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Public Speaking and Speech Writing: Public Speaking Foundations

This guide will help you learn public speaking foundations and writing the best speeches for your classes.

Public Speaking Foundations

Understanding how to start writing a speech is important. The first question students usually ask when assigned a speech is "How and where do I start?" Follow these tips to learn how to pick a topic for your speech and analyze the audience you will be giving your speech for.

Topics and Audiences

Picking a topic for a speech assignment depends on the purpose of your speech. Are you supposed to:

  • Educate your audience?
  • Persuade your audience?
  • Demonstrate a technique?
  • Debate a controversial topic?
  • Commemorate a person/place/event?

Types of Speeches

Use these Madonna Library and online resources to browse for topics that interest you:

Get good background information on your topic by using encyclopedias or reference materials:

When it comes time to write your speech, you will always want to back up your background knowledge with in-depth information from reliable sources. This makes your speech stronger, more interesting, and more credible.

Analyzing your audience helps you focus your content to the specific audience. This also helps you ensure that your speech’s content is clear and understandable. Analyze:

  • The audience’s expectations about the topic and the speaker.
  • The audience’s knowledge of the topic.
  • The audience’s attitude toward the topic.
  • The audience’s size and demographics.
  • The setting of the presentation.
  • The voluntariness of the audience participation.

Watch this video on conducting an audience analysis for a speech or presentation.

For an example of an audience analysis for a speech made in class, take a look at this speech plan from Western Oregon University.