Selecting a Topic and a Purpose

The first step in speechmaking is choosing a topic. For classroom speeches, you can choose a subject you know well or one you research especially for the speech. If you have trouble picking a topic, you can use one of three brainstorming procedures. First, make an inventory of your hobbies, interests, skills, beliefs, and so forth. Second, use clustering to list the first topics that come to mind in several categories. Third, use an Internet subject directory, encyclopedia, or similar reference site to help you scan possible topics.

The general purpose of your speech will usually be to inform or to per­suade. When your general purpose is to inform, your goal is to communicate information clearly, accurately, and interestingly. When your general pur­pose is to persuade, your goal is to win listeners over to your point of view.

Once you know your topic and general purpose, you must focus on a specific purpose statement that indicates precisely what your speech seeks to achieve. The specific purpose statement should:

 (1) be a full infinitive phrase;

(2) be worded as a statement, not a question;

(3) avoid figurative language; 

(4) concentrate on one distinct idea;

(5) not be vague or general.

Keep several questions in mind as you formulate your specific purpose state­ment: Does my purpose meet the assignment? Can I accomplish my purpose in the time allotted? Is the purpose relevant to my audience? Is the purpose too trivial or too technical for my audience?

The central idea refines and sharpens your specific purpose. It is a concise statement of what you will say in your speech, and it usually crystallizes in your thinking after you have done your research and have decided on the main points of your speech. The central idea usually encapsulates the main points to be devel­oped in the body of your speech.

After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:

What three brainstorming methods can you follow if you are having trouble choosing a topic for your speech?

What are the two general purposes of most classroom speeches? How do they differ?

Why is determining the specific purpose such an important early step in speech preparation? Why is it important to include the audience in the specific purpose statement?

What are five tips for formulating your specific purpose?

What are five questions to ask about your specific purpose?

What is the difference between the specific purpose and the central idea of a speech? 

What are four guidelines for an effective central idea?