Learning Objectives
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General PurposeThe general purpose of most speeches will fall into one of four categories: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, and to commemorate or celebrate. The first step of defining the purpose of your speech is to think about which category best describes your overall goal with the speech. What do you want your audience to think, feel, or do as a consequence of hearing you speak? Often, the general purpose of your speech will be defined by the speaking situation. If you’re asked to run a training session at work, your purpose isn’t to entertain but rather to inform. Likewise, if you are invited to introduce the winner of an award, you’re not trying to change the audience’s mind about something; you’re honoring the recipient of the award. In a public speaking class, your general purpose may be included in the assignment: for instance, “Give a persuasive speech about . . . .” When you’re assigned a speech project, you should always make sure you know whether the general purpose is included in the assignment or whether you need to decide on the general purpose yourself. Specific PurposeNow that you know your general purpose (to inform, to persuade, or to entertain), you can start to move in the direction of the specific purpose. A specific purpose statement builds on your general purpose and makes it more specific (as the name suggests). So if your first speech is an informative speech, your general purpose will be to inform your audience about a very specific realm of knowledge. In writing your specific purpose statement, you will take three contributing elements and bring them together to help you determine your
specific purpose:
There are three elements that combine to create a specific purpose statements: your own interests and knowledge, the interests and needs of your audience, and the context or setting in which you will be speaking. Keeping these three inputs in mind, you can begin to write a specific purpose statement, which will be the foundation for everything you say in the speech and a guide for what you do not say. This formula will help you in putting together your specific purpose statement: To _______________ [Specific Communication Word (inform, explain, demonstrate, describe, define, persuade, convince, prove, argue)] _______________ [Target Audience (my classmates, the members of the Social Work Club, my coworkers] __________________. [The Content (how to bake brownies, that Macs are better than PCs]. Example: The purpose of my presentation is to demonstrate to my coworkers the value of informed intercultural communication. Formulating a Central Idea StatementWhile you will not actually say your specific purpose statement during your speech, you will need to clearly state what your focus and main points are going to be. The statement that reveals your main points is commonly known as the central idea statement (or just the central idea). Just as you would create a thesis statement for an essay or research paper, the central idea statement helps focus your presentation by defining your topic, purpose, direction, angle, and/or point of view. Here are two examples:
Please note that your central idea will emerge and evolve as you research and write your speech, so be open to where your research takes you and anticipate that formulating your central idea will be an ongoing process. Below are four guidelines for writing a strong central idea.
Using the topic “Benefits of Yoga for College Students’ Stress,” here are some correct and incorrect ways to write a central idea.
A strong central idea shows that your speech is focused around a clear and concise topic and that you have a strong sense of what you want your audience to know and understand as a result of your speech. Again, it is unlikely that you will have a final central idea before you begin your research. Instead, it will come together as you research your topic and develop your main points. Try ItWhat is the central idea in a speech?The central idea (sometimes called the thesis) states in one sentence what the speech is about. You can use your specific-purpose statement to help you write your central idea. However, as Table 7.2 summarizes, a central idea differs from a purpose statement in both focus and ap- plication.
During which step of preparing a speech would you formulate your central idea in a single sentence?After choosing a topic, the next step in speech preparation is determining your central idea. Once you choose the central idea of your speech, the next step is to formulate your general purpose. After choosing a topic, the next step in speech preparation is determining your general purpose.
How do you write a central idea for a speech?Writing your thesis statement/central idea is a four step process:. Choose your topic.. Determine your general purpose.. Write your specific purpose statement.. Tie it all together by composing a clear concise thesis statement/central idea.. What is a central idea statement example?Formulating a Central Idea Statement
Here are two examples: Specific Purpose – To explain to my classmates the effects of losing a pet on the elderly. Central Idea – When elderly persons lose their animal companions, they can experience serious psychological, emotional, and physical effects.
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