英语演讲选修课教案2 selecting a topic.doc

山 东 理 工 大 学 教 案 第 2 次课教学课型：理论课 实验课 习题课 实践课 技能课 其它主要教学内容（注明：* 重点 # 难点 ）：Selecting a topic and purpose What is a suitable speech topic?Determining your purposeGeneral purpose* Specific purpose* Phrasing the central idea*Tips for formulating the specific purpose statement# Guidelines for central idea教学目的要求：对topic，purpose和 central idea有一个初步的了解，理清演讲的目的，方式以及讲稿的初步思路。教学方法和教学手段：讲授, ppt讨论、思考题、作业：Write a short passage covering the general purpose , specific purpose and central idea.Checklist for purposes参考资料：The art of public speakingBe a great speech makerThe most influential speeches注：教师讲稿附后Lesson two Selecting a topic and purpose I am lucky, honored and humbled to stand here, so many students watch how I would perform on this small but terrifying platform. Frankly speaking, I am quite nervous standing here, especially before you, a large group of audience, no one is perfect, it is not shameful at all to admit my nervousness, because everybody will be nervous to some extent when asked to speak before a big audience. Why did I say so, I have proof. One of the major concerns of students in any speech class is stage fright. We may as well face the issue squarely. Many people who converse easily in all kinds of everyday situations become frightened ar the idea of standing up before a group to make a speech. If you are worried about stage fright, you may feel better knowing that you are not alone. A survey conducted in 1973 asked more than 2,500 Americans to list their greatest fears. To the surprises of the reserchers, the largest number fo people-41%-listed speaking before a group among their greatest fears. Amazing as it may seem, many Americans appear to consider public speaking a fate worse than death.This is A survey conducted in AmericaResearchers asked their respondents to list their greatest fears, here is how they responded: Greatest Fears Percent Naming A party with strangers 74 Giving a speech 70 Asked personal questions in public 65 Meeting a dates parents 59 First day on a new job 59 Victim of a practical joke 56 Talking with sb. in authority 53 Job interview 46 Formal dinner party 44 Blind date 42From the chart, we can see that speechmaking ranks near the top in provoking anxiety.Therefore, we can say that speaking in public means a great challenge to everybody. Nervousness mainly comes from the fact that we do not know what to say, how to say and less training. There are a lot of things that make a successful speech, such as your topic, your delivery, your language. Among them, the organization of the speech is the first concern of the public speaker. Then comes the second problem, How to organize you speech well. It involves several factors, such as your topic, your purpose and your central idea, and so on. They are what we are going to discuss today. Today we mainly focus on the following matters: Choosing a topicDetermining your purposeThe central ideaLets begin with selecting a topic: Selecting a topicThe first step in speech making is choosing a topic. It is a key element of a successful speech. For speeches outside the classroom this is seldom a problem. Usually the speech topic is determined by the occasion, the audience, and the speakers qualifications. When George W. Bush lectures on a college campus, he is invited to speak about foreign policy and current events. The same is true of ordinary citizens. The doctor is asked to inform how to deal with sport injuries, the florist discusses how to grow better houseplants, Mr. Fan Yuejin is asked to talk about school management. And Certainly I will never be expected to tell you something about mathematics.In a public speaking class the situation is different. Most of your speech assignment will not come with a designated topic. You generally have great leeway in selecting subjects for your speeches. This would appear to be an advantage, since it allows you to talk about matters of personal interest. Yet how to choose a proper topic remains a difficulty. What is a suitable speech topicFirst your topic should be Worthwhile: worthwhile topics must address issues that have significant implications for the audience. The topic must be important enough to merit the time and attention of a group of intelligent and educated persons.Second, it should be Appropriate: the best way to ensure that your topic is appropriate is to select a topic about which you know a lot and would like to learn more. It is a lot easier to please an audience when the topic interests them. The topic should also be appropriate for the occasion. Time limitations will exclude certain topics because they are too complex. Finally, your topic should be Limited in scopeThe major problem for beginning speakers is that they attempt to cover a huge topic in too short a time; the inevitable result is that nothing specific is covered everything is touched on but only superficially. You have to narrow and limit your topic, and divide the topic into several significant parts.Determining your purposeThe purpose of your speech is your goal; it is what you hope to achieve during your speech. Generally speaking we have two types of purpose: general purpose and specific one.General purposes (the broad goal of a speech)The general purpose is he broad goal of a speech, usually it falls into one of two overlapping categories-to inform or to persuade. When your general purpose is to inform, you act as a teacher or lecturer. Your goal is to convey information -and do it clearly, accurately and interestingly, your aim is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of your listeners-to give them information they did not have before.When your