oral presentation english topics

120 Presentation Topic Ideas Help You Hook Your Audience

Updated: January 15, 2024

Published: August 09, 2023

Cooking is easy. The puzzle is figuring out what to eat. As soon as you know that, you can get started. The same holds for presentations. The sooner you can whip up a good, informative, and catchy topic, the easier the rest of the process becomes.

man presents presentation topics to a group

Pick a good topic that resonates with you and your audience to set a strong foundation. But select the wrong topic, and it becomes difficult to connect with your audience, find mutual interests, or hold their attention.

So, let’s learn how to develop thought-provoking and relevant topics for your presentations. You’ll also find some best practices to make your presentation memorable.

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Table of Contents

How to Choose a Great Presentation Topic in 5 Steps

120 presentation topic ideas, 5 presentation tips.

How to Choose a Great Presentation Topic. Be novel. Begin with the end in mind.

4. Choose an appropriate presentation style.

There are many ways to present a topic. Your personality, the topic at hand, and your audience’s personas will help you determine which style would best fit you and your audience.

Select a presentation style that will communicate the main idea clearly and have a lasting impact on your audience.

For instance, explore a freeform style presenter by Sir Ken Robinson.

5. Engage with your audience.

Work on your presentation skills to make a strong connection with your audience, get through to them and leave a mark.

Think of the presenter as the link between the topic and the audience. A strong or a weak presenter can make a difference between a presentation being a thriving success or a boring failure.

Hone your skills by engaging and interacting with your audience. Make them feel like a part of the presentation and not just spectators. 70% of marketers have found presentations with interactive content to be more effective than those without.

Here are a few ways you can make your presentation interactive:

Start your speech with uncommon questions to your audience. Involve them from the get-go, like ask to raise their hands if X.
Make eye contact to build credibility and show confidence. Don’t stare at your slides or notes. Smile occasionally and talk to the audience directly.
Have an active and confident body language. Don’t stand in the same place the entire time. Move around the stage.
Don’t be monotonous. Speak as you would to a colleague — with enthusiasm.
Ask close-ended questions in between to keep the audience engaged without losing time. Address them using their names to keep things interesting.
Share personal experiences and stories that your audience will find fascinating and relatable.
Practice thoroughly before you present so you’re fluent with the material and delivery.
Energy and excitement can be quite contagious. Make sure you exude enough to spread some to your audience.

Feeling Inspired Yet?

Now you have all the right ingredients for choosing amazing topics and a hundred ideas to drive inspiration from. So, go ahead and start cooking presentations that will blow your audience away.

Don’t forget to choose a super-relevant topic and add meaty information. Do it with excitement to make it enjoyable for you and your audience. Best of luck!

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350+ Presentation Topics That Will Appeal to Any Audience

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Published Date : December 4, 2020

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A presentation can be nerve-wracking, may it be for first-timers or pros, as you must turn a critical issue into a dynamic, persuasive, and informative one. Before you enhance your Oratory skills Oratory skills, also known as public speaking skills, refer to the ability to effectively communicate with an audience through spoken language. These skills encompass a range of areas, including: <ul data-sourcepos="5:1-9:0"> <li data-sourcepos="5:1-5:140">Delivery: Clear pronunciation, strong vocal projection, appropriate volume and pacing, engaging body language, and confident presence.</li> <li data-sourcepos="6:1-6:153">Content: Well-organized and structured presentations, persuasive arguments, use of storytelling and humor, and tailoring messaging to the audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:142">Communication: Active listening, responding to questions effectively, fostering audience engagement, and adapting to different settings.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-9:0">Emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing your own emotions, recognizing and responding to the emotions of your audience, and creating a positive and impactful connection.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="10:1-10:33">Importance of Oratory Skills:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="12:1-16:0"> <li data-sourcepos="12:1-12:148">Career advancement: Strong communication skills are crucial for success in various professions, from leadership roles to client presentations.</li> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:128">Building relationships: Effective communication strengthens interpersonal connections and fosters trust and understanding.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:111">Persuasion and influence: Oratory skills allow you to present your ideas convincingly and inspire action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-16:0">Confidence and self-esteem: Mastering public speaking can boost confidence and self-belief in various situations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="17:1-17:30">Developing Oratory Skills:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="19:1-24:0"> <li data-sourcepos="19:1-19:116">Practice and rehearsal: Regularly practice your speeches and presentations to refine your delivery and timing.</li> <li data-sourcepos="20:1-20:168">Join a public speaking course: Structured learning environments like public speaking courses provide expert guidance and opportunities for real-time feedback.</li> <li data-sourcepos="21:1-21:132">Work with a speech coach: Speech coaches offer personalized advice and tailored exercises to address specific skill areas.</li> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:112">Observe effective speakers: Analyze speeches of admired speakers to learn from their techniques and style.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-24:0">Seek feedback: Actively seek constructive feedback from trusted individuals to identify areas for improvement.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="25:1-25:38">Benefits of Strong Oratory Skills:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="27:1-32:0"> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-27:107">Increased effectiveness: Communicate your ideas clearly and persuasively, achieving desired outcomes.</li> <li data-sourcepos="28:1-28:91">Audience engagement: Capture and hold attention, leading to a more impactful message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:117">Greater confidence: Deliver presentations with poise and self-assurance, projecting credibility and leadership.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:116">Enhanced career opportunities: Stand out in interviews and presentations, opening doors to career advancement.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-32:0">Personal growth: Develop valuable communication skills applicable to various life situations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="33:1-33:298">Remember:</h2> Oratory skills are not something you're born with but rather a set of skills that can be honed and developed through dedication and practice. By investing in your communication skills, you can unleash your inner orator and unlock numerous personal and professional opportunities. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/oratory-skills/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">oratory skills and overcome your fear of public speaking , you must brainstorm excellent, fun topics for your presentation.

When doing a presentation, you cannot start a thing without coming up with a presentation topic . It is harder to find the best subject than prepare the lecture, as you need to be specific about the topic you want to present.

Besides Oratory skills Oratory skills, also known as public speaking skills, refer to the ability to effectively communicate with an audience through spoken language. These skills encompass a range of areas, including: <ul data-sourcepos="5:1-9:0"> <li data-sourcepos="5:1-5:140">Delivery: Clear pronunciation, strong vocal projection, appropriate volume and pacing, engaging body language, and confident presence.</li> <li data-sourcepos="6:1-6:153">Content: Well-organized and structured presentations, persuasive arguments, use of storytelling and humor, and tailoring messaging to the audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:142">Communication: Active listening, responding to questions effectively, fostering audience engagement, and adapting to different settings.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-9:0">Emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing your own emotions, recognizing and responding to the emotions of your audience, and creating a positive and impactful connection.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="10:1-10:33">Importance of Oratory Skills:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="12:1-16:0"> <li data-sourcepos="12:1-12:148">Career advancement: Strong communication skills are crucial for success in various professions, from leadership roles to client presentations.</li> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:128">Building relationships: Effective communication strengthens interpersonal connections and fosters trust and understanding.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:111">Persuasion and influence: Oratory skills allow you to present your ideas convincingly and inspire action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-16:0">Confidence and self-esteem: Mastering public speaking can boost confidence and self-belief in various situations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="17:1-17:30">Developing Oratory Skills:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="19:1-24:0"> <li data-sourcepos="19:1-19:116">Practice and rehearsal: Regularly practice your speeches and presentations to refine your delivery and timing.</li> <li data-sourcepos="20:1-20:168">Join a public speaking course: Structured learning environments like public speaking courses provide expert guidance and opportunities for real-time feedback.</li> <li data-sourcepos="21:1-21:132">Work with a speech coach: Speech coaches offer personalized advice and tailored exercises to address specific skill areas.</li> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:112">Observe effective speakers: Analyze speeches of admired speakers to learn from their techniques and style.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-24:0">Seek feedback: Actively seek constructive feedback from trusted individuals to identify areas for improvement.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="25:1-25:38">Benefits of Strong Oratory Skills:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="27:1-32:0"> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-27:107">Increased effectiveness: Communicate your ideas clearly and persuasively, achieving desired outcomes.</li> <li data-sourcepos="28:1-28:91">Audience engagement: Capture and hold attention, leading to a more impactful message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:117">Greater confidence: Deliver presentations with poise and self-assurance, projecting credibility and leadership.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:116">Enhanced career opportunities: Stand out in interviews and presentations, opening doors to career advancement.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-32:0">Personal growth: Develop valuable communication skills applicable to various life situations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="33:1-33:298">Remember:</h2> Oratory skills are not something you're born with but rather a set of skills that can be honed and developed through dedication and practice. By investing in your communication skills, you can unleash your inner orator and unlock numerous personal and professional opportunities. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/oratory-skills/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">oratory skills and PowerPoint mastery, you need to have informative and fun topics for presentations that can influence the audience. Watch this and get more ideas about informative topics:

One of the best ways to nail a presentation is to choose the best presentation topics that fit your expertise and target audience.

How to Choose a Good Topic

Choosing the best one out of informative presentation topics can be daunting and confusing if you want to create an Informative Speech An informative speech aims to educate and enlighten an audience on a specific topic. Unlike persuasive speeches, it does not advocate for a particular opinion or belief but focuses on clearly and impartially presenting information. Professional speaking often employs informative speeches to share knowledge, explain processes, or introduce new developments within their field. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:17">Key Elements:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-12:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:112">Clear and concise information: Present complex topics in a way that is easily understood by your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:113">Engaging delivery: Use storytelling, humor, and multimedia elements to captivate your audience's attention.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:125">Credible sources: Support your claims with evidence from reliable sources like research papers, experts, or statistics.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:122">Organized structure: Clearly define your central topic, present key points logically, and summarize your main ideas.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-12:0">Tailored approach: Adapt your language and content to your audience's knowledge level and interests.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="13:1-13:37">Benefits of Informative Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="15:1-19:0"> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:120">Share knowledge and expertise: By sharing your knowledge on a specific topic, you can become a resource for others.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:131">Build credibility and authority: Delivering engaging and well-researched speeches establishes you as a subject matter expert.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:148">Improve public speaking skills: Practice communicating clearly and confidently strengthens your professional speaking abilities.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-19:0">Connect with your audience: You create a space for shared learning and intellectual connection by informing and engaging others.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="20:1-20:36">Developing Informative Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="22:1-27:0"> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:129">Choose a relevant and interesting topic: Select a subject that aligns with your expertise and resonates with your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:98">Thorough research: Conduct in-depth research to acquire accurate and up-to-date information.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:133">Outline your content: Structure your speech with a clear introduction, main points, supporting details, and concluding remarks.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:136">Craft engaging visuals: Utilize multimedia elements like slides, images, or videos to enhance audience understanding and interest.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-27:0">Practice and rehearse: Deliver your speech aloud multiple times to refine your delivery and timing.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="28:1-28:60">Public speaking tips for effective informative speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="30:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:105">Vary your vocal tone and pace: Avoid monotone delivery and engage the audience with vocal dynamics.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:126">Maintain eye contact: Connect with your audience by making eye contact with different individuals throughout the speech.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:111">Use clear and concise language: Avoid jargon and technical terms your audience might not understand.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:126">Encourage interaction: Use open-ended questions or polls to invite audience participation and maintain their engagement.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">End with a clear call to action: Summarize your key points and suggest further exploration or reflection.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:303">Remember:</h2> An informative speech is valuable for sharing knowledge, educating others, and establishing yourself as a credible expert. By following these tips and honing your public speaking skills, you can deliver impactful and memorable speeches that inform and inspire your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/informative-speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">informative speech or lecture. Here are some considerations that you must know.

Purpose. Deciding your goal determines what your audience will bring after your talk, especially for persuasive presentation topics. Here is a video on various topics about persuasion:
Audience. Consider your audience’s demographic profiles and common ground when choosing presentation topics and connect them with their interests, beliefs, and social and cultural backgrounds.
Interests. Determine what presentation topic ideas you are most passionate about and what you know the most. Interesting topics for presentation give a head start upon your research phase, ensuring a well-received discussion for the audience. Get useful guides on how to keep your audience interested in this video:
Credibility. To convince your audience about the pieces of information that you will discuss, choosing a credible and well-backed lecture is another plus.
Conciseness In the realm of public speaking, conciseness refers to the ability to express your message clearly and effectively using the fewest possible words. It's about conveying your ideas precisely, avoiding unnecessary details and rambling while maintaining your message's essence and impact. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:33">Benefits for Public Speakers:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-11:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:137">Engaged audience: A concise speech keeps your audience focused and prevents them from losing interest due to excessive information.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:117">Increased clarity: By removing unnecessary clutter, your core message becomes clearer and easier to understand.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:137">Enhanced credibility: Concise communication projects professionalism and efficiency, making you appear more confident and prepared.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-11:0">Reduced anxiety: Knowing you have a clear and concise message can help manage public speaking anxiety by minimizing the pressure to fill time.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="12:1-12:35">Challenges for Public Speakers:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="14:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:126">Striking a balance: Knowing where to draw the line between conciseness and omitting important information can be tricky.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:115">Avoiding oversimplification: Complex topics may require elaboration to ensure clarity and understanding.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Overcoming natural tendencies: Some speakers naturally use more words than others, requiring a conscious effort to be concise.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:41">Strategies for Achieving Conciseness:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="20:1-25:0"> <li data-sourcepos="20:1-20:92">Identify your core message: What is your audience's main point to remember?</li> <li data-sourcepos="21:1-21:128">Prioritize and eliminate: Analyze your content and remove any information not directly supporting your core message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:133">Use strong verbs and active voice: This makes your sentences more impactful and avoids passive constructions that can be wordy.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:109">Simplify your language: Avoid jargon and technical terms unless they are essential and clearly defined.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-25:0">Practice and refine: Rehearse your speech aloud and identify areas where you can tighten your wording or eliminate redundancies.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="26:1-26:20">Additional Tips:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="28:1-31:0"> <li data-sourcepos="28:1-28:93">Use storytelling: Engaging narratives can convey complex ideas concisely and memorably.</li> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:110">Focus on the visuals: Powerful visuals can support your message without extensive explanation.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-31:0">Embrace silence: Pausing deliberately can emphasize key points and give your audience time to absorb your message.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="32:1-32:404">Remember:</h2> Conciseness is a powerful tool for public speakers. By eliminating unnecessary words and focusing on your core message, you can create a more engaging, impactful, and memorable presentation for your audience. This can also help manage public speaking anxiety by reducing the pressure to fill time and enabling you to focus on delivering your message with clarity and confidence. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/conciseness/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">Conciseness . From 12 seconds in 2000, humans’ average attention span decreased to eight seconds in 2017. Thus, being concise is another essential factor in choosing presentation topics, as having a wordy title can confuse or intimidate your potential audience.

Tips on Turning a Boring Topic into an Engaging Presentation

You might have been feeling dejected as you had to prepare for a talk with no fun topics for presentation. It is hard to turn psychology discussions into engaging ones, knowing that this field has jargon and cases that can make your lecture dull.

However, instead of blaming your subject for being boring, avoid being dull instead. Here are some tips on turning a boring topic into an interactive one.

What are the Good Topics to Present in a Speech?

Now that you have skimmed through the tips and ways to choose fun topics for a presentation, making a Speech A form of communication involving spoken language, it is used to express ideas, share information, tell stories, persuade, or entertain. Public speaking is a powerful tool used in diverse contexts, ranging from casual conversations to formal presentations. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:27">Components of a Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-10:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:73">Content: The information, message, or story conveyed through words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:106">Delivery: The vocal and physical presentation, including clarity, volume, gestures, and eye contact.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-10:0">Structure: The organization of the content, typically following an introduction, body, and conclusion.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="11:1-11:21">Speech in Action:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:88">Informing: Sharing knowledge and facts, educating an audience on a specific topic.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:119">Persuading: Advocating for a particular viewpoint, using arguments and evidence to influence thoughts or actions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:93">Motivating: Inspiring and energizing an audience, fostering action and positive change.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Entertaining: Engaging and delighting an audience through humor, storytelling, or creative language.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:32">Public Speaking and Anxiety:</h2> Many people experience public speaking anxiety, a fear of speaking in front of an audience. While it's common, effective preparation, practice, and breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety and improve delivery. <h2 data-sourcepos="22:1-22:32">Different Types of Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="24:1-28:0"> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:81">Informative speech: Focuses on conveying information clearly and concisely.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:102">Persuasive speech: Aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:99">Motivational speech: Inspires and energizes the audience, building enthusiasm and commitment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-28:0">Entertaining speech: Aim to amuse and delight the audience, often using humor, storytelling, or anecdotes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="29:1-29:33">Crafting a Compelling Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="31:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:106">Know your audience: Tailor your content and delivery to their interests, needs, and prior knowledge.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:107">Have a clear message: Identify the main point you want to convey and structure your speech around it.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:111">Engage your audience: Use varied vocal techniques, storytelling, and visual aids to keep them interested.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your speech out loud to refine your delivery and build confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:13">Remember:</h2> Speech is a powerful tool for communication, connection, and influence. By understanding its elements, addressing potential anxieties, and tailoring your delivery to different contexts, you can harness the power of speech to achieve your intended goals and captivate your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech on time needs a good presentation topic. Out of random presentation topics, here are some prominent ones that might give you some ideas.

Interesting Presentation Topics

Ancient Greek Heroes Modern Interpretation
Antidepressants and Their Effects on the Human Brain
How Bad Nutrition Affects a Person’s Appearance
Traces of Romanticism in Well-known English Literature
Influences of Music on Mental Health
How Religion and Politics Blend Within a State
Most Famous and Nerve-wracking Novels, Books, and Plays
How Traditional Herbs Get Approved
Effects of Being a Polyglot
Being Productive During Pandemic

Good Presentation Topics

Disney Films’ Most Famous Actresses
How Media Affects Gender Stereotypes Portrayal
How Beauty Contests Affects Women’s Self-esteem
Differences Between Religion and Cult
Gambling Effects on Human’s Mental Health
Most Authoritative Politicians and Political Parties
Ways to Improve the Health Systems
Preparation and Prevention Against Natural Disasters
Ways to Alleviate Insomnia
How to Build Good Relationships Between Children and Pets

5-Minute Presentation Topics

Best Apps to Improve Academic Performance
Airport First-timers: Step-by-step Instructions
Easy-to-make Breakfast Recipes
How to Avoid Procrastination
Making Money During Holidays
How Social Media Lowers Self-esteem
Working Remotely: Pros and Cons
Best Online Business and Professions
Why Trust Your Intuition
Reasons to Learn Foreign Languages

Fun Topics for Presentation

How Rock ‘n Roll Started
Rare and Expensive Coffee Types
Best Self-development Books for Teens
Choosing a Specialty in College
Secrets of a Healthy Relationship
Benefits of Art Therapy
How do Journalists and Bloggers Differ From Each Other?
The Origin of Languages
Evolution of Artificial Intelligence
Makeup Life Hacks and Tips

Safety Presentation Topics

Common Mistakes in General Safety
Dealing with Ergonomic and Workplace Stress
Coronavirus Precautionary Measures
How to Deal with Violence
Fire and Electrical Safety
Reportage, Prevention, and Liabilities in Workplace Accidents
Safety Precautions Against Heat Exhaustion
Common Workplace Injuries
Communication Issues and Safety
Emergency Response Efficiency

Easy Presentation Topics

Adverse Effects of GMOs on Health and Life
Effective Ways to Improve Old People’s Health System
Most Iconic Censorship on Social Media
Most Prominent Female Political Leaders of All Time
How to Avoid Being Late
Globalization and Its Effects on World Population
Smiling Therapy Positive Effects on Mental Health
Advancement of 3D Printing and Its Benefits
How Music Helps in Learning New Languages
Dealing with Child Prodigies

Controversial Speech Topics

Controversies are all around us, especially online resources. Finding a controversial topic must fit your passion and knowledge; otherwise, it might negatively impact your discussion.

Controversial Leadership Topics for Presentation

LGBTQ Rights
Abortion: Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life
Benefits of Multiculturalism in a Society
Security and Privacy Concerns about Electronic Voting
Gun Control Laws and Limits
Journalism Ethics and Corruption
Euthanasia Vs. Right to Live
Death Penalty Pros and Cons
How Mandatory Minimum Penalties Impact Federal Sentencing
Torture as an Interrogation Tactic
Electoral College Abolishment
Is World Peace Possible?
Same-sex union
Lowering Criminal Liability Age
Banning Animal Experimentation
High Taxation Rates
Freedom of Speech A form of communication involving spoken language, it is used to express ideas, share information, tell stories, persuade, or entertain. Public speaking is a powerful tool used in diverse contexts, ranging from casual conversations to formal presentations. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:27">Components of a Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-10:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:73">Content: The information, message, or story conveyed through words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:106">Delivery: The vocal and physical presentation, including clarity, volume, gestures, and eye contact.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-10:0">Structure: The organization of the content, typically following an introduction, body, and conclusion.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="11:1-11:21">Speech in Action:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:88">Informing: Sharing knowledge and facts, educating an audience on a specific topic.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:119">Persuading: Advocating for a particular viewpoint, using arguments and evidence to influence thoughts or actions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:93">Motivating: Inspiring and energizing an audience, fostering action and positive change.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Entertaining: Engaging and delighting an audience through humor, storytelling, or creative language.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:32">Public Speaking and Anxiety:</h2> Many people experience public speaking anxiety, a fear of speaking in front of an audience. While it's common, effective preparation, practice, and breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety and improve delivery. <h2 data-sourcepos="22:1-22:32">Different Types of Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="24:1-28:0"> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:81">Informative speech: Focuses on conveying information clearly and concisely.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:102">Persuasive speech: Aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:99">Motivational speech: Inspires and energizes the audience, building enthusiasm and commitment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-28:0">Entertaining speech: Aim to amuse and delight the audience, often using humor, storytelling, or anecdotes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="29:1-29:33">Crafting a Compelling Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="31:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:106">Know your audience: Tailor your content and delivery to their interests, needs, and prior knowledge.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:107">Have a clear message: Identify the main point you want to convey and structure your speech around it.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:111">Engage your audience: Use varied vocal techniques, storytelling, and visual aids to keep them interested.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your speech out loud to refine your delivery and build confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:13">Remember:</h2> Speech is a powerful tool for communication, connection, and influence. By understanding its elements, addressing potential anxieties, and tailoring your delivery to different contexts, you can harness the power of speech to achieve your intended goals and captivate your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">Speech and Its Restrictions
Embargo and Censorship: What to be Publicize
Insanity Plea as an Excuse
Tobacco Regulation

Controversial Topics for Teenagers

Hookup Culture and Its Impact on Teens
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Banning Pornography in E-libraries
Causes of Depression and Other Mental Illness in Teens
Teen Suicide Liability
Prohibition of Gambling for Teens
How to Educate Teens About Drugs
Dealing with Eating Disorders in Teens
When Should Teens Start to Vote
How Parents Should Deal with Teens’ Romantic Relationship
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education
Health Impacts of Fast Food for Teens
How Being a Fan Impacts Teens
Possibility of Living on Mars
Why Media Literacy Important for Teenagers
How Teenagers Can Fight Top Environmental Problems
Dealing with Diversity in School
Military Recruitment on Campus
Pros and Cons of School Uniforms and Dress Code
Plan B Contraception Access for Minors

What are Some Presentation Ideas for School?

For school purposes, you must find informative but fun topics for presentation as students have a lesser attention span than adults. Here are the presentation topics for academic and educational causes.

Science Topics for Presentation

Science presentation topics are among the most in-demand discussions for students and teachers in technical educational institutions. Here are some ideas to help you out.

Physics Topics for Presentation

Is Physics Based on Theory or Practice
Why We Need to Study Physics
Newton’s Third Law as the Universal Formula
Why Every Student Needs to Learn Physical Formula
Is Physics Dependent on Math and Science or Vice Versa
Why Physics Necessary for Knowledge Testing
How to Deal with Difficulties in Physics Lesson
Most Important Topics in Physics

Chemistry Topics for Presentation

Why Alchemists Seeks Philosopher’s Stone
Chemists Who Are Nobel Prize Awardees
How Chemical Weapons Become Main Threat for War
How to Choose Quality Water
Making a Kid Interested in Chemistry
Hair Biochemistry and Its Process
Effects of Lack of Chemical Elements in a Human Body
Safety Precautions for Chemical Products

Biology Topics for Presentation

How the Future Lies in Crossroads of Biological Sciences
How to Avoid Harmful GMO Foods
Secrets of Centenarians
Allergic Reactions Caused by Dust
Can a Person Survive Without Clean Drinking Water
How Sports and Nutrition Determine Human Health
Vaccination and Its Effect on Genotype
Best Houseplants for Air Purification

Geology Topics for Presentation

Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions as Causes of Dynamic Geology
Geomorphology: Intersection of Geography and Geology
Space Geology in the Field of Cosmology and Planetology
Geological Timeline from Solid Formation to the Holocene Era
Geological Events Absolute and Relative Age
Methods and Principles of Geology
Geodynamics: The Relationship of the Earth’s Core and Crust Processes
Microstructural Geology: Micro-Level Rock Deformation

Astronomy Topics for Presentation

Differences Between Astronomy and Astrology
The Possibility of Life on Mars
History and Discovery of the Milky Way Galaxy
Does Astronomy Only Study Stars?
Astronomy as a Separate Subject in School
Reasons Why Fewer Entrants ChoAstronomynomy
What Happens If the Sun Died?
Why Our Future Depends on Astronomical Studies

Technological Science Topics for Presentation

How Technology Improves Living Standards
Technology and Its Effect on Cancer Treatment
How Cybercriminals Use Technology
Benefits and Threats of Artificial Intelligence
Saving Time on Internet Technology Usage
Technological Evolution from the Middle Ages to the Present
Diffusion Rate of Technology in Developing Countries
Taking a Break from the Internet

Multimedia Science Topics for Presentation

Multimedia Features and Classification
Creating a Multimedia Presentation
Features of Online Multimedia
Benefits of Multimedia in Business
Usage of Multimedia in Computer Games
How to Create Training Courses Using Multimedia
Becoming a Multimedia Specialist
Multimedia and Its Relation to Science

Cultural and Social Presentation Topic Ideas

This aspect mostly concerns psychology and sociology students. Here are some fun topics for presentations that you can check out.

Culture and Traditions of Native Americans
How History Connects with Culture
How Cultural Knowledge Increases Chances of Success
Identifying Emigrants by Cultural Characteristics
Why Students Need to Learn About Culture
Importance of Cultural Appreciation
Pros and Cons of Diversified Culture
Best Sociology Books for Starters
Sociology and Its Express Research
Empirical Research
Causes of Social Phenomena
Mathematical Methods in Sociology
Social Trends Analysis and Development Patterns
How to Collect Sociological Information
Becoming a School President
Why a President Needs Leadership Skills
Ways to Raise a Child as a Leader
Is Leadership an Innate Skill or a Result of Experiences?
Responsibilities of a Leader
How Family Relationships Affect One’s Leadership Skills
Winning a Leadership Scholarship
How Individual Differs from Social Ethics?
Politics and International Relations Ethical Principles
Ethical Communication Rules in Social Media
Business Ethics and Relationships
Why Learn Etiquette Knowledge
Ethical Issues on Famous Artworks
Knowing About Corporate Ethics

What are Some Presentation Ideas for Healthcare?

There are many physical and mental health topics for school and other Conferences  Large gatherings are organized to bring together individuals from a specific field or industry for professional development, networking, and knowledge sharing. Conferences typically involve presentations, workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, and social events. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:12">Purpose:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-12:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:107">Knowledge Dissemination: Share the latest research, trends, and advancements within a specific field.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:75">Networking: Connect with peers, experts, and potential collaborators.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:103">Professional Development: Enhance skills and knowledge through workshops, talks, and discussions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:102">Community Building: Foster a sense of belonging and shared identity within a professional field.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-12:0">New Product and Service Exposure: Discover innovative solutions and technologies through exhibitions and presentations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="13:1-13:25">Types of Conferences:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="15:1-19:0"> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:102">Academic: Focused on research and scholarly presentations within a specific academic discipline.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:109">Industry: Catered to professionals within a specific industry, like technology, healthcare, or finance.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:108">Trade Shows: Feature exhibitions and booths showcasing products and services relevant to the industry.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-19:0">Professional Development: Primarily focused on workshops, training sessions, and skill-building activities.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="20:1-20:38">Benefits of Attending Conferences:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="22:1-27:0"> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:116">Stay informed: Learn about the latest advancements in your field through expert presentations and discussions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:107">Network: Connect with key individuals and potential collaborators to build your professional network.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:91">Develop skills: Attend workshops and sessions to enhance your knowledge and skill set.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:101">Gain exposure: Discover new products, services, and innovative solutions relevant to your work.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-27:0">Boost your career: Enhance your professional profile and marketability through networking and exposure.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="28:1-28:40">Challenges of Attending Conferences:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="30:1-34:0"> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:74">Cost: Registration fees, travel, and accommodation can be expensive.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:116">Time commitment: Attending conference sessions and events requires dedicating significant time away from work.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:112">Information overload: Navigating a large conference with numerous sessions and events can be overwhelming.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-34:0">Networking anxiety: Connecting with new people can be intimidating, especially for introverts.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="35:1-35:26">Overcoming Challenges:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="37:1-43:0"> <li data-sourcepos="37:1-37:140">Research and prioritize: Choose conferences relevant to your needs and budget. Select specific sessions and events you want to attend.</li> <li data-sourcepos="38:1-38:103">Set realistic goals: Aim to connect with a few key individuals rather than overwhelming yourself.</li> <li data-sourcepos="39:1-39:104">Utilize conference resources: Leverage conference apps, maps, and schedules to optimize your time.</li> <li data-sourcepos="40:1-40:102">Practice networking skills: Prepare conversation starters and practice introductions beforehand.</li> <li data-sourcepos="41:1-41:124">Consider a speech coach: Coaching can help refine your delivery and manage anxiety when presenting at a conference.</li> <li data-sourcepos="42:1-43:0">Take Public speaking courses: Public speaking skills are important for networking and participating in discussions.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="44:1-44:281">Remember:</h2> Conferences offer valuable opportunities for professional development, networking, and knowledge sharing. Planning effectively, overcoming challenges, and utilizing available resources can maximize your conference experience and achieve your desired outcomes.  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/conferences/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">conferences , but having fun topics for presentations is essential to make your lecture less complicated. Here are some of the presentation topics that might suit your interest.

Psychology Topics for Presentation

The Need for Psychologists in Kindergarten
Best Universities for Psychology
Choosing a Suitable Psychologist
Outcasts Children: Psychology Victim
Psychological State and Its Effects on Productivity
When Do You Need a Psychologist
Can a Person with a Mental Disorder Become a Psychologist?

Mental Health Topics for Presentation

Mental Fatigue: Causes of Failure
Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
Recognizing and Avoiding the Onset of Depression
Causes of Mental Health Disorders
How Physical Affects Mental Health and Vice Versa
Dealing With Mental Breakdowns
How Music Improves Mental Health

Health Topics for Presentation

Why Do Pharmacies Sell Over-the-counter Medicines?
How Allergic Reaction Works
Sports that Can Improve Health in a Month
Signs of Bad Immunity System
Legalization of Marijuana
Centenarians’ Secret to Good Health
Healthy Habits Before Exams

Nutrition Topics for Presentation

The Necessity of Reading a Product’s Composition
Nutrition Effects on Skin Condition
Determining Necessary Ratio of Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates
Tips for Restrictive Eating Disorders
How Sports Nutrition Can Be Dangerous
Why Being a Nutritionist a Good Career Choice
Why Quality Nutrition Determines One’s Success

Nursing Presentations

Nursing Career and Its Growth
Critical Moments on Painkiller Usage
Patient Safety During Nursing
Patient safety during nursing
Career Growth in Nursing
The use of painkillers: critical moments
Health Assessment: What to Check
Features of caring for patients with mental disorders
Postoperative patient care
Features internships and practices for nurses

Dental Presentations Ideas

Teeth Processes for Babies
Molar Extraction Process
Wisdom Tooth: Necessary or Not?
How Chewing Gum Affects Tooth Enamel
Causes and Treatment for Oral Cancer
Diet for Braces

Medical Presentations

How to Call an Ambulance
Dealing With Addiction
Highly Addictive Medical Drugs that You Don’t Realize
Primary Stab Wound Treatment
When Surgery Becomes Necessary
Traditional, Alternative, and Modern Medicines
Preventing Sport Injuries
Insomnia Treatment With No Pills
Anti-aging Pills: When to Avoid It
Why Go or Reject Posthumous Donation
Euthanasia and Its Effect on Suicide Rate
How to Avoid Child Obesity
Pros and Cons of GMOs
Diverse Ways to Improve Healthcare
The Need for Legal Framework on Plastic Surgery Regulations

What are Some Presentation Ideas for Business and Management?

Finding business presentation topics is more difficult as you must show in-depth knowledge of your chosen idea. Here are some of the presentation topics that you can check out.

How a Good Topic Helps on Public Speaking (SECS Elements)

Having the right choice of presentation topics can help meet the Sincerity, Enthusiasm, Confidence In the context of public speaking, confidence refers to the belief in one's ability to communicate effectively and deliver one's message with clarity and impact. It encompasses various elements, including self-belief, composure, and the ability to manage one's fear of public speaking. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:16">Key Aspects:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-12:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:108">Self-belief: A strong conviction in your knowledge, skills, and ability to connect with your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:95">Composure: Maintaining calmness and poise under pressure, even in challenging situations.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:100">Assertiveness: Expressing your ideas clearly and concisely, avoiding hesitation or self-doubt.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:104">Positive self-talk: Countering negative thoughts with affirmations and focusing on your strengths.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-12:0">Strong body language: Using gestures, posture, and eye contact that project confidence and professionalism.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="13:1-13:27">Benefits of Confidence:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="15:1-19:0"> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:99">Reduced anxiety: Feeling confident helps manage fear of public speaking and stage fright.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:133">Engaging delivery: Confident speakers project their voices, hold eye contact, and connect with their audience more effectively.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:137">Increased persuasiveness: A confident presentation inspires belief and motivates your audience to listen and remember your message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-19:0">Greater impact: Confidently delivered speeches leave a lasting impression and achieve desired outcomes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="20:1-20:15">Challenges:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="22:1-26:0"> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:112">Overcoming fear of public speaking: Many people experience some level of anxiety when speaking publicly.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:101">Imposter syndrome: Doubting your abilities and qualifications, even when objectively qualified.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:92">Negative self-talk: Internalized criticism and limiting beliefs can hamper confidence.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-26:0">Past negative experiences: Unsuccessful presentations or negative feedback can erode confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="27:1-27:24">Building Confidence:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="29:1-36:0"> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:102">Practice and preparation: Thoroughly rehearse your speech to feel comfortable with the material.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:101">Visualization: Imagine yourself delivering a successful presentation with confidence and poise.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:100">Positive self-talk: Actively replace negative thoughts with affirmations about your abilities.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:106">Seek feedback: Ask trusted individuals for constructive criticism and use it to improve your skills.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:157">Consider a speaking coach: Working with a coach can provide personalized guidance and support to address specific challenges and confidence barriers.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-34:114">Start small: Gradually increase the size and complexity of your speaking engagements as you gain experience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="35:1-36:0">Focus on progress: Celebrate small successes and acknowledge your improvement over time.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="37:1-37:282">Remember:</h2> Confidence in public speaking is a journey, not a destination. By actively practicing, embracing feedback, and focusing on your strengths, you can overcome fear of public speaking and develop the confidence to deliver impactful and memorable presentations. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/confidence/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">Confidence , and Simplicity (SECS) Public Speaking  Public speaking refers to any live presentation or speech. It can cover a variety of topics on various fields and careers (you can find out more about public speaking careers here: https://orai.com/blog/public-speaking-careers/. Public speaking can inform, entertain, or educate an audience and sometimes has visual aids.   Public speaking is done live, so the speakers need to consider certain factors to deliver a successful speech. No matter how good the speech is, if the audience doesn't connect with the speaker, then it may fall flat. Therefore, speakers have to use a lot more nonverbal communication techniques to deliver their message.   <h2>Tips for public speaking</h2>   <ul> <li>Have a sense of humor.</li> <li>Tell personal stories that relate to the speech you're giving.</li> <li>Dress appropriately for the event. Formal and business casual outfits work best.</li> <li>Project a confident and expressive voice.</li> <li>Always try to use simple language that everyone can understand.</li> <li>Stick to the time given to you.</li> <li>Maintain eye contact with members of your audience and try to connect with them.</li> </ul>  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/public-speaking/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">public speaking elements due to these reasons:

A good topic can make you sincere in communicating with your audience.
Fun topics for presentations can also increase the audience’s enthusiasm.
Fun topics for presentations also give you Confidence In the context of public speaking, confidence refers to the belief in one's ability to communicate effectively and deliver one's message with clarity and impact. It encompasses various elements, including self-belief, composure, and the ability to manage one's fear of public speaking. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:16">Key Aspects:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-12:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:108">Self-belief: A strong conviction in your knowledge, skills, and ability to connect with your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:95">Composure: Maintaining calmness and poise under pressure, even in challenging situations.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:100">Assertiveness: Expressing your ideas clearly and concisely, avoiding hesitation or self-doubt.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:104">Positive self-talk: Countering negative thoughts with affirmations and focusing on your strengths.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-12:0">Strong body language: Using gestures, posture, and eye contact that project confidence and professionalism.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="13:1-13:27">Benefits of Confidence:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="15:1-19:0"> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:99">Reduced anxiety: Feeling confident helps manage fear of public speaking and stage fright.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:133">Engaging delivery: Confident speakers project their voices, hold eye contact, and connect with their audience more effectively.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:137">Increased persuasiveness: A confident presentation inspires belief and motivates your audience to listen and remember your message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-19:0">Greater impact: Confidently delivered speeches leave a lasting impression and achieve desired outcomes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="20:1-20:15">Challenges:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="22:1-26:0"> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:112">Overcoming fear of public speaking: Many people experience some level of anxiety when speaking publicly.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:101">Imposter syndrome: Doubting your abilities and qualifications, even when objectively qualified.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:92">Negative self-talk: Internalized criticism and limiting beliefs can hamper confidence.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-26:0">Past negative experiences: Unsuccessful presentations or negative feedback can erode confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="27:1-27:24">Building Confidence:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="29:1-36:0"> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:102">Practice and preparation: Thoroughly rehearse your speech to feel comfortable with the material.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:101">Visualization: Imagine yourself delivering a successful presentation with confidence and poise.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:100">Positive self-talk: Actively replace negative thoughts with affirmations about your abilities.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:106">Seek feedback: Ask trusted individuals for constructive criticism and use it to improve your skills.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:157">Consider a speaking coach: Working with a coach can provide personalized guidance and support to address specific challenges and confidence barriers.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-34:114">Start small: Gradually increase the size and complexity of your speaking engagements as you gain experience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="35:1-36:0">Focus on progress: Celebrate small successes and acknowledge your improvement over time.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="37:1-37:282">Remember:</h2> Confidence in public speaking is a journey, not a destination. By actively practicing, embracing feedback, and focusing on your strengths, you can overcome fear of public speaking and develop the confidence to deliver impactful and memorable presentations. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/confidence/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">confidence as it lessens awkwardness.
The right topic makes your presentation concise, straightforward, and informative at the same time.

