstorming to generate solutions for these
issues. This group should use the same guidelines as before.
Stage 3: Groups (or individuals) should pick one of these solutions and create a short presentation
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Fact or Fiction: Unusual Information
Purpose: To provide students with the opportunity to learn about something that is unusual or little
known as well as to generate potential speech topics.
Instructions: Students can choose any of the topics that emerged from the preceding activities
“What Are Your Personal Interests?” and “I Don’t Have a Topic.” Using library sources or the
internet, during class time or as a homework assignment, ask students to research information
about the little-known topic. Students should find two additional “unusual topics” and report on
Topic, Purpose, Thesis: Knowing All the Pieces
Purpose: To understand and be able to identify and generate a topic, and determine a general
speech purpose, a specific speech purpose statement, and a thesis statement.
Instructions: Provide students with a list of five to ten topics (these can come from lists generated
from the preceding activities, or instructors can provide a list). Instruct students to generate a
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RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
Beacon, D. C. (1989, December). Brainstorming with your computer. Nation’s Business, 34.
Blomstrom, S., Boster, F. J., Levine, K. J., Butler, E. J., & Levine, S. L. (2008). The effects of
Gunther, M. (1980). When you need a nonfiction idea. In A. S. Burack (Ed.), The writer’s
handbook (pp. 328–332). Boston, MA: The Writer.
Hooper, J., & Dick, T. (1989, April). Brain stretches: Exercises, games, and apparatus for brain
training. Health, 55–67.
Hugenburg, L. W., & O’Neil, D. J. (1987). Speaking on critical issue topics in the public speaking
course. Speech Communication Teacher, 12–13.
Humes, J. C. (2002). Speak like Churchill, stand like Lincoln: 21 powerful secrets of history’s
Sherwood, H. (1991). The New York Public Library book on how and where to look it up. New
York, NY: Prentice Hall.
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196–198.
Woodside, D. (1992). Choosing topics for speeches: A breath of fresh air (earth, water, and fire).