Chapter 6 and 7 Review
January 29, 2008
brainstorm
• This is noncritical free association to
generate as many ideas as possible in
a short time.
self-generated topics
• These are speech subjects based on
the speaker’s interests, experiences,
and knowledge.
audience-generated topics
• These are speech subjects geared to
the interests and needs of a speaker’s
listeners.
occasion-generated topics
• These are speech subjects derived
from the particular circumstances,
seasons, holidays, or life events.
research-generated topics
• These are speech subjects discovered
by investigating a variety of sources.
visual brainstorming
• This is an informal written outline
achieved by free associating around a
key word or idea.
speech to inform
• This is a speech designed to convey
new and/or useful information in a
balanced, objective way.
speech to persuade
• This is a speech designed to influence
listeners’ beliefs and/or actions.
speech to convince
• This is a persuasive speech designed
to influence audience beliefs and
attitudes rather than behaviors.
speech to actuate
• This is a persuasive speech designed
to influence audience behaviors.
speech to entertain
• This is a speech designed to make a
point through the creative, organized
use of humorous supporting materials.
general purpose
• This is the broad goal of a speech
(such as to persuade, to inform, to
entertain, etc.)
specific purpose
• This is a statement of the general
purpose of a speech, the speaker’s
intended audience, and the limited
goal or outcome.
thesis statement
• This is a one sentence synopsis of the
speaker’s message.
Why is it important to focus your topic? Explain
using examples of a focused topic and an
unfocused topic.
• It is important to focus your topic in
order to guide your research.
• It also allows you to address more
substance in your speech.
• Additionally, limiting your topic gives
you time to support the ideas you
present in your speech.
• Unfocused topic: football
• Focused topic: the Super Bowl
What four questions can you ask yourself to
guide your topic selection? Explain why
each one is important.
• Does this topic interest me?
– Don’t pick one that doesn’t, please!
• Is this topic interesting or important to my
listeners?
– Remember your audience
• Am I likely to find sufficient supporting
materials on this topic?
– Very obscure topics may be difficult to present
• Do I know enough about this topic to start
researching it and interpret what I discover?
– What prior knowledge do you have?
Short answer
• Since people are more likely to open up
more when they interact verbally and
nonverbally, which interview format is likely
to give you the most information?
– Face-to-face interviewing will likely give you the
most information.
• What is the Readers' Guide to Periodical
Literature?
– It is a resource that indexes magazine articles.
• Who is most prolific publisher in the United
States?
– The United States federal government
Short answer, continued
• What were the first books to come to the U.S.?
– Almanacs and Bibles
• What is the first step in researching a topic?
– The first step is assessing your personal knowledge.
• What are the advantages of interviewing as a way
of conducting research?
– The person you interview may be able to suggest other
sources of information.
– An interview can help you adapt your topic to your specific
audience.
– Personal interviews can enhance your image as a
speaker.
– On some topics, a personal interview may be your only
option.
True/False Questions
•
•
•
•
•
Almanacs are excellent sources when you need specific facts and
background information on a topic.
TRUE
Generally speaking, information retrieved from Internet sources is
less likely to have the level of quality assurance as database
sources.
TRUE
Information you retrieve by using academic search engines will be
less focused and of lower quality than you are likely to gather using
a general, commercial search tool.
FALSE
Research is not just one-step of the speech construction process but
rather it should occur throughout the process.
TRUE
You should assess your personal knowledge of a speech topic after
developing your research plan.
FALSE
Fill in the Blank
• RESEARCH is the gathering of evidence
and arguments you will need to understand,
develop, and explain your topic.
• A(n) SPEECH FILE is a file that contains
each speech you have given.
• From 1750-1900, the sum total of
humankind’s knowledge DOUBLED.
• The advantage of using DATABASE
indexes is that the information you get has
presumably already been evaluated.
• Yahoo and Google are examples of two
widely used SEARCH ENGINES.
Describe an article file and
explain why it is important.
• An article file includes informative
articles on topics that interest you.
• This gives you a head start on
selecting and researching topics for
speeches.
What questions begin your
research plan? What is their
purpose?
•
•
•
•
What information do I need?
Where am I most likely to find it?
How can I obtain this information?
How will time constraints affect my
research options?
What are ethical dilemmas and
how do they affect speech
making? Use examples to
illustrate your points.
• What do you think?
• You have a choice regarding the
topics you want to present.
• Sometimes, topics that are exciting
may not be appropriate.