What does a perfect day with the family look like?

Imagine a day filled with laughter, shared meals, and playful adventures. Waking up refreshed, a family connects over breakfast, sharing dreams and creating plans. They explore together, be it a museum visit or a quiet picnic, finding joy in nature, or friendly competition. As the sun sets, reflections filled with gratitude paint the evening, solidifying the love and connection that makes the day perfect, not for its grandeur but for the simple treasures of being together.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

When asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” children explore a world of possibilities. Each child has unique dreams, from doctors to astronauts, artists to veterinarians. Their dreams may change as they grow, but nurturing their curiosity helps them find their true calling.

What’s one habit you want to eliminate and one you want to keep?

Aiming for personal growth, I’ll axe the time-sucking social media scroll and double down on the mood-boosting, energy-zinging exercise routine. Recognizing habits are key, I’ll actively fight for a more balanced and fulfilling life, one mindful step at a time.

Presentation topics are the key to a successful lecture, bringing more opportunities for your career. Choosing among tons of ideas out there can get confusing , but give it a serious thought as your topic impacts your overall presentation.

How many words is a 5-minute speech, good attention getters for speeches with 10+ examples, quick links.

Presentation Topics

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Need a good presentation topic? Here are hundreds of them.

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Anete Ezera November 04, 2022

If you’re looking for good topics for presentations, you’ve landed on the right page. In this article, you’ll find plenty of good presentation topics, tips on choosing the most suitable topic for you, and essential design elements to make your presentation a success.

Many factors go into an excellent presentation. You need to have confident body language and engage your audience to hold their attention. You also need eye-catching visual aids like images, data visualizations, GIFs, and others (all of which you can find in Prezi ), not to mention a great opening to grab attention and a strong closing line to stay memorable. However, the most essential aspect of your presentation is the topic. It’s the core of your presentation, so it has to be strong, insightful, attention-grabbing, and appealing to yourself and your audience in order to evolve into a successful presentation everyone will love.

good presentation topics: a woman giving a presentation in a business meeting

How to choose a good presentation topic

There are millions of topics you could create a presentation on, but what defines a good topic? If you’re struggling to either come up with a good topic for a presentation or you can’t decide between multiple ones, here are a few questions you should ask yourself before choosing a topic.

What’s the goal of your presentation?

When you’re choosing a topic, consider the meaning behind it. Ask yourself what the purpose of talking about this topic is, and what you want to say about it. Whatever topic you choose to present, the conclusion needs to provide a takeaway or lesson you want to communicate to your audience. A meaningful goal will make your presentation more memorable.

Are you interested in the topic?

If you’re not interested in the topic, others won’t be curious either. Interest, enthusiasm, and passion enrich your presentation and are noticeable when presenting. Interest shines through and inspires others to find the topic as fascinating as you do. Think about the last time you saw someone sharing something they were passionate about – their excitement drew people in to pay closer attention to what they were saying.

When choosing a topic, you need to find it or a particular angle of it interesting for yourself. For example, perhaps you’re not a pop music enthusiast, but you’re passionate about studying cultural phenomena. In this case, you can talk about pop music’s influence on early 2000s youth culture.

Will your audience find this topic relatable?

While you have to find the topic you’re presenting interesting, you also have to think about your audience. When choosing a subject, consider your audience’s background in terms of demographics, interests, culture, and knowledge level about the topic. Think about what others will find fascinating and relevant, so they’re not bored or confused during your presentation.

Do you have prior experience or knowledge about this topic?

Personal experiences are always great to share in a presentation, providing your unique perspective for anyone listening. While you can easily prepare your presentation based on a quick Google search, it won’t make the same lasting impact on your audience. Choose a topic you have some prior knowledge about, or have an interesting opinion you can share with others. It’ll make your presentation more engaging and memorable.

good presentation topics: a presenter on stage

Ideas for good presentation topics

It’s not easy to come up with a good presentation topic from scratch. It’s much easier to get inspired from other good presentation topics to build your topic on. Whether you’re looking for presentation ideas for work, about me presentation ideas, unique or easy presentation topics, you’ll find them all here.

Without further ado, here are some good presentation topics to choose from or get inspired by.

Presentation topics about social media

The role of social media in portraying gender stereotypes
How social media impacts our body image
How social media shaped Gen Z
The most significant differences between the Facebook and TikTok generations
The negative effects of social media
The positive impacts of social media
The effects of social media on behavior
How social media impacts our physical (or mental) health
How social media has shaped our understanding of mass media
Should we teach about social media in schools?
The rise of social media influencers
How AR Instagram filters impact our self-image
How to go viral on social media?
The origins of social media echo chambers
Social media as a news outlet

Author: Ish Verduzco

Presentation topics about movies

How movies influence our understanding of good and evil
Beauty standards represented in movies
How female characters are depicted in Hollywood movies
How horror movies and global fears have developed through time
The adverse effects of romance movies
How movies have changed our understanding of the Western culture
Charlie Chaplin and the silent movie era
The globalization of culture: Hollywood vs. Bollywood
The psychology behind the music in films
The ethics of using animals in movies
Social media’s influence on the film industry
The history of filmmaking
The role of color in movies
The cultural impact of romance movies
How are gender stereotypes depicted in Hollywood movies?

Author: Cinto Marti

Presentation topics about music

The impact of pop music on beauty standards
Should digital music be free for everyone?
The psychology behind the music in advertisements
The effectiveness of sound therapy
Can music inspire criminal behavior?
The psychological effects of metal music
The origins of K-pop
How does music influence our understanding of the world?
Can music help in the learning process?
The positive effects of classical music
The history of hip hop
Why is music education essential in schools?
The psychological benefits of playing piano
Can anyone become a famous musician?
The role of music in fashion

Author: Prezi Editorial

Presentation topics about health

The link between food and mental health
Inequality in the healthcare system
Myths about healthy practices
Simple practices that help you stay healthy
Health education in schools: Should it change?
Toxic positivity and mental health
The impact of superfoods on our health
The psychology behind unhealthy eating habits
Sex education in schools: Why should we have it?
How to trick yourself into getting better: The placebo effect
How to strengthen your immune system
How to tell if someone is depressed
The health benefits of regular exercise
The impact of junk food on mental health
Stress-caused diseases

Author: Prezi Education Team

Presentation topics about human psychology

What is social depression?
What triggers panic attacks?
The impact of testosterone on aggressive behavior
How to overcome social anxiety
Differences in the functioning of the brain of a child and adult
The impact of violent video games on children’s brain development
How does the use of social media influence our attention span?
How to overcome childhood trauma
The influence of marijuana on the human brain
How does behavioral therapy work
The psychology behind fame
The causes of personality disorders
The differences in brain functioning between men and women
What happens in therapy sessions?
The psychology of substance abuse

Presentation topics about self-development

The impact of exercise on productivity
How to deal with stress
How to deal with procrastination
The positive effects of meditation
Why new–year’s resolutions don’t work
How to overcome bad habits
The impact of negative thoughts
The negative effects of self-criticism
The role of creativity in self-development
Benefits of journaling
How to learn something fast
How to be mindful
The importance of curiosity
How to become more self-aware
Why it’s essential to spend time with yourself

Author: Nir Eyal

Presentation topics about education

What are the advantages and disadvantages of online education?
The positive effects of a gap year
Should university education be free?
Inequality in education access
How language learning benefits brain development
Emerging gender issues in education
The importance of socialization in school
School bullying and student development
The benefits of reading
Is the education system broken?
What you don’t learn in college
The link between education and brain development
The history of schools
The gender gap in STEM
The connection between equality in education and economic growth

Presentation topics about culture

Is graffiti a form of art or street vandalism?
Cultural diversity in the workplace
The impact of culture on gender roles
The issue with orientalism
Are humans the only species that has culture?
How do different cultures view death?
The ethical issues of pop culture
The impact of culture on personal development
Sexism in different cultures
The impact of globalization on local cultures
The viral spread of the #metoo movement
The history of subcultures
The problem with romanticizing toxic relationships in movies
90s pop-culture influence on fashion trends
The evolution of cultural psychology

Author: Devin Banerjee

Presentation ideas for work

What it’s like to be a digital nomad?
How to deal with workplace conflicts
The secret to a productive day
How to set achievable goals
The importance of diversity in a workplace
The positive effects of creative thinking at work
How to give constructive feedback
The characteristics of a valuable team member
Inequality and the glass ceiling
Racial discrimination in the workplace
Work habits of different cultures
How is work perceived in various countries?
Technological development and the future of work
The importance of a healthy work/life balance
The rise of health problems in office work

Author: Charles Huang

Presentation topics about hybrid work

The positive effects of hybrid work on work/life balance
Is hybrid work the future work model?
How to stay connected in a hybrid work model
The challenges of hybrid work nobody talks about
How to stay productive when working from home
The social effects of hybrid work
The economic impacts of hybrid work
Case study: Hybrid work model in [company]
What causes Zoom fatigue?
The problem with online meetings
Is hybrid work better than remote work?
How to develop a close relationship with colleagues in a hybrid work model
What kind of company culture is best for a hybrid work model?
Is hybrid work sustainable?
Cybersecurity consideration for hybrid working

Author: Barbie Brewer

Presentation topics about public speaking

The importance of body language in public speeches
How to appear confident when you’re not
How to become a better orator
The use of eye contact in public speaking
Breathing exercises that will calm you down before public speaking
The benefits of public speaking
Ways to improve public speaking skills
How to leave a great first impression on stage
How to engage your audience during a public speech
How to best structure your public speech
How to end your presentation speech
Can anyone learn to be good at public speaking?
How to prepare for a public speech
What not to do right before a public speech
How to address a controversial topic in a public speech

Author: Prezi Team

Presentation topics about entrepreneurship and leadership

The main principles of a good leader
The impact of leadership skills on professional performance
The mistake every entrepreneur makes
How to successfully lead a cross-cultural team
How to celebrate inclusivity in a diverse team
What are the common personality traits of a successful entrepreneur?
The impact of entrepreneurship on the global economy
The characteristics of a leader
The most common challenges of entrepreneurship
Can anyone learn to become a successful leader?
What affects new venture growth?
The psychology of leadership
What is crowdsourcing?
The benefits of being an entrepreneur
Common mistakes leaders make

Author: Jill Sinclair

Presentation topics about technology

The rise of technological development
Is technology addictive?
Should we use drones for military and non-military purposes?
The sustainability of electric cars
What are deepfakes?
Limitations of AI machines
The future of programming
Ethical issues of AI
The future of AR in business
How VR can be used in the medical field

Author: David Vandegrift

Sales presentation topics

How to make a cold email intro
What is sales enablement?
How to build better relationships with customers
The best way to improve pipeline management
Coaching via verbal and written role-play
How to plan cold calls
What’s a deal-breaker for most customers?
All about personalized coaching
How to manage objections
How to close more deals
How to keep your prospects engaged
Effective sales communication strategies
How to conduct a competitor analysis
The most valuable sales skills
What soft skills do you need to become a successful sales rep?

Author: Cindy McGovern

Easy presentation topics

Benefits of daily exercise and how to incorporate it into your routine
Simple and nutritious meal recipes
Tips for improving time management and productivity
The importance of recycling
The history of a local landmark or festival
Ways to reduce stress
Exploring different types of renewable energy sources and their impact on the environment
The basics of budgeting and saving money for future goals
The benefits of social media for professional use
Tips for overcoming stage fright
How to start a meditation practice
The impact of technology on modern society
The basics of personal finance
The health benefits of a plant-based diet
The history of Earth Day

Good how to presentation topics

How to create a successful social media marketing strategy
How to give a persuasive presentation
How to create effective and engaging content for your blog
How to discover your strengths and weaknesses
How to use project management tools to increase productivity
How to make the most out of boring meetings
How to build a personal brand
How to conduct effective market research
How to use data analytics to improve decision-making
How to improve your decision-making process
How to write a winning proposal
How to create a visually stunning presentation
How to manage stressful situations at work
How to make friends as an adult
How to network at work events

About me presentation ideas

My journey to becoming who I am today
My passion for [insert topic or activity]
My career aspirations and goals
My travels and adventures around the world
My hobbies and interests outside of work/school
My role models and influences
My strengths and weaknesses
My favorite books, movies, and TV shows
My proudest achievements and accomplishments
My favorite childhood memories
My family and friends
My education and academic background
My volunteer and community service experience
My personality traits and values
My vision for the future and how I plan to achieve it

Author: Adam Grant

Student presentation ideas

The history and evolution of video games
The history and cultural impact of tattoos
The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
The effects of globalization on local cultures and economies
The role of education in promoting social justice and equity
The ethical implications of autonomous weapons in warfare
The impact of mass media on society and culture
The causes and effects of deforestation on biodiversity and climate change
The history and cultural significance of dance in different parts of the world
The psychology of addiction and recovery
The impact of the gig economy on labor rights and job security
The history and impact of feminism on gender equality
The benefits and drawbacks of renewable energy sources
The impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures and identities
The role of technology in promoting global connectivity and intercultural understanding

Author: Edward Quinn

How to create a good presentation

If you know what you want to present on, it’s time to create an impactful presentation that grabs everyone’s attention. Presentation design plays a crucial role in how your presentation is received and remembered. To stand out and leave a memorable impact on your audience, create a Prezi presentation. Instead of a linear, slide-based presentation, offer an engaging and dynamic storytelling experience to your audience. Breathe life into your presentation with motion, zoom, and spatial relationships. When creating your presentation, consider the following three essential elements:

Visuals play a significant part in presentation design. They evoke emotions, make a memorable impact, and give more context to the story. Not to mention, 65% of people are visual learners , so visual aids are helpful when explaining a complex topic.

In your presentation, include different types of visuals, such as images, videos, GIFs, and stickers, all of which you can find in Prezi’s content library. When selecting your visuals, consider what’s relevant and brings additional value to the story. Only add what’s meaningful and necessary. A video or image at the right place and time will enrich the viewing experience and make your presentation more memorable.

The layout of your presentation is the structure of your story. It’ll help you introduce the topic, intrigue your audience, and unfold the layers of your topic one by one until you disclose your main arguments and summarize the presentation. A good presentation layout has a hierarchical, chronological, or logical flow that leads the viewer from start to finish.

If you’re creating a Prezi presentation, you can create a dynamic storytelling experience by experimenting with your layout. Instead of going from slide to slide, you can zoom in and out of topics and experiment with different shapes, animations, and effects that draw the viewer into your story world. Here’s an example of a Prezi presentation with a great storytelling layout:

Author: Lydia Antonatos

Data visualizations can elevate your presentation from being a good one to a great one. By providing data behind your arguments, you’ll appear more trustworthy and confident in your audience’s eyes.

Add charts, graphs, interactive maps, and more to your presentations with Prezi Design. You can choose from a wide selection of charts and maps to illustrate your data. With interactive elements, you’ll be able to engage your audience and make a memorable impact.

Engaging visuals, a well-structured layout, and relevant data visualizations will provide a great starting base to create a memorable presentation. Discover other tips and tricks that make your presentation effective and capture people’s attention.

Choosing a topic for a presentation isn’t easy. When selecting a topic, think about the goal of your presentation, your interest and knowledge about the topic, and whether or not your audience will find it relevant and interesting for them. Also, get inspired by other topics that’ll help you figure out what you want to talk about. Lastly, when creating your presentation, consider the impact of visuals, layout, and data visualizations. To simplify the creation process, follow the step-by-step process of making a presentation with helpful tips and resources.

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110 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics to Impress Your Audience

Learn how to give an impressive persuasive speech and explore our comprehensive list of persuasive speech ideas .

A group of students applauding a persuasive speech

Learn what makes a persuasive speech with these topics

Introduction

What makes a good persuasive speech topic, how to create and deliver a compelling persuasive speech, 110 interesting persuasive speech topics, introduction .

Are you having a hard time coming up with the right persuasive speech topic? One that isn’t boring or cliche? Are you looking for a persuasive speech topic that will both interest you and captivate your audience? It’s easier said than done, right?

Creating and delivering an interesting persuasive speech is a major endeavor. The last thing you want is to get stuck on the first step—selecting a persuasive speech topic. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. To help you identify the perfect persuasive speech topic for you, we’ve compiled a list of 110 compelling persuasive speech ideas. Every single one of these ideas has the potential to be an outstanding persuasive speech.

In addition, we’ll peel back the curtain to teach you what makes a good persuasive speech topic and give you expert tips on delivering a successful persuasive speech that will convince and astound your audience.

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There are three questions you can use to determine which persuasive speech topics will lead to enthusiastic applause and standing ovations.

Does the persuasive speech topic interest you?

A major part of writing a persuasive speech is doing ample research on the subject you choose. So one of the first things you should ask yourself when considering a potential persuasive speech topic is, “Would I enjoy learning about this subject extensively?” If you can’t answer that question with an emphatic, “Yes!” you might want to continue your topic search. You don’t want to spend hours diving into a subject you don’t enjoy.

Plus, an audience can easily pick up on boredom or lack of interest in a persuasive speech, and you clearly don’t want that. On the other hand, if you’re explaining a subject you’re passionate about, your audience will get caught up in your excitement—resulting in a much more compelling and persuasive speech.

Here’s another word of advice. Some people will tell you to pick a persuasive speech topic you’re already an expert in, and that’s certainly one way to go about it. While we won’t tell you being an expert in the subject should be your top deciding factor, this approach has its advantages—you’re already familiar with the lingo and the basics of the subject are. This helps you significantly speed up your research process. But if you have the time and willingness to tackle an entirely unfamiliar subject that utterly fascinates you, we say go for it!

Will the persuasive speech topic interest your audience?

So you’ve found a few persuasive speech topics that interest you. But what about your audience? Do they share your interest? Even if you argue your points with enthusiasm, will they be bored by your subject?

To answer these questions, you have to understand your audience well. Study them to learn what grabs their attention. What do they care about? What topics are relatable to their lives or their communities? What subjects will they be more likely to get emotionally invested in?

When you find persuasive speech topics that equally interest you and your audience, you’re setting yourself up for success.

Has the persuasive speech topic been covered too many times?

This is the last question you should ask yourself before committing to your persuasive speech topic. Has this topic been overdone? Even if your audience is invested in the subject, they’ll be quickly bored if they’ve listened to ten similar speeches prior to hearing yours. You won’t be persuasive if your listeners can predict each of your arguments before you give them.

Instead, search for persuasive speech topics that are unique and fresh—something your audience hasn’t heard a hundred times before. The one exception to this is if you can approach an overworked topic with a completely fresh and unusual perspective. For example, maybe you can approach the gun control debate as someone whose friend died from an accidental shooting, but your family still owns guns and enjoys hunting as a pastime.

Once you’ve chosen your persuasive speech topic (our list of 110 riveting persuasive speech ideas is coming next!) and completed your research on the subject, you’ll begin the writing process. Use this step-by-step approach to produce an outstanding speech that easily persuades your audience to adopt your viewpoint.

Determine your thesis. What opinion or belief are you convincing your audience to embrace? Are you asking them to take a specific action after listening to your speech? Just as you do when writing a college essay , make sure your thesis or call-to-action is crystal clear before you start writing.

Organize your main arguments. Create an outline of the evidence or points you’ve collected to support your thesis. Make sure your ideas flow logically into each other and build your case.

Support your arguments with facts and examples. You’ll want to use multiple sources for your evidence, with a preference for well-known or reputable sources. (Please don’t cite Wikipedia!) You can also get personal by using anecdotes from your own life or the lives of someone close to you. This will increase your persuasive speech’s impact.

Add emotional connections with your audience. Make your argument more powerful by appealing to your audience’s sense of nostalgia and common beliefs. Another tactic (which marketers use all the time) is to appeal to your listeners’ fears and rely on their instincts for self-preservation.

Address counterarguments. Rather than waiting for your audience to think up objections to the points you make, do it yourself. Then dispute those objections with additional facts, examples, and anecdotes.

Wrap up your persuasive speech with a strong conclusion. In your closing, restate your thesis, tug on your audience’s heartstrings one last time with an emotional connection, and deliver your decisive call to action.

Now that you have a strongly written persuasive speech, your final task is this: practice, practice, and practice some more! We guarantee your delivery won’t be perfect on your first attempt. But on your tenth or fifteenth, it just might be.

Record yourself delivering your persuasive speech so you can play it back and analyze your areas needing improvement. Are your pauses too long or not long enough? Did you sufficiently emphasize your emotional points? Are your anecdotes coming out naturally? How is your body language? What about your hand movements and eye contact?

When you’re feeling more comfortable, deliver your speech to a friend or family member and ask for feedback. This will put your public speaking skills to the test. Ensure they understood your main points, connected emotionally, and had all their objections answered. Once you’ve fine tuned your persuasive speech based on your warm-up audience’s feedback, you’ll be ready for the real thing.

Now for the fun part! We’ve compiled a list of 110 persuasive speech topics—broken down by category—for you to choose from or use as inspiration. Use the set of three questions we shared above to determine which of these interesting persuasive speech topics is right for you.

Art, Media, and Culture

Should tattoos still be considered “unprofessional”?

Do romantic movies and books glorify an unrealistic idea of love and lead to heartbreak?

Should offensive and inappropriate language be removed from classic literature?

Does watching TV shows or movies about teenage suicide encourage it or prevent it?

Is creating films and documentaries about criminals glorifying them and inspiring some to become criminals themselves?

Should art and music therapy be prioritized over traditional talk therapy?

College and Career

Should the cost of college be reduced?

Are income-share agreements better for students than taking out student loans?

Should college athletes be paid like professional athletes are?

Are same-sex colleges beneficial or antiquated?

Should everyone go to college?

What are the benefits of taking a gap year before starting college?

Would removing tenure and job-protection from professors improve or reduce the quality of higher education?

Has the traditional college model become outdated in the age of the Internet?

Should you pursue a career based on your passions or a career based on earning potential?

Economy and Work

Should the federal minimum wage be increased?

Is the boom of e-commerce harmful or beneficial to small communities?

Should everyone receive paid maternity and paternity leave?

Is capitalism a harmful or beneficial economic system?

Should manufacturing and outsourced work be moved back to the United States?

Would three-day weekends increase work productivity?

Should working from home be the new standard?

Why should we pay more to support small businesses and services instead of going to large companies and retailers?

Should the US establish mandatory military service for all its young people, such as the countries of Israel and South Korea do?

Should there be a mandatory retirement age?

Should classes about mental health and wellness be added to school curriculum?

At what age or grade should sex education be taught in schools?

How can sex education be taught more effectively?

Should school funding be dependent on taxes of district residents or should all schools receive an equal amount of funding from the state?

What are the benefits of year-round schools?

Are charter schools hurting or helping low-income communities?

Is homeschooling beneficial or harmful to children?

Should students on the Autism spectrum be integrated into regular classrooms?

What should be the qualifications for books to be banned from schools?

Should advanced math classes in high school be replaced with more practical courses on financial literacy and understanding taxes?

Are grades an accurate representation of learning?

Should we switch to the metric system?

What is the most important book every high school student in America should read?

What are the benefits of teaching art and music classes in high school?

Should independent learning be offered as a larger option in high school?

What are the benefits of making preschool free to all families?

Environment and Conservation

Should fuel-run vehicles be banned?

How does it benefit nature to reduce human paper consumption?

Should it be okay to own exotic animals as pets?

Should hunting be made illegal?

What is the biggest current threat to the environment and how would you suggest we remedy it?

Should disposable diapers be banned?

Should zoos and animal theme parks (such as Sea World) be closed?

Family and Religion

Should children have the right to virtual and physical privacy from their parents?

“It takes a village to raise a child.” How important is a community in raising children?

Is it better for a young child to attend daycare or stay home with a parent?

Should children be told to believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy?

Nature vs. nurture—which is the most powerful influence on a person’s character?

Should parents have to give approval in order for their minor children to receive birth control?

How does learning about family ancestors impact you in the present and future?

Should parents teach their kids about sex or is it the responsibility of the school system?

What is the most beneficial parenting style and why?

Should cults receive protection under freedom of religion?

What are the benefits of belonging to a religious community?

Should parents force their children to go to church or let them decide for themselves?

Government and International Relations

Should states have the ability to secede from the U.S.?

Should Puerto Rico be added as a state to the U.S.?

How long should judges serve on the Supreme Court?

Should the U.S. have open borders?

Should the U.S. get involved when leaders of other countries commit human rights violations against their own people?

Is the U.S. overly dependent on manufactured goods and imports from other countries?

Should the government focus on increasing revenue or reducing spending?

Health and Medicine

Should universal health care be freely given to everyone?

Should soda and candy be banned from school campuses?

Should tobacco products be completely banned in America?

Is a plant-based diet better than a meat-based diet?

Should addiction counseling and treatment be covered by health insurance?

Would taxing fast food help combat obesity?

Should we ban all genetically modified foods?

What would be the benefits of making all birth control methods (e.g. condoms, the pill) free of charge?

Should homeopathic and alternative medical treatments be covered by health insurance?

Politics and Society

Should voting become mandatory?

What could politicians do to appeal to younger generations of voters?

Should prisoners have the right to vote?

Would it be better in the U.S. if elected politicians were younger?

Should the police use rubber bullets instead of real bullets?

Are private, for-profit prisons a threat to prisoners’ rights?

Should U.S. military funding be increased or decreased?

Should there be stricter or looser restrictions to qualify for welfare assistance?

Is our current two-party political system good enough or in need of replacing?

Should major corporations be eligible for tax breaks?

How can the current policy on undocumented immigrants in America be improved?

Should it be illegal for politicians to receive donations from large corporations?

Science and Technology

Should animal testing be banned?

Should organ donation be optional or mandated for all?

Is artificial intelligence a threat?

Should parents be allowed to scientifically alter their children’s genes?

What is the best option for renewable energy?

Should military forces be allowed to use drones in warfare?

Should self-driving cars be illegal?

Do the benefits of the internet outweigh the loss of privacy?

Should it be illegal for companies to sell their consumers’ information?

Should the government more strictly regulate the Internet?

How much screen time is too much?

Should everyone receive free internet?

Should we build a colony on the moon?

Social Media

At what age should children be allowed to be on social media?

Should schools be responsible for teaching safe social media education?

When should children be allowed to have a cell phone?

What should the punishment be for cyberbullying?

Do online friendships have the same benefits as in-person friendships?

Are social media influencers beneficial or harmful to society?

Has the popularity of “selfies” increased self-confidence or self-centeredness?

Is cancel culture a positive or a negative thing?

What are the most reliable, unbiased sources to receive news and information?

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500+ Best Presentation Topics to Appeal to Any Audience in 2024

Welcome, friends, to the ultimate guide for creating powerful, fun, informative, and engaging presentations! In this article, I’ll show you how to choose a topic that will inspire, inform, and captivate your audience.

You know that a successful speech or presentation requires many essential elements. Your body language must exude confidence, and your voice must convey enthusiasm. Your visual aids must be eye-catching and relevant, and your opening and closing lines must leave a lasting impression.

But one of the most important aspect of your speech or presentation is the topic itself. It must be engaging, insightful, and meaningful to both you and your audience. Your topic is the foundation of your presentation, so it needs to be rock solid.

How do you choose a good presentation topic? 🤔

There are millions of topics you could use for presentations, but what defines a good topic? If you’re struggling to either come up with a good topic for a presentation or you can’t decide between multiple ones, here are a few questions you should ask yourself before choosing a topic.

What’s the goal of your presentation? 🎯

First, consider the purpose of your presentation. What do you want your audience to take away from your talk? A meaningful goal will make your presentation more memorable and impactful.

Are you interested in the topic? 💙

Choose a topic that interests you. Your passion for the subject will shine through and inspire your audience to engage with your presentation.

Will your audience find this topic relatable? 👥

Consider your audience. What will they find relevant and relatable? Your topic must connect with their interests and knowledge level to keep them engaged and informed.

Do you have prior experience or knowledge about this topic? 🧠

Draw from your personal experiences and knowledge. Sharing your unique perspective will make your presentation more engaging and memorable.

What are some creative ways to present topics? 🎨

If you don’t have expertise in a topic, think about how you can relate it to your actual expertise. For example, if you’re giving a speech about social media without much expertise, but you do have expertise in Inca ruins, you can say something like: “Just as the Inca ruins were constructed layer by layer, so too has social media evolved, with each new platform and feature building on what came before it.”

How can I make a presentation more entertaining? 🎭

Make it visual: Use images, charts, and videos to keep the audience engaged and entertained.

Use humor: Add a bit of humor to lighten the mood and keep people interested.

Interactivity: Draw your audience in with an impromptu poll or quiz, a creative activity, or humor.

Tell a story: Think about what kinds of characters your audience would find interesting or persuasive. What about animals, like dogs? Is there a relatable theme or message? Follow templates like the Past-Present-Future framework to create a story arc.

Use variety: Switch it up by alternating between slides, videos, and activities.

Break it up: Keep the presentation short and sweet by splitting it into multiple parts.

Use the celebrity factor: Share a fun and relevant anecdote about a celebrity like Taylor Swift or Lizzo.

Use props: Utilize interesting props to make the presentation more interesting and interactive.

Download Speeko (iOS/macOS) to practice and get A.I. feedback on your presentation.

500+ ideas for good presentation topics

You’re probably looking for a good presentation topic that will engage an audience. It’s not easy to come up with a good presentation topic from scratch. It’s much easier to get inspired from other good presentation topics to build your topic on.

Without further ado, here are unique, interesting, and fun topics for presentations across a broad range of categories for modern audiences.

Presentation topics about science and technology

AI: Mind or machine?

Big Data, Big Impact: The power to change the world

Biodegradable Plastics: Friend or foe?

Biometrics: Should we fear the future?

Climate Change: It's time to act

Connected World: The impact of IoT on our lives

Crypto Craze: The future of money management

Cybersecurity: Protecting yourself in the digital age

Digital Dimensions: Stepping into the world of VR and AR

Driving the Future: The rise of autonomous vehicles

Drones: Taking flight into the future

Evolution: A journey through time

Gene Editing and Religion: Playing with the code of life

Genetics: The blueprint of life and the recipe for clones

Home Sweet Smart Home: The convenience of a connected life

Personal AI: How voice assistants are changing our daily lives

Print Your Dreams: The future of 3D manufacturing

Quantum Quirks: The fascinating world of subatomic particles

Race to the Stars: Who will be the first to colonize Mars?

Reality Redefined: The exciting future of virtual worlds

Reality Remix: Transforming our world with augmented reality

Robo Revolution: The future of automation

Space Odyssey: The never-ending quest for exploration

Tech Fashion: Wearable tech for the fashion-forward.

The 5G Revolution: The need for speed

The AI Dilemma: Ethical considerations for the future of machines

The AI Takeover: A brave new world?

The Brain: Unlocking the secrets of the mind

The Cloud: Streamlining your digital life

Tiny Tech: The marvels of nanotechnology

Presentation topics about foodie culture

Baking: Where science meets art

BBQ: The mouthwatering tradition

Bowl Wars: Acai vs. smoothie

Brunch 101: The ultimate etiquette guide

Brunch Voyage: Around the world in delicious meals

Cast Iron: Classic cookware and more

Cheese Mavericks: Artisanal and unique

Chocolate Dreams: Decadent desserts

Chocolate: The sweet treat of the ages

Clean Eating Hypocrites: Don't be that person

Coffee Culture: The roasting, brewing, and tasting journey

Comfort Food Remix: Modern twists on classics

Comfort Food: The warm hug we need

Craft Beer Chronicles: The art of brewing and tasting

Dairy-Free Delights: Non-dairy alternatives to cow's milk

Eating the Rainbow: Colorful and nutritious meals

Farm-to-Table: Fresh and local ingredients at your table

Fermentation Nation: Ancient and modern methods

Food Plating Perfection: The art of presentation

Food Shamers Beware: The worst offenders

Fusion Frenzy: Creative blends of culinary traditions

Gluten-Free: Fad or fact?

Herb and Spice Magic: Adding flavor and health to your meals

Indian Spice Trail: Diverse and flavorful dishes

Italian Cuisine: A journey through history and regional specialties

Keto vs. Vegan: The great debate

Korean BBQ: Flavor and fun at the table

Life is Short, Eat Dessert First: The benefits of reversing your meal order

Matcha Madness: Why we're obsessed

Meal Prep Like a Pro: Healthy and delicious ideas

Mediterranean Mosaic: Flavors from around the sea

Mexican Street Bites: Tasty treats from vendors and markets

Midnight Munchies: Why they're the best

Molecular Gastronomy: Modern techniques and presentations

Noodle Wars: Ramen vs. pho

Organic vs. Non-Organic: What's best for your health and wallet?

Plant-Based Palate: Delicious and healthy vegan meals

Popcorn Playground: Endless possibilities

Quarantine Baking: Crazy experiments and recipes

Ramen: Delicious and comforting bowls

Seafood: Sustainability and ethics on your plate

Sourdough Sensation: Mastering the art

Southern Comfort: Dishes from the Southern United States

Street Food Safari: Adventures in food carts and trucks

Sushi Symphony: Artful and delicate cuisine

Thai Taste Adventure: Balanced and complex flavors

The Protein Showdown: Plants vs. meat

The Tea Journey: Discovering varieties, brewing methods, and traditions

Umami Revolution: The best flavor ever

Veganism: A plant-based lifestyle that's taking over

Presentation topics about style and fashion

2000s Fashion Fails: A retrospective

Accessory Magic: Elevating your look with the right additions

AirPods as Fashion: Style or flex?

