Introduction to Persuasive Speaking

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Introduction to Persuasive Speaking
Part 9 Using an Outline, Selecting Topic Thesis
John E. Clayton Nanjing University, Spring, 2005
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Class Exercise
Be prepared to present your new, high-impact
introduction
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Syllabus?
02/28 Introduction 03/07 03/14 Speech
1 03/21 03/28 Movie Remember the Titans 04/04
Overcoming Fear 04/11 Speech 2 04/18 Make-up
speeches Review speech 2 04/25 Using an
outline Selecting a topic 05/02 Holiday 05/09
Using visual aids Topic outline card 05/16
Speech 3 (topic your choice, Visual aid, Outline
card) 05/23 06/30 06/06 Speech 4 (no make-ups
all due this day) 06/08 Speech contest and party
(evening)
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Key Word Outline
Provides trigger words, rather than complete
sentences. A key word or phrase that the
speaker can remember more easily.
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Steps

1. Write your full-sentence planning outline.
2. Underline the most important words of each main
   point and sub-point.
3. Using the same numerals and letters, write down
   the key words on index cards
4. Write out any direct quotes, source citations, or
   important statistics that you need to remember.

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Key Word Outline
WRONG 1. Circumstances sometime force people to
live alone. Grown children leave the nest - they
go to college, move to other cities to get jobs,
or marry and move away to start families of their
own.   RIGHT Thesis Circumstances sometimes
force people to live alone. A. Grown children
leave the nest. 1. Go to college 2. Move to
other cities to get jobs. 3. Marry and move
away to start families of their
own.
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Selecting Topic Thesis

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What Do I Speak About?

• Generally, you are either ...
• Given a topic
• Asked to choose one of your own

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When Topics Are Assigned

• You still have to adapt the topic to the
  audience and the occasion
• You must still decide on a specific purpose for
  your speech

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When Topics Are Self-Selected

• What criteria must you meet?
• How much time do I have to prepare?
• Do I have time to do adequate research?
• Does the situation require a particular type of
  topic?

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Speech Purpose

• The general purpose of speeches is ...
• to inform
• to persuade
• to celebrate or commerate
• Our specific focus is speeches that persuade.

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Selecting a Topic

• Is it appropriate to my audience?
• Am I familiar with the topic?
• Am I enthusiastic about the topic?
• Consider your hobbies, interests or special
  activities.

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Audience Concerns Interests

• How does the topic fit with the audience's
• Age
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Political or religious status
• Socioeconomic status

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Topic Ideas
Current events What's in the news
today? Controversial issues One child per
family, Canteen food, etc. Local issues Items of
interest to audience Unusual information New
discoveries, opinions, conclusions
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Brainstorming

• Problem solving technique
• Individual or group
• Generation of ideas either by lists or word
  association

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Brainstorming Lists

• Create a list of interesting topics that you
  could comfortably prepare to speak about.
• Narrow the list to two or three topics.
• Choose one of the topics, based on audience
  interests and demographics.

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Brainstorming Lists
Lists exercise List five topics that you are
interested in. Choose the most interesting two
or three topics. Select the topic that you want
to speak about.
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Brainstorming Word Association

• Write down one topic which
• would be of interest to you and your audience.
• Write down the first thing that comes to mind
  when you think of the topic.
• Continue writing until no more thoughts come to
  mind.
• Pick two or three topics as possible choices.

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Brainstorming Word Association

• Word Association Exercise
• Write down one topic of
• interest to you and your audience.
• Write the first thing that comes to mind when
  you think of the topic.
• Continue writing until no more thoughts come to
  mind.
• Pick two or three topics as possible choices.

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Refining

• Once you have selected a topic and general
  purpose for your speech, they must be refined, or
  narrowed.
• Refining helps develop a topic and purpose that
  will appeal to the greatest number of people in
  your audience.
• Sports
• Football
• University football
• University football accidents

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Thesis Statement
Thesis statement A single statement that
expresses the central idea of the speech, and
serves to connect all parts of the speech The
thesis statement concisely identifies what the
speech is about.
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Thesis Making a Claim

• The thesis statement makes a claim or assumption
  about the topic.
• Soccer is dangerous and should be removed from
  school athletics
• Cigarettes are unhealthy and should not be sold
  on campus
• Freshmen should be allowed to bring their own
  PC's to the university

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Thesis Make it Relevant

• The thesis statement should motivate the
  audience to listen.
• it should point out the relevance of the
• topic to them
• The audience should be enthusiastic about your
  speech, because you have established its
  relevance to them.

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Mini-Quiz
1. When a topic is assigned... a. There is
nothing you can do to adapt it to your
audience b. You have no choice as to your
specific purpose c. You can still adapt your talk
to the circumstances 2. A good source of speech
topics is... a. current events b. controversial
issues c. new discoveries and viewpoints 3.
Brainstorming is good for... a. your love life b.
selecting a speech topic c. washing away brain
cells
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Helpers
Please ask around and see if there would be a
problem holding our speech contest and going away
party on Wednesday evening, June 8th, 630
830pm (will include all speech classes and all
English Writing classes)
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Homework
Start thinking about speech 3, to be presented on
May 16th Argumentative topic The person I
marry should have 3 minutes Effectively use a
visual aid Use topic outline card