Selecting a Topic
- Select a topic
- personal experience
- current events
- issues and controversies
- choose a general speech purpose
- informative
- persuasive
- narrow the topic
- sustainable energy → switching to solar panels
- choose a specific speech purpose
- how you can make the switch to solar panels
- form a thesis
- a single statement that concisely identifies what your speech is about
- “investing in public transportation is a good way to make the city more eco friendly”
How to Select a Topic
- brainstorm
- mind map
- stay away from overused and boring topics
Choose a topic that is novel. “Things that kill old people” is better than “The death of the queen”, because everyone already knows about the death of the queen.
Possible Topics
- People
- Current or historical events
- Concepts
- Issues
- Processes
- Objects or phenomena