Authentic or Imitation: The fashion debate

Breaking the Mold: The gender-neutral fashion movement against gender stereotypes

Bucket Hats: The comeback kids

Capsule Collection: Maximizing your wardrobe with minimal pieces

Denim Done Right: Finding the perfect pair of jeans

Fashion for Less: Chic on a shoestring budget

Fashion Forward: The future of sustainability

Hypebeast Hysteria: From cool to crazy

K-Pop Couture: Channeling your inner idol

Layering like a Boss: Style tips and tricks

Pattern Play: How to mix prints like a pro

Retro Revival: Thrift store treasures you need to find

Street Style Influencers: When fashion meets fame

Streetwear Splurges: Brands worth the investment

Sweats to Streets: The athleisure revolution

The Sneaker Smackdown: Jordan vs Yeezy

Tie-Dye Takeover: DIY techniques for fashion fans

Presentation topics about social media trends, memes, and internet culture

#OOTD: The art of dressing for the internet

Among Us: The game that brought us together in 2020

Cancel Culture: The internet's way of holding public figures accountable

Discord Delight: Where gamers and music lovers unite

Drake Hotline Bling: The meme that inspired a thousand parodies

Emoji-centric Language: How social media is altering our vocabulary

Finsta vs. Rinsta: The difference between your fake and real Instagram accounts

FOMO Frenzy: Navigating Social Media's Pressure Cooker

From Hashtags to Harmful Stereotypes: How social media affects racial perceptions

From Influencers To Innovators: Social media's impact on fashion trends

Gen Z Gags: The wacky world of youthful humor

Going Viral: Spreading joy and positivity on social media

Hashtag Heroes: Using social media to make a difference

Influencer, Inc.: The business of being social media cool

Karen: The ultimate Karen guide to becoming a meme

LinkedIn Lane: Where professionals network and thrive

Lost in the Feed: How social media is impacting our ability to remember

Meme Magic: The art of crafting online laughter

Meme Masters: The Instagram pages that make you laugh

Memes 101: A beginner's guide to internet culture

Memes and Movements: How internet jokes shape political discourse

Mind Your Likes: Balancing social media use and mental health

Mirror, Mirror on the 'Gram: The psychological impact of social media filters

NFTs: The digital art craze that no one really understands

Perfectly Imperfect: The illusion of social media perfection

Pizza Rat: The furry NYC hero we never knew we needed

Pod Power: The audio oasis of entertainment, learning, and wellness

Reddit Realms: Where niche communities thrive online

Shrek-tacular: The lovable ogre that stole our hearts

Snap Streaks: Keeping friendships alive one daily snap at a time

Snapchat: The disappearing photo and video app that never really disappeared

Social Media 2033: A glimpse into the future

Social Media Bridges: Finding common ground in a divided world

Social Media Politics: When posts and tweets shape society

Social Media's Dark Side: Cyberbullying and online harassment

Swipe Right on Marketing: The future of advertising in the digital age

The Influencer Impact: How Instagram is changing the advertising game

The Social Media Diet: How to break your addiction and reclaim your time

The Swipe Life: The new era of social interaction

TikTok Tunes: The choreography craze sweeping the internet

Twitch Tribes: The online gaming communities you can't help but join

Twitter Wit: The sarcastic commentary on today's events

VSCO Kids: The aesthetic that's captivating social media

VSCO Vibes: The subculture taking Instagram by storm

We Are Number One: The song that made a villain a hero

YOLO: The motto that inspired a generation

YouTube Dramatics: The never-ending cycle of controversy and apologies

Zillennial Woes: Caught between two generations

Zoom Exhaustion: Battling burnout in the age of online meetings

Zoomer Lingo: How to speak like a hip youngster

Presentation topics on art and culture

Art through the Ages: From cave paintings to contemporary masterpieces

Artistic Expression: Creating beauty out of chaos

Board Game Bonanza: From classics to new favorites

Broadway Blockbusters: Singing, dancing, and show-stopping performances

Cultural Cuisine: Exploring the world one dish at a time

Dance Dynamo: Expressing yourself through movement

Design Divas: Crafting visuals that speak volumes

Fashion Forward: Designing your way to the runway

Fiction Frenzy: Crafting stories that come to life

Gaming Galore: Unlocking the secrets of the virtual world

Global Grooves: Discovering the beats of the world

Hip Hop History: From the Bronx to the top of the charts

Interior Intuition: Decorating with purpose and personality

Kitchen Creations: Cooking up a storm with confidence

Literary Legends: Unleashing the power of words in literature

Mindful Musings: Finding peace in a busy world

Movie Magic: Decoding the art of cinema

Music Mania: Crafting sonic sensations for Woodstock

Picture Perfect: Capturing the world through the lens

Poetic Prowess: Unraveling the beauty and complexity of poetry

Pop Art Revolution: Bold, colorful, and groundbreaking

Positive Vibes Only: Harnessing the power of optimism

Street Smarts: The power of public art

Sustainable Style: Fashion with a conscience

The Art of Simplicity: Embracing minimalism for a better life

Theater Time Warp: From ancient Greece to modern-day Broadway

TV Triumphs: Why we can't get enough of the small screen

Veggie Vibes: Nourishing your body and the planet

Virtual Visions: Creating art in the digital realm

Web Wizards: Building beautiful websites with ease

Presentation topics about history

Artful Mysteries: Decoding hidden meanings in famous artworks

Cold War Chronicles: The ideological battle and global tensions

Conquerors and Colonizers: The adventures and controversies of exploration

Culture Shockers: Revolutions that shook the world and redefined society

Enlightened Minds: A journey through the Age of Enlightenment

Fashion Time Warp: From corsets to couture - a fashionable journey through time

Gaming Through Time: The evolution of video games from Atari to Fortnite

History's Wildest Tales: Separating fact from fiction in bizarre moments

Industrial Evolution: How the world transformed during the Industrial Revolution

Landmarks Unveiled: A visual tour of the world's most iconic sites

Literary Gems: Stories that stood the test of time and transformed our world

Mythic Narratives: The enduring power of storytelling and myth-making

Pop Culture Odyssey: The rise and evolution of popular culture

Renaissance Revolution: An explosion of creativity, science, and culture

Revolutionaries Unleashed: The uprisings that changed the world

Sporting Legends: The tales of heroes and legends in the world of sports

Television's Golden Age: A history of the small screen and its greatest moments

The Soundtrack of Our Lives: How music has shaped our society and culture

Timeless Civilizations: The mysteries and wonders of ancient worlds

Wars That Shaped the World: The global conflicts that changed the course of history

Presentation topics about health and wellness

Aging Gracefully: The secrets to healthy longevity

Beyond Medicine: Unconventional ways to wellness

Drink Up: The surprising benefits of hydration

Finding Zen: The art of meditation

Fit for Fun: The hottest exercise trends

Fit in a Flash: Healthy habits for busy bees

Food for Thought: Navigating the science of nutrition and your immune system

Friends for Life: Nurturing social connections for wellbeing

Living in the Moment: Mastering mindfulness

Love the Skin You're In: Embracing body positivity

Mind Matters: Nurturing your mental health

Move to Improve: The benefits of functional fitness

Om Your Way to Wellness: The transformative power of yoga

Standing Tall: The power of posture

Sweet Dreams: Unlocking the science of sleep

Thanks a Million: Harnessing the power of gratitude for mental health

The Mind-Body Blend: Unleashing your inner power

The Perfect Fit: Ergonomics for optimal performance

Unplugged: The art of digital detox for mental clarity

You First: Self-care as a priority, not a luxury

Presentation topics about self-development

Authentic You: Crafting your personal brand for career triumph

Conflict to Collaboration: Successful strategies for resolving disputes

Connections that Count: Networking and relationship building for success

Emo IQ: Mastering Emotions for personal and professional success

From Dreams to Reality: Goal-setting strategies for achievers

Harmony at Work and Play: Balancing your career and personal life

Healthy Habits, Happy Life: Simple ways to improve physical and mental wellbeing

Mindful Magic: Cultivating self-awareness and reducing stress

Money Matters: Unlocking the secrets of financial literacy

Picture Perfect: Visualization techniques for manifesting your goals

Resilience Rocks: Bouncing back and thriving after adversity

Rock Solid Confidence: Techniques for building unshakeable self-belief

Self-Care Superstar: Daily habits for optimal health and happiness

Speak Up, Stand Out: Powerful public speaking techniques for every occasion

Stress Less, Live More: Coping strategies for managing life's challenges

Sweat for Success: The benefits of yoga and exercise for mind and body

The Write Way: Therapeutic practices for reflection and expression

Think Outside the Box: Creative problem-solving for innovators

Time is on Your Side: Productivity and balance techniques for busy lives

Zen and the Art of Living: Incorporating Zen philosophy into your daily life

Presentation topics about business

Ad Magic: The art of persuasion in a modern world

Brand Boom: The power of creating a recognizable image

Business Battle Plan: Developing a long-term strategy for success

Crowdfunding Revolution: Democratizing financing for startups and creatives

Culture Creation: Building a positive and productive workplace culture

Customer Delight: Creating unforgettable interactions with customers

Data Decoded: Understanding business performance and customer behavior

Digital Domination: Tactics for online business and product promotion

E-commerce Explosion: The rise of online shopping and its impact on retail

Entrepreneur Essentials: The key traits and habits for success

Entrepreneur Expedition: The journey of growing a successful business

Financial Future: Strategies for managing personal and business finances

Innovation Ignition: New ideas to drive business growth and success

Leading Legends: Essential qualities and skills of effective leaders

Marketing Mastery: The art and science of promoting products and services

Networking Ninja: Building professional relationships for career success

Outsourcing Odyssey: The benefits and challenges

Product Prodigy: From concept to launch

Sales Savvy: The psychology of selling

Small Business Survivors: Expecting the unexpected

Social Media Superstar: How to grow on new platforms

Social Savior: Business principles to address social and environmental issues

Startup Spectacle: The exciting and risky world

Supply Chain Saga: The complex web that brings products to market

Team Titans: Leading effective teams in the workplace

Presentation topics about politics and society

Ballot Boxing: The fight against voter suppression

Breaking Barriers: Women who paved the way in politics and feminism

City Hall 101: Decoding the functions of local government

Diplomacy or War: The high-stakes game of foreign relations

Drawing the Line: The politics of redistricting

Equality Now: The battle for civil rights

Fear Factor: The political and social impacts of terrorism

It's a Small World After All: The impacts of globalization on politics

Locked and Loaded: The great gun debate

Making a Difference: The impact of public policy

Politics 101: Understanding the philosophy of governance

Power Play: The art of political maneuvering

Rallying the Troops: How to mobilize your community for change

The Borderline: Navigating immigration policies

The Great Divide: Bridging the gap in political polarization

The Highest Court in the Land: Inside the inner workings of the Supreme Court

The Power Behind the Throne: Inside the world of lobbying

The Quest for Equality: Social justice in modern times

The World is Watching: The dynamics of international relations

The World Stage: Understanding the complexities of global politics

Presentation topics about sustainability and the environment

Carbon Offsets: The guilt-free way to lessen your carbon footprint

Circular Economy: The genius of regeneration and rejuvenation

Climate Change: The unavoidable reality of our planet's health

Composting: Turning trash into treasure for your garden

Dumpster Diving: The thrill of finding hidden gems in the trash

Earth Day: The global celebration of our amazing planet and its protectors

Eco-Chic: The fashionable future of sustainable clothing

Eco-Friendliness: Easy and fun ways to save the planet

Electric Vehicles: The fast lane to a greener future

Energy Efficiency: Saving the environment and your wallet

Energy Vampires: The secret life of zombie appliances

Farm to City: Urban agriculture and food security

Farming for the Future: Permaculture and sustainable land management

Fashion with a Conscience: Sustainable style for the ethical shopper

Fashion Without the Cruelty: The rise of vegan leather

Fast Fashion: The not-so-pretty truth behind your cheap clothes

Food Waste: The tragic tale of our wasted food and how to stop it

Green Building: Constructing a sustainable and beautiful future

Green Eating: The health and environmental benefits of plant-based diets

Green Energy: The revolutionary tech that powers our planet

Green Tech: The innovations driving us toward a sustainable tomorrow

Greenwashing: Don't be fooled by the fake eco-friendly claims

Influence for Good: Sustainable living with social media stars

Less is More: Embracing zero waste living for a better planet

Living the Vegan Life: Health, ethics, and sustainability

Meatless Mondays: The weekly excuse to eat junk food and call it healthy

Mindful Consumption: Harnessing the power of our purchasing choices for good

Mindful Travel: Protecting the planet while exploring it

Pedaling Paradise: The joyful and eco-friendly way to get around

Plastic Pandemic: The impact of single-use plastics on the environment

Plastic Wars: Saving our seas with ocean conservation

Power from Nature: Tapping into the energy of wind, solar, and hydro power

Power Up: Renewable energy and the climate change debate

Public Transit Adventures: Embracing the smelly and crowded side of life

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The basics of recycling and why it matters

Reusables Rule: Making eco-friendly choices with reusable products

Simplify and Declutter: The joy of minimalism

Slow and Delicious: Savoring the flavors of slow food

Solar Solutions: The magic of solar power without the sunburn

Sustainable Cities: Pioneering the future of urban living

The Recycling Dilemma: Separating fact from fiction

Thrift Treasures: Secondhand shopping for sustainable style

Tiny Living, Big Dreams: The excitement of downsizing with tiny houses

Travel with a Purpose: Sustainable tourism for the conscious traveler

Urban Jungle: Plant parenthood as a status symbol

Urban Oasis: Creating a green space for apartment living

Waste Not, Want Not: Upcycling for a more sustainable future

Water Matters: Conserving and managing our most precious resource

Wild at Heart: Preserving endangered species and their habitats

Zero-Waste Warriors: Living sustainably and smugly

Presentation topics about pop culture

Anime-zing Adventures: Exploring the wondrous world of Japanese animation

Comics Unmasked: Superheroes, villains, and everything in between

Fashion Forward: Keeping up with the ever-changing trends

Game of Thrones: A world of dragons, magic and intrigue

Gaming Galaxies: The interactive entertainment of the 21st century

Gaming Galore: A peek into the world of video games and e-sports

Harry Potter and the Enchanting Wizarding World

Hip-hop Hooray: The global phenomenon of music, fashion, and lifestyle

K-Pop Explosion: Breaking records and boundaries

Marvel-ous Universe: The epic saga of superheroes and villains

Meme Magic: When humor and communication collide

Netflix and Chill: How the streaming platform revolutionized entertainment

Podcast Palooza: The growing popularity of on-demand audio content

Reality TV Realness: Guilty pleasures, drama and competition

Stranger Things: A sci-fi thriller that brings the 80s back to life

The Glitz, the Glamour, the Gossip: Inside celebrity culture

The Influencer Effect: How online personalities shape our lives

The Office: A hilarious workplace comedy that never gets old

TikTok Takes Over: A short-form video revolution

True Crime Chronicles: The obsession with stories of mystery and intrigue

Presentation topics about travel

Cityscape Chronicles: Exploring the world's most exciting cities

Dive into Culture: A journey of discovery

Festival Frenzy: Where culture comes alive

Food safari: Exploring the culinary landscape

Foodie Frenzy: A gastronomic expedition

Glamping Glamour: Where nature meets luxury

Globe-Trotting Road Warriors: Epic adventures on four wheels

Heritage hunt: Uncovering treasures of the past

Hit the Road. Jack: The ultimate adventure on the open road

Island Escapes: Hopping across paradise

National Parks Unleashed: Discovering nature's wonders

Nordic Nirvana: Cozy, sustainable escapes

Rails and Romance: A love affair with train travel

Sand, Sun, and Serenity: Beach vacations reimagined

Secret Beaches: Uncovering hidden treasures

Slow and Steady: Savoring the journey

Solo Sojourns: Empowering adventures for one

South America: Where adventure takes flight

Staycation Sensations: Rediscovering your hometown

The Digital Nomad Diaries: Work and wanderlust

The Thrill Hunter's Handbook: Adventures that make your heart race

Theme Park Thrills: Where fun never ends

Thrill Me Once, Thrill Me Twice: Dare to go extreme with heart-pumping activities

Trailblazing Adventures: Conquering the great outdoors

Travel Lightly: A sustainable path to adventure

Travel with a Conscience: Sustainable tourism at its best

Vino Voyage: Sipping and savoring the best of wine country

Wildlife Wonders: Awe-inspiring encounters with nature

Winter Warriors: Embracing the chill with winter sports

Winter Wonderland: A magical escape to snowy paradises

Presentation topics about sports

Adaptive sports: Overcoming physical obstacles to achieve greatness

American football: The gridiron gladiators and the strategy of smashing success

Archery: Bullseyes, bows, and the beauty of precision

Baseball: America's pastime: the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd

Basketball: Dribbling, dunking, and dominating the court

Boxing: Ropes, punches, and the sweet science of knockouts

Cricket: Wickets, runs, and the genteel game of cricket

Crossfit: Sweating, sculpting, and the science of functional fitness

Cycling: The wheels that take you on a journey to health and freedom

Dance: Art, rhythm, and the expression of the soul through movement

Esports: From virtual to reality: the high-stakes world of video games

Extreme sports: Adrenaline-fueled adventure and defying limits

Fantasy sports: The online realm where stats and strategy reign supreme

Golf: The greens, the clubs, and the thrill of the swing

Gymnastics: Balancing, flipping, and the magic of the mats

Mixed martial arts: Fists, feet, and the fighting styles of MMA

Olympic history: The triumphs, the scandals, and the global celebration of sportsmanship

Parkour: Urban ninja skills and the art of movement through the city

Rugby: Tackles, scrums, and the hooligan's game played by gentlemen

Running: The beat of your heart and the rhythm of your feet

Skateboarding: Tricks, flips, and the evolution of a subculture

Skiing: From snowplows to black diamonds, the thrill of the slopes

Soccer: Goals, passes, and the beautiful game that unites the world

Surfing: Riding waves, chasing swells, and the culture of the surf

Swimming: Strokes, breaths, and the meditative benefits of the water

Tennis: The elegance, the power, and the passion of the racket sport

Track and field: Sprinting, jumping, and the glory of the gold medal

Ultimate frisbee: Frisbees, teamwork, and the ultimate game of flying discs

Volleyball: Bumps, sets, and the spike of victory

Women's sports: The rise, the power, and the unstoppable force of female athleticism

Presentation topics about conspiracy theories

Aliens: The truth is out there, but we're not being told

Ancient astronauts: Did extraterrestrials influence past human civilizations?

Area 51: The aliens among us

Bermuda Triangle: The mysterious disappearances

Chemtrails: The conspiracy in the sky

Flat Earth: The truth is out there

Hollow Earth: The bizarre theory that there's a whole world beneath our feet

Illuminati: The secret society that rules the world

Mandela Effect: Remembering a different reality

Moon landing: Was it real or a hoax?

New World Order: The sinister plan for global domination

Parallel Universes: Are there alternate versions of reality beyond our own?

Reptilian Elite: Are our leaders actually lizard people?

Roswell: The UFO crash that started it all.

Simulation Theory: Are we living in a computer program?

The Philadelphia Experiment: Time travel and teleportation

The Titanic: Was it really the Titanic that sank?

The Voynich Manuscript: The unbreakable code

Time Travel: Is it possible and are we already doing it?

Zombie Apocalypse: Are we prepared for the end of the world?

Presentation topics about weird history

Abe Lincoln's Wrestling Career: The lesser-known talents of the 16th US President

Æthelred the Unready: The king of England who was unready for anything

Cotard Delusion: The rare mental disorder that makes people believe they are dead

Dancing Mania: The bizarre phenomenon of spontaneous dance parties in the Middle Ages

Dark Web: The hidden corner of the internet where anything is for sale

Krampus: The demonic companion of Saint Nicholas

Mary Celeste: The ghost ship that was found adrift with no crew

Mummy unwrapping parties: The creepy and curious craze of the Victorian era

Phrenology: The misguided practice of reading personality traits based on head shape

Rat Kings: The bizarre phenomenon of rats getting their tails tangled together

Tulip Mania: The wild and crazy world of 17th-century Dutch tulip speculation

Victorian Slang: The weird and wonderful language of the 19th century

Viking Sagas: The epic and often strange tales of Norse mythology and history

Witch Hunts: The dark and disturbing history of hunting and persecuting supposed witches

Zombie Apocalypse: The real-life inspirations behind our favorite undead stories

Presentation topics about superpowers

Flight: The power to soar through the skies like a bird

Invisibility: The ability to disappear from sight at will

Mind reading: The power to know what others are thinking

Pyrokinesis: The power to control and create fire

Regeneration: The ability to heal from any injury or illness

Shapeshifting: The power to transform into any shape or form

Super strength: The ability to lift and move objects beyond human capacity

Telekinesis: The power to move objects with the mind

Teleportation: The power to instantly transport oneself anywhere

X-ray vision: The power to see through objects and clothing

Presentation topics about mythical creatures

Bigfoot: The elusive legend of the forest

Centaurs: The majestic hybrid of mythology

Chupacabra: Myth or menace? The legend of the bloodsucking beast

Cyclops: The one-eyed wonder of ancient Greece

Dragons: Mythical creatures that ignite our imagination and fears

Elves: Beyond Santa's helpers: a look into mythology's most mysterious creatures

Fairies: Fantasy or reality? The enchanting world of the Fae

Gargoyles: Winged guardians of Gothic architecture and mythology

Griffins: The mighty beasts that ruled ancient mythology

Kraken: The deep-sea giant that haunts our imagination

Loch Ness Monster: The enduring mystery of Nessie and the Scottish Highlands

Mermaids: The enigmatic creatures of the sea that have captivated us for centuries

Minotaur: The terrifying creature that was half-man, half-bull

Phoenix: The majestic bird of fire and rebirth that rises from the ashes

Sasquatch: The mythical beast that roams the forests of the Pacific Northwest

Sirens: The alluring and dangerous temptresses of Greek mythology

Sphinx: The legendary creature that stands guard over the mysteries of the Pyramids

Unicorns: The graceful and magical beasts of fairy tales and legend

Yeti: The mysterious abominable snowman of the Himalayas

Zombies: The walking dead that won't stay dead

Presentation topics about gaming

Console or PC? Let's end the debate once and for all

Gaming in Comfort: Ergonomic chair setup

Immerse Yourself: The best virtual reality gaming experiences

Loot Boxes: Is your addiction ruining your life?

Mind Games: The psychology of e-sports

Need for Speed: Tips for successful speedrunning

Streaming like a Pro: Setting up your Twitch channel

Talking to NPCs: Analyzing the dialogue of video games

The Art of Rage Quitting: The dos and don'ts

The Art of Stealth: Tips and tricks for sneaking around

There are countless topics to choose from! So, take these tips, let your creativity flow, and create a presentation that will leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Nico Aguilar is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Speeko.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

The most asked question I get almost every day from students is this:

What makes a topic interesting?

Well, the answer is simple. You have to like it yourself, the subject has to be appropriate to the rules of the assignment, to the audience and the setting of the meeting:

In this article:

How To Find An Interesting Topic

Best interesting speech topics, interesting persuasive speech topics, interesting informative speech topics, topics with outline.

1 – Look in magazines, journals, and newspapers for events.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

Current or historical, that does not matter at this point, both are okay – and recent engaging and exciting facts, and perhaps valuable information that attracts the attention.

Articles about subjects that interests you and that are comfortable for you to talk about are good indications.

2 – Jot down any possible idea that comes up for interesting speech topics. I always draft a short list for myself of candidate issues if I am contracted for a public speaking engagement.

And then I skip the ones that are too difficult and too complex to prepare and master in 8 to 10 minutes time.

3 – Review some online books on the subject for more detailed current information about your topic. Or go to a library and ask for books and reference articles about your subject.

Without exception, all librarians I know will help you sorting out the speechwriter subject with their advice and recommendations. For example you choose for an alluring pleasure physical activity or farming and countryside topic.

Try to understand how the author has covered it. What’s his structure? What points, information or arguments are the strongest? What examples and illustrations has she or he used?

4 – Peerless reliable statistics and new discoveries can help writing and refining.

Look for controversies, rare and strange opinions. What do you think of it? What do you want your audience to think of it?

5 – Think about related engaging interpretive hints to talk about. When you view your rough list, try to find new points, different angles of view or just turn your thoughts upside down. Look at the special aspects that surprise the listeners.

>>> For example try these 2 more detailed summary outlines with main points and subpoints. Use my sample structure to add or otherwise wipe steps and stages you do not need.

>>> In addition to these patterns, you find more ideas for outlined main points in my Minute Section (in the navigation menu bar right on your left of this portal page). Or move straight to sixty plus lineups for speechwriters.

That can be very enlighting for enhancing public discernment. They also can see , feel, or even taste and smell what you try to explain or demonstrate in a couple of minutes.

6 – Look for supporting and also for opposing opinions, plus interesting speech topics statements. Add visual aids where you want to emphasize or to give some prominence to an unimaginable point in your interesting topic idea.

7 – Watch news shows, history documentaries and debating programs – for example, the morning shows and the evening news. They are especially helpful for developing a rough list of wheedling brainstorms.

Interesting Speech Topic Examples

Don’t have time to read our full list of 200+ topic ideas? Here is our list of 10 interesting speech topics.

Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder
Children don’t play enough
Animal testing is necessary
Girls are too mean to each other
Men should get paternity leave
Tattoos are an addiction
If I had a year to do what I want
Butterflies: deadly creatures
How to ruin a date in the first minute
The meaning of dreams

Here is our list of top interesting persuasive speech topics.

Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder.
Hyper active kids don’t need medication.
Books are always better than the movie.
Pick up lines do work.
Televise all court proceedings.
Suspend referees that are found to show too much bias.
There is no place for monarchs any more.
It is false that no one is above the law.
You tube needs to monitor comments.
Online friends show more compassion.
Cross cultural couples respect each other more.
Graffiti must be recognised as art.
You can loose weight without exercising.
Children don’t play enough.
Carpets are harmful and shouldn’t be in homes.
Sex education doesn’t work.
Ban smoking in all public places.
Women cheat just as much as men.
Prohibit destruction of rainforests.
Global warming is a myth.
Justice is never the same for all.
Video games are not the blame of violence at school.
Financial rewards is the only way employees stay loyal.
The world isn’t only black and white.
Give girls over 16 contraceptives without parents consent.
Calories should be included in restaurant menus.
Sugar tax won’t reduce obesity.
Pregnancy as a result of rape should be terminated.
All couples must live together before getting married.
Animal testing is necessary.
Children’s beauty pageants are wrong.
There are not enough cameras in public spaces.
Freedom of speech rights needs to be rewritten.
Random DUI test should be done on parents picking up children after school.
Atheists are more peaceful than religious people.
Heterosexual men and women can be just friends.
Adoptive parents need maternity leave too.
Print advertisements don’t work.
Click bate headlines are the cause of less followers.
Don’t give children allowances.
Stop checking in on social media.
There would be more divorces if couples didn’t have children.
Compensate organ donors.
Celebrities are not role models.
Do drug tests on welfare recipients.
Stem cell research is murder.
People should be considered adults at 21.
Religion is the cause of war.
Life was not easier a century ago.
Men are better forgivers.
Making substances illegal only makes people want them more.
Parenting classes must be compulsory.
Helicopter parents are damaging their children.
Give working moms special privileges.
Social media fame is a scam.
Make paparazzi photographing children a criminal offence.
Food should never be seen as a reward.
6 hours is not enough sleep for an adult.
People can live without eating meat.
Curfews do not keep teens out of trouble.
Electronic textbooks don’t have the same impact as the printed version.
This generation cannot fix anything.
Boredom always leads to trouble.
Girls are too mean to each other.
Affirmative action isn’t right.
School system is responsible for low test scores.
Men should get paternity leave.
Fast food needs to come with more warnings.
Killing a murderer is immoral.
Famous people must stay away from politics.
Long distance relationships do work.
Men are the stronger sex.
Jobs shouldn’t be gender specific.
Religion won’t die away.
Women shouldn’t give birth after 40.
Abortion is murder.
Tattoos are an addiction.
Drug addiction is a choice.
Social media will run it’s course and die out.
Caesarian sections are safer than normal births.
There is a connection between science and religion.
Never pay children for good grades.
People in open marriages are not happy.
The soul does exist.
People’s salaries should reflect their performances.
English will always be the business language of the world.
Why you should always put yourself first.
Earth has not been explored properly.
Women are more intelligent than they give away.
Alternatives to evolution exist.
Prisons create criminals.
Sick building syndromes exist.
Strategic defense and ethics do not match.
The War on Terror is based on a hidden agenda.
Aging is a threat to pension funding.
Airline safety restrictions won’t stop terrorists.
Alcohol advertising stimulates underage alcohol use.
All humans are spiritual in one way or another.
Arts express the level of quality in different cultures.
Atheists do care about Christmas.
Australian aboriginal tattooing is art.
Ban the filibuster from Congress.
Body piercings can cause serious complications.
Books are outdated.
Censorship is a violation of freedom of speech.
Charities must minimize the organizational and overhead costs.
Child testimonies in abuse cases are not credible.
Corporal punishment could be ethical, provided that it is proportional.
Creative expression and creativity are not the same.
Electronic baby timeshare does help to prevent teen pregnancy.
English and Spanish should be the only languages in the world.
Establishing democracy in Iraq is mission impossible.
Fashion gurus have good reasons to promote skinny girls.
Female genital mutilation is not unethical when done by cosmetic surgery doctors.
Feminism will help improve the position of females in Africa.
Fill in a country … should be condemned as human rights violator.
Future generations have to keep their jobs until they drop.
George Orwell was just right when he wrote his novel ‘1984’ … Big Brother is watching us all the time.
Governments should not own news broadcasting corporations.
Granting amnesty perpetuates immigration and makes border patrols fruitless.
Harry Potter books are more popular among elderly persons.
Hollywood movies have a bad influence on the world.
Homelessness in rural areas is substantially undercounted compared to metropolitan and suburban areas.
Hospitality is a valuable instrument to better foreign relationships.
Houses affected by natural disasters should not be rebuilt.
International satellite news broadcasting poses a threat to indigenous cultures.
It is possible to be pro-life and pro-choice.
It’s a myth that bottled water is better than tap water.
Journalism codes are no longer respected by journalists.
Limiting immigration is limiting opportunities.
Link debt relief of developing countries to carbon emission reduction.
Local aid to African communities is more effective than national aid.
Mentally disabled people cannot be executed.
Motivation courses only have one objective: to fund the instructor’s bank account.
MP3 music belongs in the free public domain for educational institutions and the general public.
News programs must be interesting rather than important.
Open source software is better than Microsoft.
Parental advisory labels hinder the freedom of speech of artists.
People have the right to decide about their own life and death.
Political correctness kills freedom of speech.
Poverty can be cut by half in this century.
Princess Diana’s death was not a tragic accident.
Public insults should be considered as hate speech and should not be protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Right to work laws are useless.
Robin Hood was a not a hero.
Sex and sexuality are from different hemispheres.
Telling lies is a justifiable instrument.
The local council elections in Cuba are no elections at all.
The right to privacy is not absolute.
There is no secure protection of property rights in developing countries.
There should be cultural content quotas in broadcasting.
Tobacco and alcohol billboards litter the streets.
United Nations will never truly exist in Europe.
Vegetarians would not eat vegetables if they were born in rural Africa.
We should have a king instead of a president.
Weblogs are intellectual property and therefore must be legally protected.
With the current economic situation, we will all be working until we are old and grey.
Zero tolerance is a useful instrument to prevent violence.

Here is our list of top interesting informative speech topics.

A comparison of the official definition of terrorism in different parts of the world.
A week of monastery life.
Abu Sayyaf links to global terror organizations.
Architectural movements in the late nineteenth century.
Armed conflicts in Africa.
Artificial intelligence opportunities.
Biochemical weapons explained.
Bioethics versus human rights.
Combatting modern slavery.
Debunking weight loss myths.
Development goals of the United Nations.
Everything we can find in our Solar System.
Five ways to give and donate to charity funds.
Forms of public diplomacy.
Fraud detection systems explained.
How giant sea aquariums are constructed.
How nepotisms started in the Middle Ages.
How the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is structured.
How the American Civil War began.
How the application for immigration and naturalization works.
How the CIA can track terrorists.
How to apply Feng Shui to your bedroom.
How to outlaw reactionary conservative groups and individuals.
Is it possible to clone humans?
Major incidents and consequences in the first decade of this millennium.
Middle East roadmap for peace.
Migration trends.
Offshore installation accidents over the years.
Racism and cultural diversity in mass media.
Refugees and forced displacement.
Result on foreign aid funding in the long term.
Scientific explanations for the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.
State sponsored tyranny explained.
The 9/11 Commission assignment and its main conclusions.
The best consumer electronics innovations to date.
The chain of cargo and freight services at international airports.
The difference between soft and hard drugs.
The effect of counter terrorism legislation on ordinary people.
The European convention on human rights explained.
The flying fortress called Air Force One.
The four general goals of the Homeland Security Department.
The functions of Samurai warriors in Ancient Japan.
The future of fashion.
The Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
The governing system of rules during the Middle Ages.
The history of Amtrak.
The innovative and unique styling of Dodge trucks.
The long term complications of sunburn.
The philosophical doctrine of Nihilism.
The pros and cons of pacifism.
The relations between federal budget deficit, national debt and trade balance.
The role of Emperor Akihito in Japan.
The secrets of crop circles revealed.
The short history of the second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin.
The struggle to patent computer software.
The war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan
Two party system compared multiple party systems.
What is acne and what are its causes.
Why the NASA shuttle program was stopped.
Why the Romans built huge aqueducts in France.
Venezuela and the constitutional power crisis.
A diamond exploration certification system will not prevent conflict-diamonds trade.
Handwriting analysis and how it reveals aspects of your personality.
Hindu Cinema: not just Bollywood movies.
How many disasters always happen at Christmas time.
How sleepwalkers perform the most unusual things while asleep.
Different lifestyles of generations.
Importance of sleeping
What makes me happy
My ideal trip to Asia
What would it be like to live with a famous person?
If I were a volcano
If l could the queen
Benefits of being a vegetarian
How girls worldwide are treated differently
History of Mainamati in Bangladesh
Broccoli flavored Oreos
The Importance of public speaking
A world without boundaries
Stars and shooting stars
How I came to school for the first time
Conspiracy theories
The pros and cons of being dead
Confusing grammar
When my birthday was there
Importance of languages
How to study effectively
If I walked backwards
The power of a lie
Power of words
If I was invisible
Why I smile
Fear of the unknown
Fashion trends I hate
Why do we have toes?
Why I want to be a lawyer (or whatever job u pick)
How colours affect your mood

Need a topic for your speech about an interesting persuasion statement?

Here are some of the best speech ideas and two easy informative subjects you can alter into a firm convincing claim.

Need other attracting ideas?

Check the navbar on the left and you will find thousands of special hints and tips for your public presentation 🙂

1. Whistleblower Protection Is Not Effective

Whistleblower laws don’t protect against reprisals, disciplinary measures and spin from superiors.
Huge companies have enough money to buy legal advice for a long period, laws offer employees no financial shield.
Legislation often doesn’t address the issue itself, the problem, the allegations often are not investigated.

Another topic for your speech on business could be on fair trade:

2. Is Fair Trade Really Fair?

Protectionism and markets are often stronger than fair trade appointments.
Buying products is subsidizing poor farmers and manufacturers in developing countries. It isn’t helping them to make them stronger.
It is anti-competitive and it undermines the economy in Third World nations.

And what do you think of this explosive persuasive topic for your speech?

3. Nuclear Power Is Dangerous Stuff

An accident could cause thousands of fatalities and for billions of dollars property damage.
There is no proper technology to handle radioactive waste material.
Health risks for people working in the plant and for those who are living nearby could not be foreseen in advance and certainly not at the long term.
Costs of nuclear plant safety measurements are very high.

And now two informative suggestions for a topic for your speech. But you easily transform them into some of the best speech ideas for persuasion speeches:

4. Checklist Before Taking A New Job

A bigger company means more interesting job and task opportunities.
It makes it possible to extend your existing network of trusted contacts.
Like to travel abroad? Is it a Yes or No?
How about the probability that you will keep your job – in other words what about the job security? What are the hidden clues?
Is there a chance you can make you professional dreams and personal goals come true?
How about the pay? Get all salary information, and decide on how much you want to earn from the start.
Are there other requirements? Some personal wishes you would like to fulfill?

5. The Advantages Of Working In The Night

No disturbing by telephone.
No traffic jam.
Not being awakened by the alarm clock in early morning hours …

You can think about the disadvantages too … Approach this subject from different sides and you double your opportunities!

89 Medical Speech Topic Ideas [Persuasive, Informative, Nursing]

292 Sports Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

10 thoughts on “259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]”

Are you in the Now?

Renewable energy pros and cons.

I want to learn the most detailed writing. Am a New student and i need to improve my own My subject is an informative one : Ivorians women teaching in Abidjan universites.

I need more topics to choose from for my oral presentation

Hello, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop perpetuating falseties about global warming and climate change. They are very much real, and putting them on a list like this only further pushes the myth that they are false. These topics are not up for debate.

Some of these are really creative.

#184 made me laugh. As someone who grew up with Harry Potter, perhaps students these days will consider me an older person ha.

Regards, Chris

thaaaank you very much this is help me a lot

Thanks for the ideas!

A lot of these “creative” topics are not only offensive but help push distructive rhetoric.

this helped me out so much.was just sitting there lost about what to speak at the academic decathlon.thanks

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Speaking exams
Typical speaking tasks

Oral presentation

Giving an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam can be quite scary, but we're here to help you. Watch two students giving presentations and then read the tips carefully. Which tips do they follow? Which ones don’t they follow?

Instructions

Watch the video of two students doing an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam. Then read the tips below.

Melissa: Hi, everyone! Today I would like to talk about how to become the most popular teen in school.

Firstly, I think getting good academic results is the first factor to make you become popular since, having a good academic result, your teacher will award you in front of your schoolmates. Then, your schoolmates will know who you are and maybe they would like to get to know you because they want to learn something good from you.

Secondly, I think participating in school clubs and student unions can help to make you become popular, since after participating in these school clubs or student union, people will know who you are and it can help you to make friends all around the school, no matter senior forms or junior forms.

