Coming up with a Purpose for your Speech Public Speaking Coming up with a Purpose for your Speech

you will probably ramble1 on when you deliver your speech! Without a purpose, you will probably ramble1 on when you deliver your speech! 1Ramble, ramble on – (in the context of language) This means to speak or write aimlessly, with ideas being disconnected.

There are 3 General purposes for a speech: Inform Persuade Entertain

Inform / Informative Speech General Purpose 1 Inform / Informative Speech Provide information Objective Position – no bias Cover all sides of a position End result  Audience becomes more knowledgeable

Persuade / Persuasive Speech General Purpose 2 Persuade / Persuasive Speech Modify the thinking of the audience Convince  sway the audience to agree with your point of view Cause the audience to be motivated to take some action Inspire  instill hope (like a preacher)

Entertain / Entertaining Speech General Purpose 3 Entertain / Entertaining Speech Keep the audience amused and interested.

A speaker may have two general purposes. For example, The primary purpose is to inform. The secondary purpose is to entertain. Don’t lose sight of the primary purpose!

Creating a Specific Purpose It’s not enough to only have a general purpose! You need a specific purpose as well. Otherwise, your speech will not be focused, resulting in a boring, ineffective speech.

Creating a Specific Purpose A specific purpose is what you want your audience to: 1. know 2. think 3. believe 4. act on (i.e., do)

Creating a Specific Purpose Practice writing a purpose for your speech. It must include a general and specific purpose. General Purpose Specific Purpose To inform my audience about the 3 steps in making a kite. To persuade my audience that high-fat foods are bad for their health. To entertain my audience with stories about my blind date.

Creating a Specific Purpose Avoid broad or general topics, for example, “The History of China.” Why?

Creating a Specific Purpose Ask yourself: Is there enough research available on my topic? Will my topic fit the time limit? Am I really interested in this topic?

What type of speech is this? Is this a good speech topic? Why, or why not? How to stay healthy OR 7 Things You Can Do to Avoid the Flu

General Purpose Specific Purpose 7 Things You Can Do to Avoid the Flu General Purpose Specific Purpose To inform my audience about 7 practical behaviors that will help them avoid catching the flu.

Why you shouldn’t smoke cigarettes Why the government should regulate What type of speech is this? Is this a good speech topic? Why, or why not? Why you shouldn’t smoke cigarettes OR Why the government should regulate cigarette smoking

Why the government should regulate cigarette smoking General Purpose Specific Purpose To persuade my audience that laws regulating would be beneficial to society.

Questions to Help You Choose a Speech Topic What are your values in life and career? What are your hobbies? What special or unusual experiences have you had? What would you like to know more about? What beliefs or strong opinions do you hold? What are your pet peeves1? 1Pet Peeves – your personal dislikes; things that really bother / irritate you

Popular Themes Health and Longevity Almost everyone is concerned about being fit and healthy. Personal Happiness What person doesn’t want tips on how to gain or enhance happiness? Recreation People like ideas on how to enjoy leisure activities such as sports, hobbies, movies and TV shows, dining out, and travel. Money and Security Many people want to make money, find bargains, and gain financial security. People / Personalities You don’t have to limit yourself to famous people. An inspiring teacher or coach would also be interesting.