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Presentation Projects for Students | ESL Presentation Ideas

If you do presentation with your language classes , then you’ll need to check out some of these presentation project ideas. Get beyond the boring old PowerPoint presentation and use some of these creative ideas to bring a bit of excitement and life back into your classes.

Presentation Projects and Ideas for ESL students

Your students will love it, and it’ll also keep things fresh for you if you’ve seen the same old projects year after year.

Presentation Projects for ESL/EFL Students

Over the years teaching in a Korean university , I’ve had students do plenty of presentation projects, with varying degrees of success . I hope that you can learn from my mistakes and make your ESL speaking classes as awesome as possible.

Presentation projects, if set up well are an excellent way to add a bit of variety to the ESL classroom. After all, students get tired of hearing the teacher talk all the time! And you probably get tired of talking. I know that I always did! Plus, it’s fun to hear what students have to say.

Here are my top presentation projects for ESL/EFL students.

• Basic speech (not recommended!)
• Presentation, then discussion time
• Poster presentation
• Making a movie
• PowerPoint presentation
• Impromptu presentation
• Teaching the class how to do something

If you teach business English, then the sky is kind of the limit in terms of what topics you choose. You could focus on just about anything that students may expect to present on when they start working in a company.

#1: A Basic Speech

Each student has to choose from a variety of topics such as family , food, dreams or hobby. They have to speak for between 1.5 and 2 minutes. I did this only once, with low-level students and it was ridiculously boring such that I never did it again.

The main problem is all the presentations are basically the same and go a little something like this: “I have a mom. She is 49 years old. She has brown hair and black eyes. I have a dad. He is 57 years old. My dad has brown hair and black eyes. He is short.” Word for word, almost the same!

Trust me, they were some of the most tedious and excruciating hours of my entire life. It was from this point on that I vowed to never set up a presentation like this again. I got a lot more creative and made students talk about things that were more varied and interesting.

Of course, the bad results from this experiment were totally my fault. I should have chosen more interesting topics for the students, or given them better guidelines. Seriously, better ESL presentations topics would have made a big difference here and I really have nobody to blame but myself!

Maybe Not Terrible if…

This style of presentation could have been far less bad if I had done a better job setting it up. I should have set the topic to something like, “Current events.” That way, students would have been forced to choose something in the news and the presentation topics would have been quite varied.

Or, I could have required some visual aids to make it a bit more interesting for the students.

#2: Presentation, and then Discussion Time

Each group has to give a presentation about a topic of their choosing and think of at least 5 interesting questions/surveys/activities that groups could discuss or do for about 20 minutes after their presentation. This often works best if the presentation is based on 2-3 articles that the students have to send you in advance.

This presentation project ideas had varying results, since some groups chose a topic that led to a lot of “yes/no” answers and discussions that lasted about 5 minutes, at most.

However, this could have been avoided by personally approving the topics in advance and requiring groups to submit their assignment for feedback a week or two before the actual presentation. I blame nobody but myself for the failure on this one!

This ideas for presentation projects isn’t a bad one, if you set it up well. It can work well for English majors or advanced level students who want a class filled with conversation and discussion.

#3: Poster Presentation

A poster is one of my favourite presentation projects. Each group has to choose a current controversial issue (like environmental pollution, suicide, North Korea) and make a poster that had English writing and some interesting pictures on it. Set a (low) max number of words or your posters will be terrible and filled with wordy death!

Then, the students have to do a presentation based on the poster where each group member speaks for 1-2 minutes, without a paper.

For this one, it’s very important that you require no paper script, or you’ll just have students reading off their notes. Also, don’t allow students to put too many words on the poster, or you’ll have students reading off of this.

If I ever did this again, I would do something where the audience was more involved, such as peer grading. Or, I would require each group watching the presentation to think of at least 1 question to ask and they’d get a point for doing so. Basically, it’d give the rest of the students in the class a reason to listen.

It’s potentially an excellent group presentation project!

ESL presentation ideas

#4 Presentation Projects: Making a Movie

Another ESL presentation idea is to have students make a movie. It’s easier than ever these days because almost everybody has a smartphone, and it’s free to upload the video to YouTube. This works particularly well if you teach film, art or fashion students and you’ll get some amazing results. It’s actually one of my favourite ESL projects these days.

You can have a fun “viewing day” in class and encourage everyone to bring a snack! It’s a nice change from the regular old textbook thing.

Here’s how I’ve done movie projects.

• I put students into groups of 4-5. One person can “film” the project and then you can have 2-3 actors. Finally, one person might be designated the write the script or edit. However, I leave it up to the group how they want to divide the roles and not everyone has to appear on camera.
• I set a minimum and maximum time for the movie (usually 3-5 minutes), as well as a certain number of English sentences that must be spoken during that time. It must be a story of some kind that makes sense.
• I’ll usually give a topic or theme of some kind, but may leave it open.

I evaluate it based on the following things:

• Quality of English
• Interesting story
• Quality of production (I don’t expect a lot, but just basic stuff like making sure it’s bright enough, we can hear the people talking, etc.)

The quality of English usually gets around 10 marks, while the other two categorie s are each worth five.

#5: PowerPoint Presentation

This has the potential to be very interesting, or PPT death. It all depends on how you set the presentation project up.

If you do go with this method, you should set a maximum number of slides and also a maximum numbers of words per slide (5-10?). Emphasize to students that you want to see pictures, charts, etc. and not a wall of text.

I generally allow each group to have 1 intro and 1 conclusion slide, and then 1 slide per group member. So if there are 6 students in the group, it’ll be 8 slides. I usually say that each student has to talk about their slide for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on the level.

Teach students how to make good PowerPoints and then penalize heavily for not following your recommendations. You should also coach students on how to stand to the side and keep their body pointed towards the audience. Eye contact is key!

This is an excellent idea for presentation projects, if some key expectations are set out in advance. Eye contact/don’t look at screen, pictures instead of words on the PowerPoint, etc.

#6: Just a Minute Impromptu Presentation

If you want to give your students some practice with making impromptu, or off the cuff style of speeches, then Just a Minute may be exactly what you need. It’s a toastmasters style activity and makes the perfect warm-up activity for intermediate or advanced level students.

You can also turn this into a listening activity, instead of just an ESL presentation by requiring the other students in the group to ask follow-up questions. Try this one with your classes and I think your students will really enjoy the challenge.

Find out more about it here:

Just a Minute ESL Speaking Activity

Impromptu presentation skills are never a bad thing for students (or anyone) to practice!

#7: Teaching Others How to Do Something

One of the best presentation ideas for students is to get them to teach the class how to do something. I’ve done this a few times now and they are some of my most memorable classes.

The way it works is that students choose something they know how to do well. Students in the past having chosen things like:

• How to fry an egg
• Heading a soccer ball
• Playing the guitar
• Getting dates
• Making sure their parents give them enough spending money
• Eating out cheaply around the university
• Getting the best class schedule

I allow students to bring in props, material or make a simple powerpoint presentation with pictures (no text) to explain.

#8: What are you Cooking?

If you want to have your students do some fun presentations in a more informal kind of way, then consider trying out “What are you Cooking?” Students have to plan a 3-course meal based on ingredients from their classmates and then make a presentation to the class who votes on the best menu.

Sounds interesting? I think you’ll love it so give it a try today. More information here: What are you Cooking?

#9: An Informative Speech

ESL Presentations FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about making presentation in English. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

Why are Presentations Important for Students?

Having students give presentations is important for delivering a positive learning environment. They can also help teach communication skills and assist with students feeling comfortable talking in front of a group of people. Finally, they are an engaging way to share ideas and help students build confidence.

What Makes a Great Presentation?

A great presentation is very memorable. This can be done in various ways, but graphics, images, relevant facts, story telling and humour play an important role. Finally, a memorable presentation motivates the audience to action.

What are the Advantages of a Presentation?

Businesses and people in general use presentations for various reasons. The advantage of them is that they can educate, motivate, and persuade in a more interesting way than the written word alone can.

Should Students Memorize Speeches?

Should you make students memorize their presentation, or not? It’s an interesting question and I certainly see points for both sides. However, I generally lead towards the memorization thing because…

• It results in presentations that are far more interesting for the audience
• I only require 30 seconds-2 minutes of speaking. It’s not a big task to memorize this amount
• It helps students remember vocabulary and key phrases

That said, I do know that students get nervous and that this can be a big ask. It’s for this reason that I tell students to bring their notes up to the front with this, but to leave them in their pocket.

If they have an emergency (forget what to say!), they can take it out and use it. But, only once if they don’t want to get a penalty. After that, put it aside and continue on.

I’m usually kind and if a student has to do this twice, I don’t mind. My main point is that I don’t want students reading exclusively off of a paper.

What are some Things to Consider for Presentations in English?

If you’re going to have your students do an ESL presentation, there are a number of factors that you’ll want to consider.