In conclusion, I think to become the most popular teen in school we need to have good academic results and also participate in school clubs and student union. Thank you!

Kelvin: Good evening, everyone! So, today I want to talk about whether the sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.

As we all know, cigarettes are not good for our health, not only oneself but also other people around. Moreover, many people die of lung cancer every year because of smoking cigarettes.

But, should the government make it illegal? I don’t think so, because Hong Kong is a place where people can enjoy lots of freedom and if the government banned the sale of cigarettes, many people would disagree with this and stand up to fight for their freedom.

Moreover, Hong Kong is a free market. If there's such a huge government intervention, I think it’s not good for Hong Kong’s economy.

So, if the government wants people to stop smoking cigarettes, what should it do? I think the government can use other administrative ways to do so, for example education and increasing the tax on cigarettes. Also, the government can ban the smokers smoking in public areas. So, this is the end of my presentation. Thank you.

It’s not easy to give a good oral presentation but these tips will help you. Here are our top tips for oral presentations.

Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say.
If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form.
Use more formal language.
Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly.
Pause from time to time and don’t speak too quickly. This allows the listener to understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea.
Speak clearly and at the right volume.
Have your notes ready in case you forget anything.
Practise your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your presentation. If you can’t record yourself, ask a friend to listen to you. Does your friend understand you?
Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion .
Look at the people who are listening to you.
Write out the whole presentation and learn every word by heart.
Write out the whole presentation and read it aloud.
Use very informal language.
Only look at your note card. It’s important to look up at your listeners when you are speaking.

Useful language for presentations

Explain what your presentation is about at the beginning:

I’m going to talk about ... I’d like to talk about ... The main focus of this presentation is ...

Use these expressions to order your ideas:

First of all, ... Firstly, ... Then, ... Secondly, ... Next, ... Finally, ... Lastly, ... To sum up, ... In conclusion, ...

Use these expressions to add more ideas from the same point of view:

In addition, ... What’s more, ... Also, ... Added to this, ...

To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and expressions:

However, ... On the other hand, ... Then again, ...

Example presentation topics

Violent computer games should be banned.
The sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
Homework should be limited to just two nights a week.
Should school students be required to wear a school uniform?
How to become the most popular teen in school.
Dogs should be banned from cities.

Check your language: ordering - parts of a presentation

Check your understanding: grouping - useful phrases, worksheets and downloads.

Do you think these tips will help you in your next speaking exam? Remember to tell us how well you do in future speaking exams!

We will process your data to send you our newsletter and updates based on your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email. Read our privacy policy for more information.

Creative Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers

ESL Presentation Topics: 12 Mini Presentations

ESL presentation topics for intermediate and upper intermediate students. Great as a warm-up or a speaking lesson.

You can use the slideshow and share your screen on Zoom or other app when teaching online. Just click on the full screen option in the top right corner of the slideshow.

I used it with my students during our online lesson and we didn’t even have time to discuss all the topics, because they couldn’t stop talking. I was quite impressed how much they knew and also how well they could express their opinions.

One of the reasons why I love conversation activities is that I learn so much about my students. I think that we often underestimate our students and see them as the stereotypical lazy teenagers. Activities like these can show us that they are much more than that.

You can also download the PDF for easy printing below.

Other picture-based resources:

ESL Exam Speaking Picture Description and Questions

No-Prep ESL Picture Description Speaking Activity

Picture Based Speaking Activity For ESL/EFL Classes

Picture Prompts for Speaking and Writing: An ESL Activity

ESL Picture Description: Exam Skills Practice

Food and Travel ESL Lesson: Interactive Online Lesson

Conversation resources:

Popular Conversation Topics for (not only) Adults and Teenagers: 50 Questions

Conversation Starters: 30 Interesting Conversation Questions Not Only For ESL Students

Conversation Questions Gerunds and Infinitives: ESL Speaking Activity

30 Hypothetical Conversation Questions for ESL Students

ESL Conversation Topics

15 Back to School Activities: Icebreakers, Warm-ups, and Energizers

Fun and easy-to-use back to school activities 1) Learn your students’ names New class, new faces, new names – a mess. This back to school activity has saved me multiple times. You can learn 30 new names in minutes, kids have fun and they painlessly learn new adjectives. Start by…

Unfinished Sentences ESL Speaking Activity

Unfinished sentences ESL speaking activity is great for revising grammar, as a warm-up or a conversation starter. It can be used with groups of various sizes as well as in one to one classes. Finish the sentence. Tell your story. 1. I was very surprised when__________________________________________________. 2. What I…

How Can We Volunteer While On Holiday. ESL Group Work: Volunteer Holidays.

This ESL group work speaking activity is for intermediate and upper intermediate students. Students plan and present a volunteer holiday.

Comments (7)

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Amazing! Thanks a lot

44 Unique English Oral Speech Topics for Grade 12 Students

44 Unique English Speech Topics for Grade 12 Students

Unique English Oral Speech Topics for Grade 12 Students:

Welcome to our curated collection of Unique English Oral Speech Topics for Grade 12 Students . As you stand on the threshold of adulthood, it becomes increasingly important to voice your thoughts, opinions, and insights on a variety of subjects. The ability to articulate your ideas eloquently in a speech can not only enhance your academic skills but also prepare you for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in both personal and professional realms.

On this page, we present you with 44 of the best and most unique speech topics specifically designed for your next presentation. These topics span a wide range of areas including social and ethical issues , personal development , cultural and global perspectives , technological advancements , health and wellness , social justice , and economic futures . Each one has been carefully selected to challenge your thinking, provoke debate, and allow you to express your unique viewpoint to an audience.

Whether you’re passionate about advocating for climate change, exploring the implications of digital privacy, delving into the challenges of mental health, or imagining the future of work in an automated world, these topics will provide a rich foundation for your speeches. They are not only relevant to your current academic and social interests but are also deeply interconnected with the global issues shaping our world today.

Embrace this opportunity to develop your public speaking skills , engage with pressing global concerns, and make your voice heard on matters that are important to you and your community. Let these topics inspire you to research, reflect, and present compelling arguments that captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

45 Unique English Oral Speech Topics for Grade 12 Students

Social and ethical issues.

1. The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health and Self-Esteem This speech topic invites Grade 12 students to investigate how social media platforms significantly affect their mental health and self-esteem . It encourages a deep dive into the balance between online interaction and its influence on personal identity and self-worth, particularly relevant to teenagers.

2. Climate Change: Our Responsibility to the Next Generation A compelling topic, urging students to explore the grave responsibilities we bear towards mitigating climate change for the sake of future generations. It challenges them to think about sustainable solutions and individual actions that can make a global impact.

3. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace Students are prompted to examine the ethical dilemmas presented by the integration of artificial intelligence in the workplace. This topic explores the balance between technological advancement and the preservation of human jobs, ethics, and decision-making processes.

4. Privacy in the Digital Age: How Much Do We Sacrifice? A critical look at the compromises made between personal privacy and the conveniences offered by the digital age. Students can delve into the implications of data sharing, surveillance, and how these practices affect individual freedoms.

5. The Role of Youth in Shaping Political Discourse Highlighting the influential power of the youth in political spheres, this topic encourages students to discuss the ways in which young people can effect change through engagement, activism, and social media.

Personal Development and Self-Reflection

6. Overcoming Failure: Lessons from Personal Experiences Focusing on resilience, this speech topic allows students to share and reflect on personal stories of overcoming failure, emphasizing the growth and lessons learned from these experiences.

7. The Importance of Self-Care for Mental and Physical Well-being A vital topic that stresses the significance of self-care routines in maintaining mental and physical health. It encourages students to explore various self-care practices and their positive effects on wellbeing.

8. Setting Goals for the Future: Dreams vs. Reality This subject invites students to contemplate the process of setting achievable goals, contrasting aspirational dreams with the reality of their attainments. It’s a conversation about ambition, practicality, and the steps needed to realize one’s aspirations.

9. The Journey of Finding One’s Passion and Purpose A reflective topic that encourages students to share their journeys toward discovering their passions and purposes in life. It’s an exploration of personal interests, motivations, and the quest for meaning.

10. The Power of Resilience: Stories of Bouncing Back An inspiring speech topic that showcases the power of resilience through personal anecdotes of overcoming adversity. Students are invited to share their stories of strength and recovery, providing motivation and encouragement to their peers.

Cultural and Global Perspectives

11. Understanding Cultural Diversity Through Travel Students are encouraged to explore how travel can broaden perspectives, foster understanding of cultural diversity, and break down barriers between people of different backgrounds.

12. The Global Impact of Local Environmental Conservation Efforts A call to recognize and act upon the global significance of local environmental conservation. This topic examines how grassroots initiatives contribute to broader environmental goals and the sustainability of the planet.

13. The Role of Young People in Preserving Indigenous Cultures Highlighting the importance of youth involvement in safeguarding indigenous cultures, this topic explores ways students can contribute to the preservation and celebration of cultural heritage.

14. The Effects of Globalization on Traditional Lifestyles Students are prompted to analyze how globalization influences traditional ways of life, examining both the positive and negative impacts on cultural practices, economies, and social structures.

15. Language as a Bridge to Understanding Different Cultures An examination of the role language plays in promoting cross-cultural understanding and communication. This topic celebrates linguistic diversity as a tool for bridging gaps between different cultural groups.

Technological Advancements and Challenges

16. The Future of Space Exploration: Possibilities and Ethical Dilemmas Invites an exploration of humanity’s next frontier, space, while pondering the ethical considerations of such exploration, including the environmental impact on celestial bodies and the moral implications of colonizing other planets.

17. The Role of Technology in Transforming Education Examines how technological innovations are reshaping the educational landscape, from digital classrooms to personalized learning, and discusses the potential benefits and pitfalls of relying heavily on technology for education.

18. Cybersecurity in the Modern World: Protecting Our Digital Lives Focuses on the critical importance of cybersecurity measures to protect personal information in an era where digital transactions and communications are ubiquitous, addressing both individual responsibilities and collective solutions.

19. The Ethical Implications of Gene Editing Challenges students to consider the moral questions raised by gene editing technologies like CRISPR, including the potential for curing diseases versus the ethical dilemmas posed by designer babies and genetic modification.

20. Renewable Energy Technologies: The Key to a Sustainable Future Encourages a discussion on how renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, are essential for achieving a sustainable future, emphasizing the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Health and Wellness

21. The Importance of Mental Health Awareness Among Teenagers Highlights the necessity of mental health education and awareness in schools to combat stigma and provide support for teenagers dealing with mental health challenges.

22. The Impact of Diet and Exercise on Academic Performance Explores the connection between physical health and academic success, discussing how a balanced diet and regular exercise can improve concentration, memory, and overall well-being, leading to better academic outcomes.

23. Addressing the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Disorders Calls for a compassionate and informed approach to mental health issues, promoting an understanding that seeks to dismantle the stigma and barriers to seeking help.

24. The Role of Technology in Promoting Health and Fitness Discusses the double-edged sword of technology in health and fitness, from fitness tracking apps and virtual workouts to the potential drawbacks of excessive screen time and dependency.

25. The Future of Healthcare: Innovations That Could Change Lives Envisions the future of healthcare, highlighting emerging technologies and innovations, such as telemedicine, AI in diagnostics, and personalized medicine, that have the potential to revolutionize patient care.

Social Justice and Equality

26. The Importance of Gender Equality in the 21st Century Addresses the ongoing struggle for gender equality, emphasizing its importance in achieving a just and equitable society for all genders, focusing on the barriers that still exist and the steps needed to dismantle them.

27. Addressing Racial Inequalities: Steps Towards a Fairer Society Invites a critical examination of racial inequalities present in various systems and discusses actionable steps that individuals and communities can take to promote racial justice and equality.

28. The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Educational Opportunities Explores how socioeconomic disparities affect access to education and the quality of educational experiences, urging consideration of solutions to bridge this gap.

29. LGBTQ+ Rights: Progress and Challenges Reflects on the strides made towards LGBTQ+ rights and the challenges that remain in achieving full equality, inclusivity, and acceptance in society.

30. The Role of Activism in Shaping Societal Norms Highlights the pivotal role of activism in challenging and changing societal norms, laws, and behaviors, inspiring students to engage in activism as a tool for social change.

Economic and Career Futures

31. The Gig Economy: Pros and Cons for the Future Workforce Examines the rise of the gig economy, weighing its flexibility and opportunities against the challenges of job security, benefits, and long-term financial stability.

32. Entrepreneurship as a Pathway to Economic Independence Encourages exploring entrepreneurship as a viable route to economic independence and innovation, discussing the rewards and risks associated with starting a business.

33. The Impact of Automation on Future Job Markets Considers the implications of increasing automation and AI on the workforce, including potential job displacement, new job creation, and the need for re-skilling.

34. Financial Literacy: A Key Skill for Young Adults Stresses the importance of financial literacy for young adults, advocating for education on managing finances, investing, and understanding the economic forces that affect personal wealth.

35. The Changing Landscape of Higher Education and Career Opportunities Discusses the evolving nature of higher education and its impact on career paths, considering alternative education models, the value of traditional degrees, and the skills required for the future job market.

Advancements in Science and Technology

36. The Future of Human-Machine Interfaces

This topic invites Grade 12 students to delve into the cutting-edge advancements in human-machine interfaces, exploring how these technologies are shaping the future of communication, work, and entertainment. It’s a unique opportunity to reflect on the implications for society and individual privacy.

37. Biotechnology in Agriculture: Prospects and Concerns

This speech topic encourages students to investigate the role of biotechnology in transforming agriculture, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and its impact on food security and environmental sustainability. It’s a unique chance for Grade 12 students to debate the ethical considerations and global implications.

Art, Culture, and Society

38. The Influence of Pop Culture on Global Societal Values

This topic examines the powerful impact of pop culture on shaping societal values, identities, and norms. Grade 12 students are encouraged to explore examples from music, film, and social media to discuss how pop culture serves as a mirror and a moulder of contemporary society.

39. The Renaissance of Indigenous Art and Its Global Significance

This speech allows students to celebrate the resurgence of indigenous art forms and their contribution to preserving cultural heritage and influencing global art trends. It’s a unique platform for Grade 12 students to reflect on the importance of cultural diversity and expression.

Global Issues and Human Rights

40. The Crisis of Refugee Rights and International Response

This topic challenges students to explore the complex and urgent issue of refugee rights and the varying responses by the international community. It provides a unique angle for speeches on human rights, global empathy, and the responsibilities of nations in a globalized world.

41. Digital Divide: Bridging the Gap in Access to Technology

This speech topic addresses the growing concern over the digital divide and its impact on education, economic opportunities, and social inclusion. Grade 12 students are prompted to discuss innovative solutions to ensure equitable access to technology for all.

Personal and Professional Development

42. The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Professional Success

This topic highlights the role of emotional intelligence in achieving professional success and personal fulfillment. It offers a unique perspective for Grade 12 students on developing self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills in their future careers.

43. Navigating the Challenges of Work-Life Balance in the Digital Era

This speech explores the challenges and strategies for achieving a healthy work-life balance in an era where technology blurs the lines between professional and personal life. It’s an opportunity for Grade 12 students to reflect on setting boundaries and prioritizing well-being.

44. The Role of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence Development

This topic delves into the critical importance of integrating ethical considerations into the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). Grade 12 students are invited to explore the potential risks and benefits of AI, including issues of bias, privacy, and autonomy. This speech offers a unique opportunity for students to debate the balance between technological innovation and ethical responsibility, encouraging them to envision their role in shaping a future where technology serves humanity’s best interests.

More Resources

185 Excellent School Speech Topics and Ideas

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Can you believe it’s already 2021? To kick off the year in VCE English, you’ll probably be working on your Oral Presentation sometime soon. The past year has flown by, but so much has happened in that year - there are plenty of juicy and controversial topics to get stuck into for your SAC.

Each heading below represents a broad topic and each subheading under it takes you into more specific debates. A more precise topic can make your speech more engaging and current, so feel free to pick a broad issue that resonates with you but don’t forget to zoom in on more specific questions too.

If you haven’t already, check out our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for some general tips and tricks to get you started!

1. Working From Home

ICYMI, there’s been this global pandemic going around for about a year now. It’ll probably come up in a few speeches this year, but let’s work through some more specific ways of using it in yours.

First up is working from home. In 2020, a lot of people spent a lot of time working from home - but this hasn’t been possible for everyone, meaning that it could be worsening certain forms of inequality. ‘Essential workers’ like supermarket clerks and delivery drivers have not been able to work from home, which might put them at a disadvantage when it comes to the flexibility or even the conditions of their work. Conversely, a ‘ tax on remote workers ’ has been proposed which would see people pay a 5% tax if they chose to work from home instead.

Is working from home all that it’s chalked up to be? Is it a positive sign of flexibility, or a widening gap between the manual working class and white-collar professionals? What can we learn about working from home now that we can apply to the future? Is it the environmentally responsible thing to do?

The hidden impact of the coronavirus pandemic is rising urban inequality – 26/11/2020 ‍ Rebound in carbon emissions expected in 2021 after fall caused by Covid – 11/12/2020

Possible Contentions:

All workplaces, especially those with essential manual or physical labour, should provide paid health and safety training to staff who are for example more at risk of disease
A working from home tax is a bad idea - it encourages people to commute and pollute. We should look to ways of promoting flexibility and sustainability instead
Casual workers in manual professions should be given paid sick leave and other entitlements to make their jobs as flexible as remote office workers

2. Education

You might’ve spent 2020 learning from home too. Everything happened pretty quickly right at the start of the year, but as the months wore on it became clearer that some students were adjusting better than others. In particular, ‘ digital exclusion ’ became a big problem for many students around the country. Inequality is once again a big theme: access to the internet and other technology is vastly uneven, and students who were already dealing with things like mental ill-health were set further back by remote learning. Even though the Victorian government applied special considerations to all Year 12 students in 2020, this is far from a long-term fix.

What can be done about the education system to make it fairer, or even just to make it work better for you? Is it an issue with technology, or are there underlying problems around, say, mental health and wellbeing? Maybe it’s time to axe the ATAR system - would a new scoring system solve these problems?

Coronavirus kept Victorian students out of class. This is what we know about long-term effects of school closures – 21/09/2020 ‍ Government must address barriers to education in rural and remote areas, inquiry finds – 12/11/2020 ‍ The ATAR Benefits No-One: Reflections of a ‘High-Achiever’ – 02/11/2020 (yes this is a shameless plug for my own piece)

Possible Contentions :

The government should supply public schools with tech for every student, including iPads and broadband devices
The government should implement a needs-based approach to technology in schools
Schools need engagement staff as well as teaching staff: COVID-19 has shown just how easy it is for students to disconnect
Replace the ATAR with something that measures skills and interests, rather than just results

The Climate Crisis

1. the paris agreement.

The Paris Agreement is an international agreement that was signed a little over five years ago. It binds every country to a commitment of carbon neutrality by 2050 - this means that everyone will be taking as much CO2 out of the atmosphere as we emit. Part of the Agreement is that countries have to commit to new, increasingly ambitious plans every five years, and this deadline has just passed.

How did we do, you might ask. While the mid-century goal still stands, the five-year increment isn’t looking fantastic - most countries , including Australia , haven’t strengthened their climate targets. The Prime Minister was even snubbed out of a speaking slot at a UN climate summit, some suggest because of his inaction on climate. None of this has really snatched headlines though.

Is this something that you’ve been following? If not, is it a problem that this news isn’t really getting out there? What can Australia do better with regard to the climate crisis?

The Paris agreement five years on: is it strong enough to avert climate catastrophe? – 08/12/2020 ‍ The Paris Agreement 5 years on: big coal exporters like Australia face a reckoning – 14/12/2020 ‍ Australia records fourth hottest year as it risks being isolated globally on climate change – 05/01/2021

Australia needs to be proactive on the Paris Agreement, rather than doing the bare minimum
Australia needs to transition away from coal
Our country’s lack of climate action is a great source of shame, particularly for young Australians who want a better future
The Australian media should take the climate crisis more seriously

2. Environmental Racism

One aspect of the climate crisis we’re starting to talk about more now is environmental racism. The term started in the US , where it was used to describe the disproportionate impacts of environmental problems like pollution on working class people of colour. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply in Australia though - earlier in 2020 , a sacred Aboriginal site was blasted by Rio Tinto in order to expand a mine. Now, taxpayer money is being set aside for fracking in the Northern Territory. This will have an adverse impact on not only the climate, but also the local water quality on which First Nations communities depend.

What can be done about environmental racism? Is it about making changes in government, or about activism from outside the halls of power? If environmental racism is the problem, is there a solution that can tackle both problems at once? Is it even accurate to refer to them as two separate problems?

The young Indigenous woman fighting fracking in remote NT – 11/11/2020 ‍ $50 Million Hand-Out to Northern Territory Frackers – 17/12/2020 ‍ Fighting not just to survive, but to flourish – 21/12/2020 ‍ Making sense of Australia’s climate exceptionalism – 01/01/2021

Indigenous land rights is not just a social movement: it could help us avoid environmental disaster as well
Politicians are too reliant on fossil fuel companies: we need more grassroots activism around climate justice
Fracking is dangerous, its impacts disproportionately affect BIPOC communities and as such it should be banned

3. A Carbon Price?

This topic was kind of on our 2020 topic list , but the debate around climate action has changed a little bit since. A carbon price would make the atmosphere a commodity basically - corporations would have to pay in order to pollute.

But maybe that’s still giving them too much power? If you can just pay your way out of environmental responsibility, who’s to stop you from polluting? Maybe there isn’t a capitalistic or free-market solution to carbon emissions - maybe we need to rethink our entire relationship with land and country. What can and should Australia learn from its First People in this regard?

Australia’s plants and animals have long been used without Indigenous consent. Now Queensland has taken a stand – 16/09/2020 ‍ ‘As an Australian it will affect you. It’s your land as well’: Indigenous tourism’s new online travel agency – 03/12/2020 ‍ What is cultural burning? – 31/12/2020 ‍ The barriers to a carbon fee and dividend policy – 07/01/2021

A carbon price is still necessary, but it’s a stepping stone in a larger conversation
Putting a price on excessive pollution isn’t the same as creating laws to prevent it: as such, it is no longer enough

1. First Nations Justice

You might recall the huge impact that George Floyd’s death had on conversations about race around the world. Though this erupted in a wave of furore last June, the conversation has been shifting ever since. In Australia, we’ve been grappling in particular with First Nations justice. While the Prime Minister ’s made attempts to unify the country through certain words and gestures, First Nations leaders such as Lidia Thorpe , the first Indigenous senator from Victoria, have been calling for something more substantive. In the meantime, police brutality against First Nations people continues.

Where to from here? What does the future of First Nations justice look like in Australia, and what is the role of leaders like Ms Thorpe? Where do non-Aboriginal folks fit into this? What could we do better?

Lidia Thorpe: Victoria's first Aboriginal senator urges end to deaths in custody and mass incarceration – 09/09/2020 ‍ ‘We have the fight in us’: Lidia Thorpe’s incredible journey to historic place in the Victorian Senate – 23/09/2020 ‍ 'Unfinished business': Senator Lidia Thorpe on fighting for Treaty for Indigenous Australians – 10/12/2020 ‍ Can we breathe? – 31/12/2020

Reconciliation is an outdated term; it implies two parties are coming together as equals, when history would tell us otherwise
Lidia Thorpe’s election is the first step in a longer journey towards representation, truth-telling and self-determination
Even after the #BlackLivesMatter movement in 2020, we still a long way to go with anti-racism
Australia is far from a multicultural utopia: we need to learn to treat politicians like Lidia Thorpe with more respect

2. Refugees

In 2019, the ‘medevac’ bill allowed refugees to be brought to mainland Australia for medical care. That bill has since been repealed, but it did allow some refugees to leave their detention centres and receive medical treatment. 60 of them have now been detained in various Melbourne hotels for over a year now. In December, they were moved to a former COVID-19 quarantine hotel, where they will continue to be isolated and detained.

What injustices (plural) are going on here? Did medevac force us to confront our out-of-sight-out-of-mind asylum seeker policy? And if this isn’t the impetus we need to shut offshore detention once and for all, what exactly will it take?

The Mantra 60 should be freed from torture. Here’s why the Coalition won’t do it – 15/12/2020 ‍ Former mayor among protesters arrested as police escort refugees and asylum seekers to new Melbourne hotel – 17/12/2020 ‍ Refugees and asylum seekers moved from Mantra hotel in Melbourne – 17/12/2020 ‍ ‘We are human, we are not animals’: Mantra refugees transferred to another hotel – 17/12/2020

Bring back medevac: it was a bare minimum policy to begin with, and it’s unconscionable that it would be repealed, thereby denying sick people healthcare
Australia’s refugee policy is as lazy as it is harmful: something needs to change
The hotel industry is profiting off detention and we should consider boycotting chains like Mantra

3. COVID-Related Racism

This could’ve gone in the first section, but it poses important questions about ongoing and future race relations in Australia. During 2020, Asian Australians and particularly those with Chinese heritage experienced a sharp increase in racially-provoked harassment. Towards the end of the year, Chinese Australians were asked in a Senate committee hearing to condemn the Chinese Communist Party, which many have described as race-baiting. Many Australians with Chinese heritage have no relation to the Chinese government, so it’s jarring that they’d be called upon to give an opinion like this.

How does race still impact civic life in Australia? If you’re Australian, should you be expected to have opinions about or deny loyalties to foreign governments? Does it matter what race you are, and if so, how is that problematic?

Chinese Australians say questions from Senator Eric Abetz about their loyalties are not asked of other communities – 15/10/2020 ‍ Eric Abetz refuses to apologise for demanding Chinese-Australians denounce Communist party – 16/10/2020 ‍ More than eight in 10 Asian Australians report discrimination during coronavirus pandemic – 02/11/2020 ‍ Too many men in pin-striped suits – 10/12/2020 (this is an interesting one that also touches on gender and class in civic life)

Politicians are increasingly out of touch with Australia’s diverse communities because they are just so overwhelmingly undiverse
Again, Australia is not a multicultural utopia. When times get tough, the racism really jumps out
Australians are yet to confront the reality that there are Chinese Australians (which sounds like a joke, but based on these articles isn’t really a joke) - their behaviour continues to ‘other’ people who actually really are Australian, telling them they somehow don’t belong
More people of colour should run for public office; this starts with civic empowerment in schools

1. Representation

As it turns out, journalism isn’t a very diverse profession. When issues about disability come up, for example, they’re often covered by abled journalists in a “pity party” or “inspiration porn” manner. When issues about race come up, it’s also often white people who cover them, usually with racist undertones as well. We started seeing a bit of this in 2020: the stories that kept coming up about people breaking COVID restrictions were often targeting minorities - their names and faces would be splashed across newspaper front pages, while their white counterparts were afforded privacy and forgiven for making a mistake.

How fair is the media landscape towards people from minority backgrounds? What different forms might racism and ableism take in the media, and how can we overcome them? Is it as simple as allowing disabled people to tell their own stories, for example?

Muslims, Chinese Australians and Indigenous people most targeted in racist media coverage – 11/11/2020 ‍ ‘Double standard’: Experts weigh in on publicly shaming only certain COVID rule-breakers – 22/12/2020

The media landscape isn’t fair towards minorities: stereotypes can be subtle but persistent
Journalism schools should create more scholarships for diverse applicants
Australian media should adopt a code of ethics around representation of minorities

This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but young people are also one of the groups that are likely to be underrepresented in the media. A report from the Foundation for Young Australians found that there were not only less stories about young people in the media in 2020, but barely half of them actually quoted a young person.

Again, we return to questions around representation - does the media have an ethical obligation to let young people tell their own stories? How much do you, as a young person, trust the media to accurately depict you? What can be done about this?

Young People Have Been Pretty Much Ignored By The Media During COVID – 28/10/2020 ‍ Research Report: mainstream media either ignores young Australians or castigates them – 21/12/2020

Young people can no longer trust the media, and this is detrimental to civic society
There needs to be a national youth broadcaster, kind of like the ABC, run by young people for young people

Remember Kevin Rudd? The former Prime Minister has been making waves recently for starting a parliamentary petition for a royal commission into media diversity. The petition was signed by a record 501,876 people, and it looks like the commission - a bit like a government inquiry - will go ahead. The ‘media diversity’ in question isn’t about race or disability though - it’s more about media ownership. In Australia, Rupert Murdoch owns almost two-thirds of metropolitan media circulation. He’s also a climate sceptic , which means a large chunk of his media output is also climate-sceptic.

What is the role of media in democracy, and can it still fulfill that role if one person gets to own so much of it? What are some ways Murdoch has used his influence, and what have been the consequences for the Australian people? What should the royal commission look to now achieve?

Petition calling for media royal commission and setting Australian record tabled in Parliament – 09/11/2020 ‍ Rudd and Turnbull will be called to give evidence at Senate inquiry into media diversity – 11/11/2020

Because the media holds government to account in the eyes of the people, one person owning this much of the media gives them too much power
Australia’s climate inaction is a direct result of Murdoch’s media empire, and we need to break it apart to get honest debate and coverage

Pop Culture

In December 2020, the Australian singer Sia was caught in a bit of Twitter beef. She defended casting Maddie Ziegler, an abled actress, in a disabled role for her upcoming film. Disability justice activists argued that autistic people should be able to portray themselves, and that roles for autistic people should be written by them as well. Sia later admitted this was “ableism”, but didn’t back down on her decision.

What is the appropriate way for celebrities and creatives to approach representation? Without debating anyone’s actual identity, how can the film industry do better here?

Sia opens up about lashing out on Twitter to defend her new film – 19/12/2020

Abled people shouldn’t write roles for disabled people, nor should they play these roles; if a disabled person can’t play the role, then it isn’t appropriate in the first place
Cancel culture isn’t a thing, given how comfortable Sia feels admitting to ableism and then committing to her decision anyway
We shouldn’t cancel people, but we still need new ways to really hold them to account: otherwise, they can still get away with discrimination

The Grammy Awards have been oft-criticised for racial biases, including once again in this year ’s coming ceremony. Black artists like Beyonce are often relegated to subcategories like R&B and rap - of her 24 Grammy Awards, only one was awarded in a major category (Best Music Video in 2017 for ‘Formation’). Meanwhile, she was arguably snubbed for Album of the Year wins in both 2017 (Adele won) and 2015 (Beck won). Now though, the Grammys are hoping to #ChangeMusic and acknowledge the contributions of Black artists to the industry.

What should this look like? Are award wins all it will take? Is a change for the future enough to fix wrongs of the past? Maybe awards aren’t even that important - is cultural impact what really matters?

#ChangeMusic Roadmap aims to redress racism in music industry – 17/12/2020

The cultural impact of Bla(c)k artists can’t be measured through awards
Awards are a necessary first step to acknowledging Bla(c)k talent in the music industry
Radios stations should make more of an effort to diversify their sets, particularly when local BIPOC talent in Australia is at an all-time high (think Thelma Plum, Sampa the Great etc.)

Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for more advice on how to write your speech, presentation tips and more. Or, if you really want to dive in further to make sure you absolutely nail your Oral, then you'll definitely want to check out our How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation ebook - it explores essay structure, the written explanation and even has sample A+ essays so that you can learn from past students who have succeeded in VCE!!

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Written by Lisa Tran, who achieved FULL marks in her Oral Presentation:

How to choose, plan and write your oral presentation and written explanation
A simple, persuasive speech structure that will blow your audience away
All essays FULLY annotated so you know exactly what you need to do and what not to do

This blog covers choosing the perfect topic for your next Oral Presentation. To get a better overview of what's expected of you in Oral Presentations, writing up your speech, and speech delivery, check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations.

The following is the LSG criteria that will ensure you find an interesting topic!

Step 1: Select a topic that has appeared in the media since 1 September of the previous year

Getting started on this first part can be tricky, especially if you want to choose something a bit more original or fresh.

In any case, the first thing you need is an event . An event in the VCE English context is anything that happens which also generates opinionated media coverage —so, it’s not just an event but it has to be an event that people have published opinions about, and they have to have been published since September 1.

You might wonder why we don’t go to the issue straight away. Here’s a hypothetical to illustrate: if you asked me to name an issue, the best I could probably come up with off the top of my head is climate change. However, if you asked me to name an event, I’d pretty easily recall the Australian bushfires—something much more concrete which a) has generated specific and passionate opinions in the media; and b) can easily be linked to a wider issue such as climate change.

So where do you find an event? If you can’t think of a particularly interesting one right away, you could always try Wikipedia. Seriously, Wikipedia very helpfully has pages of things that happened in specific years in specific countries, so “2019 in Australia” might well be a starting point. The ABC news archive is also really helpful since you can pick dates or periods of time and see a good mix of news events from then.

I wouldn’t underestimate your own memory here either. Maybe you attended the School Strike for Climate and/or you feel vaguely disappointed in the government. Maybe there was something else happening in the news you remember (even though it is often about the environment these days). It doesn’t have to be from the news though—maybe there was a movie or TV show you watched recently that you have thoughts about. You could really do a speech on any of these, as long as you suspect there might be recent, opinionated media coverage .

Only once you have an event should you look for an issue . This will be a specific debate that comes out of the event, and can usually be framed as a “whether-or-not” question. The bushfires, for example, might generate debate around whether or not the Australian government is doing enough to combat climate change, whether or not Scott Morrison has fulfilled his duties as Prime Minister, whether or not it’s appropriate to discuss policy already when people are still grieving. All of these issues are going to be more current and more focused than just ‘climate change’, so pick one that resonates for your speech. In the next couple of sections, I’ll offer you a list of 2019-20 issue-debate breakdowns (i.e. topic ideas!).

Most importantly, choose an event/issue that is interesting for you . You’re the one who’s going to deal most intimately with this event/issue - you’ll have to research multiple sources, come up with a contention and arguments, write the essay, present the essay - so make it easier for yourself because you’re going to be spending a lot of time completing all these steps. Besides, an inherently interesting topic means that you’ll showcase your opinions in an authentic way, which is incredibly important when it comes to presentation time.

Step 2: Filter out the boring events/issues

“Your aim of this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue you’ve selected.” -The VCAA English Study Design

Next, you’ll need use this test to see whether or not your topic will stand up to the test of being ‘interesting’ enough for your audience. My first question to you is: who is your audience?

Is it your classroom and teacher? Is it a handful of teachers? If you don’t know, stop right now and find out. Only continue to the next question once you’re 100% certain of your audience.

Once you know who your audience is, ask yourself: Does this event and issue relate to my audience?

This question matters because “your aim of this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue you’ve selected.” This means that what you say to your audience and how they respond to your speech matters . Even if your assessor isn’t counting exactly how many people are still listening to your speech at the end, everyone knows a powerful speech when they’re in the presence of one - it hooks the audience from start to end - and an assessor, consciously or subconsciously, cannot deny that the collective attentiveness of the room has an influence on their marking of your Oral Presentation.

That’s why you should choose a topic that your audience can relate to. This is just my personal opinion, but I don’t find a speech on the Adani Coalmine (broad issue = climate change) as interesting and engaging as School Strike For The Climate (broad issue = climate change). That’s not to say that I’m for or against the Adani Coal Mine, but I know that if I’m speaking to a crowd of 17-18 years olds, the School Strike For The Climate would be a better choice because it’s going to hit a lot closer to home (1) (perhaps some of those in your audience - including yourself - have attended one of those strikes).

To extrapolate this idea further, I try to avoid topics that have too many unfamiliar words for my audience. For example, I recall one year when one of my students decided to take a stance on pain medications and that they should be restricted to only over-the-counter in pharmacies. Have I lost you already with the ‘over-the-counter’? Yeah, I have no doubt that some of you are unfamiliar with that word (don’t stress, I didn’t know it either when I was in school). On top of this phrase, she used words like ‘Schedule A’, ‘Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme’, ‘Medicare rebate’, ‘opioids', ‘subsidised’, and other words that aren’t part of the usual vocabulary of her audience. I’d take heed because in order to captivate the audience’s attention, they need to understand what you’re talking about. As soon as there’s something they don’t understand, it becomes much harder for them to follow your speech, and before you know it, Sarah, the class sleeper is taking her afternoon snooze and the others are struggling to keep their eyes open! Having said all that, if you have an equivalent jargon-heavy topic like pain medications that really does interest you, then go for it. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to explain any new vocabulary during your speech to keep your audience’s attention.

Keen to learn more? My How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation eBook continues on this same path, covering the next steps in your Oral Presentation journey!

Access a step-by-step guide on how to write your Oral Presentation with simple, easy-to-follow advice
Read and analyse sample A+ Oral Presentations with EVERY speech annotated and broken down on HOW and WHY students achieved A+ so you reach your goal
Learn how to stand out from other students with advice on your speech delivery

Sounds like something that'd help you? I think so too! Access the full eBook by clicking here !

1. What is an Oral Presentation? 2. What are you expected to cover? (Oral Presentation Criteria) 3. Choosing your Topic 4. Choosing your Contention 5. Writing your Speech 6. Presenting your Speech 7. Writing the Written Explanation 8. Resources to help you prepare for your Oral Presentation

What is an Oral Presentation?

