Every good speech has a purpose. Depending on the topic, it might be to inform, persuade or entertain.

Before you start writing your speech, ask yourself what you want your audience to gain from it. For example, if you're giving a talk on recycling, you might want to inform students about the importance of it and persuade them to recycle at school.

Consider your audience

Knowing who will be listening to your talk and what they have in common is important because it'll help you tailor your speech to their needs and interests.

When planning the content of your speech, ask yourself what your audience needs to know and what they already know about your topic. Research your topic

You need to know your topic well to deliver an enlightening speech and that might require some research. It's a good idea to think about what kind of sources your audience will find most convincing before you do any research. Depending on your topic, you might consult newspapers, magazines, studies, government statistics and the internet.

Get the audience's attention

The first 20 seconds of your speech will make or break you, so you need to arouse the audience's curiosity quickly.

To do this, you can start with a joke, story or thought-provoking question - anything to get their attention. Once they're listening, explain what you're going to talk about.

For example, 'Did you know that there's enough rubbish in our school to fill two playgrounds? Today I'm going to tell you how we can reduce rubbish at school.'

Give the audience information

The body of your speech should cover three or four key points that you want people to remember.

For example, for a talk on recycling at school, you might focus on:

What kind of rubbish we produce

Why we should care about it

What can we do to reduce it

Each point should be reinforced by facts, stories and/or examples to help people understand what you're saying.

You can also include props and visual aids such as objects, pictures, charts or graphs for clarification and emphasis.

For the talk outlined above, you could hold up a big rubbish bag for dramatic effect.

Give them something to remember

Since most people will forget what you say after five minutes, the end of your speech is particularly important.

After you've summarised your main points, try to end with a catchy word or sentence that sums up your topic and gives people something to remember. For example: 'If you don't help, who will?'

Giving a speech is your opportunity to teach or inspire others.

Great speeches have changed the course of history, moved people to change their lives, and expressed the feelings and aspirations of nations.

Being able to write and deliver a good speech is a life skill that will be useful in whatever career you pursue.