• How to explain the task in a simple way that students can understand what they need to do. How will you evaluate it?
• When will students prepare (outside, or inside of class. A combination of both often works well).
• What kind of equipment can students use (Projector, or not).
• How students will deliver the presentation. Will you expect things like gestures and eye contact?
• What kind of language will the students use? Will you teach them about the introduction (I would like to start by…) and conclusion (In conclusion, you can see that…), as well as transition sentences (Moving on to…). The style of the speech (persuasive, informative, etc.) is important for this.
• What will the rest of the class be doing while the presentations are happening? Is there a listening task you can assign to make this activity even more valuable?

The biggest tip I can give you is to be clear about the terms of the assignment. And, also how you will evaluate it. If expectations are clear, results will be far better and your life will be easier as well because you won’t have to answer the same questions over and over again.

What are the Top 20 ESL Presentation Topics?

Here are some of the most common topics that you may consider assigning to your students:

• Family (can be sensitive for some though)
• Current events
• If I had a million dollars…
• Vacation (past or future dream)
• Ideal first date
• TV and movies
• Favourite book
• Time, and how do you spend it
• An ideal first date
• Jobs and work
• Some future goals
• A favourite restaurant
• Money (saver or spender)
• Future plans
• Controversial topics
• Teaching someone how to do something
• If you were the president…

These interesting topics means that you presentation projects will be better than ever! No more boring, okay? Okay.

Do you Like these Ideas for Presentation Projects?

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 148 Pages - 03/09/2016 (Publication Date)

Then you’re going to love this book, 101 ESL Activities: For Teenagers and Adults . It’s an extremely practical, well-organized teaching guide that will help you plan your lessons in no time. The best part about it is that your students will be having fun, while learning English.

The book is available in both digital and print formats. The (cheaper!) digital one can be read on any device-Kindle, Mac, Pc, Smartphone, or tablet by downloading the free Kindle reading app from Amazon. It’s super-easy to have some top-quality ESL activities and games at your fingertips at all times.

Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office and use it as a handy reference guide. Or, bring a copy with your on your phone or tablet to your favourite coffee shop for lesson planning on the go. It really is that easy to make your English classes even better.

Check out the book on Amazon by clicking the link below:

Have your Say about ESL Presentation Ideas

What’s your top ESL presentation project ideas? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this a share on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. It’ll help other teachers, like yourself find this useful teaching resource.

Last update on 2024-04-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook TikTok Pinterest Instagram

Great ideas! Thank you so much for such inspiring ideas for presentations.

I’ve been looking for some presentation ideas for my students here in South Korea and ran across your list. Thank you! Lots of good ones but I think I’m going to give the current events one a try. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Great info! Thanks for sharing your ideas for presentations. I love to do them but it was getting a bit stale for me so appreciate the new ideas.

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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

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Amazing! Thanks a lot

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75 Unique School Presentation Ideas and Topics Plus Templates

Are you tired of seeing the same PowerPoints repeating overused and unoriginal school presentation ideas covering repeated topics in your classes?

You know what I’m talking about; we’ve all been there, and sat through yawn-worthy demonstrations, slides, or presentation videos covering everything from the solar system, someone’s favorite pet, past presidents of a country, to why E=mC squared.

From grade school to university, first graders to college students, we are obligated to create, perform, and observe academic presentations across a plethora of curriculums and classes, and not all of these public speaking opportunities fall into the category of an ‘interesting topic’.

Yet, have no fear! Here at Piktochart, we are here to help you and your classmates. From giving examples of creative and even interactive presentation ideas, providing presentation videos , and suggesting interactive activities to give your five minutes of fame the ‘wow’ factor that it deserves, this article is your guide!

Our massive collection of unique school and college presentation ideas and templates applies if you’re:

• A teacher looking to make your class more engaging and fun with student presentations.
• A student who wants to impress your teacher and the rest of the class with a thought-provoking, interesting topic.

A Curated List of Interesting Topics for School Presentations

Did you know that when it comes to presentations , the more students involved improves retention? The more you know! Yet sometimes, you need a little help to get the wheels moving in your head for your next school presentation .

The great thing about these ideas and topics is you can present them either in face-to-face classes or virtual learning sessions.

Each school presentation idea or topic below also comes with a template that you can use. Create a free Piktochart account to try our presentation maker and get access to the high-quality version of the templates. You can also check out our Piktochart for Education plan .

Want to watch this blog post in video format? The video below is for you!

The templates are further divided into the following categories covering the most popular and best presentation topics. Click the links below to skip to a specific section.

• Unique science presentation topics to cultivate curiosity in class
• Engaging culture and history presentation ideas to draw inspiration from
• Health class presentation topics to help students make healthy lifestyle decisions
• Data visualization ideas to help students present an overwhelming amount of data and information into clear, engaging visuals
• First day of school activity ideas to foster classroom camaraderie
• Communication and media topics to teach students the importance of effective communication
• Topics to help students prepare for life after school

We hope this list will inspire you and help you nail your next school presentation activity.

Unique Science Presentation Topics to Cultivate Curiosity in Class

Science is a broad field and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with too many topics to choose for your next presentation.

Cultivate curiosity in the science classroom with the following unique and creative presentation ideas and topics:

1. Can life survive in space?

2. Do plants scream when they’re in pain?

3. What are the traits of successful inventors?

4. How vaccines work

5. Massive destruction of the Koala’s habitat in Australia

6. Left brain versus right brain

7. What are great sources of calcium?

Get access to high-quality, unique school presentation templates by Piktochart for Education.

Create and collaborate in the classroom using Piktochart’s customizable and printable templates for your school reports, presentations, and infographics.

8. Recycling facts you need to know

9. Do you have what it takes to be a NASA astronaut?

10. The rise of robots and AI: Should we be afraid of them?

11. How far down does the sea go?

12. The stages of sleep

13. Will Mars be our home in 2028?

14. A quick look at laboratory safety rules

15. The first person in history to break the sound barrier

Engaging Culture and History Presentation Ideas to Draw Inspiration From

History is filled with equally inspiring and terrifying stories, and there are lessons that students can learn from the events of the past. Meanwhile, interactive presentations about culture help students learn and embrace diversity. 

16. Women in history: A conversation through time

17. The sweet story of chocolate 

18. A history lesson with a twist 

19. The history of basketball 

20. The origin of the Halloween celebration 

21. AI History 

22. What you need to know about New Zealand 

23. 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa 

24. Roman structures: 2000 years of strength

25. The most famous art heists in history 

26. Elmo: The story behind a child icon 

27. 10 things you should know before you visit South Korea 

28. 8 things you didn’t know about these 8 countries 

Health Class Presentation Topics to Help Students Make Healthy Lifestyle Decisions

Want to learn how to engage students with healthcare topic ideas? Then consider using these templates for your next interactive presentation.

According to the CDC , school-based health education contributes to the development of functional health knowledge among students. It also helps them adapt and maintain health-promoting behaviors throughout their lives. 

Not only will your presentation help with keeping students engaged, but you’ll also increase class involvement with the right slides.

The following examples of health and wellness interactive presentations include fun ideas and topics that are a good start. 

29. How to look after your mental health?

30. The eradication of Polio

31. How to have a healthy lifestyle 

32. 10 handwashing facts 

33. Myths and facts about depression

34. Hacks for making fresh food last longer 

35. Ways to avoid spreading the coronavirus

36. Mask protection in 5 simple steps 

37. Everything you need to know about the flu

38. All about stress: Prevention, tips, and how to cope 

39. The importance of sleep 

40. Is milk tea bad for you?

41. How to boost happiness in 10 minutes

42. How dirty are debit and credit cards 

43. Why do you need sunscreen protection

Data Visualization Ideas to Help Students Present Overwhelming Amounts of Data in Creative Ways

Data visualization is all about using visuals to make sense of data. Students need to pull the main points from their extensive research, and present them by story telling while being mindful of their classmates’ collective attention span.

As far as student assignments go, storytelling with data is a daunting task for students and teachers alike. To keep your audience interested, consider using a non linear presentation that presents key concepts in creative ways.

Inspire your class to be master data storytellers with the following data visualization ideas:

44. Are we slowly losing the Borneo rainforest?

45. Skateboard deck design over the years

46. Food waste during the Super Bowl

47. The weight of the tallest building in the world

48. Infographic about data and statistics

49. Stats about cyberbullying

50. How whales combat climate change

First Day of School Interactive Activity Ideas to Foster Whole-class-Camaraderie

Calling all teachers! Welcome your new students and start the school year with the following back-to-school creative presentation ideas and relevant templates for first-day-of-school activities.

These interactive presentations grab the attention of your students and are remarkably easy to execute (which is the main educator’s goal after all)!

51. Meet the teacher

52. Example: all about me

53. Self-introduction

54. Tips on how to focus on schoolwork

55. Course plan and schedule

Give our class schedule maker a try to access more templates for free. You can also access our presentation-maker , poster-maker , timeline-maker , and more by simply signing up .