For many VCE English students, the oral presentation is the scariest part of the course; it’s often also the first.

Doing a speech can indeed be daunting— you’re marked in real time, you can’t go back and edit mistakes, and the writing part itself is only half the battle. Nonetheless, the Oral SAC can also be one of the more dynamic and engaging tasks you complete in VCE English, and there’s plenty of ways to make it more interesting and also more manageable for yourself.

Keep reading for a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to succeed in your Oral Presentation. We’ve got you covered- from choosing your topic and contention, to writing and presenting your Speech.

We’ll also be suggesting useful resources, Study Guides and YouTube videos that will provide more detailed information and give you more confidence. Let’s get into it!

What are you expected to cover in an Oral Presentation? (Oral Presentation Rubric)

1. Your Oral Presentation SAC has two components. The first is the Oral Presentation itself (“a point of view presented in oral form”), and the second is a Written Explanation, also known as a Statement of Intention.

2. Your selected topic needs to be an issue that has appeared in the media since 1 September of the previous year

3. Your aim for this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue you’ve selected.

Here’s the raw version of VCAA’s expectations from you, taken from the VCAA website :

How to choose your Oral Presentation topic

1. select a topic that has appeared in the media since 1 september of the previous year.

This can be time consuming and tricky, especially if you want to choose something a bit more original or fresh.

Firstly, you need an event. An event in the VCE English context is anything that happens which also generates opinionated media coverage—so, it’s not just an event but it has to be an event that people have published opinions about, and they have to have been published since September 1.

The ABC news archive is also really helpful for finding events since you can pick dates or periods of time and see a good mix of news events from then. Otherwise, Wikipedia has helpful pages of events that happened in specific years in specific countries, so “2023 in Australia” might well be a starting point.

When you have your event, you can then look for an issue. This will be a specific debate that comes out of the event, and can usually be framed as a “whether-or-not” question. The bushfires, for example, might generate debate around whether or not the Australian government is doing enough to combat climate change, whether or not Scott Morrison has fulfilled his duties as Prime Minister.

Most importantly, choose an issue from an event that’s interesting and important to you. After all, you’re going to be spending the time researching, writing and presenting!

2. Filter out the boring events/issues

Understand who your audience is.

Even if your assessor isn’t counting exactly how many people are still listening to your speech at the end, everyone knows a powerful speech when they’re in the presence of one - it hooks the audience from start to end - and an assessor, consciously or subconsciously, cannot deny that the collective attentiveness of the room has an influence on their marking of your Oral Presentation.

That’s why you should choose a topic that your audience can relate to. Also, avoid topics that have too many unfamiliar words, because as soon as there’s something they don’t understand, it becomes much harder for them to follow your speech.

Now you may be asking yourself; what is the best topic for oral presentation?

Here are some example topics from previous years to give you inspiration:

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2014

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2015

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2016

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2017

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2018

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2019

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2020

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2021

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2022

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2023

For more detailed information on choosing a topic, read my blog Choosing a WOW topic for your VCE Oral Presentation ‍

How to choose your oral presentation contention

Once you've chosen an interesting topic and have researched all of its different viewpoints, it's time to formulate your contention.

Often, creating a killer contention is about avoiding some common traps that will make your overall presentation boring, bland and just like the rest of your cohorts'.

So, there are three things I like to AVOID:

1. Broad, Overarching statements

2. A Contention That Is Just Plain Obvious

3. Avoid A Contention That Is Generally Accepted As True In Today’s Age

For more information on writing a contention, read my blog Creating a Killer Contention for your Oral Presentation ‍

How to write your speech

1. Have a CAPTIVATING introduction sentence; use a short, clear and powerful sentence.

2. RELATE to your audience so that it keeps them interested so they actually WANT to listen.

3. If you are taking on a persona, firstly study and UNDERSTAND your character.

4. Don’t forget your persuasive techniques. I usually use repetition in conjunction with the ‘rule of three’.

5. Remember that you are writing a SPEECH, not an essay. Instil your oral with emotion, varied tone and sentence lengths.

In fact, I've talked about a few of these in a 'Must Dos and Don'ts' video. If you haven't seen it yet, watch below before you read on.

4 tips on presenting your Speech

1. Body Language

Confidence is key. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and, more importantly don’t move your legs. Especially if you’re nervous, swaying or shuffling will be noticeable and make you appear more nervous—when you practise, pay attention to the lower half of your body and train it to stay still if possible.

That being said, do use your arms for gestures. Those are more natural and will help engage the audience, though don’t overdo it either—usually, holding cue cards in one hand frees up the other but also stops you from going overboard.

2. Eye contact

Cue cards brings up another important consideration- eye contact. Hold cue cards in one hand as high as you can without it feeling uncomfortable. This means you don’t have to take your eyes away from the audience for too long or too noticeably to check your notes.

Eye contact increases your engagement with the audience. It also gives the impression of confidence and that you’ve been practicing and know your speech inside and out!

3. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

In a best case scenario, you won’t need to rely on your cue cards as you will have your speech basically memorised! Read your speech aloud and pretend that you’re actually delivering your speech. This means:

- Looking up ahead

- Holding the cue cards in the right spot; and

- Not just reading the words, but speaking as if to an audience

It’s extremely helpful to also practice your speech to an actual audience! Practice in front of your family and friends. An alternative is to put a sticker next to your camera and record yourself. The sticker will help indicate where you should create eye contact. Look back at the video and give yourself some feedback, you might be surprised at your presentation!

4. Tone variation

Tone variation involves emphasising certain words, using pauses or slowing down for effect, or modifying volume. Incorporating some of these elements- even writing them into your notes by bolding/italicising/underlining will help you break out of monotony and make the speech more engaging.

Be sure to emphasise emotive language and any evidence you might use to illustrate your arguments. Most importantly, don’t speak too quickly!

5 things to keep in mind while writing the written explanation

For oral presentation based written explanations, the VCAA study design requests students write...

"A written statement of intention to accompany the student’s own oral presentation, articulating the intention of decisions made in the planning process, and how these demonstrate understanding of argument and persuasive language."

Using the topic, 'Why we need to stop crying 'cultural appropriation' when cultural exchange is far more important, ‘let’s see how this can be done with FLAPC with some examples below:

2. Language

3. Audience

For more information on writing a Written Explanation and a sample FLAPC compiled and rearranged for flow and fluency, read my blog How to Write a Stellar Written Explanation (Statement of Intention) .

Resources to help you prepare for your Oral Presentation

Doing this study all by yourself can be rather daunting, so we've got your back. We specialise in supporting VCE English by creating helpful videos, study guides and eBooks. Here are some just to get your started:

‍ A Three Part Guide to Nailing Your Oral Presentation

Advice for A+ Oral Presentations

How I Got A+ in My Oral Presentation | Live QnA With Lisa Tran

How To 'Overcome' Your Fear of Public Speaking

Oral Presentations | How To Do Speeches

5 Common Oral Presentation Mistakes

Our How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation Study Guide has all the information you need to succeed in your Oral Presentations. Sample A+ essays and written explanations are also included!

The oral presentation SAC is worth 40% of your unit 4 English mark and is comprised of two sections: your statement of intention, and your oral presentation. It can be difficult to understand what is expected of you, as this SAC definitely varies from your typical English essay! So, if you need help understanding what’s expected of you, check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations . If you’d like an even more in-depth guide on how to approach this assessment, definitely check out the How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation study guide!

Here, I’m going to dissect five of the most common mistakes students make during their oral presentation, and gloss over ways in which you can improve your marks for this critical SAC.

1. Writing an Unentertaining Speech

Whilst your other English SACs may require you to write in a formal and sophisticated manner, the oral presentation SAC is the one shining exception! Many students fall into the trap of writing a frankly boring and uninspiring speech that does no justice to their academic ability. Here are some mistakes to watch out for:

Choosing the Wrong Topic

Your school may or may not already give you a list of topics to choose from. However, in the event that you must research your own topic, it is essential that you choose an issue relevant to your current audience. You must adopt a clear contention in your speech.

Do not, for example, write a five-minute speech on why one sports team is better than the other, or why murder should be illegal. Choose an issue that you can take a passionate stance on and engage the audience with. Avoid a contention that is obvious and aim to actually persuade your class. Make sure you choose a 'WOW' topic for your VCE Oral Presentation .

‍ Writing With the Wrong Sense of Tone

This is one of the biggest mistakes students make when writing their oral presentation. I cannot stress this enough – your speech is not a formally written text response! You are presenting your stance on an issue, which means that you are allowed to be passionate and creative. You can educate your audience on the facts without boring them to sleep. Let’s analyse two sample excerpts on the same issue to see why:

Issue: Should the Newstart allowance be increased?

Sample 1: 722,000 Australians are on Newstart. Single people receive approximately $40 a day. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently increased this payment by $2.20 to adjust to price inflation. However, I am arguing that this price should be increased more.

Sample 2: As Australians, we pride ourselves on community values, and supporting one another. Yet, the way in which we treat 722,000 of our most vulnerable people doesn’t reflect this. The Australian government recently increased the Newstart payment by $2.20 weekly. But this means that Newstart recipients still live on just over $40 a day. Ask yourself, is that really enough to survive?

Samples 1 and 2 have the same information. Yet, Sample 2 engages with the audience in a much more effective manner. Try to avoid an overly formal tone and speak with passion and interest.

2. Presenting Without Confidence

Presenting in front of your class can be a very daunting experience. However, in order to distinguish yourself from your classmates, you must speak clearly and with confidence. Try to avoid making the following mistakes:

Reading Instead of Talking

Think back to primary school. Remember when your teacher would read you a storybook, and they would put on voices to make the story more engaging and interesting? The same sort of idea applies to your oral presentation. Simply reading a well-written speech will not get you marks. Rather, you should talk to your audience. Make eye contact, maintain good posture, and project your voice. Confidence is key!

Stalling for Time

I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where we haven’t prepared ourselves for a test as well as we should have. The oral presentation SAC is not an assessment that you can simply wing on the day. Oftentimes, poor scores stem from a lack of preparation which can be reflected in the way students present themselves – and stalling for time is a big giveaway. Save yourself the mental stress and prepare for your SAC by writing out your speech beforehand (or even preparing a few dot points/cue cards). I personally find it helpful to practise in front of a mirror or even in front of pets/stuffed toys.

3. Not Distinguishing Yourself From Your Class

If you’re gunning for a good mark, you want to stand out from your class. This can be especially difficult if you are presenting the same topic as one of your peers. Avoid:

Starting in an Uninspiring Way

This is another big mistake students make when presenting. Let’s just estimate that there are approximately 20-25 people in your English class. Now, imagine if every person who presented before you began their speech with:

“Good morning, today I’ll be talking about why Newstart should be increased”.

It gets repetitive. You can distinguish yourself by beginning in a myriad of other ways. Here’s an example of how I started my own oral presentation for my SAC:

Topic: Should we ban sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate?

Imagine you are a foreigner, excited to visit Australia. In your head, you’re picturing our beautiful flora and fauna, our stunning beaches, and the Great Coral Reef. You finally arrive after a long flight, eager to explore the country. You’re expecting the Great Coral Reef to be boasting colour, to look like all the pictures spotted online. Instead, you find what looks like a wasteland – a reef that has essentially been bleached to death. As Australians, we have to wonder what went wrong. If we really loved and cared for our environment, how could we not be protecting the reef, preventing any further damage? Recently, Hawaii banned sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, reasoning that these chemicals were causing harm to coral. Yet, in Australia, banning sunscreens with these chemicals are seen as drastic and useless measures, which simply isn’t true when you look at the facts.

This is an example of an “imagined scenario” starter. How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation outlines other ways to start your speech with examples! If you’re having trouble figuring out how to start with a BANG, definitely make use of this resource.

No Enthusiasm

I say this to my students regardless of the English SAC that they’re writing – you want your writing/speech to reflect that you are indeed learning and enjoying your education. Your teacher will be able to tell if you choose a topic that you have no interest in, or if you are simply regurgitating information. Use this SAC to learn about an issue and take interest in your learning. Believe me, your grades will thank you for it.

4. Incorrectly Using Visuals

Whether you are allowed to present with visuals or not is up to your English teacher. However, it is essential that you do not incorrectly use these visuals, as it can cost you marks. Avoid:

Overusing PowerPoint Slides

I’m a bit old-fashioned myself and honestly prefer presenting a speech with no images. That’s not to say that some images can’t be a great addition to your piece. However, PowerPoint can quickly steer you away from presenting your topic in an engaging manner.

This is an oral presentation with a stance on an issue, not an assessment where you are marked for presenting information to an audience. Therefore, reading off of PowerPoint slides is a big NO.

Using Cluttered Infographics

The point of focus of your oral presentation should be on YOU – your words, your stance on the issue. This ties into the PowerPoint criticism I made above, but using a cluttered infographic takes away from your well-written speech. Below is an example of an overly cluttered infographic:

If your speech was on renewable energy, your audience would be detracted from your stance, and too focussed on reading the information from the visual. If you have any key information that needs to be explained, it is better to embed this into your speech than rely on an infographic. ‍

5. Disregarding the Statement of Intention

If you’ve finished writing your speech, you may have let out a big sigh of relief. But don’t get too comfortable yet – you still have to write your statement of intention ( SOI ). This piece of writing is supposed to accompany your speech, and it’s worth 25% of your SAC mark. Do not waste all your hard efforts by not taking the SOI seriously.

I like to think of an SOI as a language analysis of your own speech. Essentially, you should be explaining your choice of language, tone, and rhetoric, and justifying why that would make a profound impact on the audience. Make sure you understand what an SOI is.

I like thinking of this as a three-step approach:

Quote my own speech
Explain why and how my language would impact the audience
Link back to my overall contention of the issue

‍ How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation outlines exactly what is expected of you in this section of your SAC. If you’d like to see an annotated A+ statement of intention, be sure to check it out!

I hope that going through these mistakes will help you when writing your own oral presentation! It’s always best to ask your teacher or English tutor for advice if you’re unsure of where to start. Happy writing!

Don't forget to also check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for everything you need to know for Oral Presentations.

Since September 2015, the current affairs has been raging with numerous controversial topics - perfect for your oral presentation! Here are some of the more interesting issues that would be a good starting point for your oral. Remember to offer an interesting and unique argument, even if it may mean adopting the unconventional or unpopular point of view on the issue!

Oral presentation topics 2016

1. Should we have 24 hour public transport on weekends?

2. Gender selective abortion in Australia

3. Should the driving age in Australia be lowered?

4. Cricket star Chris Gayle’s treatment of journalist Mel McLaughlin

5. Should children be vaccinated?

6. Should the voting age in Australia be lowered to 16 years?

7. Should singer Chris Brown be denied entry to Australia?

8. Cultural appropriation in Australia

9. Should an Australian Prime Ministers be removed from office without a general election?

10. Should Australia be a republic?

11. Should the Australian flag be changed?

12. Is Australia Day racist against Indigenous Australians?

13. Adam Goodes booing: Are AFL football crowds racist?

14. Australian of the Year - Rosie Batty: Victim blaming

15. Should UBER be made legal in Australia?

16. Should baby formula be limited in sales?

17. Should greyhound racing be banned in Australia?

18. Is Australia’s border security policy justified?

19. Should Australian Open arenas have sports betting advertising?

20. See more Oral Presentation Topics 2017, click here .

Introduction

Choosing an Oral Presentation topic can be tough. Finding an idea that’s unique, relevant and interesting all at once can sometimes feel impossible; but don’t worry, this is where we come in! Below is a list of 12 potential Oral Presentation topics for you to draw inspiration from, selected in reference to the VCE assessment criteria .

Remember, this blog is not a resource to give you a finished speech idea , these are just jumping-off points. Plagiarism is very harshly punished in VCE and many other students will currently be reading this very same post, meaning it's up to YOU to figure out how you’ll form a unique angle if you pick one of these topics. To help you do this, each section provides an overview of the cultural events that make this topic relevant. Additionally, possible contentions are included, ensuring you can see how arguments about these topics can be effectively made.

1. Kanye’s blow-up - The necessity of the media to stop platforming celebrities spreading harmful ideas

American rapper Kanye West has always been a controversial figure, but since his endorsement of Trump in 2016 he’s seemingly been on a particularly bad downward spiral. His descent into increasingly more extremist right-wing politics has led to the question of whether the news media, detached and neutral as they might claim to be, should even be reporting on him.

As of writing (late 2022), Kanye’s recent appearances on far-right talk shows to voice support for Hitler and question the existence of the Holocaust (which has no doubt been topped by something equally controversial by the time this gets published) pushes this question right to its limit.

Events like this are undoubtedly big stories that many people would like to know about, but does reporting on them do more harm than good? Do we realistically all have the self-control to ignore these figures when so much of modern news already revolves around controversy and gossip? Possible Contentions:

Major media companies should reach an agreement to actively avoid covering celebrity behaviour that spreads dangerous ideas.
News media should make an extra effort to disprove the dangerous ideologies of those they cover, rather than presenting them in a ‘neutral way’.

2. Amber Heard - How online discourse can villainise marginalised groups and encourage ‘dogpiling’

A similar celebrity controversy that dominated 2022 headlines was the two-way public defamation lawsuit between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, which involved accusations of abuse on both sides. One of the most notable parts of this case was the online depiction of Heard, on social media platforms such as Facebook and Youtube.

Heard emerged as the internet’s new favourite punching bag, with an endless stream of videos and memes where her ‘ allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment ’. Crucially, these were made to criticise her in a way that most clearly mirrored historical sexist stereotypes about emotionally manipulative women. You probably came across examples of these yourself, as platforms like Youtube have a history of directing users to this kind of content.

As such, key issues were identified in terms of how social media warps online discussions of allegations of abuse. Additionally, like the last topic, the very fact that this legal dispute was publicly broadcast raises questions as to whether the media’s focus on this event may have worsened the issue.

Possible Contentions:

Personal legal proceedings between celebrities are not something that should be broadcast to the public.
The online discussion regarding this trial demonstrates the need for increased regulation of hateful and abusive content on social media platforms.

3. Should Australia be made a republic in the wake of the Queen’s death?

The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September of 2022, among many other things, drew Australia back into a debate it's been having for decades; should we become a republic? This would be a shift from our current state of (effectively) being overseen by the United Kingdom as a ‘constitutional parliamentary monarchy’, with the ‘head of state’ now being an Australian citizen rather than the UK monarch.

Although the replacement of the Queen with the new head of state (King Charles III) shouldn’t really shift people’s perspective on this issue, it most likely will. Queen Elizabeth has been the welcoming and approachable symbol of the monarchy for many Australians. Her death could be the catalyst for a shift in public opinion, severing the connection that many citizens still had to the UK monarchy.

This issue can be approached from many different angles, inducing discussion on HOW the process of Australia becoming a republic should occur (especially how the new head of state should be chosen), as well as stepping back and assessing the positives and negatives of making this shift.

Australia’s transition to a republic is a necessary step in helping honour the country’s Indigenous population and rejecting its colonial past
Australia’s transition to a republic, although often framed as an act of national unity, will actually worsen the cultural divides within our country.
Although Australia should transition to a republic, the current rise of nationalist politics makes a public election of the new head of state extremely risky.

4. Are NFTs a positive advancement in contemporary technology?

Whether or not you understand what it actually means, the phrase ‘NFTs’ has probably been inescapable on your social media feeds over the last year. Without getting too detailed, these ‘Non-Fungible Tokens’ are essentially investments into non-replicable representations of artwork , which will (supposedly) increase in value over time.

Despite seemingly being an exciting new technology that could have given control back to artists through copyright ownership, NFTs have instead been heavily criticised for commercialising artwork by reducing it to a literal piece of digital currency. Further issues have arisen in terms of how this technology can easily be used to scam people through misrepresenting the value of individual NFTs, or NFT owners simply taking the money and running.

What do you think? All new technology seems shaky and uncertain at the start, and maybe we should recognise that the current negative impacts of NFTs must simply be overcome with time. How do we weigh the benefit this technology has for individual artists against its potential drawbacks?

For their many flaws, NFTs give the power back to creators and, therefore, need to be improved rather than roundly rejected.
Despite preaching democratisation, NFTs and Bitcoin are both a part of a technological trend that will further increase wealth inequality.

5. How much can Western citizens really do to fight injustice via social media activism?

The effect of the COVID pandemic on developing countries, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and human rights abuses by the nation of Qatar - this year has seen an innumerable number of news stories that would make any reasonable person jump to their phones to see what they could do to help, like signing an online petition or sharing a public post to spread awareness.

However, as you probably know, these forms of social media 'slacktivism’ have historically drawn criticism for their ineffectiveness and self-serving nature. Increasingly though, this debate has become more complicated, moving away from the simplified dismissal of any social media activism that emerged around the turn of the century . Others have rightly pointed out that many influential contemporary social movements, that have had real-world impacts, did emerge from social media, such as the BLM and #MeToo movements.

As such, there’s a lot of room for different arguments here regarding whether a critical perspective of ‘social media slacktivism’ has become outdated in a world that is increasingly unavoidably based on the internet.

Social media activism is unavoidably the way that young people are going to engage with political issues, and a rejection of it is naive and impractical.
Political activism should distance itself from the online world if it wants to make real-world change that doesn’t fit neatly under existing power structures.

6. Is the overload of various media streaming service subscriptions sustainable?

‘Streaming fatigue’ has emerged as a 2023 talking point that may have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. Remember when we just had Netflix offering us a new way of consuming film and TV that was both more convenient and cost-effective than ‘pay TV’ packages (which were often heavily inflated in price and packed with unwanted channels )?

However, as we move into 2023, many have argued that the current subscription landscape now mirrors the previous pay-TV model. Consumers once again find themselves having to pay for an increasingly large amount of services if they want to conveniently access their film and TV shows. Predictably, this has seen a re-emergence of video piracy .

Does this mean that it's fundamentally impossible for us to access our media as conveniently as we’d like to, and the years of Netflix being the only streaming service that had all we wanted were never sustainable? Or maybe corporations are unfairly squeezing every dollar they can out of us, and piracy is a fair and just consumer response?

Through offering convenience that is unparalleled by any other previous technology, streaming services are still worth the cost.
Consumers should actively engage in digital piracy until media corporations create a more affordable streaming environment.

7. Is a post-COVID work-at-home model healthy for the next generation of workers?

Although 2020 and 2021 may be remembered as the ‘years of COVID’, 2022 onwards is perhaps when we will see which long-term impacts of the pandemic continue to stick around. Aside from the permanent placement of public hand sanitiser stations, working from home has emerged as one of the most prominent main-stays from our lockdown years.

Is this something that we should embrace? A lot was said during the lockdown about the mental health effects of being deprived of human connection; is this something we should just forget about when it comes to work? As with many of these issues, the question arises as to whether this shift is an inevitable effect of technological advancement, which we can either accept or fruitlessly battle until it becomes the new normal.

However, the fact that this ‘work from home’ dynamic only emerged due to a pandemic complicates this idea, making it possible that we may have accidentally all become accustomed to a new economic model of work that we would be better off without.

Possible Contentions:

We must actively push back against the ‘work from home’ model; if we don’t, we will suffer both mentally and financially into the future.
Working from home is a win-win; it's more convenient and cost-effective for both employer and employee.

8. How can gentrified and aestheticised versions of social movements be avoided?

I wonder whether you saw the Indigenous name for Victoria’s capital city (Naarm) appear more frequently on your social media feeds this year, with people adding it to their Instagram bios or referring to it on TikTok? What started as a conscious choice to respectfully refer to the city by its original Indigenous name quickly became criticised as a trendy aesthetic for outwardly progressive white Victorians, with terms like ‘naarm-core’ becoming short-hand for a specific kind of trendy fashion that was ‘ devoid of any ties to First Nations people ’.

‘Naarm-core’, therefore, stands as another example of a movement that may have started with admirable aims, but was drowned out by those who just wanted the social benefits of participating in progressive politics. Think of the recent similar debates about ‘rainbow capitalism’, with similar criticisms being made of brands that co-opt progressive concepts like LGBQTI+ identity purely for social (and financial) capital. The question naturally emerges as to how we can avoid this for future political movements.

Or maybe you disagree with all these critiques? Political discussion moves so fast these days that it can feel like people are in such a rush to criticise things that they miss actual progress being made. After all, the use of the term ‘Naarm’ to refer to Melbourne was undeniably popularised on the back of this trend.

‍ Possible Contentions:

The criticism of political movements that deal with race being tokenised by white people can only be solved by allowing people of colour at the centre of these movements.
People are too cynical about social movements and trends; virality and popularity, despite ‘inauthentic intentions’, often do more good than harm.

9. How can the highly polarised discussion concerning COVID vaccines become more productive?

Another thing you may have witnessed from living in a post-COVID world is an increase in how divided simple issues seem to make us. Ever tried to convince a relative or friend that, no, in fact, vaccines are not designed to implant us with microchips - seems impossible right?

For many people, the pandemic was a tipping point into full-blown conspiracy communities, meaning people are increasingly able to exist within their own social-media realities that don’t need to be bound to scientific truth or objective fact. This all creates a division between those with different beliefs that is somehow wider than before, where we can’t even agree on simple statements of truth.

The debate around what to do about this deals with questions of human psychology, social media (again), but also freedom of speech. Should spreading (potentially dangerous) false information that conflicts with scientific consensus be allowed on social media? Most importantly, how do we encourage actual communication between different sides?

Possible contentions:

Talking in person is the only way for people with vastly different beliefs to find common ground.
Those spreading dishonest and dangerous conspiracy theories about public health cannot be reasoned with, and need to be actively shut down wherever they appear.

10. With the infamous Oscar slap, what ‘consequences’ should comedians and satirists face for what they say?

Here’s a news story that you’re probably tired of hearing about! Actor Will Smith’s act of violence against Oscar host and comedian Chris Rock for a joke about his wife’s alopecia (hair loss) caused many different conversations to happen at once; about toxic masculinity, celebrity culture, violence as a spectacle. These are all totally valid angles for your Oral Presentation, but let’s focus on maybe the most common debate; did Chris Rock deserve this?

Functioning as a comedian hosting an awards night, Rock’s job was to poke fun at everyone participating, and these sorts of roles have often involved controversial comments and jokes . Does this mean they have immunity from any consequences for their words though? What should these consequences look like? And, if we excuse smaller acts of violence, what does that normalise?

The 2015 terrorist shooting of the staff of satirical French magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’ for their depiction of the Islamic prophet may seem a world away from Will Smith’s slap, but some may argue that this is the logical end-point for a world that believes physical violence is the way to deal with jokes people don’t like.

The idea of comedians actually being threatened by violence is overblown; the slap was an isolated incident.
Protecting the safety of those who make controversial jokes is paramount to maintaining freedom of speech.

11. With Optus and Telstra’s recent data breaches, is placing all our valuable personal information in virtual spaces sustainably safe?

This year saw a record-level data breach from one of Australia’s leading telecommunications companies, Optus. The personal details of almost 10 million customers were given to the hackers.

Then, two weeks later, a similar data breach happened at Telstra. Yes, this time, no customer information was leaked, but information on the company’s employees was again released.

All of this may disturb the image we all have in our heads of online databases as relatively unbreachable, locked away behind thousands of firewalls somewhere in the cloud. In fact, much of modern society operates on this assumption. Maybe you’ve added your credit card details to your Chrome tab because it makes online purchases easier? This convenience comes with the implicit assumption that online personal info is pretty much always safe when protected by a big tech company, but these events arguably prove otherwise.

Cyberattacks are ‘ increasing as a threat ’, yet danger for the sake of convenience is something that all of us deal with. Maybe you think there are degrees to this; should we draw a line at information that can cause us legitimate harm if given to a malicious party?

Our society is already too technologically dependent to try and ‘go offline’ for the sake of data safety.
Valuables of any kind are always going to run the risk of being stolen, and digital piracy is no different.

12. What is the role of Western countries in resisting the unlawful Russian invasion of Ukraine?

As already mentioned, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was one of the biggest news stories of 2022. Putin’s unlawful decision to attack the country’s capital in February of 2022 has left more than 10,000 people dead and millions displaced from their homes. Virtually all world leaders condemned this act immediately. Yet, almost a year later, the war continues, and documented war crimes occur on Ukrainian soil.

Thinking larger than just social media, the question of what can actually be done to help by the countries who condemn this war has naturally emerged. Many nations have supported Ukraine financially, including the US giving nearly $20 billion . Some may argue that this is not nearly far enough, and that all world powers have a responsibility to wage direct war against Russia in support of Ukraine. Naturally though, many are strongly against Western intervention in this form, believing that countries like the US should not see themselves as all-knowing powers that can intervene in other nations based on their ideological beliefs.

‍ Possible Contentions:

Any attempt to guilt individual citizens about their need to ‘do something about Ukraine’ is completely unfair; the responsibility for any meaningful action is entirely on the government.
The West, particularly the US, has a long history of militarily invading smaller nations for their own purposes; their condemnation of the Russians is hypocritical.

If you haven’t already done so, check out our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for some general tips and tricks to get you started!

Written by Milo Burgner

Welcome to 2014! As many of you will already be in your second or third week of schooling, it’s likely that you’re getting plenty of workload from across your subjects. Some of you may very well be preparing for your oral presentation SAC that’s coming up very soon! If that is the case, I’ve collated a list of some popular topics that have cropped up in the Australian media since September last year. The list is intended to help you brainstorm different issues you may wish to debate in your speech, with the contention left for you to decide once you have researched enough on the topic! Check it out below:

Treatment of asylum seekers
Processing of asylum seekers
‘One punch law’
Street violence
Should mathematics be compulsory in schools?
Shark culling in South Australia
The end of car manufacturing in Australia
Sex education and homosexuality
Work-for-the-dole scheme
Needle vending machines
East-West tunnel
Cory Bernadi’s book – The Conservative Revolution (Abortion)
Should we smack our children?
The Indigenous employment gap
Tecoma McDonalds
Sexism in the media
Animal cruelty
Treatment of fare evaders
Wearing the hijab in schools
Childcare wages
Should the government fund private schools?
See Oral Presentation Issues in 2013 for other ongoing issues

For a detailed guide on Language Analysis, what you're expected to cover, how to prepare for your SAC and Exam and more, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Language Analysis .

‍ [Modified Video Transcription]

Today we're going to go through the 2019 past VCAA English Exam ( grab a copy of the exam here so you can analyse with me). As you probably know, if you've watched my videos before, you always want to make sure you read the background information when it comes to Analysing Argument.

I'm going to use Analysing Argument and Language Analysis interchangeably by the way, but I'm talking about the same thing okay?

Background Information

The background information is pretty important because it gives you context for what is happening in this article. Without reading the background information, you might just head in there and possibly even come up with an entirely different context altogether, which might screw over your actual analysis and the author's intention. So, never skip the background information. Make sure that you read it and also pick out the gems that you find in it.

What I've always found is background information is great for picking keywords - words I might want to use throughout my own Language Analysis. It also has really good details about the article. In this case, you can see that there's a member of the public who has responded, which tells us a little bit about the author; it's a 'response' as well, so there's going to be two articles; it's an advertorial - an advertorial is a paid advertisement that looks like an article (I'll use the word advertorial as I'm describing the article in my introduction), and, I also know where it's been published. This is already really good information for you to start using in your introduction.

Finding Your Own Interpretation

Let's move into the analysis itself. By the way, this is my first time doing this analysis, so we're doing it together. What you'll find is that I come up with particular interpretations that you might not have come up with. I might miss something, you might miss something, and what you'll find is my interpretation is not the only interpretation out there. If you come up with something else, it's totally fine for you to go ahead and analyse it, as long as you can back it up. This is what English is all about, so don't stress if I haven't matched up with you in exactly what I'm saying. You can also use my interpretation as a double interpretation. So, what you could do is go into your essay, write your interpretation and if mine compounds on top of yours pretty well, if it's a great addition to what you're saying, add it in and bam! You're showing your examiner that, you're somebody who can look at one particular technique from several different perspectives and that's kind of cool.

Moving on to the Analysis

So, 'A Better, Faster Shopping Experience'. From what I can already see here is there's this sense of convenience already being brought up. Now, at this point in time, I don't know what the point of that convenience is, but I know for me as a shopper, if I can get something for a better experience and I can get it done faster, then hells yeah, I am all for that. Think about yourself in the reader's shoes, after all, you really are the reader reading this article. Think about how it's starting to impact you.

I've done a video about the TEE rule previously that goes through T echnique, E xample and the intended E ffect on the audience. Make sure you're familiar with that because I will use a lot of that in today's analysis.

'An open letter to our valued customers. As you know, Hailey's Local Store is not your average grocery store.'

Interesting. The 'As you know' is pretty familiar. It's this familiarity that this person is sharing with us (the author's name is Hailey, so I'll just say Hailey). She says 'As you know, Hailey's Local Store is not your average grocery store' and repeating that familiar 'As you know' reminds the audience - us - of our long-term relationship with the store. So, in a sense, she's drawing upon our good will and our trust in the local shop, which creates this differentiation between herself (as somebody who's more proactive and customer-centric) and your bigger grocery stores.

'We're a little bit different - we always put our customers first.'

At this point, we start to feel valued. We know that we are her priority. Her priority isn't about profits, which a lot of stores are about, it's about the people, and as a result, we're more inclined to look at her in a favourable way.

'We offer lots of healthy meals, many specials, locally source food and, as you know, we abolished plastic carry bags four years ago - long before the big stores.'

This whole sentence is pretty good because it shows us that she is somebody who is forward-thinking and she has actually carried through with her claim that she puts her customer first. We know that because she follows it up with:

'Why did we do those things? Because you told us that was what you wanted and needed.'

She's got historical proof of putting customers first, which again, serves to build this rapport and relationship between Hailey and us as her customers.

If I look at the first paragraph as a whole, I see that she's building this up, she's setting this up in a particular way and whatever direction she's going to head in next, we're more inclined to follow her, to believe in her and to support her because she's shown us that she has supported us first. She's helped us out, so why can't we help her out? Again, I haven't read the rest of this article yet so these are just the thoughts that are going through my mind as I'm reading this first paragraph - just to give you a little bit of insight into my brain.

In this first paragraph, I can see that she's using a pretty welcoming and warm tone. If you have a look at the photograph that's been placed at the top of this article - and remember that with particular images they're strategically placed, so if it's placed at the start of the article versus at the end, think about how that impacts your perception of the photograph - for me, the first thing I see when I look at this article is the photo and I see a smiling happy owner. As you can see, the first paragraph serves to back up this photograph as well, with what she's talking about in terms of prioritising customers and valuing customers. You can also see products behind her, which look fresh and full and her shelves are full, so in that sense, it furthers this impression of the local and grounded nature of the store. It feels homey and this invites that comfort and trust from us.

Then, as we move into our second paragraph, I'm seeing a lot of exclamation marks, which gives me the sense of this upbeat, exciting environment, or even tone you could say. I think she's doing this because she wants us to jump on board with cashless payments as well, and to not see them as something that's a burden for us. She ties the advantages of cashless payments directly to the customer’s experience of the store by frequently repeating personal terms, such as 'you' and 'your' throughout these first couple of paragraphs. By the way, I'm not going to write down all the language analysis, because I think there's just not enough space, but me chatting about it with you is good enough. Let's move onto the next paragraph.

'you won't need to go rummaging through your bags for coins. You won't ever have to worry that you don't have the cash to cover your essential food supplies - your card will ensure that you do'.

Not only is she highlighting the advantage. Here, she's arguing for the advantages of cashless payments by showing you the inconveniences of having cash in phrases like 'you won't need to' and 'you won't ever have to'. I also like the phrase 'rummaging through your bags for coins'. It gives this sense of how cumbersome the nature of physical money is in comparison to cashless payments.

In the next paragraph, she highlights cashless payments with the words 'Simple!' which reiterates her point (from the previous paragraph) about how cumbersome coins can be. She finishes off this paragraph with a 'Welcome to the twenty-first century.', so there's this sense of being forward in her decisions and that we should be as well - because nobody wants to be left behind in history. A lot of us like to think of ourselves as people who are open-minded, open to change and will take up things that are better for us, things that are more convenient for us.

So, she's saying that this is it for twenty-first century, join us over here rather than way back when, when we had to use coins. She also highlights 'mobile phone[s]', 'smart watch', 'smart ring' - many things that a lot of people have and this just compounds that idea of, 'yeah, this is a no brainer' essentially. Why shouldn't you move to cashless payments if you're already immersed in this tech world of having mobile phones, smart watches, smart rings, etc.?

She moves into talking about the wider economic context of Australia in this next paragraph. That sense of time I was talking about, comparing the now - the twenty-first century - with a decade ago, you can see that link right here. It's very obvious now. She creates a strong impression of societal inevitability of this technological change, especially because she cites statistics - '70 per cent of household spending was in cash; now it's half of that.' I can see in the next paragraph that she uses expert opinion as well - the 'Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia'. This all connects to this main phrase that we are in a ‘turning point’ now, that cash will be rapidly phased out until we become a cashless society and we should join her; we should make moves on this otherwise we're going to get left behind.

