CHAPTER 10

CHOOSING & DEVELOPING

A TOPIC
I. CHOOSING A TOPIC
 A. Start Early!

 B. Choose a topic that is interesting to you

and it will probably be interesting to your
audience.
II. DEFINING A PURPOSE
 A. GENERAL PURPOSE
– 1. To entertain
– 2. To inform
– 3. To persuade
II. DEFINING A PURPOSE
 B. Specific purpose
– 1. A “purpose statement” should be receiver
oriented (audience focused “e.g. children”)
• a. You should tell your audience what they will
know after listening to your speech
• b. “After listening to my speech, you will know
more about small claims court procedures.”
II. CONTINUED

– 2. A purpose
statement should be
specific.
• “After listening to my
speech, my audience
will know how to win a
case in small claims
court.”
II. CONTINUED
– 3. A purpose statement should be realistic
• a. You must be capable to accomplish your
purpose as stated (evidence/footwork)
• b. “After listening to my speech, my audience
will be able to list the five steps for preparing for
small claims court”
4. “Thesis Statement”: Tells you that one/central
idea that you want your audience to remember.
E.g. “Arguing a case on your own in small claims
court is a simple, five-step process that can give
you the same results you would achieve w/ a
lawyer.”
III. ANALYZING THE
SPEAKING SITUATION
 A. Audience analysis
– 1. Def: An examination of certain pertinent
characteristics of your listeners.

– 2. Audience adaptation: Changing the way you

say something so that it will be more meaningful
or effective for a particular group of listeners.
(# of people, gender, age, group membership)

– 3. ACTIVITY!!!
III. CONTINUED
A. Audience analysis
1. Attitude: is a predisposition to respond to something
in a favorable or unfavorable position (outside layer).
“It is an important right to vote”
2. Belief: is an underlying conviction about the truth of
something, which is often based on cultural training
(middle layer).
“We should be free to choose our political leaders”
3. Value: is a deeply rooted belief about a concept’s
inherent worth or worthiness (inside layer).
“Freedom is a good thing”
IIIV. GATHERING INFO.
 A. Evaluating research

(E.g. political analysis)

– 1. Credibility

– 2. Objectivity

– 3. Currency
IV. CONTINUED
 B. Library research – Internet
– Library catalog
– Databases
– Reference works
– Librarians
– Periodicals
– Interview
– Non-print materials
– Personal observation
– Survey research
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