56. Interpreting a student’s report card (for parents)

57. Introduction of classroom rules

58. Assignment schedule

59. Daily planner

60. Course syllabus presentation

61. How to write a class presentation

Topics to Teach Students the Importance of Effective Communication

Visual media  helps students retain more of the concepts  taught in the classroom. The following media topics and infographic templates can help you showcase complex concepts in a short amount of time. 

In addition, interactive presentation activities using these templates also encourage the development of a holistic learning process in the classroom because they help focus on the  three domains of learning:  cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. 

62. Interactive presentation do’s and don’ts 

63. How to create an infographic 

Recommended reading : How to Make an Infographic in 30 Minutes

64. How to improve your internet security and privacy

65. What is design thinking?

66. What are your favorite software tools to use in the classroom? 

Presentation Topic Ideas to Help Students Prepare for Life After School

One of the things that makes teaching a rewarding career is seeing your students take the learning and knowledge you’ve instilled in them, and become successful, productive adults.

From pitching a business idea to starting your podcast, the following topics are good starting points to prepare students for the challenges after graduation (aka adulting 101):

67. How to make a resume

68. How to start a startup

69. Credit card vs. debit card

70. Pros and cons of cryptocurrency

71. How to save on travel

72. How to do a SWOT analysis

73. How to pitch a business idea

74. Habits of successful people

75. Starting your own podcast: A checklist

Find out how a high school teacher like Jamie Barkin uses Piktochart to improve learning in the classroom for her students.

Pro tip: make your presentation as interactive as possible. Students have an attention span of two to three minutes per year of age. To keep minds from wandering off, include some interactive games or activities in the lesson. For example, if you conducted a lesson on the respiratory system, you could ask them to practice breathing techniques.

Maintain eye contact with your students, and you’ll get instant feedback on how interested they are in the interactive presentation.

Make School Presentation Visuals Without the Hassle of Making Them From Scratch

School presentations, when done right, can help teachers engage their classes and improve students’ education effectively by presenting information using the right presentation topic. 

If you’re pressed for time and resources to make your school presentation visuals , choose a template from Piktochart’s template gallery . Aside from the easy customization options, you can also print and download these templates to your preferred format. 

Piktochart also professional templates to create infographics , posters , brochures , reports , and more.

Creating school-focused, engaging, and interactive presentations can be tedious at first, but with a little bit of research and Piktochart’s handy templates, you’re going to do a great job!

The future of learning is interactivity and collaboration.

Foster interactive and collaborative learning using Piktochart for Education. Share your work, get feedback, and brainstorm on the fly. With Piktochart, everyone’s on the same page. Finally.

Kyjean Tomboc is an experienced content marketer for healthcare, design, and SaaS brands. She also manages content (like a digital librarian of sorts). She lives for mountain trips, lap swimming, books, and cats.

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Speech Topics - 100s of them!

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 01-10-2023

Speech ideas ordered by speech type & theme 

So you're preparing to give a speech.

The next step, unless you've been told or you've already decided for yourself, is choosing a topic.

What will you talk about?  There are literally so many possibilities.

To make choosing a subject easier, here's a collection of speech topic suggestions arranged either by speech type,  age group or theme. 

• Demonstration speech topics  (5 pages: 738 + topics)
• Speech topics for kids  (2 pages: 150 + topics)
• Persuasive topics  (6 pages: 998+ topics)

125 examples of narrative speech topics

• 60 vocal variety and body language topics

145 good cause and effect topics for students

• Fun public speaking topics  (2 pages:165 topics)
• 180+ interesting topics for students  (1 page: 180 + topics)
• Good informative speech topics  (1 page: 100s of topics)
• Commemorative speech topic ideas  (1 page: themes)
• Argumentative/controversial speech topics  (1 page: 290 topics)
• Easter themed speech topics  (1 page: 32 topics)
• Impromptu speech topics  (4 pages: 570 topics)
• Printable impromptu speech topics  (98 proverbs or quotations ready-to-go)

Teacher or student, these lists are for you.

I hope they're useful! Happy speaking, Susan

Demonstration speech ideas

These are the 'show and tell' or 'how to' speeches where you demonstrate a skill, make something, or explain how something works. Think of these speeches as stepping through a process from beginning to end, showing and explaining every step of the way.

The goal of them is often to inspire those listening to try whatever is being shown for themselves.

I have five pages of topics specifically selected because they are good for demonstration speeches. You'll see the lists are adaptable to meet the needs of people of middle school age and upwards.

• 290 themed 'how to' demonstration speech ideas   
• 6 themed demonstration topic lists using the magic of 'how'
• 50 soft skill 'how to' demonstrative speech topics
• 100+ 10-minute, or less, demonstration speech topics
• 188 funny how-to speech topics

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Speech topics for kids

I've got two pages of speech topics especially chosen with children in mind. They're mainly for kids in the middle school age bracket (11 - 14 years old) but are readily adaptable for those either younger or older.

Both pages are really useful if you're a teacher or parent looking for inspiration! I've carefully put together lists covering social/community issues, arts and culture, sports and games, food, fun and whimsy, hobbies, and more. 

-  8 themed lists of speech topics for children

- 50+ elocution topics for kids

Persuasive speech topics

Convince me!

Change my mind!

Challenge my thinking!

Convert me!

And, if appropriate, make me laugh!

Whatever topic you choose you will be expected to take a position on it and persuade your audience to consider what you're saying about it seriously.

For example:

'To be vegan is the only right, and moral way to live.'

'Good or right thinking is a matter of opinion.' 

My six persuasive speech topic pages are below.

• 50 good persuasive speech topics
• 5 0+ persuasive speech topic ideas
• 105 fun persuasive speech topics
• 309 easy persuasive speech topics
• 310 persuasive speech topics for college
• 108 feminist persuasive speech topics

125 strong ideas for effective story telling speeches, preparation guidelines, plus a printable narrative speech outline.

If you're looking for suggestions for the Toastmasters Level Three Project 'Connect with storytelling' these will get you off to a great start.

Go to: 125 examples of narrative speech topics

60 vocal variety & body language topics

60 speech topic ideas to help you work with body language and gesture. They're perfect for evocative personal storytelling speeches or for either of these Toastmasters Pathway projects:

• Level 2: Learning Your Style: Effective Body Language or,
• Level 1:  Mastering Fundamentals: Vocal Variety and Body Language

Go to 6 0 vocal variety and body language speech topics

Cause and effect topics for speeches and essays to challenge, connect and make a difference. With explanations, examples and a free printable blank fish bone diagram, (an extremely useful visual cause and effect analytical tool), to download for your own use.

Go to 145 good cause and effect topics

Fun public speaking topics

They're silly; deliberately daft and ridiculous!

These speech topics focus on light-hearted nonsense, tilting the world side-ways, giving your audience a glimpse of it funny side-up.

Gems include:

• 'How to procrastinate like a professional',
• 'How to look innocent',
• 'Why lying can be useful', ...

Go on. Make them snort with laughter. Visit:

• 60 fun public speaking topics for kids of all ages 
• 1 88 funny how-to speech topics

180 + interesting speech topic ideas

Here's a page of topic suggestions encouraging people to push beyond ordinary.

There's a bundle of 50 ideas around the growing influence of social media, a collection of 45 thought provoking suggestions centered on your very own community and family history, 61 'weird' topics, and more. 

You only need ONE truly bright and original idea, right?

Have a look here for it.

There are  180  interesting speech topic ideas   to browse through. 

Good informative speech topics

An informative speech does what its title says: it informs. It gives the facts about the topic. Not people's feelings about the subject - just the facts.

Informational speech topic possibilities are quite truly endless.  Use my page as a beginning to set your own creative juices in motion.

Visit:  100s of good informational speech topics

Commemorative speech topic ideas

A commemorative or tribute speech honors the memory of  a person, a group, an institution, a thing, an event or an idea.

Use this  commemorative speech topic helper  page (and its resource links) to identify the right topic and theme to match the event you've been asked to speak at.

239 controversial or argumentative speech topics

These topics are deliberately provocative. They cover four broad areas affecting us all: the food we eat, our children (from infancy through to teenage years), and the communities/countries we live in.

In addition to the 239 topics there are comprehensive guidelines about choosing the best topic: one fitting yourself and your audience. 

Find yourself a controversial speech topic .

Note: these topics are best suited for high school and college students.

32 Easter themed speech topics

Easter - what is its history? What are the special days, like Palm Sunday, all about? What do bunnies and chocolate eggs have to do with it? Why does the White House have a tradition of egg-rolling as part of its Easter celebrations?

Use this page of 32  Easter speech topic possibilities  to find an idea for an inspirational  demonstration or an interesting informative speech.

Impromptu speech topics

Help! I have a class and need lots of impromptu speech topics for them to practice with.

You've got them here. I have four pages of topics for impromptu speeches.

You'll find them suitable for middle school and upwards. They're great for public speaking clubs too.

• 200 impromptu speech topics
• 150 1 minute speech topics - with sample speech outlines, speeches: full text & audio
• 11 themed sets of fun topics for impromptu speeches
• 80+ themed table topic questions, with printables   

And last, but not least there's ...

