Posted: December 15th, 2023
Debates happen all around us. Every four years, Presidential candidates engage in very formal, structured debates on specific questions presented by journalists. Every year, state legislators engage in floor debate arguing for or against the legislation. Every day, trial lawyers debate who did it and why. In each of these contexts, the sides are clearly drawn, support is presented for each side, and the audience is invited to agree with one party while rejecting the claims of the other. As a culture, Westerners believe that contrasting arguments for each side is the best way to evaluate truth and make decisions accordingly. The argument is the method of politics and law, but also science, academic thought, and even religion.
You should begin work on this speech by identifying an issue that has global significance. By “globally significant,” this is an issue that impacts people in more than one country and should be of concern to leaders and citizens of many or most societies. Climate change, polluted oceans, energy resources, human trafficking, genocide, war/conflict, refugee crisis/rights, and human rights are examples of topics that are global in scope. Part of your job may be to argue for the global significance of the issue you choose: How and why does this issue affect (regional, national) and global communities?
In this speech, you will clearly assert a position on a globally impactful topic, and persuade the audience to take a particular action. You will provide background on the topic, clearly describe your position and solution, and offer the audience-specific, actionable steps they can take.
You will need to adapt your material for a listening audience. For your Persuasive Speech, you must survey your audience, and potentially develop and research new material based on audience motivation and knowledge about the topic. Repetition and clarification of ideas are especially important for a listening audience. You also will likely need to simplify and condense the material you cover to meet the time limit. Finally, keep in mind all well-developed speeches require an extensive amount of preparation and rehearsal.
Outline:
You will need to craft a formal, content outline for this speech, which includes a formal bibliography (References = APA; Works Cited = MLA). Consult your instructor about formatting for the bibliography. Follow the “Sample Outline: Persuasive Speech” as a template. Consult the schedule for deadlines.
(Note: The Persuasive Outline that accompanies this speech will serve as #GEA1 [General Education Assignment 1])
Thesis Statement:
As part of process writing, you may be required to turn in a working thesis statement on CANVAS. Consult the schedule for due dates.
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