1. Speaking to Persuade
Part I.

2. Persuasive speech
Purpose: to convince others to change their feelings, beliefs, or behavior.
A salesperson. A political leader. A teacher. Mommy…etc.
Persuasive speech?! ALL THE TIME!!
Warm Up !!

3. Preparing for the Persuasive Speech
Choosing your topic
Determining your specific purpose
Analyzing your audience
Gathering information
Preparing visual aids
Organizing your speech

4. Why the orders change? Persuasive speech Informative speech
Choosing your topic
Determining your specific purpose
Analyzing your audience
Gathering information
Preparing visual aids
Organizing your speech
Analyzing your audience
Choosing your topic
Gathering information
Preparing visual aids
Organizing your speech
Because goal is different
Informative: to provide audience with information they may want to hear to know.
 Audience-oriented
Persuasive: to convince audience to change their beliefs and follow your.
 Topic-oriented

5. 1. Choosing your topic What should I talk about?
Suggestions about how to choose a topic:
Choose a topic that really interests you.
Suggest a change that isn’t too large.
Choose a topic that is controversial.
Step by step:
General topic (just one)  Possible specific persuasive claims (many)  Your choice (specific one)
p.123 Formulate persuasive claims for topics.
p.124 Narrow down the topic.
Write out a specific purpose statement. It should follow this format, "After my speech, I want my audience to ____________." This statement guides you through the development of the speech.
Statement. Declarative sentence.
Show clear pros/cons.

6. Example: narrow down your topic
General topic: School dress code
Specific persuasive claims:
High school students should not be required to wear uniforms to school.
Private school should abolish student dress code.
Students should have rights to design their own uniforms.
Your choice: Students should have rights to design their own uniforms.
Not really interests me cuz I’m not high school students anymore
Too large a change.
1. The change isn’t too large cuz I’m not asking to abolish dress code completely.
2. It’s controversial enough to have both sides.

7. Write a DEBATABLE topic:
Have to be a claim/declarative sentence.
Clearly state ONE side of opinion.
So that the other side is easy to recognize.
Example:
Capital punishment should be abolished.
Side: “should”  affirmative
The other side: “should not”  negative
Should capital punishment be abolished?
Suitable discussion topic. Not a decisive debate topic.

8. 2. Determining your specific purpose
General goal: to convince your listeners to change something.
What I want them to change?
Belief: whether sth is true or false
Opinion: about sth’s value
Behavior: do or not do sth
After my speech, I want my audience to _____.

9. Example: identify specific purpose
Everyone should learn to give artificial respiration.
Airplane travel is the safest way to travel in the U.S.
Soccer is a more exciting sport than baseball.
The government should prohibit all cigarette advertising.
Lower highway speed limits save lives.
Single parents should be allowed to adopt children.
You should donate one third of your income a year to your favorite charity.
Cats make wonderful pets.
Behavior
belief
opinion
opinion
belief
opinion
p.126 Identify specific purposes
Behavior
opinion

10. 3. Analyzing your audience
How my listeners may feel/think about the topic?
Expected responses:
Agree completely./Be indifferent./ Disagree completely.
Use possible responses as a criterion of fixing the topic.
Agee completely  Not controversial enough!
Be indifferent  Boring topic. Not worth debating.
Disagree completely  Find out the reasons & Suit the remedy to the case.

11. 4. Gathering information
Write down what you already know about your topic.  foundation
Think about your related observations or experiences.
Gather additional necessary information by:
Conducting research
Interview experts/people.
Editorial pages of newspapers.
Be sure to tell your audience the source of your information.

12. Assignment for this week
Find out ONE controversial topic.
Write down the persuasive speech topic (statement, declarative sentence.)
List two arguments for the affirmative side.
List two arguments for the negative side.
Post your topic with arguments on the Wikispaces by Sunday 10 p.m..
Find out ONE controversial topic. Write down the persuasive speech topic (statement, declarative sentence.) List 2 arguments for the affirmative side. List 2 arguments for the negative side. Post your topic with arguments on the Wikispaces by Sunday10 p.m..

13. Example: Name: ________________
General topic: ____Marriage_________________________________
Debate topic: __Women should get married before 30._______
2 arguments for the pro side: _1. _______________________________
_2. _______________________________
2 arguments for the con side: _1. _______________________________