Conclusion
Your persuasive speech in class, as well as in real life, is an opportunity to share a passion or cause that you believe will matter to society and help the audience live a better life. Even if you are initially uncomfortable with the idea of persuasion, we use it all the time in different ways. Choose your topic based on your own commitment and experience, look for quality evidence, craft your proposition so that it will be clear and audience-appropriate, and put the finishing touches on it with an eye toward enhancing your logos, ethos, and pathos.
Something to Think About
Go to YouTube and look for “Persuasive Speeches by College Students.” There are quite a few. Here’s one example:
Do you find this speech persuasive? Why or why not? Based on the content of this chapter, what did the speaker do correctly or perhaps not so correctly that affected his or her persuasiveness?
