The big three

All public speeches can be categorized by one of three general speech purposes:

• to inform or teach (increasing listeners’ understanding or awareness)
• to persuade or seduce (altering listeners’ beliefs or encouraging specific actions)
• to celebrate, honor, or mourn (bringing a community together in speech on a specia loccasion, such as a birth, a death, or a toast at a party) (Gunn 2017, loc. 151)

ex. exemplify

In a small group, identify a topic and craft a thesis statement in each of these three types.

1. inform
2. persuade
3. celebrate

Socrates

Variations

• presentation (awarding an honor)
• acceptance (receiving an honor)
• dedication (acknowledging event)
• toast (congratulate, appreciate, or remember)
• roast (humorous lambast)
• eulogy (honoring the dead):lament & console
• farewell (life transition)
• commencement (graduation)
• motivational: hero, survivor, religion, success (Tucker 2018, ch. 15)

Developing a topic

Consider …

• the speech situation
• the audience
• your interests (strong feelings)
• interesting and compelling content

Brainstorm 1: Mind map

Brainstorm 2: Free association

1. Let’s decide on a word.
2. You do a chain of 10 word associations (2 minutes).
3. Share where you land, and perhaps your path.

Brainstorm 3: AI

Ask AI (e.g., perplexity.ai) for 6 novel topics related to your “under-appreciated” speech.

WARNING: Remember our AI policy.

The dilemma

ex. Would you throw the switch?

• Mindmap pro/cons & counter/arguments (5m).
• Prepare 1 minute speech (5m).
  1. What is your thesis?
  2. What are your 2 or 3 supports?
  3. What are your entrance & exit?
  4. What is your one or two stylistic flourishes?
• Volunteers? 💬 (1m).

One decision

A kid’s answer

Wrap up

Consider and note which of the genres you think are most difficult to pull off and why?

Which of the genres you think are most difficult to pull off and why? ▶