98 printable impromptu speech topic cards, an almost* instantly available resource for busy public speaking teachers.

If you're time-poor and need a grab-and-go solution to your "HELP! I want speech topics for my public speaking class, and I need them now" problem, check these out.

Printable Impromptu Speech Topic Cards

* It'll take you 5 minutes to select the set you want, (proverbs or quotations), pay, and have it downloaded ready for printing. You'll be getting 98 themed speech topic cards - a great reusable resource for $4.75.

& One Minute Speeches!

Another almost instantly available resource.

A fun and hugely effective impromptu speaking activity. You get topics + instructions for the core activity, plus three advanced variations for $5.95. Take a look - One Minute Speeches .

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How to Use Oral Presentations to Help English Language Learners Succeed

Please try again

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 .

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English presentations are an essential aspect of academic and professional life. Giving an English presentation topic can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. There is a wide range of topics to choose from on your journey to presenting. With a little preparation, you can efficiently deliver the best presentation topic in English .

The article assures readers that presenting PPT topics in English is manageable. It's a valuable skill that opens doors to effective communication and academic success. The following section discusses topics you can choose for PPT presentations in English . Make sure you select a topic you are interested in and you know something about. Explore the page below to learn more.

In this article

• Best 12 Topics for Presentation in English
• How To Prepare Your English Presentation
• Try Wondershare Presentory for Interesting Presentations

Part 1: Best 12 Topics for Presentation in English

Whether you are a student or a professional, here are the 12 best topics to choose from. All the English PPT topics listed are interesting, informative, and relevant to today's world.

1. Topics for English Presentation Within 5 Minutes

One of the best English presentation topics is anything that works within 5 minutes. Below are some examples that are perfect for time-sensitive situations.

1) The Power of Five Minutes

You can create an English PPT topic discussing the power of five minutes. Five minutes often serves as a standard time frame in our daily lives. When we're overwhelmed, a five-minute breather becomes invaluable for recentering. Interestingly, five minutes can feel like forever or pass in the blink of an eye, depending on our perspective.

2) Social Media and the Next Generation

The impact of social media on the younger generation encompasses negative aspects like anxiety and addiction. However, positive elements are still associated with it, like peer connections and information access. It underscores the importance of balanced and mindful social media use among adolescents.

2. English Presentation Topics for the Environment

These topics explore the challenges and solutions to environmental problems. You can present English PPT topics on climate change, pollution, or deforestation. Below are two examples.

1) Natural Disasters and Their Effect on Economic Growth

Natural disasters have a significant impact on economic growth. You can present the topic by highlighting the severity of the effects on several factors. These include the type of disaster, the affected area's size, and the affected country's economic development level.

2) E-waste Management

E-waste management is a critical topic for our planet. It contains various hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. A good presentation can educate your audience about the importance of e-waste management and inspire them to take action.

3. English Presentation Topics for Education

You can use education as one of your topics for PPT presentations in English. You can discuss education's history, the latest trends, and the challenges it faces today.

1) The Consequences of Cheating in Exams

Cheating in exams is a serious issue that can have several negative consequences for students. The topic is important because it can negatively affect students and the overall academic environment. A good presentation can educate students about the consequences of cheating and deter them from cheating in the future.

2) Importance of Teachers in Your Life

Teachers play a vital role in our education, development, and growth. A good presentation on the importance of teachers in your life can give your audience a better understanding of teachers. It can inspire them to appreciate and support them to continue their important work.

4. English Presentation Topics for Science

Science covers a wide range of subjects if you want it as your topic for a PPT presentation in English. The topic covers physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and more.

1) Our Sun and Other Stars

The sun is the center of our solar system and the source of all life on Earth. Meanwhile, Stars are incredibly fascinating objects. They play an important role in our understanding of the universe. Presenting the topic can give your audience a better understanding of our sun and other stars. They can realize our place in the universe and the role we play.

2) Daily and Seasonal Motion

Daily and seasonal motion are two of the most important concepts in astronomy. A good presentation on daily and seasonal motion allows your audience to learn fundamental concepts in astronomy and their impact on life on Earth.

5. English Presentation Topics in History and Culture

A common misconception is that presenting topics in History and Culture is boring. In fact, it's one of the best topics for presentation in English as you can journey back through time. Below are two popular examples.

1) Peasants and Their Living Conditions in Medieval Europe

Peasants made up the overwhelming majority of the population in medieval Europe. By covering these topics, you can give your audience a better understanding of the life of peasants in medieval Europe.

2) Causes of the American Revolution

The American Revolution was a complex event with many causes. You can show images and videos of events that led to the American Revolution. An example is the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.

6. English Presentation Topics for Work

Presenting topics about work can also develop your English skills. You can prepare presentation topics in English about the importance of teamwork, leadership, or the latest workplace trends.

1) The Benefits of a Healthy Work-Life Balance

A healthy work-life balance is essential for our well-being. When we balance our work and personal lives well, we are more productive, less stressed, and happier. To make your presentation better, share stories of people who have benefited from a healthy work-life balance.

2) Time Management Skills

Time management skills are essential for success in all areas of life, including school, work, and personal relationships. You can discuss the impact of good time management skills on productivity, stress levels, and goal achievement. You can also share tips on improving their time management skills with your audience.">

Part 2: How To Prepare Your English Presentation

Preparing topics for PPT presentations in English requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are five crucial steps to help you ace your presentation.

Create a Structured Outline

Start by outlining your presentation with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Introduce your topic, present key points, and conclude with a summary. Structuring your content will help your audience follow your narrative.

Make It Interesting and Brief

Capture your audience's attention by making your presentation engaging and concise. Use compelling visuals, anecdotes, or real-world examples to illustrate your points. Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information. Stick to the most important aspects of your topic.

Simplify the Content

Break down complex ideas into simpler, digestible chunks. Use clear and straightforward language to convey your message. Avoid using jargon or terms that your audience may not understand.

Know Your Audience

Tailor your presentation to your audience's knowledge and interests. Consider their level of expertise and what they hope to gain from your talk. Adapting your content to their needs will make your presentation more relevant and engaging.

Practicing is vital to improve your presentation skills. Rehearse multiple times to become comfortable with your content and delivery. Pay attention to your tone, pace, and body language. Ask for feedback from peers or mentors to fine-tune your presentation.

Part 3: Try Wondershare Presentory for Interesting Presentations

Presentory is a cutting-edge, user-friendly video presentation software. The tool uses AI to help users create, live stream, and record stunning virtual presentations that captivate audiences. Its user interface is ideal for teachers and education influencers who want to make a real impact with their presentations.

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Below is the array of powerful features that make Presentory a game-changer. From versatile content, AI-driven keying, and teleprompter customization, the tool has you covered.

• Multiple File-formats . Import from many source materials. These include images, videos, and PPTs for rich and dynamic presentations.
• Wide Range of Fonts . Access a wide range of font resources to personalize your content and enhance visual appeal.
• Enhanced Aesthetics. Apply beautification effects to elevate the visual quality of your presentations.
• AI Keying . Remove the background from your video feed so you can appear in front of any background you choose. Simultaneously, it allows you to pick color. It's ideal for virtual presentations or live streams.
• Integration Flexibility. Integrate with popular conferencing and live broadcasting platforms like Zoom and Google Meet.
• Teleprompter Control. Customize your teleprompter with adjustable window size, font settings, color, size, and transparency for smooth scrolling playback.
• Noise Reduction . Improve audio quality with noise reduction features for clear and professional sound.
• Filter Effects . Enhance your presentation's visual impact with a variety of filter effects to suit your style and message.

The Bottom Line

Presenting effective English PPT topics is vital in education, business, and beyond. The curated list of the best 12 presentation topics in English caters to a range of interests and needs. Whether delivering 5-minute talks or tackling issues in education, the workplace, or the environment, selecting the right topic is key.

To streamline your topics for PPT presentation in English , check out Wondershare Presentory. It's a presentation tool that enhances content delivery. The tool integrates visuals and narrative, empowering you to engage your audience. By presenting topics in English , you can unlock opportunities for success in various aspects of your personal and professional life.

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Student presentations

In this article I would like to give you a few tips and some advice on what I've learned from helping students prepare and deliver presentations.

• Why I get students to do presentations
• Syllabus fit
• Planning a presentation lesson
• Classroom Management

Why I get students to do presentations Presentations are a great way to have students practise all language systems areas (vocabulary, grammar, discourse and phonology) and skills (speaking, reading, writing and listening). They also build confidence, and presenting is a skill that most people will need in the world of work. I find that students who are good presenters are better communicators all round, since they are able to structure and express their ideas clearly.

• Presentation skills are extremely useful both in and outside the classroom. After completing a project, a presentation is a channel for students to share with others what they have learned. It is also a chance to challenge and expand on their understanding of the topic by having others ask questions. And in the world of work, a confident presenter is able to inform and persuade colleagues effectively.
• Presentations can also form a natural part of task based learning. By focussing on a particular language point or skill, the presentation is a very practical way to revise and extend book, pair and group work. The audience can also be set a task, for example, a set of questions to answer on the presentation, which is a way of getting students to listen to each other.