general purpose is to persuade, you act as an advocate or a partisan. Your goal is to change or structure the attitudes or actions of your audience. The difference between informing and persuading is the difference between explaining and exhorting. Your aim is to win over your listeners to your point of view-to get them to believe something or do something as a result of your speech.Now I will ask you what I am here for? My general purpose is to inform or to persuade?Yes, you are absolutely right. I am here to inform, to inform the audience about how to organize the speech well, and how to be a better public speaker.If I am here to tell you that public speaking means a lot of fun, it can enhance your confidence, your linguistic competence, it can help you to find a better job. And I am the best teacher who teaches public speaking (also the only one). In a term, I will make you a great public speaker, public speaking will be a piece of cake if you come to my class. What is my purpose? Yes, my purpose is to persuade. To persuade you to take my course.In speech classes, the general purpose is usually specified as part of the speech assignment. For speeches outside the classroom, however, you have to make sure of your general purpose yourself. Usually this is easy to do. Are you going to explain, report, or demonstrate something? Then your general purpose is to inform. Are you going to sell, advocate, or defend something? Then your general purpose is to persuade. But no matter what the situation, you must be certain of exactly what you hope to achieve by speaking. Knowing your general purpose is the first step. The next step is determining your specific purpose. Specific purposes: ( single infinitive phrase that states precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech.)Once you have chosen a topic and a general purpose, you must narrow your choices to determine the specific purpose . The specific purpose should focus on one aspect of a topic. You should be able to state your specific purpose in a single infinitive phrase.(to inform my audienceabout; to persuade my audience to) that indicates precisely what you hope to accomplish with your speech. Perhaps an example will help clarify the process of choosing a specific purpose. For example:If your topic is: EmergenciesYour general purpose is : To informSo far. So good. But what aspect of your topic would you discuss? The different kinds of emergencies? The emergency situations she had faced? Specific techniques such as water rescue, applyng first aid, or preventing a person from going into shock? She had to choose something interesting that she could cover in a six-minute speech. Finally, she settled on explaining the major steps involved in responding to an emergency. She stated her specific purpose this way.You should narrow your topic, focus on one aspect, and express it in a single infinitive phrase.For instance, we can define the specific purpose as: To inform my audience of the major steps in responding to an emergencyThis turned out to be an excellent choice, and her speech was among the best in the class. Notice how clear the specific purpose statement is. Notice also how it relates the topic directly to the audience. That is, it states not what the speaker wants to say, but what the speaker wants the audience to know as a result of the speech. This is very important, for it helps keep the audience at the center of you attention as you prepare the speech.Specific purpose: to explain the major steps in responding to an emergencyExplain to whom? To a group of medical students? To an introductory Red Cross class? Those would be two different speeches. The medical students already know the basic fact about responding to an emergency. For them, the speaker might provide a more advanced discussion. Tips for formulating the specific purpose statementFormulating a specific purpose is the most important early step in developing a successful speech. When writing your purpose statement, try to follow the general principles outlined below. The first tip is：1. Write the purpose statement as a full infinitive phrase, not as a fragment If your specific purpose is: Calendars. Is it effective or ineffective? Why， because it is a fragment, not an infinitive.If your specific is: To inform my audience about the four major kinds of calendars used inthe world today.It is much more effective.Another example: If your specific purpose is: Stem cell research . Is it effective or ineffective? Why， because it is a fragment, not an infinitiveIf your specific is: To persuade my audience that the federal government should increase funding for stem cell research.Of course, it is more effective.The ineffective statements above are adequate as announcements of the speech topic, but they are not thought out fully enough to indicate the specific purposeOk, Lets move on to tip 2 2. Express your purpose as a statement, not as a question ineffective: Is Chinas space program necessary?Is it effective or ineffective? Yes it is ineffective. Why， because it is a question, not an statementMore effective: To persuade my audience that Chinas space program provides many important benefits to people here on earthIt becomes more effective.The questions might make an adequate title, but they are not effective as the specific purpose statement. They give no indication about what direction the speech will take or what the speaker hopes to accomplish.The third tip is: 3. Avoid figurative language in your purpose statementIneffective: To inform my audience that yoga is extremely cool.More Effective: To inform my audience how yoga can improve their health.Here are two