What is one of the primary goals of a speech conclusion?

Reinforcing audience understanding is a fundamental goal of a speech conclusion because the conclusion serves to summarize and encapsulate the main points of the presentation. As a speaker wraps up their message, the final statements are crucial for reminding the audience of key takeaways and the significance of the information presented. This reinforcement helps to clarify any complex ideas and ensures that the audience leaves with a clear grasp of the speech's core message, thereby enhancing retention and comprehension.

While opportunities for questions are valuable, they typically occur after the conclusion rather than being a primary goal of it. Details about source materials are usually not presented in the conclusion, as they focus on the main content rather than the references. Lastly, reinforcing credibility and goodwill is important, but it serves more as an undercurrent throughout the speech rather than being the primary function of the final portion. The emphasis of the conclusion is ultimately on synthesizing information for clear understanding.