Which Is Not A General Purpose For A Speech

Which is NOT a General Purpose for a Speech? Understanding the Core Aims of Public Speaking

Public speaking, whether a casual conversation with friends or a formal address to a large audience, always serves a purpose. Understanding the general purpose of your speech is the foundational step in crafting a compelling and effective presentation. While many purposes exist, certain aims are not considered general purposes for a speech. This article delves into the core aims of public speaking, identifies what doesn't constitute a general purpose, and clarifies the crucial distinctions.

The Three Primary General Purposes of a Speech

Before we explore what isn't a general purpose, let's solidify our understanding of the three primary goals most speeches aim to achieve:

1. To Inform: Informative speeches aim to educate the audience on a specific topic. They focus on conveying factual information, explaining concepts, or providing insights into a subject matter. Think of a professor's lecture, a scientific presentation, or a news report – these all fall under the umbrella of informative speaking. The key is to present information clearly, accurately, and engagingly, ensuring the audience understands and retains the key points.

Key Characteristics of Informative Speeches:

• Objective: The speaker remains neutral and unbiased, presenting facts without personal opinions or persuasive arguments.
• Clarity: The language used is precise and easy to understand, avoiding jargon or overly technical terms.
• Organization: The information is logically structured, typically following a clear pattern like chronological order, spatial order, or topical order.
• Visual Aids: Often incorporates visual aids such as charts, graphs, images, or videos to enhance understanding.

2. To Persuade: Persuasive speeches aim to influence the audience's beliefs, attitudes, or actions. They present arguments, evidence, and appeals to reason or emotion to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific course of action. Political speeches, sales presentations, and advocacy speeches are examples of persuasive speaking. The goal is not simply to inform but to move the audience to adopt a specific position or change their behavior.

Key Characteristics of Persuasive Speeches:

• Subjective: The speaker presents a particular point of view and attempts to convince the audience of its validity.
• Appeals: Uses various rhetorical appeals, including ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic), to persuade the audience.
• Evidence: Supports arguments with credible evidence, statistics, examples, and testimony.
• Call to Action: Often concludes with a clear call to action, urging the audience to take a specific step.

3. To Entertain: Entertaining speeches primarily aim to amuse or delight the audience. They may incorporate humor, storytelling, anecdotes, or other engaging elements to create a positive and enjoyable experience. After-dinner speeches, commencement addresses, and motivational talks often serve an entertaining purpose, even if they also contain informative or persuasive elements. The key is to captivate the audience and leave them feeling uplifted or amused.

Key Characteristics of Entertaining Speeches:

• Lighthearted: The tone is generally lighthearted and enjoyable, focusing on creating a positive atmosphere.
• Engaging: Utilizes storytelling, humor, and other techniques to maintain audience interest.
• Relatable: Connects with the audience on a personal level, often drawing on shared experiences or emotions.
• Memorable: Aims to leave a lasting positive impression on the audience.

Activities that are NOT General Purposes of a Speech

While the three categories above represent the broad strokes of speech purposes, certain activities do not fall under the umbrella of general speech purposes. These are often ancillary activities or elements within a speech rather than the overarching goal. Here are some examples:

1. To Simply Fill Time: Delivering a speech solely to fill a designated time slot is not a legitimate general purpose. While a speech might incidentally fill time, the primary goal should be to achieve one of the three general purposes outlined above – to inform, persuade, or entertain. A speech designed only to occupy time is likely to be dull, ineffective, and ultimately unsuccessful.

2. To Impress Others (with skill only): While effective public speaking undoubtedly leaves a positive impression, aiming to impress solely through technical skill without conveying a meaningful message is misplaced. The skill should serve the message, not the other way around. A technically proficient but vacuous speech will ultimately fail to engage or connect with the audience. Focus on content and purpose, and skillful delivery will naturally follow.

3. To Demonstrate Mastery of a Specific Technique: A speech should not be a platform to show off a specific skill (e.g., perfect pronunciation, flawless memorization, specific rhetorical devices) in isolation. Such a focus detracts from the overall message and makes the speech feel artificial and self-serving. While mastering techniques is important, they should be used to enhance the overall message and purpose, not as the primary focus.

4. To Read a Script Word-for-Word (without engagement): While using notes or a structured outline is perfectly acceptable, simply reading a script word-for-word without any genuine connection with the audience is not a legitimate general purpose. The goal is to communicate effectively, and this requires interaction and engagement with the listeners. A speech that feels like a monotone recitation will lose the audience’s attention and fail to achieve any meaningful purpose.

5. To Showcase Personal Achievements: While incorporating personal anecdotes or experiences can enhance a speech, using the platform solely to boast about personal achievements is inappropriate. The focus should remain on the topic at hand, with personal stories used strategically to support the overall message, not to serve as a self-congratulatory exercise. The audience is primarily interested in the topic, not in your personal accolades.

6. To Conduct a Transaction (purely commercial): Although persuasive speeches might aim to influence purchasing decisions, using a speech solely as a commercial transaction – a purely sales-oriented pitch without offering valuable information or insight – is not a general purpose. While sales pitches can be effective when integrated into a broader, engaging speech, using a speech only as a sales tool is manipulative and unlikely to resonate with the audience.

7. To Create Conflict or Disrupt: While speeches can address controversial topics or challenge existing norms, the primary aim shouldn't be to deliberately create conflict or disrupt for its own sake. Disagreements are acceptable parts of many presentations; however, deliberately sowing discord or antagonism undermines the purpose of communication. A productive speech may stimulate debate, but its overall purpose should be to facilitate understanding, even amidst differing opinions.

The Importance of Defining Your Purpose

Defining the general purpose of your speech is crucial for several reasons:

• Audience Adaptation: Understanding your purpose helps you tailor your message and delivery to your specific audience. An informative speech for experts will differ significantly from one intended for a general audience.
• Content Selection: Your purpose dictates the type of information you include and how you present it. A persuasive speech requires supporting evidence and logical arguments, whereas an entertaining speech may rely on humor and anecdotes.
• Structure and Organization: The structure of your speech should reflect its purpose. Informative speeches often follow a clear, logical structure, while persuasive speeches may employ various persuasive techniques.
• Delivery Style: Your delivery style should align with your purpose. An informative speech might require a more formal and authoritative tone, while an entertaining speech may embrace a more relaxed and conversational style.
• Assessment of Effectiveness: Knowing your purpose allows you to assess the effectiveness of your speech. Did you successfully inform, persuade, or entertain your audience? This self-evaluation is critical for continuous improvement as a speaker.

Conclusion: Focusing on Meaningful Communication

In conclusion, while many factors contribute to a successful speech, the overarching goal must always be one of the three primary general purposes: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. Activities that prioritize self-promotion, time-filling, or deliberate conflict are not legitimate general purposes. By clearly defining your purpose and focusing on meaningful communication, you can craft powerful speeches that resonate with your audience and achieve your desired outcome. Remember that effective public speaking is about connecting with your audience, conveying a message, and leaving a lasting impression—and that's far more impactful than simply filling time or showcasing technical skills in isolation.