I like that she's bringing in Australia because it also brings in this additional sense of pride on our behalf. We're Australians, we're proud that we've been one of the biggest users of electronic payments in the world, we're the ones who are making waves, we're the ones who are putting our feet forward first. So, you could talk about appeal to patriotism here as well. It's interesting because here she says that she's a leader, or

'We've always tried to be a leader in our community and respond to our customer's needs.'

What do you think when you think of a leader? Typically for me, I admire leaders. They're somebody I look up to and I want to follow in their footsteps essentially. So by positioning herself as a leader, I think that's pretty interesting because she's telling us, ‘Hey, I've done all this thinking, I have initiative, I am forward-thinking, so come with me, join with me on this cashless payments movement.’

'you'll breeze through a check-out'

I like the word 'breeze through', or just 'breeze' because it connects again, back to this idea of convenience with a faster shopping experience, and it is juxtaposed against that cumbersomeness of 'rummaging through...bags for coins'. Something to think about is: as you analyse an article, you don't just have to analyse it chronologically or talk about it chronologically in your essay either. If you see things that connect later on, connect them in your essay and put them together, because what you're showing your examiner is that you can see not just the minor details - i.e. language techniques in each sentence - but you can actually zoom out and see the overall picture, how the arguments are coming together and how she's structuring her piece so that we walk away with a certain perspective. Think about that in a two-step method. There's the zoom in where we're looking at sentence by sentence and what techniques are there, which is basically what we've been doing, but at the same time, you can zoom out and have a look at how the different techniques all come together and work as a whole. If this is something that you're not too comfortable with just yet, just stick with the chronological order and working through the sort of minor details. And then on your next read, you can read through with the focus of, 'okay, what if I was to look at this from a more holistic perspective?'

We talk about this 'zoom in' and 'zoom out' technique in How To Write A Killer Text Response .

Ahh! I didn't even look ahead enough, there are more words and more phrases that connect to the idea of convenience and ease. It’s 'faster', ‘will save you time', 'safer' as well?! There's a new appeal. It's not necessarily new, it's just a different angle you could come from. If you wanted to talk about the sense of security, that appeal to safety, then you could do that as well.

'it means not having to spend hours sorting, storing and securing cash'

So, more cumbersome notions. And then in comparison,

'more time', 'We understand the concerns a minority of our customers may have.'

I love when they do this, acknowledging the opposition essentially is what she's doing. She's saying, ‘yup, like, I can hear you, not all customers want this. Some of you don't.’ And my assumption is that she's going to back it up with her own rebuttal. This not only pulls along the people who are already supportive of her, but she's also trying to pull along those who are a little bit more sceptical of this idea of cashless payments. So let's see, she says,

'What if you prefer cash, don't feel comfortable using credit or debit cards, or don't have a mobile phone or smart watch? We don't want to leave anyone out. For the next three months we will offer cashless payments, but still accept cash to people to give people time to adjust.'

It's interesting because she is again, building up this position of hers, where she is friendly, she is helpful, she is thoughtful and she cares about her community. Something you could also say, and this is if you're looking at things more pessimistically, is that she's doing this more so for herself. By saying that these people have three months, there's this unspoken pressure that's happening as well. She's putting pressure on the minority and emphasising the supposed inevitability of a cash-free shopping experience. Even by just saying 'minority' that's in a way applying pressure as well, because it's saying that you are part of this smaller group, the smaller group of people who won't come with us or have not yet come with us, so join us. There's a very clear expectation that these customers need to adapt and catch up.

Want to see these ideas and annotations turned into a full A+ essay?

If you want more, I have also got a fully written up 2019 essay based on the articles that we're analysing today in my How To Write A Killer Language Analysis study guide. In that study guide, not only do I have the essay for 2019, I also have a fully written up essay for the 2017 & 2020 VCAA English Exams , and we're always working on adding ones from future years as well. Plus, there's heaps of sample A-plus essays in there already and heaps of information that I think will be super helpful for you before you move into your SAC. So please, go ahead and check that out! It's loaded with value and I know it'll be worth your money.

We've explored themes, characters, literary devices and historical context amongst other things over on our Women of Troy by Euripides blog post. If you need a quick refresher or you’re new to studying this text, I highly recommend checking it out as well as our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Here, we’ll be breaking down a Women of Troy essay topic using LSG’s THINK and EXECUTE strategy , a technique to help you write better VCE essays. If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, you can learn about it in our How To Write A Killer Text Response study guide.

Within the THINK strategy, we have 3 steps, or ABC. These ABC components are:

Step 1: A nalyse Step 2: B rainstorm Step 3: C reate a Plan

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

The Prompt: ‘“We are loot my son and I, soldiers’ plunder.” Discuss how Euripides highlights the plight of women taken as slaves in war.’

Step 1: Analyse

The first thing to note about this prompt is that it is a 'how’ question , it is essentially asking us to identify the literary techniques Euripides has employed in order to ‘highlight’ the women’s ‘plight’. The noun ‘plight’ is defined as a troublesome or unfortunate situation, yet we must consider this word in the context of war. How do the women suffer? In other words, how does Euripides demonstrate to his reader just how dejected the women are as slaves?

Step 2: Brainstorm

It is relatively simple to identify the literary techniques which consistently appear throughout Euripides’ play, such as imagery, metaphor and simile ( not entirely sure what literary techniques are? We have a list of them for you here ). However, keeping in mind we have to form three paragraphs, we should consider Euripides’ authorial voice more broadly. For example, the women consistently lament their disillusionment with the gods. This is not a literary technique in itself, but it is still a literary choice which Euripides has made and which has been deepened with more specific literary devices like metaphor. The same could be said for the women’s struggle for hope, and the contrast between their joyous pasts and dismal futures.

Step 3: Create a Plan

Unlike a ‘to what extent’ question, we do not have to form an argument. Instead, we must forge a discussion of Euripides’ literary decisions as a playwright.

P1: Euripides juxtaposes the triumphant pasts of the Trojan women with their tragic futures. The 'shining citadels of Troy' are now a 'black smokened ruin’.

P2: Euripides illuminates the women’s attempts to retain futile hope. Note that hope also comes in the form of revenge.

P3: The dramatic irony of the play renders the women’s desperate calls upon the gods all the more tragic. Here, we can also make reference to the prologue, and Athene’s ploy to create a storm on the Greeks’ journey home which also ultimately affects the women.

At the heart of the conflict in The Women of Troy , lies the anguished 'suffering' (1) of the Trojan women as they confront their fates as 'slaves', and remember their pasts as wives and mothers. In his tragedy, first performed in Athens circa 415 BCE, Euripides amplifies the conflicted voices of the Trojan women, voices which are by contrast suppressed and disregarded in the Homeric works the Iliad and the Odyssey . Euripides’ stark dichotomy between the glories and 'rituals' of the past, and the sombre 'grief' of the present, elucidate the magnitude of their losses, both material and moral. For as Andromache laments, these women have been objectified as 'loot', mere spoils of war to be abused and exploited. (2) The women’s tendency to clutch onto chimerical (3) hopes and values only serves to further illuminate the profundity of their suffering once these ambitions have been brutally quashed in the 'dust' of their 'smoke blackened ruin' of Troy. Perhaps most significantly, Euripides juxtaposes the lingering though pitiful hope of the women with the gods’ complete 'desert[ion]' of Troy, positioning the women in an ironic chasm of cruel abandonment. Thus, the plight of women as wartime captives is dramatised by Euripides, corralling the audience into an ultimate stance of pity and empathy.

Annotations: (1) It is often useful to embed short/one word quotes in your essay (we teach you how in How To Embed Quotes in Your Essay Like a Boss ). It shows you have a great understanding of the text, and reads fluidly as opposed to overly long quotes.

‍ (2) Here, I have addressed the quote in the prompt in a single sentence, unpacking Euripides’ analogy of Andromache and Astyanax as ‘loot’. By comparing the two characters to war spoils, he is suggesting that they have been stripped of their free will and autonomy.

‍ (3) It is really important to vary your vocabulary in order to increase the sophistication of your essay. The adjective ‘chimerical’ refers to an ideal which is impossible to achieve.

Euripides’ juxtaposition between the dismal future of the Trojan women and the zenith of their pasts, further illuminates the chasm of their sufferings and losses as the ultimate victims of wartime atrocities. Chiefly, Euripides contrasts Hecuba’s former royal status with the demoralizing fate of her captivity, encapsulating this tragic fall from nobility with the ironic imagery, 'throned in the dust’. Yet perhaps what truly emphasises her plight as a slave is her enduring role as a maternal figure of leadership, encapsulated in her regard of the chorus as '[her] children' and her reciprocated address as 'dear queen' and 'your mother'. Despite the 'death agony' she feels, she chooses to maintain her nobility through the depth of her morality, dramatizing the pitiful nature of her plight (4) . Moreover, Euripides’ juxtaposition between the 'shining citadels of Troy' and the 'misery' of the chorus elucidates the significance of 'home', a source of solace which has been barbarically stripped away from them. Likewise, Andromache laments her past as a dutiful and faithful wife, contrasting her fidelity against her fate as a 'concubine' to the formidable Neoptolemus (5) . Euripides implies that Andromache must abandon her reputation as the 'perfect wife' – the very attribute for which she was chosen especially – doomed to confront a life of sexual slavery, an unwilling mother of Neoptolemus’ children.

Annotations: (4) Here, I have used the word ‘plight’, making sure I am engaging directly with the prompt. It is often easy to fall into the trap of creating a generalised essay which only loosely adheres to the question.

‍ (5) It is more sophisticated to specify the name of Andromache’s husband (Neoptolemus), rather than to just simply state ‘Andromache’s husband’ (even though he is not featured as a character in Euripides’ play).

Euripides (6) characterises the women by their tendency to clutch on to 'hope[s]' and ideals that are impossible to fulfil. Almost a coping mechanism of sorts, the chorus paradoxically romanticise the Greek landscape in the first episode, lauding the 'sacred halls', 'green fields', 'beautiful river[s]' and 'wealth' of Hellas. Yet, their ardent critiques of their future 'home[s]' rejects any notion that the women truly believe these glorifications of the Greek realm. Similarly, Hecuba is motivated by her futile hope that Astyanax may one day seek vengeance and be 'the savior of Troy' by 'rebuild[ing]' the city. Yet tragically, this doomed hope is violently quashed by Odysseus 'blind panic' and acute lack of rationality: the 'liar' and 'deceiver' who 'lead the Greek council' in their debate. Though this hope initially provides her with some form of solace, all comfort is dashed with the announcement of his 'butchery'. Likewise, Cassandra is motivated by her own pursuit for revenge, lauding her 'sacred marriage' to Agamemnon as an event worthy of 'praise' and 'celebration'. Yet her hope is also jaded, for she must in the process 'flout all religious feeling' as a slave of Agamemnon’s 'lust', until she meets her painful hour of death at Clytemnestra’s hands.

Annotations: (6) Notice that several of the sentences have begun with ‘Euripides characterises’ or ‘Euripides illuminates’, engaging with the ‘how’ part of the prompt. We are showing what the author has done and why.

Ironically, Euripides illuminates the plight of the Trojan women through his dramatic elucidation of the gods’ callous abandonment of the ruined Troy. Euripides juxtaposes the past 'rituals', 'dances', 'songs', 'sacrifices', 'offerings' and 'ceremonies' of the chorus with their bitter laments that 'the gods hate Troy' and that they are ultimately characterised by avarice. They are neither answered not consoled in their ultimate time of mourning, for the audience is aware that Poseidon has fled the scene in the prologue, disillusioned by the 'ceas[ing]' of 'worship', leaving 'nothing (…) worth a god’s consideration' in the fallen city. What is also rendered ironic by Euripides, is Athene’s formidable ploy to 'make the Greeks’ return home a complete disaster.' Regardless of Athene’s true motives for instigating this ultimate pursuit of comeuppance, the fact remains that the women too must endure this perilous journey to Greece. Not only are the despairing wives, mothers and daughters condemned to 'abject slavery' on foreign soil, they are 'innocent: victims who may – alongside the Greeks – find themselves on the shores of Euboea, among the 'float[ing] (…) corpses' of the Greek soldiers. They are not simply abandoned by the gods, they are, directly or indirectly, punished. (7)

Annotations: (7) This is a more original point which other students may not automatically think of. We often view Athene’s ‘ploy’ as a deserved punishment of the ‘murderous’ Greeks, yet there is no true justice, for the women too are ultimately affected.

In a play which serves to fill the silence of the Trojan women in the legendary works of the Iliad and the Odyssey (8) , Euripides augments the pitiful plight of the Trojan women with agonizing references to past 'happiness', and equally unbearable forecasts of their roles as 'slaves' of Greek lust. They are indeed 'loot' and they are indeed 'plunder' – as Andromache so bitterly laments – yet their plight is recorded in the works of 'poets' to come, remembered as a legacy of stoicism 'a hundred generations hence.' Taken as our 'great theme', these women are 'sufferer[s]', yet they are also heroes.

Annotations: (8) Just as I have done in the introduction, I have referred to the context of the play in the conclusion. The Iliad and the Odyssey provided the framework for Euripides’ play, so by referencing Homer’s works we are showing the examiner that we have an understanding of the historical context.

If you'd like to dive deeper into Women of Troy, check out our A Killer Text Guide: Women of Troy study guide. In it, we teach you how to how to think like a 50 study scorer through advanced discussions on topics such as views and values and metalanguage, we provide you with 5 A+ sample essays that are fully annotated and everything is broken down into easy-to-understand concepts so that students of all levels can understand and apply what we teach!!

2. EAL Study Design

3. Listening Component Marking Criteria

4. Listening Component Tips

5. Reading Comprehension

6. Time Management

7. English Fluency and Proficiency

As you all know, English subjects are integral to VCE studies, since it is compulsory that at least all four units of an English subject be done in order for you to reach that ATAR goal at the end of the VCE tunnel. Given the richness in cultural backgrounds of VCE students cohort, EAL is designed to mend the linguistic gaps between local students and those from non-English speaking backgrounds. Students eligible to complete EAL are those who have no more than 7 years residency in a predominately English-speaking country AND no more than 7 years having English as their main language of instructions.

According to the study design published by VCAA, both English subjects:

‘"[contribute] to the development of literate individuals capable of critical and creative thinking, aesthetic appreciation and creativity…"

‍ It might sound complex, but this basically just means that these subjects enable us to enhance our understanding and usage of the English language, which serves to support our daily English communication. This purpose holds even greater significance to students from non-English speaking backgrounds, as those skills offered by English subjects are essential to their life in Australia. That’s said, EAL can be different from mainstream English in the sense that it also assists students whose mother tongue is not English in adapting to the predominately English-speaking community, via developing their language skills.

EAL Study Design

Both EAL and English assess students on multiple areas, including: Text Response , Creative writing, Argument Analysis, and Comparative . We highly recommend you have a read of the links above so you've got all your English/EAL areas covered!

One major difference is in Unit 3 , where EAL students are required to do a Listening task , whereas mainstream students study an additional text. For a detailed comparison on VCE EAL vs VCE English , read Cynthia's blog post here.

Shown below is the Unit 3 coursework from the VCAA EAL study design, taken from the VCAA website :

Now that we know the similarities and differences, let's focus primarily on the Listening Component of the EAL Exam for the rest of this blog.

Listening Component Marking Criteria

For the listening component of the exam/SAC the examiners (and your own teachers) will be marking your answers base on TWO main points:

Your ability to understand and convey general and specific parts of the listening track
Your ability to convey information accurately and appropriately

Some of you out there might be thinking “Listening is easy! I just need to write down the correct answer, it's a piece of cake.” Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for EAL listening or any VCE Language listening SAC or exam. The VCAA examiners will be looking for appropriateness of vocabulary and the accurate use of grammar, spelling and punctuation. They even look at how well you phrase your response!

For more information on the the exam, read Rachel's blog on how to Nail that VCE EAL Exam Listening Component. She offers her tips for the exam, including taking advantage of bringing bilingual dictionaries into the exam!

Listening Component Tips

Listening is also the easiest section for students to lose marks as many of them may carelessly misread the question and/or comprehensively fail to answer the question. Listening may also be challenging as it requires you to concentrate on multiple things at the same time, for example, the characters’ main contention, emotions, tone shift, and the context of the recording. However, as long as you do more practice, you will soon be able to master the listening skills! Here are the 4 steps that you will have to know if you want to do well in listening!

1. Read The Background Information Of The Text

Use your reading time (15 minutes) wisely and spend around 2-3 minutes in the listening section. The background information of the text is extremely important as it tells you the context of the recording which can also give you a basic idea of the characters involved in the text and the content they will be talking about.

2. Scan Through The Questions Carefully

Look for the keywords in the question, such as the 5W1H (Who, When, Where, What, Which, How), the character names, and the number of points that needs to be answered in each question.

Examples of the 5W1H Questions

Who is he referring to when he says “You”?
When did he open his first bookshop?
Where did he go after his graduation?
What message is he trying to convey in his speech?
Which phrase did he use to express how dry it was in the desert?
How does he express his anger?

3. Note Taking

You should be using the spaces provided in the exam answer booklet to jot down any key words and phrases that are related to the questions. Do not bother to fill in the answers on the answer line just yet, as you are very likely to get distracted, hence, it may increase the risk of missing the answer for the next question. Remember that your notes should be as concise and clear as possible so you will be able to write down the answers immediately once the recording stops.

4. Focus On The Questions That You’ve Missed

Bear in mind that you will have the chance to listen to the recording two times in total so please DO NOT stress if you miss out any answers or you are not sure about the answers after the first time. Highlight the questions that you have trouble with and focus on them when the recording is played the second time.

For more detail on each of these tips, and information on the types of questions you may be asked , read Pallas' blog on How to ACE the EAL Listening Exam .

For Listening practice, head to EAL Listening Practice and Resources (Part 1) and EAL Listening Practice (Part 2), and get tips on EAL Listening and note-taking during the Listening component of the VCE EAL exam/SAC.

Reading Comprehension (Language Analysis)

Section C, Question 1 requires students to write short answers, in note form or sentences, which altogether will make up of 50% of the marks in Section C. For a lot of student, getting good marks for Question 1 is much easier than getting good marks for Question 2, which requires you to write a full language analysis essay. This is why it is important that you are able to maximise your marks in this question because they are purported to be easier marks to get! Some of the questions will ask the students for factual information but more difficult questions will require to think about that is contained in the text and make an interpretation based on your understanding.

1. Question words

To know what sort of answer you are expected to give before looking for details from the article, you need to be familiar with question words.

WHO - A particular person or group of people impacted by an incident or involved in a situation
WHAT - This really depends. It might require you to give out information about something or to identify reasons for the writer’s opinions (which is good it might make it easier for you to find the writer’s arguments)
WHEN - The timeframe within which an issue or event occurred (date, day, etc)
WHERE - The location of an event
WHY - The reasons for something
HOW - How a problem can be resolved

2. Direction words

Unfortunately, not all questions in this section have “question words” and examiners usually give out questions that are broader using “direction words” or “task words”, making this section more challenging for students. EAL is not the only subject that requires students to know their direction words well so it is definitely worthwhile learning these words to improve your performance. These are the most common direction words used in Section C (see below!).

Describe - Giving information about something or to identify the writer’s opinions
Explain - This requires you to give out information in your own words and elaborate
Identify - Students will be required to find what is asked from the article and write them down in the briefest form possible
List - Usually in note forms – to answer this you need to identify what is asked and briefly noting them down
Summarise - Retelling something in a succinct and concise ways in your own words, it should only be enough to highlight key ideas
Support - Finding evidence from the text to justify a statement or opinions

3. Marks allocation

Another super helpful tip is to pay extra attention to the marks allocation of the questions. It usually gives you a fairly accurate indication of how much you should write. The general rule of thumb would be that the number of marks tell students how many sentences or points they should be making.

Identify the reasons why the writer loves travelling (2 marks)

Students should be writing down 2 reasons why the writer loves travelling ‍

The editor strongly opposes the use of plastic bag. Support this statement (3 marks) ‍

In this case, it is probably best to find 3 pieces of evidence from the article that justify the statement stated to make sure you do not lose any marks by not writing enough.

For sample questions and responses with annotations, read Lindsey's blog on EAL Reading Comprehension here.

Time Management

Time management during the exam is as important as studying and preparing. Here are some tips to help you manage your time during your exam so you can achieve maximum marks!

1. Look at the comprehension questions during reading time

2. look for key features instead of analysing and finding techniques straight away.

You can also use the reading time to find the contention, determine what type of article it was and the source, etc. The following acronym might help you! Try identifying all of the features below as it also helps you plan your introduction within reading time.

C ontention ‍
A udience ‍

For a detailed guide on writing Language Analysis Introductions, check out our advice here (for both English & EAL students) and here (specifically for EAL students). We recommend reading both blog posts!

3. Set out a detailed time management plan for your essay the night before the SAC or exams (or earlier if possible)

4. stick with one introduction’s structure/format.

Introductions for EAL Language Analysis, To Write or Not To Write? teaches you a great template approach you can use for your introductions.

5. Not be way too thorough with annotation

6. create your own glossary of words ‍, 7. practice.

To understand each of these time management tips in detail, read Lindsey's blog on EAL Time Management here.

English Fluency and Proficiency

As non-native speakers living and studying in Australia, we would want nothing more than to improve our English skills both for the comfort of living in an English-speaking country and our career prospects. Here are some tips to help you better their writing skills in EAL.

1. Knowing Your Sentence Structure

I cannot stress how important it really is to really know your sentence structure and grammar because, without a solid understanding of how it is supposed to be structured, grammatical errors can easily be made which will preclude you from articulating your ideas in the clearest manner possible.

Simplest form: Subject + Verb + Object

To see an example of structuring sentences together, read Lindsey's blog here.

2. Expand Your vocabulary

While it is sometimes helpful to memorise words from glossaries found on the Internet, it is not the most the effective way to thoroughly improve your vocabulary. In fact, learning words from a glossary or dictionary by heart can often lead to students misusing the words due to their misinterpretation of the new words.

The best way to upgrade your word bank for your essays is to slowly word up from what you already know. Start off with a simple paragraph and you will see your writing get better after every time you edit or rewrite your paragraphs. Therefore you should:

Avoid generic verbs
Know the word’s connotations
Use strong adjectives

English grammar is often seen as one of the more challenging one due to it having so many tenses and irregular cases. However, if you know how to break it down, it is not that scary because there are actually only 13 tenses and future, past and present tenses. Plus, in our EAL exams, we rarely need to use any other tenses aside from the present tenses anyway.

4. Build Your Own 'Essay Formulas'

For each Area of Study, I have a revision document that contains the following:

Introduction ‘formula’
Sample paragraph
Super extensive word bank (my own thesaurus)
Practice essays and sample essays

To see an example of an 'essay formula' in action, read Lindsey's blog on The Keys to English Fluency and Proficiency here. ‍

The Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response

How To Write A Killer Text Response Study Guide

How to embed quotes in your essay like a boss

How to turn your Text Response essays from average to A+

5 Tips for a mic drop worthy essay conclusion

The Importance of the Introduction

‍ Exam Tips From VCE EAL Examination Reports

Study Techniques: How To Approach a Text That You Hate

Updated on 25/12/2020

Being one of the few texts that was added to the text list this year, Euripides’ play Women of Troy is definitely a daunting task for English and EAL students to tackle due to the lack of resources and essay prompts available. In fact, the only materials that can be found on the internet are those analysing the older translation of the play (titled The Trojan Women ). That is why we are here to help you as much as we can by offering you a mini-guide for Women of Tro y, in the hope that you can get a head start with this play.

Women of Troy is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Historical Context
Literary Devices
LSG-Curated Essay Topics
A+ Essay Topic Breakdown
Extra Resources

Women of Troy is a tragedy which takes place in the immediate aftermath of the Trojan war, critiquing the atrocities committed by the Greeks to both people of Melos and Troy. By constructing a play in which women are able to dominate the stage and exude their genuine despair in response to their impending enslavement, Euripides shifts the perspectives from epic tales of Greek and Trojan male heroes to the conversely affected women who suffered at the hands of the heroes, while simultaneously providing both the contemporary and modern audience with a unique insight into the true cost of war. This is especially significant because the society was pervaded by patriarchal values, where women were subordinated to their male counterparts. Euripides’ proto-feminist works were not well received by his peers at the time of writing as women’s personal thoughts and pain were not commonly discussed in the Hellenic repertoire.

2. Historical Context

The Trojan war occurred as a result of the conflict between Greece and Troy and was said to last for over 10 years. According to a tale, during a festival on the Olympus, Athena, Aphrodite and Hera were fighting over a golden apple. They chose a random mortal, which was Paris who would then be the Prince of Troy, to decide who the most beautiful goddess of the three was. As a reward for picking her, Aphrodite promised Paris that he would be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, which was Helen – wife of Menelaus, the Spartan prince. Aphrodite had her son Eros (a cupid) enchant Helen and Paris so that they would fall endlessly in love with each other. Helen then escaped from Menelaus’ palace to be with Paris, starting the war between Greece and Troy. Menelaus was enraged and he convinced his brother Agamemnon to lead an expedition to retrieve Helen. The Greek army was commanded to attack the Trojans. The siege lasted for more than 10 years until the Greeks came up with a strategy to abduct Helen from the palace. The Greek soldiers build a giant wooden horse and hid in there to get in the citadel of Troy, attacking them in the middle of the night and winning the war. After the war, the Greek heroes slowly made their way home, however, the journey home was not easy. Odysseus took 10 years to make the arduous journey home to Ithaca because Poseidon agreed to punish the Greeks for the atrocities committed before and after their victory.

Love and Lust

Euripides’ works often warn the audience of the detrimental effects brought on by excessive passion, asserting that it is best to moderate emotions and exhibit sophrosyne (the power of self-control over one’s emotions) . He often criticises the goddess of love, Aphrodite, for enchanting mortals and leading them into a life governed by love and lust. In this play, he purports that it is inherently Aphrodite’s fault that the Trojans are fighting against the Greeks, as it is Aphrodite who makes Paris and Helen endlessly fall in love with each other.

Potential Textual Evidence:

In Women of Troy , Euripides presents a particularly acerbic critique on Menelaus’ 'uncontrollable lust' in 'sen[ding] a hunting party to track down Helen' as he juxtaposes the cost of the Trojan war being and the prize that they receive.

'tens of thousands dead'
'giving up the pleasure of his family and children'
'these Greeks [beginning] to die'

→ All that in exchange for one woman - Helen

His chastisement is further bolstered by Cassandra’s rhetorical question asking 'they kept on dying, for what reason'. This manoeuvres the audience into acknowledging the pointlessness of the Trojan war as it is not worth risking so many lives over Helen or any minor military conflict. In doing so, Euripides once again lambastes the actions of those vindictive and bloodthirsty Greeks.

Cost of War

The play primarily focuses on the loss and pain of the Trojan civilians that survived the war, are sieged in the city after the war and are eventually either killed or enslaved after the fall of Troy. While the Trojan war is the setting of many famous classical works being examined by various different angles, not many focus on the consequences suffered by women. This enables Euripides to raise the question of whether or not such victory is worth fighting for while simultaneously inviting the audience to emulate the playwright’s disapprobation of such a violent and brutal resolution of conflict.

You can also use the evidence from the above to justify your arguments on the cost of war. They all aim to magnify the extent to which the Trojan people, as well as the Greeks, have to suffer as result of this pointless war.

We can also discuss how wars affect beliefs and their people’s faith. In the Hellenic society, gods have always been a significant part of their life as it is believed that mortals’ lives are always under the influence of divine intervention. This is evidenced through the ways in which Hellenic people build temples and make sacrifices to the gods, thanking the gods for allowing them to live prosperous lives and begging for their forgiveness whenever they wrong others. This is why it is significant when Hecuba referred to the gods as 'betrayers' in her lamentation, implying that there is a change in attitude in time of tragedy. Events such as this make people question their fate and belief, galvanising them to wonder 'what good [gods] were to [them].

Integrity and Sense of Duty

Some characters in Women of Troy are also fundamentally driven by their sense of duty and integrity, and act according to their moral code regardless of what the circumstances may be. Hecuba, for instance, sympathises with the Chorus of Troy and acts as a leader even when she loses her title and her home. She is held responsible for her actions but is still governed by her honesty and integrity as Helen makes her plea. Talthybius is also governed by both his sense of duty and integrity. Despite his understanding of Hecuba’s circumstances, he still follows his order and ensures that the Trojan women are allocated to their Greek households. However, he does not disregard her sense of morality and treats Hecuba with understanding and sensitivity.

Helen, on the other hand, does not demonstrate the same degree of moral uprightness. In time of tragedy, she chooses to lie and shift the blame to others to escape her execution. She prioritises her own benefits over everyone else’s and allows thousands of others to suffer from the impacts of her treachery in eloping with Paris.

The prologue of the play opens with a conversation between Poseidon and Athena, foreshadowing their divine retribution against the Greeks. Witnessing the immediate aftermath of the Trojan war, they curse the war which they ironically themselves initiated, thus condemning the horrific injustice of the conflict and the actions of its vengeful and blood thirsty so-called heroes. This is evidenced through the ways in which they punished Odysseus by creating obstacles on his journey home.

However, it can also be argued that the gods in Women of Troy themselves act as a symbol of injustice in a way. From the feminist view, the fall of Troy and the enslavement of Trojan women demonstrate the gods’ lack of care as they disregard the monstrosities that occur to women after the Greeks’ victory. The divine intervention which is promised in the beginning casts the following injustices cursed upon the women of Troy in a different light as it can be argued that the gods caused the war. While their retribution against the Greeks can be seen as a means to punish the heroes, it is evident that that they are more concerned about the sacrilege committed and the disrespect they receive after the Trojan war than the injustices suffered by women. This thereby humanises the gods and fortifies the notion that they also have personal flaws and are governed by their ego and hubris.

The idea that there are forces beyond human control is enhanced, and Poseidon and Athena’s pride proves that humans are just innocent bystanders at the mercy of the gods. It can be argued that the chain of unfortunate events are unpredictable as they are determined by gods, whose emotions and prejudices still control the way they act. On the other hand, the characters in the play do at times make choices that would lead to their downfall and tragic consequences. For instance, it is Menelaus who decided to go after the Trojans just because of one woman and he was not enchanted or under any influence of divine intervention.

Gender Roles

Euripides centres his play on Trojan women, enabling the discussion on the cause and effect of war. Given that females' points of view were not commonly expressed in plays or any forms of art works, Euripides’ decision to have his play focus on women allows the Athenian audience, comprised of mainly male Athenians, to observe a part of the military conflict that was not seen before.

The protagonist Hecuba, for example, is portrayed as the archetypal mother. While this image is presented during the aftermath of the Trojan war, Euripides also uses Hecuba as a representative of contemporary Hellenic women as this archetype is universal for all circumstances. It is evident that Euripides’ play mainly focuses on Hecuba’s grief, with her lamentation dominating the prologue. This implies that the protagonist, in this instance, also acts as a diatribe against the patriarchal society which allows women to suffer greatly as a result of war and military conflict. However, this play differs from other plays written by Euripides in that he also explores a woman’s burden and responsibility as a leader, allowing the audience to understand the difficulties of being a woman of power in time of crisis.

4. Characters

Mother of troy.

In employing the simile comparing herself to 'a mother bird at her plundered nest', Hecuba reminds the audience of her endless love for the city of Troy, implying that the devastation of her own home also further deepens her pain. In this scene, Hecuba is portrayed as a female leader who rules with her passion and love.
The image her (Hecuba) as an empathetic Queen is also exemplified through the ways in which she 'weep[s] for [her] burning home'. As the term 'home' invokes connotations of warmth and affection, Hecuba’s endearment for the city she governs is established, accentuating the portrayal of Hecuba as a leader with a passion for her duties.
This in turn propels the audience to be more inclined to feel commiseration for her when she is held responsible for her city’s destruction. As the representative of Troy’s leadership that enables such brutality to occur leading to the wars, Hecuba bears the guilt and responsibility for '[giving] birth to all the trouble by giving birth to Paris' and consequently, for the cataclysmic consequences that ramified from Paris’ involvement with Helen (although she is simply an innocent bystander) → Social accountability for war

Mother of Her Children

From the outset of the play, the former queen of Troy is portrayed as a miserable mother suffering from the loss of her own children and 'howl[ing] for her children dead' (echoed by the Chorus, referred to as 'howl of agony'). By employing animalistic language in describing Hecuba’s act of mourning over Hector’s death, Euripides intensifies the magnitude of her emotional turmoil as it is likened to a loud and doleful cry usually uttered by animals → It is almost not humanly possible to endure so much pain.
This notion is bolstered by the image of Hecuba drowning in 'her threnody of tears' as it engages the pathos of the audience, establishing her as a victim of war and emphasising the poignant story that is to be unveiled.
The simile comparing herself to a woman 'dragged as a slave' in her lamentation further fortifies Hecuba’s portrayal as a victim of a play. Here, the juxtaposition between her former title 'by birth [as] Troy’s...Queen' and her current state magnifies the drastic change in life and the loss she suffered, compelling the audience to better sympathise with Hecuba. → Powers can be ephemeral in times of crisis.

Talthybius is sympathetic towards women, establishing himself as a complicated figure with a strong sense of integrity. This is epitomised through the ways in which he employs euphemistic language when announcing the dreadful news to Hecuba. He tries his best to be sensitive and mitigate the impacts of Hecuba’s daughter death to her, announcing that Polyxena 'is to serve Achilles at his tomb' and that 'her fate is settled', 'all her troubles are over'. He was being sensitive and subtle instead of abruptly delivering the news. While he represents an enemy state, he shows that men can also be compassionate, contradicting the Phallocentric belief that men should only be governed by cool logic.

Chorus of Trojan Women

It can be argued that Hecuba acts as the paradigm of the Trojan women as her pain (i.e. the deaths of her children, slavery, the devastation of her city), in a way, represents the suffering of the majority of Hellenic women in times of war, which enhances Euripides’ condemnation of a society where military conflicts can easily be facilitated. The Chorus of the play often echoes her deepest pain, establishing a sense of camaraderie between female characters of the play.

In this play, the Chorus acts as the voice of the 'wretched women of Troy', representing the views of the unspoken who are objectified and mistreated by their male counterparts. After Troy lost the war, women were seen as conquests and were traded as slaves, exposing the unfair ethos of a society that was seen as the cradle of civilisation. By allowing the Trojan women to express their indignation and enmity as a response to their impending slavery, Euripides is able to present a critique on the ways in which women were oppressed in Ancient Greece.

5. Literary Devices

Simile (e.g. dragged as a slave)
Euphemism (e.g. serve Achilles at his tomb – euphemism for death)
Symbolism (e.g. Hector’s shield or Troy’s citadel)
Animal imagery (e.g. howl of agony)
Rhetorical question (e.g. for what reason)

Why are these important? Watch how we integrated literary devices as pieces of evidence in this essay topic breakdown:

[Modified Video Transcription]

TIP: See section ' 7. A+ Essay Topic Breakdown' (below) for an explanation of our ABC approach so that you understand how we've actually tackled this essay prompt.

Staged in a patriarchal society, Women of Troy was set during the immediate aftermath of the Trojan war – a war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Hecuba is the former queen of Troy, who suffered so much loss as the mother of her children as well as the mother of Troy. She lost her son Hector and her husband in the Trojan war, her daughter Polyxena also died and Cassandra was raped. After the Greeks won, women were allocated to Greek households and forced into slavery, including the queen of Troy. She was also the mother of Paris, the prince of Troy. It was purported that Paris and Helen were responsible for initiating the war as Helen was governed by her lust for Paris and left Menelaus, the Spartan prince, for this young prince of Troy. Consequently, Menelaus was enraged by this elopement and declared that he wanted Helen dead as a punishment for her disloyalty. Helen defended herself and lied that it was against her will, crying that she was kidnapped and blamed Hecuba for the fall of Troy and for the conflict between the two sides. However, Menelaus did not believe what Helen had to say and decided to bring her back to her home on a separate ship.

The play ended with the Greek ships leaving Troy, which was then on fire. The Trojan were singing a sad song together as they left to prepare for their new lives as slaves living in Greek households.

The play’s main focus is on the suffering of women, as exemplified by the way Euripides chose to portray Hecuba’s loss and Cassandra’s helplessness.

So, our essay prompt for today is

'How does Euripides use the structure of the play to explore the role of women and their suffering in time of war? '

This is indeed one of the more challenging prompts that VCAA wouldn’t probably give, the reason being that it is a language/structure-based prompt. It requires you to have a much more profound knowledge of the text, and it is not always easy to spot language features, especially in a poetic sounding play like Women of Troy . There is just so much going on in the text! While it is not super likely that you will get this prompt for the exam, I have seen a lot of schools give language/structure-based prompts to students for SACs as it gives them an opportunity to challenge themselves and look for textual evidence that will distinguish them from their peers. These types of evidence are definitely worth looking for because they can also be used as evidence to back up your arguments for theme-based or character-based prompts (learn more about the different types of prompts in How To Write A Killer Text Response ).

