How to Select a Topic for a Speech
Consider the occasion., Consider your purpose., Know which topics to avoid.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider the occasion.
The occasion for the speech can go a long way in helping you determine the topic.
Your speech topic will vary depending on whether the occasion is celebratory, just plain fun, solemn, or professional.
Here are a few ways that the occasion can help influence your speech topic:
If the occasion is solemn, such as a funeral or memorial service, then your topic should be serious and relevant to the occasion.
If the occasion is fun, such as a toast at a bachelor party, then it's time to bring out the fun anecdotes and stories and to make people laugh
-- not to share your passion for coin collecting.
If the occasion is celebratory, like a wedding, then you need to provide some light-hearted humor as well as some serious and sentimental points.
If the occasion is professional, then you need to stick to a professional topic, such as website design, and not focus on your personal experiences. -
Step 2: Consider your purpose.
Your purpose is related to the occasion and is the goal you want to achieve through your speech.
Your purpose can be to inform, persuade, or just to entertain your audience.
A speech can have a variety of purposes, but it's important to be acquainted with the most common purposes:
To inform.
To inform your audience, you'll need to provide relevant facts and details about a subject that reveals information that allows your audience to see an ordinary subject in a more complicated light, or to learn about a completely foreign subject.
To persuade.
To persuade your audience, you'll need to use rhetorical techniques, metaphors, and convincing evidence from experts to show them that they should do something, whether it's to elect you for office, recycle more, or take the time to volunteer in their communities.
To entertain.
To entertain your audience, you'll need to draw on personal or anecdotal examples, tell funny stories, show off your wit, and make your audience crack up, even if you're communicating an underlying serious message.
To celebrate.
If you're celebrating a specific person or event, you'll need to show your audience what makes that person or thing so special, and to garner enthusiasm for your subject. , If you want to select a topic that suits your purpose and is relevant to the occasion, then you should eliminate a variety of topics before you even start brainstorming ideas.
This will make it easier for you not to offend or just bore your audience as you move forward with your ideas.
Here are a few things to consider as you cross those potential topics off your list:
Don't pick anything so complicated that it would be impossible to inform your audience.
If you pick something so complex that it can't be explained in a short amount of time or without pages of charts or diagrams, then you will lose your audience.
Don't pick something that's so simple that your audience could understand it in just a minute or two.
If your topic is so basic that you'll only be repeating yourself after you've said just a few sentences, then you'll lose your audience's interests as well.
You want to keep your audience members on their toes, not knowing what to expect next.
Don't pick anything that's too controversial.
Unless you're at a convention for controversial speeches, it's best to avoid topics that are too controversial, like abortion or gun control.
Of course, if your goal is to persuade your audience to agree with one side of these issues, then you should go ahead with your speech, but know that you may lose many people before you begin.
Don't pick anything that doesn't fit the mood of the audience.
If it's a celebratory occasion, don't give a dry speech about irrigation; if it's a professional occasion, don't give an emotional speech about how much you love your mother. -
Step 3: Know which topics to avoid.
Detailed Guide
The occasion for the speech can go a long way in helping you determine the topic.
Your speech topic will vary depending on whether the occasion is celebratory, just plain fun, solemn, or professional.
Here are a few ways that the occasion can help influence your speech topic:
If the occasion is solemn, such as a funeral or memorial service, then your topic should be serious and relevant to the occasion.
If the occasion is fun, such as a toast at a bachelor party, then it's time to bring out the fun anecdotes and stories and to make people laugh
-- not to share your passion for coin collecting.
If the occasion is celebratory, like a wedding, then you need to provide some light-hearted humor as well as some serious and sentimental points.
If the occasion is professional, then you need to stick to a professional topic, such as website design, and not focus on your personal experiences.
Your purpose is related to the occasion and is the goal you want to achieve through your speech.
Your purpose can be to inform, persuade, or just to entertain your audience.
A speech can have a variety of purposes, but it's important to be acquainted with the most common purposes:
To inform.
To inform your audience, you'll need to provide relevant facts and details about a subject that reveals information that allows your audience to see an ordinary subject in a more complicated light, or to learn about a completely foreign subject.
To persuade.
To persuade your audience, you'll need to use rhetorical techniques, metaphors, and convincing evidence from experts to show them that they should do something, whether it's to elect you for office, recycle more, or take the time to volunteer in their communities.
To entertain.
To entertain your audience, you'll need to draw on personal or anecdotal examples, tell funny stories, show off your wit, and make your audience crack up, even if you're communicating an underlying serious message.
To celebrate.
If you're celebrating a specific person or event, you'll need to show your audience what makes that person or thing so special, and to garner enthusiasm for your subject. , If you want to select a topic that suits your purpose and is relevant to the occasion, then you should eliminate a variety of topics before you even start brainstorming ideas.
This will make it easier for you not to offend or just bore your audience as you move forward with your ideas.
Here are a few things to consider as you cross those potential topics off your list:
Don't pick anything so complicated that it would be impossible to inform your audience.
If you pick something so complex that it can't be explained in a short amount of time or without pages of charts or diagrams, then you will lose your audience.
Don't pick something that's so simple that your audience could understand it in just a minute or two.
If your topic is so basic that you'll only be repeating yourself after you've said just a few sentences, then you'll lose your audience's interests as well.
You want to keep your audience members on their toes, not knowing what to expect next.
Don't pick anything that's too controversial.
Unless you're at a convention for controversial speeches, it's best to avoid topics that are too controversial, like abortion or gun control.
Of course, if your goal is to persuade your audience to agree with one side of these issues, then you should go ahead with your speech, but know that you may lose many people before you begin.
Don't pick anything that doesn't fit the mood of the audience.
If it's a celebratory occasion, don't give a dry speech about irrigation; if it's a professional occasion, don't give an emotional speech about how much you love your mother.
About the Author
Susan Kelly
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in organization and beyond.
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