Guiding Speech Writing and Outlining

Sep 23, 2024

Lecture Notes: General Purpose, Specific Purpose, and Central Idea

Overview

  • The focus of this unit is to help students determine a topic and narrow it down into primary main points quickly.
  • Repeated review of these concepts will aid in quiz preparation and speech outlining.

Key Concepts

General Purpose

  • It’s the broad intent of the speech (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain).
  • Lays the foundation for narrowing down the topic.

Specific Purpose

  • What the speaker wishes to accomplish with the speech.
  • Example: "To inform my audience of the major factors that determine the value of a baseball card."

Central Idea (Thesis Statement)

  • What the speaker wishes to communicate.
  • Considered the core of the speechwriting process.
  • Similar to a thesis statement in an English paper; introduces the main body of the speech.
  • Known by various terms: central idea, thesis statement, subject sentence, major thought.

Crafting an Effective Central Idea

  • Must be written as a simple, full sentence.
  • Derived directly from the specific purpose.
  • More precise than the specific purpose.
  • Delivered orally during the speech introduction.

Finding Main Points from a Specific Purpose

  • In a well-worded specific purpose, certain words indicate the main points.
  • Example: "To inform my audience of the major factors that determine the value of a baseball card." The word "factors" houses the main points.

Example Central Idea

  • "The four factors that determine the value of a baseball card are the fame of the player, the age of the card, the rarity of the card, and the physical condition of the card."
    • Clearly outlines the main points in a full sentence.
    • Should be understandable and recognizable during the speech introduction.

Importance of Notes and Study Guides

  • Lecture notes on topics, general purpose, specific purpose, and central idea are crucial for both test preparation and guiding the speechwriting process.
  • Understanding these components allows for efficient outline creation.

Conclusion

  • The process involves starting with a general topic and becoming more specific to effectively outline a speech.
  • The entire unit prepares students to outline formal presentations efficiently.