Now let’s get started.

The first thing I always do is to look for keywords. The key words in this prompt are 'structure, 'role of women' and 'suffering'.

With the structure of the play, we can potentially talk about:

Character-related evidence (e.g. strong female character base)
Language-related features (metalanguage/literacy devices)
Plot-related features (order of events) – irony, foreshadowing

In a male-dominated, patriarchal society, women are oftentimes oppressed and seen as inferior. Their roles in the society were limited, they were only seen as domestic housewives and mothers. It is important to look for evidence that either supports or contradicts this statement. Ask yourself:

Is Euripides trying to support the statement and agree that women are simply creatures of emotions who should only stick with domestic duties?
Or is he trying to criticise this belief by showing that women are so much more than just those being governed by their emotions?

Since this play primarily focuses on the cost of war and how women, as innocent bystanders, have to suffer as a result of the Trojan war, it should not be difficult finding evidence related to women’s suffering. It might include:

Hecuba’s loss (she lost her home and children)
Hecuba’s pain (being blamed for Troy’s ruin)
Cassandra’s helplessness despite knowing her fate, surrendering and accepting her future
Andromache’s 'bitter' fate having to give up her child
The Chorus voicing their opinion – slavery

Once a prompt is carefully broken down, it is no longer that scary because all we have to do now is organise our thoughts and write our topic sentences.

P1: Euripides constructs a strong female character base to contradict the prevailing views of the period that women are inferior to their male counterparts.

It is significant that Euripides chose to have a strong female protagonist, as the character herself acts as a diatribe against the patriarchal society, contradicting any engrained beliefs that pervaded the society at the time. An example of evidence that can support this statement is the way in which Hecuba dominates the stage while giving her opening lamentation. The lengthy nature of the monologue itself enables Euripides to present his proto-feminist ideas and go against the Hellenic gendered prejudice.

We can also talk about Hecuba’s leadership and her interaction with the Chorus of Trojan women. She refers to them as 'my children' and employs the simile 'a mother at her plundered nest'. The way the Greek playwright constructs the relationship between characters is worth mentioning as Hecuba in this play is portrayed as a compassionate and empathetic leader, showing that women are also capable of leading others in a way that engenders a sense of camaraderie between them.

Another good thinking point is to talk about how Helen acts as a paradigm of a group of women who had to turn to deception and go against their integrity to survive in time of tragedy.

P2: Euripides’ selective use of language and literacy devices in portraying women’s pain and suffering further enables him to portray the ways in which women, as innocent bystanders, are oppressed in time of war.

An example of a metalanguage used in this play is the animal imagery the Chorus used to depict Hecuba’s pain. By referring to her pain as a 'howl of agony', they intensify the magnitude of Hecuba’s pain as the term 'howl' is usually used to describe a loud cry usually uttered by animals like wolves. This implies that Hecuba, who acts as representative of Hellenic women, has to suffer from an emotional turmoil that is far beyond bearable, which in turn further fortifies the audience’s sympathy for her, as well as the Trojan women.

Another piece of evidence that I would talk about is the simile 'dragged as a slave'. It was used to describe Hecuba, the former queen of Troy. By likening someone who used to be at a position of power to 'a slave', Euripides underscores the drastic change in circumstances that occurred as a result of the Trojan war, magnifying the tremendous amount of loss Hecuba experienced. Furthermore, the image of the protagonist’s devastated physical state enhances the dramatist’s condemnation of war as it allows him to elucidate the detrimental impacts such violence and dreadfulness impose on innocent bystanders.

There is, of course, plenty of other evidence out there such as the way in which Cassandra is portrayed as a 'poor mad child', her helplessness in surrendering to her 'wretched' fate with Agamemnon who wanted her for himself. We can also talk about the inclusive language positing, 'our misery', 'our home', used by the Chorus in echoing Hecuba’s pain, etc.

The use of symbolism can also be discussed. For instance, the citadel in the city of Troy in the epilogue acts as a metonym for Hecuba’s resistance before entering slavery. The image of it crumbling exemplifies women’s helplessness and enhances the notion that they are still in positions of explicit subjugation.

P3: While Euripides primarily focuses on portraying women’s pain and suffering, he does not completely vilify men or victimise women, maintaining an unbiased view so as to underscore the importance of integrity through his characterisation of both male and female character.

The last body paragraph of our essays is often the one used to challenge the prompt, showing the assessors our wealth of ideas and depth of knowledge. Basically, what we are saying is 'while our playwright is obviously pro-women, he definitely does not condone everything women do and criticise everything men do'. In this way, we have the opportunity to explore the ways characters are constructed and the ways they are used in the play to convey its meaning.

If I were to write an essay on this, I would talk about Talthybius and Helen, mainly because they are both complex characters that the audience cannot fully love or hate.

Talthybius is surprisingly sympathetic towards women, establishing himself as a complicated figure. This is epitomised by the ways in which he employs euphemistic language when announcing the dreadful news to Hecuba. He tries his best to be sensitive and mitigate the impacts of Hecuba’s daughter's death to her, announcing that Polyxena 'is to serve Achilles at his tomb', that 'her fate is settled' and 'all her troubles are over'. He was being sensitive and subtle instead of abruptly delivering the news. While he represents an enemy state, he shows that men can also be compassionate, contradicting the Phallocentric belief that men should only be governed by cool logic.

Similar to Talthybius, Helen is also a complicated figure as she is both a victim of fate and a selfish character. It is possible for the audience to sympathise with her as she is merely a victim of fortune in that she was bewitched by Aphrodite and governed by her love for Paris, the prince of Troy. However, the ways in which she shifts the blame to Hecuba and makes her pleas preclude the audience from completely sympathising with her they, in a way, render her as a self-absorbed and repugnant character. This notion is further fortified by the fact that she cared so little for the 'tens of thousands' lives taken on her behalf as the phrase quantifies and magnifies the cataclysmic consequences of her lust for Paris.

6. LSG-Curated Women of Troy Essay Topics

Euripides’ play Women of Troy mainly focuses on the true cost of war. To what extent do you agree with the statement?
Women of Troy demonstrates that there is no real winner in war. Discuss.
In the Trojan wars, the Trojans suffered great losses while the Greeks did not suffer. Do you agree?
How does Euripides use language to portray the loss and suffering of Hellenic women in Women of Troy ?
Characters in Women of Troy are all driven and motivated by their sense of duty and obligation. To what extent do you agree with the statement?
Hecuba’s greatest pain stems from the deaths of her children. Discuss the statement.
While Helen’s selfishness should be condemned, the audience can still condone her actions due to the circumstances she is in. To what extent do you agree with the statement?
Women of Troy is a tragedy, rather than a war-play. Do you agree?
Euripides argues that fate and fortunes are not preordained, and tragedies do not incriminate. To what extent do you agree with the statement?
It is impossible to sympathise with Helen because she is the most mischievous character of the play. Do you agree?
Women of Troy explores the ways in which a character’s true self might emerge in times of tragedy. Discuss.
In Women of Troy , The Chorus’ only role is to act as the representative of Hellenic women. Do you agree?
In the end, the gods are not responsible for the tragedies caused by the Trojan war as it happened as a result of poor choices. Do you agree?
Hecuba is the victim of fate. Discuss.
Love is a dangerous passion that can lead to tragic consequences. Does Women of Troy support this statement?
Hecuba is a tragic hero. Discuss.
How is the structure of Women of Troy used to convey its meaning?
It is possible for the audience to sympathise with Helen because of her love for Paris. Do you agree?
There is no villain in Women of Troy because everyone in the play suffers. Do you agree with the statement?
Discuss the role of dishonesty in Euripides’ Women of Troy .

If you'd like to see A+ essays based off some of the essay topics above (written by Mark Yin - our LSG content guru and 50 English study score achiever), complete with annotations on HOW and WHY the essays achieved A+ so that you can emulate this same success, then you'll definitely want to check out our A Killer Text Guide: Women of Troy ebook. In it, we also cover themes, characters, views and values, metalanguage and have 5 sample A+ essays completely annotated so that you can smash your next SAC or exam!

7. A+ Essay Topic Breakdown

Whenever you get a new essay topic, you can use LSG’s THINK and EXECUTE strategy , a technique to help you write better VCE essays. This essay topic breakdown will focus on the THINK part of the strategy. If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response .

Step 1: A nalyse

Step 2: B rainstorm

Step 3: C reate a Plan

Quote-Based Prompt:

'Who can forget these sufferings? Time will bring no relief.' There is no villain in Women of Troy because everyone in the play suffers. Do you agree with the statement?

The following comes essay topic breakdown comes from our A Killer Text Guide: Women of Troy ebook:

The quote mentions long-lasting sufferings , and the prompt seems to ask who suffers, and who is responsible. If you’ve been reading this guide in order, a lot of similar ideas from the last four essays might jump out here - I think that’s okay, because ideally you do get to a point where you can ‘recycle’ some of your quotes and ideas between essays (and the examiner won’t have to read all your practice essays anyway!).

While I’ll be doing a little bit of recycling here, I want the main take-away point from this essay to be around framing. Even if you’re using similar ideas that you’ve already seen, the trick is to explain and frame your analysis in a way that answers every prompt specifically. This is best done through how you thread your arguments together, and how you make those links. We’ll get into this as we plan.

For now, let’s recap these ideas of suffering and responsibility. Hecuba and the Trojan women suffer, and they argue Helen is responsible - but Helen also suffers, and she argues that the gods are responsible. The gods, as we know, are insulated from suffering because of their divine and superhuman status. So, are they the villains?

This is a similar progression of ideas that we have seen before, but I want to ground them in this cycle of suffering-responsibility.

P1: The eponymous women of Troy certainly suffer, and in many of their eyes, Helen is a villain.

P2: However, Helen does not see herself that way - and she is not incorrect. She too seems to suffer, and she sees the gods as the main villains who are responsible.

P3: Euripides may see the gods as careless and negligent beings, but he doesn’t necessarily depict them as cruel; rather, the excessively passionate war itself is depicted as the true enemy, and villains are those who revel in its cruelty.

As you might notice, parts of this plan are recognisable: we’ve started a few of these essays with a first paragraph about the Trojan women’s suffering, developed that in paragraph two by contrasting with Helen, and ending our analysis with the gods. But when reusing some of those ideas, it’s important to make sure they answer the specific question by modifying and adding new ideas as needed - this way, you don’t rewrite essays for new prompts and risk losing relevance, but you do reuse ideas and tailor them to new prompts every time.

The contention for this one will be: the Trojan War undoubtedly has its winners and losers, and few of these characters agree on who the responsible villains are, with some blaming Helen (P1) while she herself blames the gods (P2). However, the gods only form a part of the picture - rather, Euripides depicts war itself as the villain, lambasting those who take pride in inflicting cruelty in the midst of war (P3).

If you'd like to see an A+ essay on the essay topic above check out our A Killer Text Guide: Women of Troy ebook.

8. Extra Resources

How To Write A Killer Text Response (ebook)

How To Embed Quotes in Your Essay Like a Boss

How To Turn Text Response Essays From Average to A+

5 Tips for a Mic-Drop Worthy Essay Conclusion

‍ With contributions from Mark Yin - 50 study score achiever, and author of our A Killer Text Guide: Women of Troy ebook.

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English Speech Topics for Students

Updated on
Apr 2, 2024

Writing an exciting and thoughtful speech requires selecting a good topic, researching it thoroughly, and forming individual opinions to express the same. School students are usually asked to speak on a contemporary topic to help them become good public speakers as well as learn the art of expressing oneself in front of an audience. While many speech competitions often allot topics beforehand, you might also have heard of extempore where topics are given on the spot for speech. This blog brings you a list of common English speech topics as well as some helpful tips and tricks that can assist you in effectively expressing your thoughts and opinions in front of an audience. Before starting, we would like to give you one piece of advice: you can also Humanize AI to humanize these topics for better readability and human touch, if required. Let’s begin!

Checkout our 200+ Essay Topics for Students in English

This Blog Includes:

List of best english speech topics for students, 1-minute speech topics, 2-minute speech topics, 3-minute speech topics, easy topics for speech in english, english speech topics on environment, english speech topics on technology, english speech topics on independence day, english speech topics on diwali, english speech topics on corruption, english speech topics on feminism, english speech topics on mother’s day, english speaking topics on capitalism, engish speech topics on gandhi jayanti, english speech topics on reading, english speech topics on communism, english speech topics on deforestation, english speech topics on social issues, english speech topics on important days & events, english speech topics on greatest leaders in india & around the world, english speech topics on indian culture, english speech topics on proverbs, english speech topics on human rights, english speech topics on education, english speech topics on the importance of water, miscellaneous speech topics, types of persuasive speech topics, tips for writing and speaking a speech.

Speeches are all about one’s thoughts. It should not be copied from somewhere. It is all about what the speaker thinks of any given topic. However, take a look at the following list of English Speech topics on different contemporary issues as well as concepts.

The Best Day of My Life
Social Media: Bane or Boon?
Pros and Cons of Online Learning
Benefits of Yoga
If I had a Superpower
I wish I were ______
Human Rights
Environment Conservation
Women Should Rule the World!
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Exploring English Speech Topics? You must also take a look at Extempore Topics !

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Zero Discrimination Day
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Check out this list of all the important national and international days in 202 4 !

Mahatma Gandhi
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Nelson Mandela
Kailash Satyarthi
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Speech on Holi
The Role of Yoga and Meditation in Indian Culture and Its Global Impact
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14 comments

I take english speaking classes, please provide me sone more material to help student’s.

Here are some articles on books and study material that will help your students- https://leverageedu.com/blog/english-speaking-books/ https://leverageedu.com/blog/books-by-charles-dickens/ https://leverageedu.com/blog/best-books-by-george-orwell/

I want topic on students and online classes

It is helpful for my school homework thanks 😸

Glad we could help!

Nice advise 👍

Thank you, Pragya!

Not good topics 🤔🤔

Thanks for the suggestion. We will update the blog!

Helpful for students . So I like it

Thanks for reading! Also, read: Daily Used English Words Speech on Importance of English Reach us at 1800 57 2000 for study-abroad related matters!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for any project.

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Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
Should all national museums be free to citizens?
Should graffiti be considered art?
Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
Are paper books better than e-books?
Should all interns be paid for their work?
Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
Should students who bully others be expelled?
Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
Should prostitution be legalized?
Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
Should assault weapons be illegal?
Should the death penalty be abolished?
Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
Should affirmative action be allowed?
Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
Should voting be made compulsory?
Who was the best American president?
Should the military budget be reduced?
Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
Should assisted suicide be legal?
Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
Should priests be allowed to get married?
Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
Should women be allowed to be priests?
Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

Should human cloning be allowed?
Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
What is the best type of renewable energy?
Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
Should puppy mills be banned?
Should fracking be legal?
Should animal testing be illegal?
Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
Should college sports teams receive less funding?
Should boxing be illegal?
Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
Should parents let their children play tackle football?
Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
Should self-driving cars be legal?
Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

Do your research
Consider all the angles
Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

Want a great GPA? Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript.

Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing , community service , and volunteer abroad programs.

Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Persuasive Speech Topics: The Best 150 Ideas

Plus, a step-by-step guide for writing and delivering your speech.

Persuasive speech topics can inspire an audience and influence change in your community, town, or city. Whether you are giving a presentation at a large conference or converting a college essay into a speech to be given at your high school's auditorium, delivering a persuasive speech is not an easy task. We are here to guide you through this difficult process and provide you with 150 persuasive speech topics that can help you prepare your own inspirational presentation.

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Article Contents 13 min read

The art of persuasion.

The art of oratory is one of the oldest and most compelling persuasion tactics in human history. The power of speech has been used for centuries by men and women to negotiate peace, start revolutions, and inspire generations. At the source of change, we often witness a great speaker or speech that affected people’s worldviews. King Solomon, Socrates, Cicero, Elizabeth I, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, were all powerful speakers who changed the course of human history.

Luckily, not every persuasive speech happens on such a grand scale. You do not have to become Napoleon to change the lives of people who hear what you have to say. You might have experienced this yourself – perhaps you have had a teacher who instilled in you a great passion for the study of physics during his lectures? Or you happened to attend a political, grassroots gathering where you heard a speech that changed your attitude towards homelessness or poverty. Or maybe your classmate's presentation revealed something about a novel you were reading in class that made you reflect on your own life and the people in it.

The power of a speech lies in your conviction and delivery of the topic you choose to discuss. A persuasive speech topic can be anything you are passionate about. Yes, it is true; whether you want to discuss the repercussions of the Cuban Revolution or analyze the power of K-pop in popular culture, it is up to you to enthrall the audience with your topic. The key to any successful speech is your confidence and enthusiasm. So, let’s start by examining what makes a speech persuasive.

To deliver a speech takes a lot of guts – not everybody is comfortable with public speaking. But to deliver a good speech takes conviction. Think of it like this: you must believe in the importance of your speech topic to discuss it. This must be something you care about and believe in; otherwise, your topic must be something that drives your curiosity, and you believe that it must be examined further.

Conviction stirs your desire to share this topic with others – you are convinced that other people will similarly find this topic fascinating! Whether it is the importance of recycling or bike lanes, the conviction is what will become the backbone of a successful and persuasive topic choice, as well as drive your desire to give a speech in the first place.

With conviction comes passion. These two elements of a successful speech are intimately intertwined. If you believe in the importance of something, you will be passionate about sharing it with the public.

If we look at some of the most famous speeches in human history, you will notice that conviction and passion are the driving force that makes these speeches legendary. Whether it's Cicero's defense of the Republic in the Roman Senate or Martin Luther King's speech in the defense of civil rights almost two millennia later, both these speakers believed in the importance of their convictions and were passionate about sharing their beliefs. In these cases, even despite the threats of death.

Unbiased Expertise

Conviction and passion should also drive your need to know everything there is to know about your topic. To give a persuasive speech, you must not only show confidence and excitement but demonstrate that you are an expert in the topic of your choice. Granted, if you are a high school student or an undergraduate who's been assigned to deliver a speech in less than 2 weeks, you are not going to become a world-renowned expert in your subject matter. However, as I pointed out, your speech topic should be something you are already passionate about, so you must have done some research and have some knowledge of your topic.

A persuasive speech should be based on facts. It should deliver arguments and counterarguments to show many sides of the issue you choose to discuss. For example, if you choose to discuss the importance of bike lanes, you can present several arguments in support of creating more bike lanes in your town or city, such as safety, decrease in traffic, environmental benefits, etc. However, make sure to include arguments that also show the other side of the issue, such as having to close down several major streets in your city to reconstruct the roads to fit in the new bike lanes and the side-effects of construction for businesses. Presenting both sides of the issue will show your comprehensive knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your professionalism.

Using the bike lanes topic as an example, I want to emphasize that showing unbiased research and knowledge of your topic can win the audience’s favor. You can, and should, still have your own opinion on the matter and defend your conviction in the speech but presenting the audience with both sides of the story is a tactic that will make them trust you.

Additionally, knowing both sides of the coin shows that you have come to your conviction after long and thorough research. You are not just presenting an uneducated opinion.

Taking care of the substance of your speech is the first step. While learning how to properly deliver your speech may seem less important, even the most well-researched and factually based speech will seem weak if the orator does not engage the public.

Though they certainly help your confidence, conviction and passion do not always result in strong delivery. This is understandable since public speaking is not everyone’s forte. While you may be animated and absorbing when you speak of your topic with friends, gripping an audience full of strangers is different.

There are three potential goals of any persuasive speech:

To familiarize your audience with a topic they have never considered before and inspire them to research it on their own. "}]" code="timeline1">

When you think about it, these objectives are pretty ambitious. Delivery plays a huge part in achieving these goals. It will be hard to move your audience to pursue any of these goals without clear articulation, professionalism, and charisma.

Strong delivery can be developed. Yes, there are those to whom oratory skills come more naturally, but this is rather an exception than the rule. Many successful orators were terrified of public speaking but worked hard to overcome their fears. A good example of this is King George VI of England. Before taking the throne in 1936, he was already an infamously bad speaker. The King trained to keep his speech impediment and nerves at bay once he was crowned and delivered one of the most inspiring speeches against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich at the beginning of World War II.

Now that you know what makes a speech topic persuasive, let's go over a step-by-step formula that will help you choose the right topic for you.

Brainstorm where your convictions lie and what you are passionate about. You must reflect on what interests, hobbies, news, events, individuals, and activities of yours could be developed into a persuasive, strong narrative.
Narrow these down to 2 or 3 topics that are particularly important or riveting to you.
Now comes the practical side of the brainstorming process: take a moment to think whether preparing a comprehensive and compelling speech on this topic is feasible in the amount of time you have available. Consider the following questions: Are the topics of your choice well researched by you? Do you know these topics well? If you are not well-versed in the topic of your choice, do you have enough time to do research to present a comprehensive and complete narrative? Do you have enough time to form a well-developed stance about this topic? A thesis? Will you be able to cover several sides of this topic in the amount of time you have available?
If you have answered “No” to these questions regarding each of the topics you had in mind, you must go back to the drawing board.
If you have come up with a topic that results in a positive response to all the questions mentioned in step 3, you might have found the winner.
Start by developing a thesis, i.e., the main message of your speech. Without a thesis, you will not have a strong speech.
Develop arguments that endorse your thesis and support them with facts. Remember, a strong speech must be based on facts, rather than opinions and unsubstantiated statements.
Research counterarguments to your thesis. While you may not personally support these, you must present a well-rounded picture of the issue you are discussing.
You can finish off your speech by responding to the counterarguments in a way that reinforces your thesis. Don't forget to re-emphasize your main message in the closing paragraphs of your speech.

Know your audience

It is always a good idea to know who your audience is. Whether you are giving a speech in your high school, or traveling to attend an undergraduate conference, reflect on who will be listening to your speech. Before you sit down to write it, consider whether you can give yourself the freedom to use technical language, jargon, or make inside jokes on the matter. In general, I would advise you to avoid overly technical or niche language. It is never a good tactic for making a persuasive speech – this might alienate a large part of your audience.

However, if you are delivering a speech to a like-minded audience, you may use "industry lingo". For example, if you are delivering a speech at a video game convention, it is likely that many, if not most, attendees will be familiar with the terms and vocabulary you use. You will be able to strengthen your speech by using language that unites you with your audience. In this case, you are encouraged to engage the public by making inside jokes, using niche terminology, and creating a relatable experience with your speech.

Knowing your audience will allow you to develop a language for your speech. It will also allow you to gauge how deep you can delve into the topic of your choice. For example, if you are a young physics aficionado who is giving a lecture on black holes to your sophomore classmates, you might want to consider the fact that many of them have never studied physics in depth. This may help you shape your speech into something accessible and interesting for others.

If you are unsure about who your audience might be, try researching it. It is always good practice to know whom you will be addressing. Not only will it help you prepare the speech, but it will also ease your anxiety about the day of your speech delivery.

Hook the audience

Your opening sentences can hook the audience and guarantee their attention. While it will be the substance of your speech that keeps them listening to you, the opening must be captivating for your speech to have a chance for success.

So, what do I mean by hooking the audience with your opening? For example, you can state a shocking statistic about your topic. It will be especially impactful if it is related to your audience’s experiences, geographical area, community, or hot-topic issue. Here’s an example for an opening sentence for a speech about the importance of bike lanes:

“Last year, the city of Toronto recorded 715 serious accidents involving cyclists, with over 5% of these accidents resulting in a fatality."

Now, if I was living in Toronto, I would be surprised to hear such information; especially, if I have never thought about this before. I am saddened by this statistic and would like to learn how we can help prevent these accidents.

Let’s examine another opening. This time, we will consider a speech topic involving a historical event. For example, if you are captivated by the mystery of Princess Anastasia of the Russian royal family, the House of Romanov, you might start your speech thusly:

“The question of whether the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova survived the brutal execution of her entire family by the Bolsheviks is one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.”

This sentence performs several tasks:

The opening sentence is your chance to establish yourself as the expert! You will seem like the authority on this topic, especially if you can pronounce the Princess's name without mistakes. "}]" code="timeline2">

Coming up with a strong opening sentence is not easy, but very worthwhile for delivering a persuasive speech. If you are having trouble finding the right opening sentence, you do not need to wait to start writing your speech. If you are stuck, move on to the main body of your speech and return to creating a captivating opening later.

To be persuasive, your speech must have a thesis. A thesis is the main argument you are trying to convince your audience of, or simply put, the purpose of you giving the speech. Without a thesis, your speech will be aimless, chaotic, and most likely, unengaging.

And while you can write your introduction after the main body of your speech is ready, you cannot write your speech without a thesis. It will be the landmark, the leading light, of your speech. Everything you say and every fact and argument you include in your essay must support your thesis. Certainly, you will be able to bring up alternative points of view later in the speech, but as we already discussed, your objective is to persuade the audience that your thesis is the correct one.

Let’s return to our bike lanes example. If you are a proponent of bike lanes, your thesis should be more than “Bike lanes are good”. While this can be considered a thesis, it is pretty thin. Instead, find a way to make your thesis compelling, include a supporting statistic, or a benefit of having bike lanes. For example:

“Having more bike lanes in our city will not only reduce traffic by X% but also allow our city to be at the forefront of the environmentally friendly initiatives happening all over our country.”

This thesis is clear and introduces the audience to some of the main points of the speech. The listeners get a concise prelude to what the speech is about and what it stands for.

Research and Arguments

Research is always conducted before you sit down to write. While you may have some general knowledge about your topic, remember that you are trying to be as persuasive as you possibly can be. This means that you need the latest statistics, the most up-to-date information, and the strongest support from experts in the field.

Tip: keep in mind your thesis as you are writing. All your arguments and facts must be in support of the main purpose of your essay. While you should present alternative points of view in your speech to make it well-rounded and unbiased, a strong speech must contain arguments that make it clear that your thesis is the correct one.

Concluding your speech has a twofold purpose. In addition to persuading the audience of your thesis, you must complete your narrative. Give the audience some closure about the topic. On the other hand, you must leave them even more interested in learning about your research. In other words, they must be compelled to explore on their own.

Tip: your conclusion cannot be a dry summary of your thesis and arguments. While you must restate your thesis in the conclusion, you are strongly encouraged to incite an emotional response from your audience. For example:

“More bike lanes will alleviate the heavy traffic and relieve our city from car fumes and soot. It is our responsibility to start making our city more eco-friendly. These small steps will inspire even more initiatives across our hometown and lead to a brighter, greener, future."

In this example, the audience is not only reminded of the main purpose of the speech but is also encouraged to think of other green initiatives that can help their town. The author does a good job of invoking responsibility for the future to encourage their audience to act.

Want to learn how to choose persuasive speech topics? Check out our infographic:

Now, let’s go over 150 persuasive speech topics that can inspire your own essay and presentation! Note that these are questions that should help you form ideas, arguments, and most importantly, theses. Rather than giving you the thesis upfront, we are encouraging you to come up with your own opinion and answers to these questions.

Your speech should be between 15 to 20 minutes long. Anything longer may lose your audience's attention. If applicable, don't forget to factor in some time after your presentation for questions from the audience.

The best way to approach the choice of topic is to reflect on your convictions and passions. If you are truly interested in a topic, your excitement will be felt by the audience.

Of course, you must be interested in your topic, first and foremost. Secondly, your speech must demonstrate a level of expertise and knowledge that will allow the audience to believe that you know what you are talking about. Thirdly, your delivery will have a great effect on whether you succeed in persuading the audience. Even a well-researched speech will suffer from poor delivery.

Firstly, only practice can really help you improve. Once you have written your speech, read it over several times. Do not memorize it, but rather, remember the structure, the flow of your arguments, your main points. Then start practicing pronouncing your entire speech in front of the mirror. Do this until you are quite confident with the content of the essay. Then, you can start practicing with family members, your friends, and classmates. Ask for their feedback: can they hear you well? Are you being articulate? Does your speech have a logical flow? Did they understand your thesis? Their feedback can help you modify not only your content, but also your presentation.

Your speech should take the form of an academic essay: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Your speech must have a thesis, otherwise it will be meandering and pointless. A thesis will guide you and keep your essay/presentation well-structured. A thesis is what you will be arguing for (or against, if it's a negatively stated thesis) throughout your speech. And while you can include some alternative points of view in your speech, your thesis will inform every argument you make in the speech.

Typically, you should avoid using overly technical language. Even if you are presenting at a professional conference in front of peers, there is a chance that some of your audience will be unfamiliar with the professional terminology. To be inclusive, you should avoid niche language.

To be frank, there is no such thing. You can make a great speech on any topic of your choosing! Your research, your delivery, and your passion will determine whether your speech is successful.

Acknowledging opposing views and presence of debate will demonstrate your thorough knowledge of the topic. Additionally, you will demonstrate that you came to your conclusion/thesis after researching the topic, rather than simply forming an uneducated opinion.

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Powerful 2 Minute Speech Topics: A-Z Guide (With 200+ Examples)

Hrideep barot.

Public Speaking , Speech Topics , Speech Writing

It is often believed that giving a 2-Minute Speech is the most challenging form of public speaking because of the time constraint. But here I am to tell you that there is something even more challenging than giving a 2-minute speech. And that is finding a powerful 2-minute speech topic !

2-minute speeches are short, crisp ways to present your opinion, understanding, or study to others. It is short. It is simple. And it is convenient, especially from the listener’s point of view.

To know more about 2-minute speeches, check out this short video below:

Here is what you can expect from this blog:

What is a 2-minute speech.

How do you find a 2-minute speech topic?
2-minute speech topics

How to make a 2-minute speech script?

2-minute speeches to memorize, delivering 2-minute speeches.

2-minute speeches are short and crisp speeches of about 260-350 words.

Because 2-minute speeches are short, you can be assured of having constant attention from your audience. This means that you might have to come up with a 2-minute speech topic that is not only informative and interesting but one that stands out and makes the audience want to listen to it immediately.

So how do you find a 2-minute speech topic?

There are 2 ways you can find a 2-minute speech topic that would suit perfectly for your next speech.

First is when you go about doing your research and then ideating or selecting a topic that is more in line with your purpose of giving the speech.

The second and the most popular way to find a 2-minute speech topic is to go on to google and type 2-minute speech topics. You shouldn’t be shocked at the number of topics the internet has to offer to you. You might not even have to go anywhere else, jump on to the speech topics section if you want to get straight into selecting a 2-minute speech topic for yourself.

Researching for your 2-minute speech topic

So, you chose not to select one of the many topics available on the internet? That’s great! Want to know why?

1. It would help you come up with a topic that is more personalized and less common.

When you come up with the topic yourself, you move from the very broad topics available online and can find a topic that caters more to your area of interest or understanding.

2. You would be able to narrow down on a topic of your choice or area of interest.

3. it would help you gain an understanding of the topic from various points of view.

In the initial ideation stage, as you try to research the topic and find a topic for your 2-minute speech, you would be exposed to various political, environmental, or social perspectives of the same topic which would further help you to not only narrow down your topic but also understand your topic from various points of view, thus helping you ace a question-and-answer round.

Process of Finding a topic

Before beginning straight up by researching your topic, there are a couple of things that you might have to take a look into which will help you navigate through the next step (that is researching for your topic). These include:

1. Understanding the event for which you’d be giving the speech

Understanding the event or occasion where you will be giving the speech is important as it would give you a brief idea of what is expected in terms of the content and tone of your speech .

So, for instance, if you are giving a speech at a conference, it would have a more formal tonality to it as compared to a speech that you might present at your best friend’s wedding which would usually be filled with a lot of slang, humor, and casual tone.

2. Understanding your audience

The next thing you should try to find a little more clarity on is your possible audience. Understanding who the majority of your audience will comprise will help you in finding a topic that would be more in line with their broad interest, thus attracting them to listen to your speech right from the very beginning .

3. Your interests and knowledge

Yet another thing that you must take into consideration besides what the event and audience expect from you is your interest in the topic. Having a tad bit of understanding of the speech topic you would want to dive into can also help you in navigating through your research better.

4. Your purpose for giving the speech

Establish your purpose for giving the speech even before you start researching. The reason is very simple, you’d be able to understand which kind of a topic you should focus on depending on the purpose of your speech.

Do you plan on providing the audience with detailed information on the topic? Or are you trying to sell your view or product to the audience within these 2 minutes?

In both cases, your topic, as well as the structure of speech, would be very different.

Once you have an idea of your audience, your interests, and your knowledge areas, you can then move on to researching your topic.

A simple google search can be a good starting point.

Take the help of news articles, journals, blogs, and much more to narrow down and come up with a 2-minute speech topic that you feel most excited about!

Selecting a 2-minute speech topic from the internet

A-z list of 2-minute speech topics, find some of the best 2-minute speech topics here:.

Abortion: Should the government have a say in it?
Art: A mode of storytelling
A day in the life of a (add your profession, organization, or ethnicity)
Artificial intelligence: a boon or a curse?
Art and Craft: a lost activity
Benefits of Yoga
Benefits of meditation
Ban on Animal testing
Bullying and how to discourage it
Buildings and Aesthetics: An architectural standpoint
Chronic Depression and its cure
Cults: The secrets you know nothing about
Cultural difference: The harsh reality of moving abroad
Corruption: the hidden dirt
Cricket: sport turned into a religion
Climate Change
Disaster Management
Domino effect in real life
Demonetization in India
Dance therapy and its uses
Dealing with daily hassles of life
Environmental pollution and its adverse effects
Education system of India
Election ethics and rules
Elocutions: Everything you need to know
Everything we know about aliens
FOMO (Fear of missing out) and how to deal with it
Falling in your dreams: the meaning behind it
Fat loss fads you must avoid
Fitness and influencing
Forced labor: An unfortunate reality
Girl Education: The inspiring story of Malala
Generation gap and how it affects communication
Gender sensitization and ways of being more aware of it
Growing a terrace garden
Gaining muscles: everything you need to know
Health and Hygiene: Two underrated
Hacks to do well in your academics
Habits that are ruining your health
Hollywood: An insight into the world of glamour
Hitchhiking your way to find peace
Importance of reading
Importance of following a routine
Importance of kindness
Importance of education
Importance of sports
The language barrier and how to overcome it
Loyalty: An endangered quality?
Land Pollution and ways to deal with it
Less is more: All about Minimalism
Legalization of marijuana: An opinion
Moral Policing: is it ethical?
Memorizing speeches and their disadvantages
Making friends as adults
Manifestation: A belief or a joke?
Millennials: generation of environmental advocates
Mental health
Music and its power to heal
Media and its effects on forming opinions
My role models
Noise pollution
National integration
Natural resources: A tragedy of depleting future
Negating minorities and their impact on the overall development of the country
Natural disasters: Can we tackle them?
Online dating and its effects on self-esteem
Online education and its authenticity
Overcoming fear through exposure therapy
Olympics 2021
Organ donation: Progress made so far
Our Environment, our responsibility
Pros and cons of being a vegetarian
Political ideologies that shook the world
Poor scores and their effect on the success
Parenting styles over the years
Paternal leaves in Indian organizations
Poverty in India
Positive thinking and gratitude
Punctuality: Through the eyes of different cultures
Quarantine and increase in social anxiety among people
Qualifying for Olympics: Struggle unspoken of
Quran and its teachings
Questionnaire: The best way of collecting data?
Questioning and its importance in the workspace
Racism: An unfortunate view in the society
Right to education
Religion vs Spirituality
Reasons why failure is important
The reality of fast-food brands
Should body-shaming be a punishable offense?
Sneaker trends that would blow your mind
Sustainable fashion brands to follow
Shaping perspectives through conformity
Time management: A necessary corporate skill
Travel and tourism: A Course
Technology and its growing importance in everyday life
Tourism in India
The best day of my life
Unity: A quality that formed countries
Unity in Diversity in India
Unemployment and its impact on the mental health of the youth
Understanding climate change
Understanding the importance of compounding
Value of Education
Value of Hard work
Value of Discipline
Videogames and their influence on violent behavior
Viral: A trend or a tragic accident?
Which is better: Studying in the country or moving abroad?
What does sustainability mean?
What is the Bermuda triangle?
Water pollution and its solutions
Waste management around the world
World peace: An idea that is achievable or too far-fetched?
Xenotransplantation: Future of organ transplantation
Xerox: A brand or name for photocopy
Xbox and its evolution over the years
X-rays and how it harms the human body

2-minute speech topics for students

What are the best topics for students.

If you have asked yourself this question but haven’t received an answer yet, check out the list below to find one now!

