5 Ways To Choose A Topic
After completing Chapter 2, you have a better understanding on the power of Public Speaking and 6 ways to overcome nervousness. Also, we did go through couple of case studies to have better understanding.
It is time for us to figure out ways to choose a proper topic for a speech.
What would you want to convey to your audience? What is your tittle?
YES! What is my speech title? Exactly the right question that hits us straight during the preparation.
Choosing a topic is the very first step in speech making, most of the times the speech topic is highly influenced from the occasion, audience, and speaker’s qualifications.
There are TWO ways to decide on a topic:
1. Subject you know a lot about
- Speaker is highly competent in their respective field of knowledge, usually they are well versed with all the information and executing the content to the audience should not be an issue.
For an example: I have depth knowledge in Quantum Theory, I want to share this knowledge with my audience in simpler manner on how they can use this in their daily life, hope all of them will get benefitted out of this speech.
2. Subject you want to know more about
- Speaker may not have adequate knowledge but has high interest to know more about
For an example: I know Quantum Theory can benefit one in daily life, but I need to know more so that the content can be disseminated correctly to the audience.
Listed are the FIVE methods to choose a topic:
1. Brainstorming - A method of generating ideas foe speech topics by free association if words and ideas.
2. Personal inventory - Make a quick inventory of your interest, experience, hobbies, skills, beliefs and so forth.
3. Reference search – Make use of encyclopaedia, periodical database, dictionaries to look for topics.
4. Internet search – Randomly search in internet for interesting topics
5. Clustering – Randomly place words and connect them with the main idea.
Example:
|
PEOPLE |
PLACES |
EVENTS |
PROCESSES |
PROBLEMS |
|
OPRAH WINFREY |
IRAQ |
MARRIAGE |
COOKING THAI FOOD |
CHILDHOOD OBESITY |
|
OSCAR DE LA HOYA |
KLANG |
PASSOVER |
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS |
ELECTION FRAUD |
|
FRIEND |
INDIA |
GRADUATION |
STUDYING ABROAD |
CAMPUS CRIME |
|
MOTHER |
ZAMBIA |
FAMILY DINNER |
SWIMMING |
TIME MANAGEMENT |
|
NEIGHBOR |
ENGLAND |
GET-TOGETHER |
PLAY PIANO |
THEFT |
Let us move on to the activities(s)