Identify and briefly explain the functions of a speech introduction.

What will be an ideal response?

An effective introduction achieves four primary goals:
(1) it gets the audience’s attention, (2) it establishes listener relevance, (3) it begins to establish speaker credibility, and (4) it states the thesis.
(1) An audience’s physical presence does not guarantee people will actually listen to your speech. An effective introduction creates an opening that will win your listeners’ attention by arousing their curiosity and motivate them to want to know more about your topic.
(2) Once you have got your listener’s attention, you need to keep it. This is done by establishing a listener relevance link. It is a statement of how and why your speech relates to or might affect your audience. Tell your listeners why they should care about what you are saying.
(3) An effective introduction also works to establish credibility. Credibility is the perception your audience has about your competence and character. You want to provide some indication that you are an authority on the subject, and that you respect the audience and the occasion.
(4) Finally, an introduction states the thesis of your speech. Stating the main points in the introduction is necessary. The audience will want to know what the speech is going to be about.