Public Speaking

This ChapTer Will

help You

• Choose your speech
topic

• Narrow your topic to
fit the situation

• Identify a general
purpose and a specific
purpose for your
speech

• Write a thesis state-
ment that states your
subject and its impor-
tance to the audience

• Write a preview that
summarizes your main
points

ChaPter

5

WHAT SHALL I talk about? Many students find that choosing appropriate

topics for classroom speeches is challenging because the assignment is

so open-ended compared to other settings such as weddings or workplace

meetings where a topic is more obvious. For example, if you’re scheduled to

present a report at work, the subject will be your most recent project. However,

in speech classrooms you’re generally not assigned a specific topic so you

must choose from thousands of potential subjects. It can’t be too broad or too

complex (after all, most classroom assignments are limited by time); it should

interest your audience, as well as you; it should be relevant; it should be novel—

you must consider many factors. Topic selection falls into the canon of invention,

Review the

chapter

Learning

Objectives

and Start

with a quick

warm-up

activity.

Selecting Your Topic

and Purpose

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