INITIAL STEPS IN SPEECH BUILDING
1. Select and narrow your topic
2. Determine your general and specific purposes
3. Develop your central idea
4. Generate your main points
1. Select and narrow your topic
2. Determine your general and specific purposes
3. Develop your central idea
4. Generate your main points
SELECTING YOUR TOPIC
* CONSIDER THE AUDIENCE, OCCASION/ASSIGNMENT/YOURSELF
is the topic relevant and important to your audience?
how much does your audience know about your topic? Too little? Too much? Consider their knowledge, experience,
interests, psychological and demographic factors
is the topic appropriate to the occasion?
is the topic of interest and importance to you?
* LISTEN, READ, AND BRAINSTORM FOR IDEAS
* NARROW SO THAT'S MANAGEABLE IN THE TIME ALLOTTED
DETERMINING YOUR GENERAL PURPOSE
SPEAKING TO INFORM
* PURPOSE IS TO DEFINE, DESCRIBE, OR EXPLAIN A THING, PERSON, PLACE, CONCEPT, PROCESS, OR FUNCTION
* SPEAKER ACTS AS A "TEACHER"
* GOAL IS TO HAVE INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LISTENERS
SPEAKING TO PERSUADE
* SPEAKER ACTS AS AN "ADVOCATE", NOT A "TEACHER"
* GOAL IS TO CHANGE OR ALTER AN EXISTING ATTITUDE, OPINION, BELIEF, OR ACTION
SPEAKING TO ENTERTAIN
* SPEECH IS GIVEN FOR ITS ENTERTAINMENT VALUE
* MAYBE BE SOMEWHAT INFORMATIVE BUT NEVER PERSUASIVE
DETERMINING YOUR SPECIFIC PURPOSE
* SPECIFIC PURPOSE DETERMINES EVERYTHING YOU DO IN THE SPEECH FROM THIS POINT FORWARD
* TRY TO IDENTIFY A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE (i.e. what do you want them to know, do, or believe once they've heard
your speech)
* BEGIN WITH... "TO INFORM MY AUDIENCE...." or "TO PERSUADE MY AUDIENCE..."
* LIMIT THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE TO A SINGLE IDEA
* IT SHOULD BE IMPORTANT AND REFLECT THE INTERESTS, EXPECTATIONS, AND KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE LEVEL
OF THE AUDIENCE
* SHOULD BE NARROW ENOUGH AND MANAGEABLE IN THE TIME ALLOTTED
DEVELOPING YOUR CENTRAL IDEA/THESIS STATEMENT
* SHOULD BE A SINGLE IDEA WRITTEN AS A COMPLETE DECLARATIVE SENTENCE
* FOCUSES ON CONTENT OF SPEECH, NOT BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES OF THE AUDIENCE
GENERATING YOUR MAIN POINTS
* CAN NATURALLY ARISE FROM RESEARCH OR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE STATEMENT
* ARE THERE LOGICAL DIVISIONS (TYPES, KINDS, CATEGORIES), STEPS IN A PROCESS, OR REASONS WHY THE
CENTRAL IDEA IS TRUE? IF SO, THESE ARE MOST LIKELY THE MAIN POINTS OF YOUR SPEECH
(* A Concise Public Speaking Handbook, 3rd. ed.; Steven and Susan Beebe)