Audience & Purpose

Audience & Purpose:

Sculpting Your Speech Message

By Heather Perrin

For a lot of us, this is our very first speech, so it can feel a little odd. That's why we're taking baby steps. ✨

1. You've already chosen your topic and made a claim.
2. You've already found at least 3 sources that can support your claim.
3. You've already chosen your audience.
4. Now we have to write an argumentative speech, putting all of the skills we've looked at this year into action!

​As you write your argumentative speech you will notice that it looks suspiciously like a 5-paragraph essay. EXCEPT for some benefits. (Slide 5)

Just remember that the bigger the audience, the more you have to adapt for other opinions.

Not just me as your teacher, but who is your intended audience? If you were going to give this speech to a crowd, which crowd would you be speaking to? It's going to be a large group to consider. Look at the examples below.

Who is your audience?

• Students in the south

• High school teachers

• Parents of young kids

• Friends

• Doctors

• Police Officers

• Government Officials
  
  

• Retail employees

• Adults under 35

• Adults over 35

• People in Alabama

• People in the United States

• People everywhere.
  
  

Open Ended

Who is the intended audience for your speech?

1. More natural language - Because you're talking to people in speeches and you're speaking in a way that will reach your audience.

2. The reading of your speech can differ from the script slightly - So if you notice an issue in your script as you read, feel free to correct it on the fly and move on.

1. What's their education level? (Diction)

2. What do they know about the topic? (Syntax)

3. What's the best way to address the topic with them? (Ethos/Logos/Pathos)

Considering your audience:

Speech Benefits

Open Ended

Based on the audience you chose, what is the best approach for reaching your audience?

For example, will you need to provide a lot of definitions and clarification? Or would the audience already have background information? AND if they have background information, how are you elevating the topic? (We wouldn't tell a bank owner how an ATM works or tell an 8-year-old about reducing credit card debt.)

Open Ended

Based on the audience you chose, will you need to rely more on Ethos, Logos, or Pathos to persuade them?

Open Ended

Based on the audience you chose, how will you make your argument?

List the 3 supporting details you will use to support your claim (based on the sources you found).

List them from least to most important based on your intended audience.

Building a Thesis Statement: Math Style

Topic + Claim + 3 supporting details (summary)

1. The benefits of self-care for teens cannot be overstated as they help teenagers (supporting detail 1), (supporting detail 2), and (supporting detail 3).

2. Learning multiple languages can improve brain function by (supporting detail 1), (supporting detail 2), and (supporting detail 3).

3. Working full time as a student is harmful to students and employers because (supporting detail 1), (supporting detail 2), and (supporting detail 3).

Open Ended

Consider your topic, your claim, and your 3 supporting details, then build your thesis statement here.

Now that you have your audience and thesis, you have a road map to build your speech.

Now you're ready to build your outline and then to write your speech script!