Syllabus fit Normally the presentation will come towards the end of a lesson or series of lessons that focus on a particular language or skill area. It is a type of freer practice. This is because the students need to feel relatively confident about what they are doing before they stand up and do it in front of other people. If I have been teaching the past simple plus time phrases to tell a story, for example, I give my students plenty of controlled and semi controlled practice activities, such as gapfills, drills and information swaps before I ask them to present on, say, an important event in their country's history, which involves much freer use of the target grammar point.

Planning a presentation lesson Normally a presentation lesson will have an outline like this:

• Revision of key language areas
• Example presentation, which could be from a textbook or given by the teacher
• Students are given a transcript or outline of the presentation
• Students identify key stages of the example presentation – greeting, introduction, main points in order of importance, conclusion
• Focus on linking and signalling words ('Next…', 'Now I'd like you to look at…', etc.). Students underline these in the transcript/place them in the correct order
• Students are put into small groups and write down aims
• Students then write down key points which they order, as in the example
• Students decide who is going to say what and how
• Students prepare visuals (keep the time for this limited as too many visuals become distracting)
• Students practise at their tables
• Students deliver the presentations in front of the class, with the audience having an observation task to complete (see 'Assessment' below)
• The teacher takes notes for feedback later

It is important that the students plan and deliver the presentations in groups at first, unless they are extremely confident and/or fluent. This is because:

• Shy students cannot present alone
• Students can support each other before, during and after the presentation
• Getting ready for the presentation is a practice task in itself
• When you have a large class, it takes a very long time for everyone to present individually!

I find it's a good idea to spend time training students in setting clear aims. It is also important that as teachers we think clearly about why we are asking students to present.

Aims Presentations normally have one or more of the following aims:

• To inform/ raise awareness of an important issue
• To persuade people to do something
• Form part of an exam, demonstrating public speaking/presentation skills in a first or second language

I set students a task where they answer these questions:

• Why are you making the presentation?
• What do you want people to learn?
• How are you going to make it interesting?

Let's say I want to tell people about volcanoes. I want people to know about why volcanoes form and why they erupt. This would be an informative/awareness-raising presentation. So by the end, everyone should know something new about volcanoes, and they should be able to tell others about them. My plan might look like this:

• Introduction - what is a volcano? (2 minutes)
• Types of volcano (5 minutes)
• Volcanoes around the world (2 minutes)
• My favourite volcano (2 minutes)
• Conclusion (2-3 minutes)
• Questions (2 minutes)

Classroom Management I find that presentation lessons pass very quickly, due the large amount of preparation involved. With a class of 20 students, it will probably take at least 3 hours. With feedback and follow-up tasks, it can last even longer. I try to put students into groups of 3 or 4 with classes of up to 20 students, and larger groups of 5 or 6 with classes up to 40. If you have a class larger than 40, it would be a good idea to do the presentation in a hall or even outside.

Classroom management can become difficult during a presentations lesson, especially during the final presenting stage, as the presenters are partly responsible for managing the class! There are a few points I find effective here:

• Training students to stand near people who are chatting and talk 'through' the chatter, by demonstration
• Training students to stop talking if chatter continues, again by demonstration
• Asking for the audience's attention ('Can I have your attention please?')
• Setting the audience an observation task, which is also assessed by the teacher
• Limiting the amount of time spent preparing visuals
• Arranging furniture so everyone is facing the front

Most of these points are self-explanatory, but I will cover the observation task in more detail in the next section, which deals with assessment. 

Assessment The teacher needs to carefully consider the assessment criteria, so that s/he can give meaningful feedback. I usually run through a checklist that covers:

• Level - I can't expect Elementary students to use a wide range of tenses or vocabulary, for example, but I'd expect Advanced students to have clear pronunciation and to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammar
• Age - Younger learners do not (normally) have the maturity or general knowledge of adults, and the teacher's expectations need to reflect this
• Needs - What kind of students are they? Business English students need to have much more sophisticated communication skills than others. Students who are preparing for an exam need to practise the skills that will be assessed in the exam.

I write a list of language related points I'm looking for. This covers:

• Range / accuracy of vocabulary
• Range / accuracy of grammar
• Presentation / discourse management- is it well structured? What linking words are used and how?
• Use of visuals- Do they help or hinder the presentation?
• Paralinguistic features

'Paralinguistics' refers to non-verbal communication. This is important in a presentation because eye contact, directing your voice to all parts of the room, using pitch and tone to keep attention and so on are all part of engaging an audience.

I find it's a good idea to let students in on the assessment process by setting them a peer observation task. The simplest way to do this is to write a checklist that relates to the aims of the lesson. A task for presentations on major historical events might have a checklist like this:

• Does the presenter greet the audience? YES/NO
• Does the presenter use the past tense? YES/NO

And so on. This normally helps me to keep all members of the audience awake. To be really sure, though, I include a question that involves personal response to the presentation such as 'What did you like about this presentation and why?'. If working with young learners, it's a good idea to tell them you will look at their answers to the observation task. Otherwise they might simply tick random answers!

Conclusion Presentations are a great way to practise a wide range of skills and to build the general confidence of your students. Due to problems with timing, I would recommend one lesson per term, building confidence bit by bit throughout the year. In a school curriculum this leaves time to get through the core syllabus and prepare for exams.

Presentations - Adult students

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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. 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!
• The Best Lesson I Have Learned
• Paperbacks vs E-books
• How to Tackle a Bad Habit
• My Favorite Pastime/Hobby
• Why should every citizen vote?
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Is it real or not?
• Importance of Reading
• Importance of Books in Our Life
• My Favorite Fictional Character
• Introverts vs Extroverts
• Lessons to Learn from Sports
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Quick Read: English Speaking Books

Quick Read: Essay on Peer Pressure

Quick Read: Essay on Health and Fitness for Students

• I mportance of Kindness
• Is there Value in Homework?
• Things I learned in Lockdown
• How can food be recycled?
• Should Art be a part of the school curriculum?
• Should schools teach sign language?
• Women make better presidents/prime ministers
• Why books are better than movies?
• Life was better when technology was simple
• Impact of technology on our health
• Should children’s reality shows be banned?
• Learning in the Wake of COVID-19
• Hard Work vs Smart Work
• What Makes Learning Fun?
• The Coolest Inventions You’ve Seen
• Nuclear Energy
• Importance of AI in Education
• Importance of Extracurricular Activities
• Should exams be banned?
• How to Tackle Bullying in Schools?

• Speech about dreams
• Speech about life
• Speech on time
• Speech on discipline
• Speech on happiness
• Speech on kindness
• Speech on value of time
• Speech on health and fitness
• Speech on Doctor
• Speech on Nurse
• Graduation Day Speech
• World Health Day Speech
• Sex Education Speech
• Importance of Education
• Is it beneficial to learn a Second Language?
• Music has healing power
• Success in life
• Self Confidence
• 18th birthday
• Love is more powerful than hate
• Social Impact of Covid-19
• How can Online Learning be Fun?
• Make Public Transport Free
• Should violent video games be banned?
• Speech on Learning

Exploring English Speech Topics? You must also take a look at Extempore Topics !

• Climate Change
• Ozone Layer Depletion
• Reducing Water Levels
• Deforestation
• Global Warming
• Waste Management
• Water-Saving Techniques
• Reducing the Green Cover of Earth
• Endangered species need protection
• Importance of fishing regulations
• Importance of investing in alternative fuels
• Impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms
• The misuse of the term “sustainable development” by environmentalists
• Microbial benefits
• E-Waste Management
• Natural Disasters and their impact on economic growth
• Energy alternatives – Only solution to the environmental damage
• Extinction of rare species
• World Environment Day
• Disaster Management
• Over and Improper Use of Natural Resources
• Air, Water and Soil Pollution
• Efficiency of Recycling

Also Read: How to Write Dialogue: Format, Tips and Examples

• Technology and Mental Health
• Privacy in the Digital Age: Navigating the Challenges of Data Collection and Surveillance
• The Impact of Technology on Society
• Artificial Intelligence: The New Normal
• The Role of Social Media in Communication and Social Interactions
• Sustainable Technology: Innovations for a Greener Future
• The Rise of E-commerce
• Gaming Technology: Entertainment, ESports and Interactive Experiences
• The Digital Divide: Bridging the Gap for Equal Access to Technology
• The Ethical Dilemmas of Emerging Technologies

