Chapter Seven
Selecting a Topic
and Purpose
Chapter Seven
Table of Contents
Assigned Versus Self-Selected Topics
Identifying the General Speech Purpose
Choosing a Topic
Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas
Refining the Topic and Purpose
From Topic and Purpose to Thesis
Selecting a Topic and Purpose
The first task is to select a topic and
purpose that are appropriate for the
rhetorical situation, or the overall
speech situation (the audience and the
occasion).
Assigned Versus Self-Selected
Topics
Public speakers are
either given a topic, or
asked to choose one of
their own.
You may be given a:
purpose
time constraint
challenge
Identifying the General Speech
Purpose
General speech purpose: indicates
why you are speaking on the topic for
this particular audience and occasion.
Identifying the General Speech
Purpose
Informing
Persuading
The Special Occasion Speech
Identifying the General Speech Purpose:
When the General Speech Purpose Is to
Inform
Informative speech : increase the
audience’s understanding or awareness of
a topic.
Gauge the audience’s knowledge of the
subject
Identifying the General Speech Purpose:
When the General Speech Purpose Is to
Persuade
Persuasive speech:
effect some degree of
change in the
audience.
Controversial issues
are good topics.
Identifying the General Speech Purpose:
The Special Occasion Speech
Special occasion
speech: prepared for a
special occasion and for a
purpose dictated by that
occasion.
Such as acceptance
speeches, toasts, afterdinner speeches, and
eulogies.
Choosing a Topic
Broad social issues of
national or global
consequence
Your own interests
and experiences
Choosing a Topic
Personal Interest: Looking Within
Current Events and Controversial Issues
Grassroots Issues
Choosing a Topic:
Personal Interests: Looking Within
Select a familiar topic
Personal interests run the gamut from
from favorite activities to deeply held
values.
Choosing a Topic:
Current And Controversial Events
Current events
Few people have time to research the news
Controversial issues
Issues such as abortion, gun control, and
drug abuse profoundly affect us as a society
Choosing a Topic:
Grassroots Issues
The majority of
people react with
interest to issues
that affect them
directly.
Using Brainstorming to
Generate Ideas
Brainstorming: a
technique that
involves the
spontaneous
generation of ideas
Using Brainstorming to
Generate Ideas
Word Associations
Topic Mapping
Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas:
Word Association
 Word Association
 Write down one topic
 Write down the first thing that comes to mind
 As soon as your words remind you of
something, write it down.
 Review your list and pick two or three topics as
possible final choices.
Using Brainstorming to Generate Ideas:
Topic Mapping
Topic Mapping
Put your initial topic in the middle of the
paper
Write down new ideas in clusters to form
groups
Use each group to show how closely they
relate both to one another and to your
topic
Refining the Topic and Purpose
Now the topic and general speech
purpose must be narrowed with regards
to time constraints, audience
expectations, and the nature of the
occasion.
Refining the Topic and Purpose
Narrowing the Topic
Forming a Specific Speech Purpose
Refining the Topic and Purpose:
Narrowing the Topic
Focus on specific aspects of the topic and
excluding others
Consider time and research constraints
Brainstorming can help categorize different
aspects of your topic.
Refining the Topic and Purpose:
Forming a Specific Speech Purpose
Specific speech purpose: expresses
both topic and general purpose in action
form and in terms of the speaker’s specific
objectives.
“What is it about my topic that I want to
affect the audience with?”
From Topic and Purpose to
Thesis
Thesis statement: the theme or central
idea of the speech.
Specific purpose: states in action form
what you want to achieve with the
speech.
From Topic and Purpose to
Thesis
Making a Claim
Making the Thesis Statement Relevant
and Motivating
From Topic and Purpose to Thesis:
Making a Claim
The thesis statement proposes that the
statement being made is true or is
believed.
Without the thesis, the audience cannot
easily follow the speech body.
From Topic and Purpose to Thesis:
Making the Thesis Statement Relevant
and Motivating
Relevant statements can be created by
adding a few key words or phrases
The exact phrasing of your thesis depends
on the type of audience