Selecting a Speech Topic and Purpose

Core Idea

Planning a speech starts with three decisions: the topic, the general purpose, and the specific purpose. The general purpose is the broad goal, usually to inform or to persuade, with entertaining or commemorating common for special occasions. The specific purpose is a single sentence naming exactly what the speaker wants the audience to know, believe, or do by the end. A central idea then states the main message in one sentence. Narrowing these early keeps the speech focused on one goal that fits the audience and the time limit.

How It's Best Learned

Have students brainstorm topics from their own knowledge and interests, then narrow one topic in stages until it fits a five-minute slot. Practice rewriting weak purpose statements (vague, two goals at once, phrased as a question) into strong ones. Ask peers to read only the specific purpose and predict what the speech will cover. Check each purpose against what the audience already knows and cares about.

Common Misconceptions

• A broad topic gives the speaker more to say and makes a better speech. (A broad topic forces shallow coverage; narrowing lets the speaker go deeper within the time limit.)
• The specific purpose and the central idea are the same thing. (The specific purpose states the speaker's goal; the central idea states the message the audience should remember.)
• The topic should be chosen first, and the audience considered later. (Audience knowledge and interests should shape the choice and the narrowing from the start.)

Explainer

Many weak speeches fail before the speaker says a word. The problem is often a topic that is too broad or a purpose that is unclear. Careful planning at this first stage makes every later step, from research to outlining, easier.

Step 1: Choose a topic. Good topics usually come from what you know, what you care about, or what you want to learn. Brainstorming helps: list your experiences, interests, and questions, or browse a reference source for ideas. Then ask whether the topic suits this audience and this occasion. A speech on fantasy football strategy may delight one audience and lose another.

Step 2: Identify the general purpose. Most classroom speeches have one of two broad goals.

• To inform: to share knowledge or explain something.
• To persuade: to change what the audience believes or does.

Special-occasion speeches, such as toasts and tributes, often aim to entertain, celebrate, or commemorate.

Step 3: Write the specific purpose. This is a single sentence, often phrased as an infinitive ("To inform my audience about…," "To persuade my audience to…"). Public-speaking textbooks give similar guidelines for it:

• Write it as a statement, not a question.
• Include only one distinct idea.
• Be precise. "To inform my audience about music" is too vague; "To inform my audience about how the electric guitar changed popular music in the 1950s" is focused.
• Make it achievable in the time you have.

Step 4: Write the central idea. The central idea is the core message, stated in one sentence. If the specific purpose is "To inform my audience about how to prepare a home for a power outage," the central idea might be "You can prepare for a power outage by storing water, keeping flashlights ready, and making a family contact plan." Notice how the central idea often previews the main points.

The two statements do different jobs. The specific purpose guides you as you plan; the audience may never hear it in that form. The central idea is what you want the audience to walk away remembering, and it usually appears in the introduction.

Narrowing is the key skill. Start broad ("emergencies") and narrow in steps ("home emergencies," "power outages," "preparing a home for a power outage") until the topic fits the time and the audience. A narrow topic covered well usually works better than a broad topic skimmed.