Opinion on the New education policy
Need for sex education in schools
Overcoming the problem of Brain Drain
Addressing the issue of child labor
Pros and cons of online degrees
Boarding school vs full-time schools
Co-ed school vs gender-specific schools
Liberty to choose your subjects in schools
Ban on uniforms
Curbing school shootings
Grading system: Changes required.
Peer pressure and the need to fit in
Coping with academic stress
Are scores a good measure of student’s intelligence?
Importance of focusing on extracurricular activities

2-minute speech topics for MBA students

Advantages of cloud kitchens
Importance of understanding the market
Best marketing strategy
Hard work vs smart work
The rise of entrepreneurship in India
Importance of internships in skills building
Reservation system: My honest pinion
Pros and cons of working from home
Everything about GST you don’t know of
Stocks or Cryptocurrencies?
Using reels to market products
Understanding the importance of influencer marketing
Assessing job satisfaction among employees
Biggest banking frauds in the world
How movies influence fashion trends
The insane E-commerce discounts
Women in Business
Why age is just a number when it comes to entrepreneurship
Management lessons from mythology
Make in India or Make for India?

Speech topics for adults

Are first impressions really the most lasting impressions?
Importance of observing in everyday life
Conforming vs standing out: What should you prefer?
Impact of positive thinking in healing chronic diseases
Importance of body language in public speaking
Is buying luxury goods on a loan worth it?
Why renting a house is better than buying it
Why timetables never work
How do colors affect the way we feel?
How your brains are wired to think negatively
Impact of childhood trauma on antisocial behaviors
Love: Difference between what is real and reel
Why being young is overrated
Are you a victim of the fashion industry?
How to easily start a conversation
Savings in college could help you in your 40s
Being happy all the time is an unachievable reality
The advantages of taking calculated risks
Dealing with stress on a daily basis
How do you overcome obstacles?

2-minute speech topics for the Interview

Understanding the future of the metaverse
Hard work leads to smart work
Effect of job satisfaction on life satisfaction
How to motivate the employees in no time
Gender Equality in the Workplace
How to get over stage fright?
How to give a speech in an interview?
How organizational culture affects motivation?
Management strategies that can help in improving productivity
Ways to essentially decrease production costs

Funny 2-minute speech topics

Why I would rather go to jail than clean utensils
If I could live my cat’s life for a day
The most profitable mistake I ever made
Tutorial on how to deny reality
Tips on walking your dog
Why you must never eat fish food
Things you can do to irritate someone
Evolution of my new year’s resolutions
Adulting and falling in love with the idea of arranged marriages
Dating in 2022

2-minute speech topics on any proverb

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
Actions speak louder than words
Health is wealth
Joy of giving
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Knowledge is power
Laughter is the best medicine
Action speaks louder than words.
A jack of all trades is a master of none.
A good listener is a silent flatterer.
All that glitters is not gold.
Among the blind, the one-eyed man is the king.
An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.
As you sow, so you shall reap.
What goes around comes back around.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Time is money.

Unique speech topics

The tragedy of not being on social media
Importance of taking a drop year
Are scholarships always fair?
Reasons teenagers start substance abuse
Places on earth no man has ever been
The most surveillance city in the world
Why euthanasia is justified
Formal schooling is important despite not being practical
If the earth stopped rotating for a split second
Benefits of boiling water

2-minute speech topics on famous personalities

Mahatma Gandhi
William Shakespeare
Rabindranath Tagore
Nelson Mandela
Barack Obama
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Virat Kohli
Jawaharlal Nehru
Winston Churchill
Abraham Lincoln

Once you have decided on your topic for the speech, the next step is to come up with the speech itself or the script.

For this, you’ll have to understand the approx number of words you will be comfortable adding to your speech so as to not exceed the time limit of 2-minutes.

Next, you can go about the usual “ introduction, main body, and conclusion ” structure for structuring your script.

It isn’t necessary for you to frame the entire speech word for word, you can also frame it in a pointer format if that is more convenient for you.

How do you start a 2-minute speech?

As there isn’t much time in your hand, presenting detailed opening lines for a 2-minute speech would mean that you would have to cut down on your main content.

Instead, you can start by giving a very quick introduction like “Hi I am Nisha and I will be talking about the adverse effects of sleep deprivation today with you.”

You can also use other more fun and engaging ways to begin your speech and there are tons of ways you can do it. Check out the list below to find examples of a few:

1. Rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are questions wherein you want to provoke the audience to think and not to come up with any specific answer . An example of the same is given below.

So from a glance, do I look like marriage material? Nina Donovan

Jokes and humor are almost always appreciated by the audience provided it isn’t even slightly derogatory or demeaning to anyone. Opening your 2-minute speech with a joke can in fact be a good attention grabber that would also not take up a lot of your speech time .

Example of a joke used as an opening line:

Do you know when brown kids get slapped? Every brown birthday party. Hasan Minhaj

3. Statistics or figures

What is the best way to make someone understand the reality of any situation you ask? Figures, numbers, or stats!

Because when the audience sees the number in front of them, they can no longer be in denial or in their own world of assumptions. Hence, using statistics in your opening lines would definitely help you reach your goal of spreading awareness (if that is what your purpose is).

Suicide happens to be one of the leading causes of death in United states with approximately one indivdiual dying to suicide every 11 minutes. The question is why are we still overlooking this grave issue?

To know more about effective opening lines, check out our post on 50 speech opening lines .

Following your brief introduction, as you dive into your topic, there are a couple of things that you must keep in your mind, they are:

Stick to only one takeaway . Having many takeaways might not help you effectively reach the audience.
Try to add short stories only if you plan on adding a story to your speech. Make sure that it isn’t taking up a huge chunk of your speech time.

How do you end your 2-minute speech?

In short speeches, your ending or conclusion is very important. It needs to be impactful. You can either summarize your speech in a couple of seconds or you can re-establish your takeaway at this point in your speech. You can try to end with a powerful quote or try to motivate your audience to take some action .

An example of asking the audience to take an action is,

“So as we reach the end of the speech on effects of sleep deprivation, I’d want you to go back home and think to yourself, is browsing for a couple of more minutes really necessary over your precious sleep?”

To take a deeper look into the closing lines for your speech, check out our video below!

2-minute speech on Brain Drain

Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadela, Leena Nair, and Paraag Agarwal what do they all have in common?

You probably guessed it right! They are the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world but there is yet another commonality that they have. They are all Indian Origin CEOs who gained their initial education from some of the top colleges in India to hold such exceptional positions in world-renowned companies now.

If this isn’t a good example of brain drain, I’m not sure what is. Brain drains, a concept that is very common to Indians when we lose some of the smartest people of our country to better opportunities abroad. These companies not only offer the individuals with better work ethos and environment but also provide them with a handsome paycheck and add to that the amount of appreciation they receive for the work they chip in. Something that is either too rare or alien to the Indian work environment.

But the scenario in India is changing. With the coming of start-up culture in India where the employees are given just as much priority as the company’s clients If the companies encourage such open and collaborative culture where there is a fair opportunity for growth provided to all the employees, we might be able to see some considerable fall in the problem of brain drain in India.

Importance of education 2-minute speech

Do you remember how in school they asked us to prove whether the two figures were triangles when you could easily have concluded that they indeed were triangles just by looking at them?

So then why do we say that education is important?

For starters, to be able to live a decent life, the basic requirement for any job is for you to possess at least a diploma or degree. Apart from the theoretical learning that we get through education, there are plenty of other skills and experiences we are exposed to like broadening our perspective by interacting with peers, enhancing public speaking skills, understanding the basics of how the world functions are it the laws and rights that the individual possesses or the understanding of geographical division and economic conditions in the society. Education helps in enhancing the capacities, attitudes, interests, urges, and needs of the individual. And hence when the student or individual is deprived of education, it isn’t just the theoretical knowledge that they miss out on but they also miss out on having a holistic development of themselves. This is what makes education very important in everyone’s life.

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Final Words

2-minute speeches are short and crisp which can serve as a blessing as you are not required to go too much into detail. You can come up with a 2- minute speech topic either by researching one that fits perfectly with your interests or you can find one online.

The idea is to enjoy giving the speech. And for you to enjoy delivering your speech, it is important for you to first come up with something that excites you and interests you!

Keep following Frantically Speaking for more such short guides to help you with your public speaking and communication skills.

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How to Use Oral Presentations to Help English Language Learners Succeed

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Excerpted from “ The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox: Hundreds of Practical Ideas to Support Your Students ,” by Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski, with permission from the authors.

Having the confidence to speak in front of others is challenging for most people. For English Language Learners, this anxiety can be heightened because they are also speaking in a new language. We’ve found several benefits to incorporating opportunities for students to present to their peers in a positive and safe classroom environment. It helps them focus on pronunciation and clarity and also boosts their confidence. This type of practice is useful since students will surely have to make presentations in other classes, in college, and/or in their future jobs. However, what may be even more valuable is giving students the chance to take these risks in a collaborative, supportive environment.

Presentations also offer students the opportunity to become the teacher—something we welcome and they enjoy! They can further provide valuable listening practice for the rest of the class, especially when students are given a task to focus their listening.

Research confirms that in order for ELLs to acquire English they must engage in oral language practice and be given the opportunity to use language in meaningful ways for social and academic purposes (Williams & Roberts, 2011). Teaching students to design effective oral presentations has also been found to support thinking development as “the quality of presentation actually improves the quality of thought, and vice versa” (Živković, 2014, p. 474). Additionally, t he Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards specifically focus on oral presentations. These standards call for students to make effective and well-organized presentations and to use technology to enhance understanding of them.

GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION

Oral presentations can take many different forms in the ELL classroom—ranging from students briefly presenting their learning in small groups to creating a multi-slide presentation for the whole class. In this section, we give some general guidelines for oral presentations with ELLs. We then share ideas for helping students develop their presentation skills and describe specific ways we scaffold both short and long oral presentations.

We keep the following guidelines in mind when incorporating oral presentations into ELL instruction:

Length —We have students develop and deliver short presentations (usually 2-4 minutes) on a regular basis so they can practice their presentation skills with smaller, less overwhelming tasks. These presentations are often to another student or a small group. Once or twice a semester, students do a longer presentation (usually 5-8 minutes), many times with a partner or in a small group.

Novelty —Mixing up how students present (in small groups, in pairs, individually) and what they use to present (a poster, a paper placed under the document camera, props, a slide presentation, etc.) can increase engagement for students and the teacher!

Whole Class Processing -- We want to avoid students “tuning out” during oral presentations. Not only can it be frustrating for the speakers, but students also miss out on valuable listening practice. During oral presentations, and in any activity, we want to maximize the probability that all students are thinking and learning all the time. Jim Peterson and Ted Appel, administrators with whom we’ve worked closely, call this “whole class processing” (Ferlazzo, 2011, August 16) and it is also known as active participation. All students can be encouraged to actively participate in oral presentations by being given a listening task-- taking notes on a graphic organizer, providing written feedback to the speaker, using a checklist to evaluate presenters, etc.

Language Support —It is critical to provide ELLs, especially at the lower levels of English proficiency, with language support for oral presentations. In other words, thinking about what vocabulary, language features and organizational structures they may need, and then providing students with scaffolding, like speaking frames and graphic organizers. Oral presentations can also provide an opportunity for students to practice their summarizing skills. When students are presenting information on a topic they have researched, we remind them to summarize using their own words and to give credit when using someone else’s words.

Technology Support —It can’t be assumed that students have experience using technology tools in presentations. We find it most helpful using simple tools that are easy for students to learn (like Powerpoint without all the “bells and whistles” or Google Slides). We also emphasize to students that digital media should be used to help the audience understand what they are saying and not just to make a presentation flashy or pretty. We also share with our students what is known as “The Picture Superiority Effect”-- a body of research showing that people are better able to learn and recall information presented as pictures as opposed to just being presented with words (Kagan, 2013).

Groups -- Giving ELLs the opportunity to work and present in small groups is helpful in several ways. Presenting as a group (as opposed to by yourself) can help students feel less anxious. It also offers language-building opportunities as students communicate to develop and practice their presentations. Creating new knowledge as a group promotes collaboration and language acquisition--an ideal equation for a successful ELL classroom!

Teacher feedback/student evaluation --The focus of oral presentations with ELL students should be on the practice and skills they are gaining, not on the grade or “score” they are earning. Teachers can give out a simple rubric before students create their presentations. Then students can keep these expectations in mind as they develop and practice their presentations. The teacher, or classmates, can then use the rubric to offer feedback to the speaker. We also often ask students to reflect on their own presentation and complete the rubric as a form of self-assessment. Figure 30.1 – “Presentation Peer Evaluation Rubric” , developed by talented student teacher Kevin Inlay (who is now a teacher in his own classroom), is a simple rubric we used to improve group presentations in our ELL World History class.

Teaching Presentation Skills

We use the following two lesson ideas to explicitly teach how to develop effective presentation skills:

LESSON ONE: Speaking and Listening Do’s and Don’ts

We help our students understand and practice general presentation skills through an activity we call Speaking and Listening “Do’s and Don’ts.” We usually spread this lesson out among two class periods.

We first ask students to create a simple T-chart by folding a piece of paper in half and labeling one side “Do” and the other side “Don’t.” We then post Figure 30.2 “Speaking Do’s and Don’ts” on the document camera and display the first statement (the rest we cover with a blank sheet of paper).

We read the first statement, “Make eye contact with the audience,” and ask students if this is something they want to do when they are giving a presentation or if it is something they don’t want to do. Students write the statement where they think it belongs--under the “Do” column or “Don’t” Column. Students then share their answer with a partner and discuss why they put it in that column. After calling on a few pairs to share with the class, we move down the list repeating the same process of categorizing each statement as a “Do” or a “Don’t.” Students write it on their chart and discuss why it should be placed there.

After categorizing the statements for speaking, we give students Figure 30.3 “Listening Do’s and Don’ts .” We tell students to work in pairs to categorize the statements as something they do or something they don’t want to do when listening to a student presentation. This time, we ask students to make a quick poster with the headings “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for Listening. Under each heading students must list the corresponding statements--the teacher can circulate to check for accuracy. Students are asked to talk about why each statement belongs in each category and should be prepared to share their reasoning with the class. Students must also choose one “do” statement and one “don’t” statement to illustrate on their poster. Students can present their posters in small groups or with the whole class. This serves as a great opportunity to apply the speaking and listening “do’s” they just reviewed and heightens their awareness of the “don’ts!”

A fun twist, that also serves as a good review on a subsequent day, is to ask groups of students to pick two or three “do’s” and “don’ts” from both Speaking and Listening to act out in front of the class.

LESSON TWO Slide Presentations Concept Attainment

We periodically ask students to make slide presentations using PowerPoint or Google Slides to give them practice with developing visual aids (see the Home Culture activity later in this section). We show students how to make better slides, along with giving students the language support they may need in the form of an outline or sentence starters. An easy and effective way to do this is through Concept Attainment.

Concept Attainment involves the teacher identifying both "good" and "bad" examples of the intended learning objective. In this case, we use a PowerPoint containing three “good” slides and three “bad” ones (see them at The Best Resources For Teaching Students The Difference Between A Good and a Bad Slide ).

We start by showing students the first example of a “good” or “yes” slide (containing very little text and two images) and saying, “This is a yes.” However, we don’t explain why it is a “yes.” Then we show a “bad” or “no” example of a slide (containing multiple images randomly placed with a very “busy background”), saying, “This is a no” without explaining why. Students are then asked to think about them, and share with a partner why they think one is a "yes" and one is a "no."

At this point, we make a quick chart on a large sheet of paper (students can make individual charts on a piece of paper) and ask students to list the good and bad qualities they have observed so far. For example, under the “Good/Yes” column it might say “Has less words and the background is simple” and under the “Bad/No” column “Has too many pictures and the background is distracting.”

We then show the second “yes” example (containing one image with a short amount of text in a clear font) and the “no” example (containing way too much text and using a less clear font style). Students repeat the “think-pair-share” process and then the class again discusses what students are noticing about the “yes” and “no” examples. Then they add these observations to their chart.

Students repeat the whole process a final time with the third examples. The third “yes” example slide contains one image, minimal text and one bullet point. The third “no” example, on the other hand, contains multiple bullet points.

To reinforce this lesson at a later date, the teacher could show students more examples, or students could look for more “yes” and “no” examples online. They could continue to add more qualities of good and bad slides to their chart. See the Technology Connections section for links to good and bad PowerPoint examples, including the PowerPoint we use for this Concept Attainment lesson.

You can learn more about other presentations that support public speaking, such as home culture presentations, speed dating, talking points, top 5 and PechaKucha Book talks in our book, “ The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox: Hundreds of Practical Ideas to Support Your Students .”

Larry Ferlazzo has taught English Language Learners, mainstream and International Baccalaureate students at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento for 15 years. He has authored eight books on education, hosts a popular blog for educators, and writes a weekly teacher advice column for Education Week Teacher . He was a community organizer for 19 years prior to becoming a high school teacher.

Katie Hull Sypnieski has worked with English Language Learners at the secondary level for over 20 years. She currently teaches middle school ELA and ELD at Rosa Parks K-8 School in Sacramento, California. She is a teaching consultant with the Area 3 Writing Project at the University of California, Davis and has leads professional development for teachers of ELLs. She is co-author (with Larry Ferlazzo) of The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide and Navigating the Common Core with English Language Learners .

190+ Creative English Speaking Topics to Speak to Anyone

Clapingo Team

19 min read

Spoken English Fluency: The Key to Success

Benefits of practicing english speaking topics, 190+ english speaking topics for learners, 1. daily life and personal experiences, 2. hobbies and personal interests, 3. travel and adventure, 4. education and learning, 5. health and wellness, 6. culture and entertainment, 7. career and professional development, personalized coaching to save the day.

English is widely accepted to be the language of business. Globally, approximately over 1.5 billion people speak English as their first or second language. It is therefore no wonder that English speaking proficiency is directly related to employability and other opportunities.

Let's face it, when it comes to learning and improving spoken English, practicing basic English speaking topics plays a pivotal role. It goes beyond mastering grammar and vocabulary; it empowers individuals to express themselves confidently, engage in meaningful conversations, and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

In this blog, we will list a wide range of English speaking topics fluency. By diversifying your conversations and exploring various subjects, you can enhance your language skills, broaden your knowledge, and develop the ability to express your thoughts and opinions effectively.

So, whether you are a beginner looking to build a strong foundation or an advanced learner aiming to refine your fluency, this comprehensive list of will provide you with the necessary resources and inspiration to take your English-speaking abilities to new heights.

Practicing English speaking topics helps individuals avoid boredom and monotony, making the learning process more enjoyable.

It expands vocabulary and enhances language proficiency, allowing individuals to express themselves effectively on different English speaking topics .

Engaging with diverse English speaking topics fosters critical thinking skills and encourages individuals to share their opinions confidently.

We now list for you a range of English speaking practice topics to improve your spoken English. The category of topics cover a wide range of scenarios to prepare you well for any encounters in the personal or professional space that would need you to speak in English.

English speaking topics on daily life and personal experiences are important because they allow you to effectively communicate your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in various social situations. It helps you connect with others, share your stories, and build stronger relationships in both personal and professional settings. The following table lists some English speaking practice topics to hone your spoken English on in your daily life and gives some example sentences.

Practicing English to talk about your hobbies and interests helps you communicate your passions and connect with others who share similar interests, leading to meaningful conversations and new friendships. Feel free to choose any of these topics as a starting point for engaging English conversations about your hobbies and interests.

Talking in English about travel and adventure helps you share your exciting experiences, explore new places, and have conversations that ignite a sense of curiosity and cultural discovery.

Practicing English for speaking about education and learning allows you to discuss various subjects, gain knowledge, and express your ideas. It helps improve intellectual growth and build effective communication skills. Here are 50 simple English speaking topics on learning and education for English learners to practice:

1. I enjoy reading books and learning new things.

2. My favorite subject in school is science because I love conducting experiments.

3. I like to solve puzzles and brain teasers to improve my critical thinking skills.

4. Learning English is important for communication with people from different countries.

5. I often watch educational videos online to expand my knowledge.

6. Math is challenging, but I find it interesting to solve problems.

7. I practice writing in English by keeping a journal and writing about my daily experiences.

8. I listen to English podcasts to improve my listening skills.

9. I ask questions in class to clarify my understanding of the topic.

10. Group discussions help me to express my ideas and opinions confidently.

11. I use flashcards to memorize vocabulary words and their meanings.

12. I enjoy learning about different cultures and traditions from around the world.

13. I participate in debates to enhance my persuasive speaking skills.

14. I watch English movies with subtitles to improve my language comprehension.

15. I use language learning apps to practice English grammar and vocabulary.

16. I practice pronunciation by listening to native English speakers and repeating after them.

17. I take notes during lectures to help me remember important information.

18. I read news articles in English to stay updated on current events.

19. I attend English conversation clubs to practice speaking with others.

20. I set achievable goals to track my progress in language learning.

21. I use online language exchange platforms to practice speaking with native English speakers.

22. I enjoy learning through hands-on activities and experiments.

23. I challenge myself to read books that are slightly above my current reading level.

24. I use mnemonic techniques to remember difficult words or concepts.

25. I practice English speaking with a language partner over video calls.

26. I use online resources to improve my English grammar and writing skills.

27. I participate in language competitions to showcase my language proficiency.

28. I watch TED Talks in English to learn about various topics and improve listening skills.

29. I write essays on different subjects to enhance my writing skills.

30. I create flashcards with pictures to associate them with English words.

31. I join English language clubs or communities to practice speaking in a supportive environment.

32. I use English-language news websites to read articles and improve reading comprehension.

33. I practice English pronunciation by recording my voice and listening for improvement.

34. I use language-learning apps that provide interactive exercises for grammar and vocabulary.

35. I participate in role-playing activities to practice real-life English conversations.

36. I watch English TV shows or movies with subtitles to improve listening and reading skills.

37. I challenge myself to learn at least five new English words every day.

38. I practice listening to English songs and try to understand the lyrics.

39. I read children's books in English to build vocabulary and improve reading fluency.

40. I use English language-learning websites to access resources and practice exercises.

41. I watch educational YouTube channels to learn new concepts and improve language skills.

42. I practice summarizing articles or stories in English to improve reading comprehension.

43. I join online forums or discussion boards to interact with other English learners.

44. I use English-language apps for daily vocabulary exercises and word games.

45. I listen to English podcasts or audiobooks while commuting or doing household chores.

46. I practice speaking English in front of a mirror to work on pronunciation and fluency.

47. I use language learning websites to connect with language exchange partners around the world.

48. I write short stories in English to practice creativity and storytelling skills.

49. I practice giving presentations in English to improve public speaking abilities.

50. I take English language lessons.

Engaging in English conversations about health and wellness enables you to explore topics related to well-being, share experiences, and learn about strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle, promoting overall physical and mental wellness. Here are 50 English speaking topics related to health and wellness for English learners:

1. I try to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

2. I go for a walk every day to stay active and improve my fitness.

3. Drinking enough water is important for staying hydrated and maintaining good health.

4. I like to practice yoga to relax my mind and stretch my body.

5. It's important to get enough sleep to rejuvenate our bodies and minds.

6. I enjoy going for a jog in the park to get some fresh air and exercise.

7. I try to limit my intake of sugary foods and drinks for better dental health.

8. Meditation helps me to reduce stress and improve my mental well-being.

9. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight and boosting energy levels.

10. I make sure to wash my hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of germs and infections.

11. I take breaks from sitting and stretch my body to prevent stiffness and improve circulation.

12. Eating a nutritious breakfast helps me start the day with energy and focus.

13. I enjoy spending time in nature as it promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

14. I practice deep breathing exercises to calm my mind and reduce anxiety.

15. Taking regular breaks from screens and technology is important for eye health.

16. I try to include a variety of colorful vegetables in my meals for a range of nutrients.

17. I practice mindfulness to stay present and appreciate the little joys in life.

18. Adequate rest and relaxation are crucial for overall health and well-being.

19. I try to avoid processed foods and opt for whole, natural foods instead.

20. Daily stretching helps to improve flexibility and prevent muscle tightness.

21. I make sure to wear sunscreen when I go outside to protect my skin from harmful UV rays.

22. Getting regular check-ups with the doctor helps me monitor my health and catch any issues early.

23. I enjoy listening to calming music to unwind and reduce stress.

24. I like to try new healthy recipes to keep my meals interesting and nutritious.

25. Spending time with loved ones and engaging in social activities positively impacts mental health.

26. I practice good posture to prevent back pain and maintain a healthy spine.

27. I try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity into my daily routine.

28. I limit my intake of sugary beverages and opt for water or herbal tea instead.

29. I prioritize self-care activities like taking a warm bath or practicing self-reflection.

30. I avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke for better respiratory health.

31. I make time for hobbies and activities that bring me joy and reduce stress.

32. I aim to get at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night for optimal rest and recovery.

33. I practice positive affirmations to boost self-confidence and maintain a positive mindset.

34. I choose stairs over elevators whenever possible to incorporate more movement into my day.

35. I practice good oral hygiene by brushing my teeth twice a day and flossing regularly.

36. I try to limit my screen time before bed to promote better sleep quality.

37. I engage in regular cardiovascular exercises like cycling or swimming for a healthy heart.

38. I take breaks from work or studying to give my mind a chance to rest and recharge.

39. I enjoy practicing a hobby like painting or playing an instrument for creative expression.

40. I try to manage stress through techniques like journaling, deep breathing, or meditation.

41. I choose whole grains over refined grains for better nutrition and sustained energy.

42. I listen to my body's hunger and fullness cues to maintain a balanced approach to eating.

43. I practice gratitude by acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of my life.

. I make time for leisure activities that help me relax and unwind, like reading or gardening.

45. I try to include regular strength training exercises to build muscle and improve overall fitness.

46. I use natural remedies and essential oils for minor ailments and to support my well-being.

47. I limit my consumption of processed snacks and opt for healthier alternatives like nuts or fruits.

48. I engage in activities that challenge my mind, such as puzzles or learning a new language.

49. I try to maintain a positive support network of friends and family for emotional well-being.

50. I practice deep relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, to reduce tension and promote calmness.

Let's now move on to the rather exciting English speaking topics for beginners in the field of culture and entertainment.

Talking in English about culture and entertainment allows you to discuss various aspects of art, music, movies, traditions, and customs. It helps you appreciate different cultures, share your interests, and learn about diverse forms of entertainment.

Now that we have covered culture and entertainment, let us shift our focus to learning some English speaking topics for beginners in career and professional development. Many of us face

You can discuss topics related to job skills, career growth, networking, and personal success. It helps you gain insights, learn from others' experiences, and explore opportunities for professional advancement. Here are 50 simple English speaking practice topics related to the field of career and professional development for English learners:

1. I am working on improving my communication skills to excel in my career.

2. I believe setting clear goals is important for professional success.

3. I enjoy attending workshops and seminars to enhance my knowledge and skills.

4. Networking is a valuable tool for expanding professional connections and opportunities.

5. I am developing my leadership abilities to advance in my career.

6. Continuous learning is essential for staying updated in today's competitive job market.

7. I am exploring different career paths to find the one that aligns with my passions.

8. Time management skills are crucial for maintaining productivity and meeting deadlines.

9. Building a strong professional network can open doors to new career opportunities.

10. I am working on improving my problem-solving skills to overcome challenges at work.

11. Professional development courses help me stay relevant and grow in my field.

12. I believe in the importance of seeking feedback to improve my performance.

13. I am honing my presentation skills to confidently deliver impactful presentations.

14. Developing a positive work ethic is key to achieving long-term career success.

15. I am learning to adapt to change and embrace new technologies in my industry.

16. I am researching different companies and industries to find the right career fit.

17. Effective teamwork is essential for accomplishing goals and fostering a positive work environment.

18. Developing strong negotiation skills can lead to successful outcomes in business.

19. I am working on enhancing my problem-solving abilities to tackle complex tasks.

20. I believe in the power of lifelong learning for personal and professional growth.

21. I am improving my resume and cover letter writing skills to stand out in job applications.

22. Developing strong time management skills helps me stay organized and meet deadlines.

23. I am seeking mentors in my field to guide and support my career growth.

24. Continuous self-improvement is important for advancing in my chosen profession.

25. I am gaining industry-specific knowledge through online courses and certifications.

26. I am attending career fairs to explore job opportunities and network with potential employers.

27. Effective communication skills are vital for building strong professional relationships.

28. I am developing my critical thinking skills to make informed decisions in my career.

29. I believe in the importance of maintaining a work-life balance for overall well-being.

30. I am enhancing my problem-solving skills by seeking innovative solutions to challenges.

31. Professional development workshops provide valuable insights and skills for career growth.

32. I am practicing active listening to better understand colleagues and clients.

33. I am improving my organizational skills to increase productivity and efficiency at work.

34. Effective time management allows me to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.

35. I believe in the power of continuous learning to stay ahead in my career.

36. I am developing my networking skills to connect with professionals in my industry.

37. I am researching potential employers to find companies that align with my career goals.

38. Building a strong personal brand can enhance my professional reputation.

39. I am seeking opportunities to take on leadership roles and develop my management skills.

40. I am working on improving my public speaking skills for effective presentations.

41. I am expanding my knowledge through reading industry-related books and articles.

42. I am developing my problem-solving abilities to overcome obstacles in my career.

43. I believe in the importance of adapting to change to thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

44. I am seeking feedback from supervisors and colleagues to grow and improve in my role.

45. I am exploring different career paths to find the one that aligns with my strengths and interests.

46. Continuous professional development helps me stay updated in my field and improve my skills.

47. I am enhancing my interpersonal skills to build strong relationships

with coworkers and clients.

48. I believe in the power of setting ambitious goals to drive my career growth.

49. I am improving my teamwork and collaboration skills to contribute effectively to group projects.

50. I am developing a growth mindset to embrace challenges and seek opportunities for learning.

Some of these English topics for speaking can help you prepare for interview or job-related situations. You can also read this blog for some additional guidance on presentations in the workplace.

To conclude, personalized coaching and guidance are crucial for new English learners seeking to improve their speaking skills. By exploring various topics and joining a reputable spoken English tutoring program , individuals can enhance their language development significantly. At Clapingo , we offer 1:1 personalized attention and instruction in your native language, ensuring a comfortable and effective learning experience. Take the next step in your language journey and book a demo with Clapingo today. Our experienced tutors are ready to help you build confidence and fluency in your English conversations. Don't miss this opportunity to unlock your full potential - schedule your demo with Clapingo now!

Which topic is the best for speaking English?

The best English topic for speaking depends on your interests and knowledge. Choose a topic that encourages discussion and select topics with relevant vocabulary for your needs.

What can I talk about for 5 minutes?

For a 5-minute conversation, you can talk about various topics such as a quick personal introduction, sharing a memorable travel experience, discussing a favorite book or movie, describing a hobby or interest, or talking about a recent news article.

How can I practice English speaking daily?

You can practice English speaking daily by engaging in conversations with native speakers or language partners, joining English-speaking clubs or communities, watching movies, TV shows, or listening to podcasts in English, using language learning apps or websites, and practicing speaking aloud while doing everyday tasks.

How can I improve my English speaking conversation?

You can improve your English speaking conversation by focusing on pronunciation and intonation, building vocabulary through reading and word games, using idioms and expressions to sound more natural, practicing active listening and responding appropriately, and seeking feedback and learning from your mistakes.

You may also want to read

how to improve english speaking fluency: 27 simple tips .

improve my english speaking

English fluently

english fluency

English speaking topics

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Clapingo connects you with fluent and dynamic English Speakers from India with diverse backgrounds and professions. Practice English conversation over live video calls. Transform your English speaking skills by talking to excellent English speakers over 1-on-1 video calls.

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Oral Presentations for Multilingual Students (ELL)

Flipped learning module.

Each Flipped Learning Module (FLM) is a set of short videos and online activities that can be used (in whole or in part) to free up class time from content delivery for greater student interaction. At the end of the module, students are asked to fill out a brief survey, in which we adopt the minute paper strategy . In this approach, students are asked to submit their response to two brief questions regarding their knowledge of the module.

In this FLM, students are asked to complete a fill-in-the-blank outline which accompanies all three videos, covering the topics of oral presentation preparation and delivery. The completed outline will enhance the students’ note-taking skills and will serve as a summary of the FLM that they may refer to in the future.

effective oral presentations, timing, visual aids, delivery, language choice, intonation, body language

Module Overview Oral Presentation Preparation for Multilingual/English Language Learners Preparing a Presentation Practicing Your Presentation Practicing Your Presentation: Consider Timing Working with a Group Oral Presentation and Creating Visual Aids Using Parallel Language on Slides, Posters, or Handouts for Your Presentation Creating Visual Aids–Handouts Oral Presentation Delivery for Multilingual Students (English Language Learners) Opening Your Presentation Using Key Words in Your Presentation Using Effective Intonation in Your Presentation Using Effective Body Language in Your Presentation Closing Your Presentation Download Video Transcripts

Worksheet: Oral Presentations for Multilingual Learners Outline

(Tip 1) _________________________
(Tip 2) _________________________
(Tip 3) _________________________
(Consideration 1)_________________________
(Consideration 2)_________________________
(Criterion 1)_________________________
(Criterion 2)_________________________
(Criterion 3)_________________________
(Criterion 4)_________________________
Parallel construction on visual aids of a presentation slide means: _________________________
Identifying the key words’ stress patterns are useful for preparing for a presentation because: _____________________________________________________________________________

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Video 1: Oral Presentation Preparation for Multilingual Learners

Video 2: oral presentation and creating visual aids, oral presentation preparation for multilingual learners online activity 1, video 3: oral presentation delivery for multilingual learners, oral presentation preparation for multilingual learners online activity 2.

Script your announcement sentence (introduce yourself and your topic).
Script your closing (thank the audience).

Submit your response to your instructor.

Oral Presentation Preparation for Multilingual Learners Survey

What was the one most important thing you learned from this module?
Do you have any unanswered questions for me?

Oral Presentation Preparation for Multilingual Learners In-Class Activity

Choose five key words of two or more syllables about your topic that you will need to use in the presentation.

____________________ __:__

For each word, look up the number of syllables and the stress pattern of the word and write it down using the pattern (2:1, etc.) explained in Video 3. For example, “intersectionality” has seven syllables, and the fifth syllable gets the stress. Write the stress pattern this way: 7:5.

More examples (from the video): feminism 4:1 college 2:1 socioeconomic 7:6 identity 4:2 Patricia Park 4:2

Practice saying each word aloud so that you are sure you are stressing the correct syllable. Include authors’ names or other proper nouns on this list as well, if they are new to you; while you may not find these in a dictionary, you should be able to ask a native speaker of English (or your professor) how to pronounce these names, and then you can use our stress pattern notation to jot down the syllables and stress.

Stress Pattern notation adapted from Murphy, John M. “Attending to Word-Stress While Learning New Vocabulary.” English for Specific Purposes Journal, vol. 23, 2004, pp. 67-83.

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Murphy, John M. “Attending to Word-Stress While Learning New Vocabulary.” English for Specific Purposes Journal , vol. 23, 2004, pp. 67-83.

“ Posters & Presentations .” Georgia Tech Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program .

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Oral presentation topics 2 models

Oral presentation topics ready for everyone wants a very interesting topic, many people want to know how to control their interactions, and here we will make many wonderful suggestions to apply it in your daily life to learn how to control your emotions. All of this is available here in a ready oral presentation topics.

Oral presentation topics

Many students are looking for a ready oral presentation topics that they can introduce easily. Here you will find a fascinating topic about how to control your emotions. All of this will be found here in a ready oral presentation topics .

Introduction

Hello … how are you today…My name is … I will present to you today a topic about how to control your emotions, I hope you will like it. And I will answer all questions at the end with all pleasure.

How to control your emotions

Emotions appear on the human when exposed to certain situations, such as feeling very sad and so it shows on the person by weeping, or the feeling of anger is shown by shouting or violence.

But sometimes these emotions appear and the person can not control them and this may be harmful, especially when you are among a group of people, or in a public place, so it is good to learn how to control emotions when exposed to different situations.

Count up to ten before doing any reaction to the situation; it may seem difficult at first, but doing so helps to control nerves and control emotions.

Drink a glass of water ; when exposure to any situation is good to try to drink a glass of water so you can control your emotions. Water acts as a natural tranquilizer for the body under unusual circumstances.

Expect what may happen; so that the hearing of the news or the situation will be easy. It is therefore advisable to put all possibilities.

Silence; is often the best solution for all things, especially for emotions, in silence, no one will be able to determine the emotion and feeling experienced by others, because of the calm that prevails over their faces.

Trying to change the subject if possible; ignorance has an important role in reducing anger emotions, even if others feel that the person is doing so deliberately.

Leave the place immediately if possible; especially if the person can not control his emotions for a long time, such as excusing to enter the bathroom or go to drink water and so on.

Participate in groups to help control emotions; especially anger, there are people who want to control their emotions very strongly so they seek to make groups of different people so that they can help each other through their experiences.

Talk to a psychiatrist; The person must first realize that speaking to a doctor does not mean that he has a psychological problem, but to get help. The psychiatrist is a person who is specialist in these matters and has experience in this area.

Thank you for your kind attention … I hope you have liked the subject. If you have questions, I will answer them with pleasure.

We have provided you with a ready oral presentation topics, and you can read more topics through the following link:

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