Transcript Narrowing A Presentation Topic

ENG101 - Speaking Module
Selecting the topic for your
presentation
Selecting your topic: An overview
• We choose topics everyday and the best
topics meet three important factors:
- Pick a subject you care about. The passion
will come out in your voice and in your body
language.
- They are interesting to the speaker
- They are interesting to the audience
The best
topics are
interesting to
the audience
First you need to develop a set of
possible topics
You can develop topics by:
• Brainstorming
• Word Association
• Research
Brainstorm to generate ideas
• List every idea
that comes into
your mind
without being
worried if they
are good ideas
or not.
Use word association to narrow down
your topic
• One idea leads to
another idea that
leads to another
idea until you end
up with a topic that
is narrowed down.
Narrowing your topic
• Why is this important?
– Your presentation needs to fit the time limit
– It makes your presentation easier to deliver and
easier for your audience to follow
– Gives you focus
Your aim is to get it narrow enough so that you can get
into some detailed specifics about the topic, but not so
narrow that you run out of things to say in the time
allocated.
Broad topic  Food
Narrower topic  Desserts
Narrowed topic Cherry Pie
Research your department
• Developing possible presentation topics by
gathering and recording information from
libraries, the Internet, and interviews.
• Remember you need 3 (three) sources.
• You must show your teacher these
sources and provide them with a
bibliography before your presentation.
Consider your audience
• When considering your audience your
topic should meet as many of the following
criteria as possible:
– It will interest your audience
– It will give information to your audience that
they need to know
– It will entertain your audience in some way
Once you choose your topic try not
change it
• Changing your topic will increase your
preparation time.
• Not believing in your presentation topic
can weaken your presentation.
Tips for selecting the best topic
• If you are not excited about your topic…
no one else will be.
• A presentation topic that is not boring is
a pleasure for your teacher to watch.
Decide the purpose of your
presentation
• To inform: increasing listeners’
understanding or awareness.
• To persuade: convincing listeners to
consider a new position, strengthen or
weaken a belief, or take action.
Tips for specific purpose
• Tip: Focus on what information you want your
audience to walk away with.
• Tip: Do not forget your purpose when writing
your presentation. If you stay focused on your
purpose the presentation will be much easier
to prepare. 
Specific purpose examples
- Informative: “Billboard advertising is an advertising
method that is often forgotten about.”
- Informative: “The history of the Mercedes Benz car
logo is interesting.”
- Persuasive: “Radio advertising is the best way to
reach drivers.”
- Persuasive: “The effects of social media on young
people is harmful.”
AND ASK YOUR
TEACHER FOR
HELP IF YOU
NEED IT!