1 / 23

Lecture 2

Lecture 2. Selecting a Topic and Purpose Analyzing the Audience. Two broad categories of potential topics for your speeches:. 1) subjects you know a lot about 2) subjects you want to know more about. Subjects you know a lot about:. A. unusual experiences; B. special knowledge

reed-gamble
Download Presentation

Lecture 2

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Lecture 2 Selecting a Topic and Purpose Analyzing the Audience

  2. Two broad categories of potential topics for your speeches: • 1)subjects you know a lot about • 2) subjects you want to know more about

  3. Subjects you know a lot about: A. unusual experiences; • B. special knowledge or expertise;

  4. Subjects you want to know more about: • Subjects… • a. you already have some knowledge or expertise but need additional research; • b.untouched at all but you want to explore; • c. about which you hold strong opinions and beliefs; • d. you care deeply --- national or international concerns.

  5. Brainstorming for topics: • 1)personal inventory; • 2)clustering; • 3) reference search; • 4) internet search;

  6. Determining the general purpose: a.to inform: enhance the knowledge and understanding of your listeners --- to give them information they did not have before; to explain b. to persuade: change or structure the attitudes or actions of your audience --- to win over your listeners to your point of view: to exhort

  7. Determining the specific purpose: • states what the speaker wants the audience to know as a result of the speech

  8. Tips for formulating the specific Purpose Statement: • 1)a full infinitive phrase, not as a fragment; • Ineffective: calendars • More effective: To inform my audience about the four major kinds of calendars used in the world today.

  9. 2) a statement, not as a question; • Ineffective: Is the U.S. space program necessary? • More effective: To persuade my audience that the U.S. space program provides many important benefits to people here on earth.

  10. 3) avoid figurative language: • Ineffective: To inform my audience that yoga is extremely cool. • More effective: To inform my audience how yoga can improve their health.

  11. 4) one distinct idea: • Ineffective: To inform my audience about the use of hot-air balloons and to help reduce air pollution; • More effective: choose one.

  12. 5) not too vague or general: • Ineffective: To persuade my audience that something should be done about medical care. • More effective: To persuade my audience that the federal government should adopt a system of national health insurance for all people in the U.S.A.

  13. Phrasing the central idea: • The central idea is a concise statement of what you expect to say, also called thesis statement, subject sentence, major thought, usually expressed as a simple, declarative sentence that refines and sharpens the specific purpose statement.

  14. Topic: American prison system; • General purpose: To inform; • Specific purpose: To inform my audience of the three major problems facing America’s prison system. • Central idea: America’s prison system suffers from three major problems: overcrowding of inmates, lack of effective rehabilitation programs and high expense to taxpayers.

  15. Topic: Alternative-fuel vehicles; • General purpose: To persuade; • Specific purpose: To persuade my audience that the federal government should speed up efforts to develop alternative-fuel vehicles. • Central idea: Developing alternative-vehicles will help reduce American dependence on foreign oil and will help reduce air pollution.

  16. Different purposes for a same topic: • Topic: School buses: • Informative: To inform my audience of the dangerous conditions of many school buses in the U.S. • Persuasive: To persuade my audience that the federal government should impose stronger safety standards for school buses in the U.S.

  17. Analyzing the Audience • Audience-centered (identification ): • remain true to yourself and speak ethically while adapting your message to the needs of a particular audience

  18. The psychology of audience: • Egocentric: • people pay closest attention to messages that affect their own values, their own beliefs, their own well-being.

  19. Demographic audience analysis • age, • gender, • sexual orientation, • religion, • group membership; • racial, ethnic or cultural background

  20. Other variables to consider: • occupation, • economic position, • social standing, • education, • intelligence, • and place of residence

  21. Situational Audience analysis • Size; • Physical setting; • Audience’s interest, knowledge & attitude; • Perception of the speaker; • Disposition toward the occasion.

  22. Getting information about the audience • observation and conversation • Interview; • Questionnaire: • ---fixed-alternative questions • ---scale questions • ---open-ended questions

  23. Adapting to the audience • audience adaptation before the speech: • --- assessing • --- adjusting • audience adaptation during the speech: • --- time allotment • --- reaction to feedback

More Related