Also Read: English Vocabulary: Meaning, Types, Tips to Improve

• The Journey of Independence Day
• The Significance of Independence Day
• Indian Independence Day
• Remembering the Founding Fathers
• The Spirit of Independence
• Independence Day and Volunteering
• Independence Day Speeches
• India’s Road to Freedom
• Independence Day and National Identity
• Independence Day in the Digital Age
• Independence Day and Women’s Empowerment
• Diwali: The Festival of Lights and Its Significance in Hindu Culture
• Diwali and the Victory of Good Over Evil
• Diwali and the Art of Giving
• Diwali and the Spirit of Forgiveness
• Diwali and Cultural Exchanges
• Diwali and the Essence of Joy
• Diwali and Social Responsibility
• Diwali and Artistic Expressions
• The Rituals and Traditions of Diwali
• Diwali and the Symbolism of Light
• The Economic Consequence of Corruption
• Corruption and International Aid
• Media and Corruption
• Fighting Corruption
• Corruption in Politics
• The Role of Transparency and Accountability in Curbing Corruption
• The Role of Technology in Combating Corruption
• Whistleblowing and Protecting Mechanism
• Corruption in Business and Corporate Practices
• Understanding Feminism
• The Future of Feminism
• Feminism and Parenting
• Feminism and Online Activism
• Feminism and Environmental Activism
• Feminism and Reproductive Rights
• The Gender Pay Gap: Examining Inequalities in the Workplace
• Feminism and its Evolution
• Feminism and Body Positivity
• Feminism and Media Representation: Encouraging Authentic and Diverse Portrayals of Women
• Expressing Gratitude and Love to Mothers
• The Influence of Mothers in Shaping Our Values and Beliefs
• Motherhood and Education
• Mother’s Day and Volunteerism
• Mother-Daughter Relationship
• The Role of Mothers in Shaping Society
• Mother’s Day Crafts and DIY Gifts
• Learned Lessons from Mothers
• Mother’s Day Around the World: Cultural Traditions and Celebrations
• Capitalism: An Introduction to the Economic System and its Principles
• The Future of Capitalism
• Pros and Cons of Capitalism
• Capitalism and Globalisation
• Capitalism and Consumerism
• Capitalism and Financial Crisis: Undertaking the Risk and Mitigation Measures
• Capitalism and Environmental Sustainability
• Capitalism and the Role of Government
• Corporate Social Responsibility in Capitalism
• Capitalism and the Digital Economy
• Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation and His Ideals
• Remembering Gandhi: Reflecting On His Life and Legacy
• Gandhi’s Influence on the Indian Independence Movement
• Satyagraha: The Power of Truth and Nonviolent Resistance
• Gandhi’s Philosophy of Swaraj
• The Role of Women in Gandhi’s Freedom Struggle
• Gandhi’s Teaching on Education and Moral Values
• Gandhi’s Lasting Legacy
• Gandhi’s Vision for a Just and Inclusive Society
• The Relevance of Gandhi’s Principles in Today’s World
• The Influence of Reading on Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
• Reading and Mental Health
• Benefits of Reading
• Reading and Empowerment
• The Role of Reading in Academic Success and Lifelong Learning
• Promoting a Reading Culture: Encouraging Reading Habits in Society
• Reading Biographies and Memoirs
• Reading and Social Connections
• The Joy of Reading: Escaping Into the Different Worlds and Characters
• Reading and Personal Identity
• The Current State of Communism
• Communism: An Introduction to the Ideology and Its Historical Context
• The Evolution of Communist Movements
• The Role of the State in a Communist Society
• The Fall of Communist Regimes
• Communism and Religious Freedom
• Communism and Gender Equality
• Communism and Workers’ Rights
• The Criticisms of Communism
• Deforestation: Causes, Consequences and Global Impact
• Deforestation and Climate Change
• Deforestation and Carbon Sequestration
• Deforestation and Individual Actions
• Deforestation and Wildlife Trafficking
• Deforestation and Sustainable Development
• Deforestation and Indigenous Communities
• Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss
• Deforestation and Forest Fires
• The Importance of Forests

Quick Read: Speech on Nuclear Energy

• Women Empowerment
• Education of Girl Child
• Unemployment
• Casteism 
• Reservation
• Importance of Maintaining Hygiene
• Child Labour
• Social Distancing
• Organ Donation
• Importance of the Right to Education
• Child Trafficking
• Cultural Diversity
• Struggles of Immigrants
• Impact of Globalisation
• Adult education
• Independence Day
• Mother’s Day
• World Cancer Day
• World Population Day
• World Health Day
• Ambedkar Jayanti
• Gandhi Jayanti
• Human Rights Day
• Zero Discrimination Day
• Women’s Day
• Thanksgiving
• Anti-Terrorism Day
• Hindi Diwas 

Check out this list of all the important national and international days in 202 4 !

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Raja Rammohan Roy
• George Washington
• Albert Einstein
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Nelson Mandela
• Kailash Satyarthi
• Diversity in India
• Speech on Holi
• The Role of Yoga and Meditation in Indian Culture and Its Global Impact
• The Importance of Traditional Indian Clothing
• Indian Folklore
• Indian Festivals
• The Art of Indian Dance
• Traditional Indian Medicine (Ayurveda)
• Indian Epics and Mythology
• Social Customs and Etiquettes in Indian Society
• Indian Sports and Games

Also Read: Speech on Indian Culture

• Honesty is the best policy
• When there’s a will, there is a way
• Actions speak louder than words
• Knowledge is Power
• Ignorance is Bliss
• Don’t judge a book by its cover
• Hard work is the key to success

Explore these proverbs & their meanings through this blog on Difficult Phrases !

• The Role of International Organisations in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Milestone in Human History
• Gender Equality: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Women
• Ensuring a Safe and Sustainable Environment for the Next Generation
• The Right to Education: Empowering Minds
• Bridging the Gap Between the Rich and Poor
• Human Rights and Armed Conflicts
• Global Fight to Combat Human Trafficking
• Human Rights and Climate Change
• Religious Freedom: Tolerance and Coexistence in a Diverse Society

To know what to mention in such speech topics, explore the Great Personalities in the World !

• Importance of teacher in your life
• SAT scores for college application
• Student bullies should be expelled
• Consequences of cheating in exams
• Homeschooling is better than normal schooling
• Importance of value education
• Importance of sports and physical exercises
• Schools vs colleges
• What is the difference between a school, college and university in the USA?

Check Out: Synonyms List

• The Water-Energy Nexus
• The Essence of Water: Exploring the Live-giving Properties of H2O
• Water as a Driver of Economic Growth and Prosperity
• Water Security: Ensuring Equal Access and Quality for All
• Water and Agriculture
• The Role of Water in Ecosystems
• Water and Blue Economy
• Water Diplomacy: Promoting Collaboration for Transboundary Water Management
• Water and Cultural Significance: Exploring Symbolisms and Rituals
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): Foundational for Human Health and Dignity
• Article 370
• Women rights
• The Constitution of India
• Youth of India
• Culture of India
• Importance of Unity
• Generation Gap
• Importance of Value Education
• Old Age Homes
• Family Values
• Leadership skills
• Rise of Smart Classes
• Grading System
• Importance of Practical Education
• Benefits of Co-Education
• Importance of Co-Curricular Activities
• The uselessness of Power-Point Presentations
• Rise of Technology
• Excessive usage of the Internet
• Speech on Fear
• Speech on Dependence on Technology
• Importance of Social Media
• Speech on India of My Dreams
• Indian Education System
• Speech on My India

While exploring persuasive English speech topics, you must make sure that they are stimulating, engaging, concise and clear. There are three main types of Persuasive Speech topics which are:

1. Factual Persuasive Speech : These topics include facts, figures and statistics to thoroughly analyse the given topic and assess whether it’s true or false.

2. Policy Persuasive Speech : Discussing policies, laws and reforms, these speech topics critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the given policy or law and suggest the improvements that can be made.

3. Value Persuasive Speech : Mainly focusing on social or political issues, these speech topics present the critique and argument of whether certain actions are morally right or not.

While speaking on a particular topic, there are certain things that you must keep in mind to make your speech expressive and effective. Let’s take a look at some useful topics that help you in acing any topic you are speaking on.

• Always research the topic. If you are participating in an extempore, then make sure to go through the common and popular topics as well as the unconventional ones that you might get. Preparation is the key to delivering an impressive speech.
• Whether you are given a topic on the spot or you are prepared for the speech, it is always pivotal that you seem interested in speaking about it. Relate the given issues to your own life and this will help you in giving it your twist.
• Pay extra attention to your body language and enunciation. While a gesticulative approach will make you seem outward, having timid body language can cause a wrong impression.
• Ponder upon the different viewpoints on a topic . Try to present a holistic view of the given topic but don’t forget to present your opinion on it as well. Along with this, don’t try to take sides unless the topic demands you to.
• Involve your audience, if possible. This way, you will be able to interact with the people and it will also be useful in fighting the fear of public speaking.
• Don’t mug up a speech. It becomes evident when someone just speaks on a topic continuously and the audience might realise that you have memorized it or you might forget a certain part which will let the whole speech fade away from your brain.
• Instead, make notes about the topic in your mind, remember certain keywords and try to maintain a particular flow in your speech.
• Incorporate humour in your speech in a way that you do not offend anyone or overdo it but get a positive reaction from the audience. Humour is a great way of lightening the mood as well as ensuring the whole speech is interactive and engaging.
• When you need more specialized assistance, a  US essay writing service  can be a valuable resource for crafting your speech.

