Blog 6

Persuasive speeches can be very easy for some people to give because they have a natural ability to sway people's thinking. However, for many of us, when it comes to giving a persuasive speech, we aren't sure what we should choose for a topic. We think that we won't be able to persuade people to change anything. Chapter 12 does a really good job of explaining how we should choose a topic for persuasive speeches. The book says that you should choose a topic that you are interested in. I totally agree with that. If you are trying to talk about something that you have absolutely no interest in yourself, how are you going to persuade other people? When you are speaking about something that you feel very strongly about, people will notice your enthusiasm and connection to the topic and will be more likely to really listen to you. Another great suggestion that the book gives for choosing a topic is to select an issue that is current but not of common knowledge. People will want to know more about it because it is current and perhaps affecting them. A persuasive speech that is about a current issue will be more likely to grab your audience's attention and make them want to listen to what you have to say. You will have a better chance, then, of persuading them if they are listening. Persuasive speeches usually are about a topic that has opposing viewpoints. The audience might view the topic one way and the speaker the other way. That is why it is important in a persuasive speech to really give your audience a reason to listen to your side of the argument because they will often be very set in their ways and will need motivation to listen. Persuasive speeches can be very well presented if enough research, thought, and time is put in to them.

**What do you think is the most important thing to think about when choosing a topic for a persuasive speech?