specific purpose statements, please tell which one is effective, which one is ineffective?Ineffective: To persuade my audience that the campus policy on off-campus living really stinks.More Effective: To persuade my audience that the campus policy on off-campus living should be revised.Although the ineffective statements indicate something of the speakers viewpoint, they do not state concisely what he or she hopes to achieve. Metaphors, analogies, and the like are effective devices for reinforcing ideas within a speech,but they are too ambiguous for specific purpose statements.Yes ,very good. Obviously I made myself understood.4. Limit your purpose statement to one distinct idea, or one main pointHere I give you three statements, and you decide which one is not effective.Ineffective: To inform my audience about the developments of AIDS and the recent testing procedures for HIV infectionMore Effective: To persuade my audience about the developments of AIDSMore Effective: To inform my audience about the recent testing procedures for HIV infection.Why the first sentence is ineffective? Because it has two main points: the developments of AIDS and the recent testing procedures for HIV infectionWhat you need to avoid is not simply the word “and”, but a specific purpose statement that contains two unrelated ideas, either of which could easily be developed into a speech in its own right.5. Make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or generalIneffective: To inform my audience about the Civil WarMore Effective: To inform my audience about the role of African American soldiers in the Civil WarThe ineffective purpose statement above falls into one of the most common traps-it is too broad and ill-defined. It gives no clues about what aspect of the Civil War the speaker will cover. The more effective purpose statement is sharp and concise. It reveals clearly what the speaker plans to discuss. Here is another example, this time from a persuasive speech: Ineffective: To persuade my audience that something must be done about medical care.More effective: To persuade my audience that the government should adopt a system of national health insurance for all people in China.Tell me which one is more effective?The second one, because, it is more concise. The ineffective purpose statement is vague and indistinct. It gives no indication of the speakers stance toward the topic. The “something” that “should be done” could include anything. The more effective purpose statement is crisp and clear. It does not leave us guessing what the speaker hopes to accomplish.When you determine your specific purpose, you should ask yourself the following questions to see whether your purpose is appropriate. Questions to ask about your specific purposeSometimes you will arrive at your specific purpose almost immediately after choosing your topic. At other times you may do quite a bit of research before deciding on a specific purpose. Much will depend on how familiar you are with the topic, as well as on any special demands imposed by the assignment, the audience, or the occasion. But whenever you settle on your specific purpose, ask yourself the following questions about it.1. Does my purpose meet the assignment?2. Can I accomplish my purpose in the time allotted?3. Is the purpose relevant to my audience?4. Is the purpose too trivial for my audience?5. Is the purpose too technical for my audience?All right, next we are going to discuss how to phrase your central idea. Phrasing the central idea (thesis statement, subject sentence, major thought) The specific purpose of a speech is what you hope to accomplish. The central idea is a concise statement of what you expect to say. Sometimes it is called thesis statement, subject sentence, major thought. Whatever the term, the central idea is usually expressed as a simple, declarative sentence that refines and sharpens the specific purpose statement.What is the central idea? It is a one-sentence statement that sums up the major ideas of a speech. It is what you want the audience to absorb from your speech.Imagine you run into a friend on your way to speech class. She says, “ I have to dash to my history lecture, but I hear youre giving a speech today. Can you tell me the gist of it in one sentence?” “ Sure,” you reply. “ Americas prison system suffers from three mafor problems- overcrowding of inmates, lack of effective rehabilitation programs, and high expense to taxpayers.”Your answer is the central idea of your speech. It is more precise than your topic (Americas prison system) or your specific purpose statement ( To inform my audience of the three major problems facing Americas prison sustem”) By stating exactly what the three major problems are, the central idea sums up your speech in a single sentence.Notice that in persuasive speeches, the central idea puts forth a point of view, an opinion. The central idea is an arguable, debatable proposition. It is a non-neutral statement. You have to take your stance, whether you are for or against the preposition. Standing in the middle is not acceptable In informative speeches, the central idea appears relatively neutral and objective.Lets take a few examples we saw earlier in this chapter and develop them from the topic, general purpose, and specific purpose to the central idea.We start with the speech about responding to an emergency situation. Topic: EmergenciesGeneral purpose: To informSpecific purpose: To inform my audience of the major steps in responding to an emergency.Central idea: The major steps in responding to an emergency are surveying the scene, contacting an emergency medical service, and starting CPR if