While preparing for English Speech topics, you must also check out IELTS Speaking Topics !

Juvenile delinquency is acceptable. Prostitution should be legal. Underage driving should be punishable by law. Beauty pageants for children should be banned. Prisoner’s right to vote. Voting rights should not be universal. Guns should be banned from college campuses.

A three-minute speech is undoubtedly a wonderful starting point for public speaking. This is because you need to communicate with your audience more effectively when you just have a short amount of time. In addition, the speech ought to be concise, pertinent, and clear.

Life is the gift of God in the form of trust that we will make it meaningful in whatever we can. We are all unique individuals. No one is born like you and no one will ever be, so cherish your individuality. Many times, I come across people accusing God of things that they don’t have. They always cursing their lives.

 2-minute speeches are  short and crisp speeches of about 260-350 words .

Related Reads

Thus, we hope that this list helps you in preparing for different English speech topics. Gearing up for IELTS ? Sign up for an online demo session with our experts at Leverage Edu and we will assist you in preparing for its different sections as well as improving your reading, listening, speaking and writing skills to ensure that you ace the exam with flying colours!

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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!

You people are giving great contribution in internet learning and it is for all….

Hi, thank you for your valuable feedback.

Awesome! Its really awesome article, I have got much clear idea concerning from this post.

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101 Prepared Speech Topics for All Levels

Whether you are giving a speech for a class, a job interview, or a special occasion, having some prepared speech topics in mind can help you to deliver a successful presentation. In this article, we will provide some ideas for different topics that you can use for your prepared speech. We’ll also discuss how to craft an effective and engaging speech. Read on to learn more about prepared speech topics to help you create a memorable presentation.

• The Benefits of Exercise and Physical Fitness
• The Importance of a Healthy Diet
• The Power of Positive Thinking
• Overcoming Procrastination and Time Management Strategies
• The Art of Effective Communication
• The Role of Education in Success
• The Impact of Technology on Society
• Importance of Environmental Conservation
• Benefits of Travel and Cultural Exchange
• Role of Leadership in Building a Strong Community
• The Benefits of Volunteering
• The Power of Goal Setting and Achievement
• History of Chocolate
• Impact of Social Media on Modern Communication
• Role of Education in Personal and Professional Development
• The Importance of Mental Health
• The Future of Technology: Opportunities and Challenges
• The Benefits of Traveling
• Power of Positive Thinking
• Overcoming Adversity: Lessons from Successful People
• Sustainability and the Environment: Why It Matters
• The Science of Happiness: What Makes Us Happy and How to Cultivate It
• The Power of Nonverbal Communication
• How Body Language Affects Our Interactions
• The Art of Persuasion
• Techniques for Influencing Others
• Challenges and Rewards of Entrepreneurship
• Impact of Stress on Health and Well-being
• The Future of Work
• How Technology is Changing the Way We Do Business
• Role of Education in Promoting Social Justice
• Impact of Climate Change on the Environment and Society
• The History and Culture of a Particular Country or Region
• Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace and Society
• The Psychology of Decision-Making: How Our Brain Makes Choices
• Role of Creativity in Personal and Professional Success
• The Power of Networking
• Building and Maintaining Professional Relationships
• The Impact of Social Media on Politics and Elections
• Benefits of Learning a Second Language
• The History and Evolution of the Music Industry
• Benefits of Plant-Based Diets for Health and the Environment
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society and the Workplace
• The Importance of Self-Care
• Strategies for Maintaining Physical and Mental Health
• Role of Parenting in Childhood Development and Success
• Future of Transportation
• How Technology is Changing the Way We Move
• Benefits of Volunteering and Giving Back to the Community
• The Science of Learning
• Strategies for Improving Memory and Retention
• The History and Culture of a Specific City or Region
• Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Success
• The Impact of Pop Culture on Society and the Arts
• Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation
• History and Evolution of the Internet
• The Benefits of Reading
• Why It’s Important and How to Make Time for It
• The Science of Happiness
• Strategies for Increasing Joy and Fulfillment in Life
• The Benefits of Sustainable Living: How to Protect the Environment and Our Future
• The Benefits of Plant-Based Diets for Health and the Environment
• The Future of Healthcare
• How Technology is Changing Medicine
• The Benefits of a Healthy Work-Life Balance
• Role of Leadership in Building and Maintaining Successful Teams
• Impact of Technology on Education: Opportunities and Challenges
• Benefits of Travel for Personal and Professional Development
• The Science of Stress
• Understanding and Coping with Stressful Situations
• The Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet for the Environment and Animal Welfare
• The Role of Communication in Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
• The Future of Energy
• Renewable Energy Sources and Their Impact on the Environment
• The Science of Motivation
• Understanding and Cultivating Motivation in Yourself and Others
• The Benefits of Time Management:
• Strategies for Increasing Productivity and Reducing Stress
• The Benefits of a Multicultural Education
• The Science of Happiness: How Our Brains Process and Respond to Positive Emotions
• The History and Evolution of the Fashion Industry
• The Benefits of Learning a Second Language
• The History and Significance of Civil Rights Movements
• The Importance of Environmental Conservation and Sustainability
• The Role of Education in Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
• The Challenges and Rewards of Entrepreneurship
• The Benefits and Drawbacks of Online Education
• The Role of Art in Promoting Social Change
• The Importance of Financial Literacy and Planning
• The Impact of Immigration on the Economy and Society
• The Effects of the Internet on Privacy and Security
• The History and Significance of Human Rights Movements
• The Benefits and Drawbacks of AI and Automation
• The Role of the Media in Shaping Public Opinion
• The Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Media on Political Discourse

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the topics listed in this article are just a small sampling of the many topics that can be used for prepared speeches. Whether you are giving a presentation for school, work, or a public speaking event, it is important to choose a topic that is meaningful and relevant to your audience. 

Related Posts:

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.

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.

Presentation Topic Ideas for Industry Insights

• How new AI technologies are changing the industry: 5 examples
• Six key trends and industry forecasts for the future
• How to overcome these 10 challenges to succeed?
• Measuring and optimizing organizational marketing efforts using AI
• Using predictive analytics to extract key marketing insights
• 13 strategies to increase customer loyalty and retention
• Improve your online visibility and traffic: 15 tips from LinkedIn gurus
• Seven ways to create engaging video content for your company
• Five ways for businesses to create a strong social media presence
• Which social media channels are best for your brand?
• Is AI revolutionizing the retail industry?
• Digital learning and the future of traditional learning systems

Presentation Topic Ideas for Digital Marketing

• The next big thing in digital marketing unlocked
• The art of storytelling in marketing: 23 businesses that kill it
• Benefits of cross-channel marketing for software development companies
• Voice search and its impact on digital marketing in 2024
• Maximizing ROI for your startup marketing: 3 underestimated tactics
• Changes in consumer behavior: Reasons and implications
• Importance of personalization in digital marketing
• 10 Emerging marketing trends and technologies
• Designing an effective mobile strategy for your business
• Importance of infographics in content marketing: HubSpot’s case study
• Creating effective marketing funnels for health products
• The power of user-generated content for companies

Presentation Topic Ideas for AI

• Six top stories about AI in 2023
• Five weird, but true, facts about AI
• What these three business experts are saying about AI
• Three shocking ways AI can make you a better marketer
• The dark side of AI
• Why has Elon Musk called to pause new AI research?
• Five AI tools every marketer needs
• AI and Big Data: Changing the landscape of modern business
• Which jobs will AI actually replace?
• Why does Bill Gates love AI?
• AI in human resources: Recruiting and talent management
• The Ethics of AI: Balancing business interests and societal impacts

Presentation Topic Ideas for Sales

• Cold calls: Unethical tactics and grey areas
• Sales: Expectations vs. Reality
• Sales prospecting made simpler with AI
• Sales calls: Do’s, Don’ts, and Musts
• Six sales strategies you need to throw out the window
• Five skills every salesperson needs to develop
• Building long-lasting relationships with customers using these three tried and tested methods
• Dealing with rejections: Five ways and one bonus tip
• Patient waiting and seven ways to deal with it
• 13 effective sales strategies for building relationships and closing deals
• Developing effective sales training programs for new employees
• 20 effective sales communication strategies

Presentation Topic Ideas for Time Management

• How to achieve an ideal work-life balance for remote workers
• How much time should you ideally spend networking on LinkedIn?
• How to effectively delegate tasks
• Buy back your time: Ways and benefits
• Six business principles of time management
• How to effectively plan ahead? Three practices you can start today
• 15 ways to improve personal efficiency and productivity
• The five steps of the Pomodoro Technique
• Goal setting and prioritization: For IT start-ups
• Nine best multitasking strategies of insanely successful businessmen
• Time management for busy professionals: Where to start?
• Eight ways to avoid procrastination you can start with tomorrow

Presentation Topic Ideas for IT

• Advantages and risks of adopting cloud software
• Open-source software: seven best practices
• Machine learning: Pros and cons for marketing
• How to create user-friendly interfaces for software and websites
• The role of IT in digital transformation
• The Internet of Things: five opportunities for businesses and consumers
• Six ways to protect your digital assets
• Seven benefits and three risks of moving to the cloud
• How does Big Data work?
• Best strategies to protect organizational data: five tried and tested techniques
• Technology and its impact on society and culture
• Mobile device management: Where to start?

Presentation Topics Ideas for Business

• Optimizing collaborations to save time across all departments
• Eight time management tools and apps for businesses
• 12 common skills of successful businessmen
• 10 tips and techniques for a successful marketing strategy
• Harnessing the power of influencer marketing
• Allocating a marketing budget to maximize ROI in five steps
• Five manufacturing techniques to minimize costs
• Understanding ethical issues in business and marketing
• 10 ways to minimize your company’s carbon footprint
• Three old business models making a comeback
• Seven ways Google developed a strong company culture
• 12 strategies for building a sustainable and responsible business in 2023

The best presentation topics always put their audience first, offer direct solutions, and fill in some knowledge gaps. But there’s more.

Don’t think of your presentation as a mere speech — it’s a ride you’ll take your audience on. There should be highs, lows, and revelations with a bang for an ending.

That being said, use these five tips to ace your presentation.

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!

Don't forget to share this post!

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Like what you're reading?

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

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

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. 

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.

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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15 Speaking Projects And Activities For ESL Students

I don’t think I am sticking my neck out too much by saying that most ESL students enjoy speaking activities more than typical reading, writing and listening activities. Tending to be more dynamic, true to life and fun, a good speaking activity can really enhance an ESL student’s fluency and confidence.

Here, I am going to offer you a series of ESL speaking projects that you can adapt and use for your ESL students. Let’s go:

Infomercial Activities

This is one of my favorite speaking projects by far. Show students some typical adverts from a shopping channel; I like to show some of the funnier products just for giggles and to encourage students minds to wander, take a look at this compilation to see what I mean.

Next, I ask students usually in pairs to come up with their own completely original product to sell on an infomercial. If students struggle to come up with a completely new product you can suggest they add a new twist to arnold product, or make a new product based on a combination of two or more others.

For example, in the past I have had: microwave televisions, hair dryers that double as vacuum cleaners and laptops that double as portable stoves.

I tend to also do a language lesson based around the language of selling and persuasion so that when students make their infomercial they will send realistic and they often like to know some of the sales phrases, tactics and strategies that are used in real life.

Just for fun, you can tell students that they have a certain amount of money to spend and after they have seen all the infomercials they get to spend it. Sales can be recorded and you can see which idea/pair has made the most money and are the winner!

Presentations

Give students a presentation of a topic of your choosing, perhaps your own hobby and model the format and language that you want the students to use.

I tend to share slides with the student with the title of each slide already inserted. Students then have to fill the space with suitable information for that slide.

So, for example, if I wanted my students to present their own hobbies then I would probably have six slides titled with questions:

What is my favorite hobby? Why did I start this hobby? What have I achieved doing this hobby? Who do I do this hobby with? What will I do next in this hobby? Other interesting info about my hobby.

Students then fill the slides full of pictures that relate to the question and then they talk about these to the group and answer questions.

Some students always want to write out a script for a presentation which I let them do on the understanding that they can’t actually read it when they present. I allow them to write it out just so they can build up some confidence in what they are going to say and check the language accuracy of it. 

I do usually place sentence starters and linking words on posters behind the audience so that the presenter always has some support if needs be.

Of course, this could also be done as a recorded video task. I sometimes ask students to record a voice over on top of the slides. This can then be converted into a video format for sharing later.

A few other simple presentation topic titles for ESL students that could be used are: My Best Friend, Who Am I?, My Pets, My Future Career, My Family, The Last Celebration I want to, Why I am a fan of __________ (insert name of whatever they are a fan of).

At this point you might also want to read one of my popular article about how to make your students speak English , here

Hot Seat ing

Become an expert – As it sounds. Students spent a certain amount of time researching a topic that either they choose or that is given to them. They are then to become that character and the rest of the group has to ask them questions to find out as much as they can about them in a set amount of time.

You can award points for correct questions being asked and for grammatically correct sentences in response. Personally I like to do this at the beginning of a new topic and direct students to research different famous people.

For example, if we are going to be covering the topic of Travel as in the IGCSE ESL then I have students research characters, such as: Dr Livingstone, Joe Simpson, Ernest Shackleton, Amelia Earhart, Ranulf Fiennes, and so on. 

I often have students create a mini glossary for their characters as well which other students can refer to as they are quizzing the character.  

This activity is best for intermediate level and above students and even then you may need to provide texts at a suitable level for students to be able to access, otherwise students end up on Wikipedia reading very difficult text.

You can have the group make notes and write summaries of each character for homework if you also wish to work on summary writing skills.

Recommended reading: 15 Research Projects For ESL Students

The Detective Game

For this activity you make up a crime that occurred in a given location, the more gruesome the better and if you can personalise it to your location and environment more the better.

Divide the group into smaller groups of three or four people and then ask them to create their alibis for the morning, afternoon, or evening in question. These people are the suspects.

One group, however, is assigned as being the investigators and they individually quiz different suspects one to one to try and find inconsistencies in their group’s stories. This forces each group to consider exactly what they were doing, where and with whom very carefully and in great detail. 

After interviewing as many members of each group and making notes about inconsistencies between group members the investigators then confer with each other to decide upon which group’ alibi is the most inconsistent. This group are then sent to jail.

Whilst the investigators are discussing this, the suspects discuss which investigator was the best at questioning them and finding out the inconsistencies. The suspects will then announce who this person is, and they earn a promotion. Finally, the investigators announce the losing group which will go to prison.

This ‘game’ has got real legs and could go in so many different directions, so don’t be afraid to improvise and have fun with this one.  

Drama Activities

Acting out a chapter of a book. Pretty much as it sounds. Read through a chapter of a book with students or have them read it for homework before letting groups act out the chapter, or a scene from it.

This works well even if they all act out the same scene as each group will learn from the last and the acting/performance and language should get increasingly better throughout. Alternatively arrange it so that each group acts out the following scene to the last group and so the full story is told.

Storyboard and act out the student’s own story. Rather than act out a book, you could have students plan out a story, or at least part of a story on a storyboard. This can give a greater sense of ownership, achievement and ‘buy in’ from the students.

What happened next. Read the opening of a book and as a ‘cliffhanger is reached’ pause and have students work together to act out the ending of the story or the next scene at least.

This also works well with videos from YouTube, crime videos work well as do Walt Disney cartoons – even with adult learners for some reason!

You might also be interested in reading my helpful article on how to get your students speaking fluently , here.

Mind Map ping

Vocabulary relationships. Engage students in a subject which contains lots of relationships of cause and effect. Basically, you need to pick a topic and analyse what the different factors were that affected the main decision or characters involved.

In the centre of your mind map place the decision or a character that was made and then arrange influencing factors around this. 

The larger the circle each factor is in and the closer it is to the centre of the paper the stronger the influence is. Students then need to explain their mind map and the relationships to the group. Others can question and agree/ disagree with them. 

Topics can range from serious issues from history through to celebrity scandals, or even plots in a movie, such as, why did celebrity couple X and Y get divorced, or why did actor x decide to y in the movie xyz. Obviously, you can let the students self select these issues for greater interest. 

Backs To The Board

A timeless classic not so much a speaking project but this can be developed into a full lesson’s worth of speaking and it works for groups of all sizes. It is excellent for reviewing vocabulary at the end of a project or to see what students know at the beginning of a topic.

Simply split the group into teams of no more than five and have one member of the group come to the front and sit with their back to the board.

The other members of the group form a ‘u’ shape around the person, or, rather than being sat literally against the board groups can be sat at tables with just one student having their back to the board. 

All you then need to do is to write a word on the board and the students facing the board have to get the person not facing the board to say the word without literally telling them the word. They should be encouraged to use definitions, synonyms and examples of the word where possible. 

Depending on numbers, students can just shout out when they think they have the answer, or with large groups I make the students raise their hand if they think they have the answer.

The danger with debates is that to the teacher they may seem boring, or at least they do to me but have to remind myself that just because I have done the debates dozens of times, they haven’t and even the most overdone/boring sounding debates may go down like fireworks with some groups.

With that in mind here are a few of the more traditional/boring debates for your students to get their teeth into:

Which is better, country life or city life?

Should animal testing be allowed?

Should school uniforms be gotten rid of

Are cats better than dogs?

Should women be paid as much as men?

Online learning is better than classroom learning

Does money equal success in life?

I also like to see if there is something going on in the students view of the world that is worth debating. For example, in Thailand the debate over whether Korean pop music is better than Thai pop music is a popular one. 

I have had colleagues dive into debates about serious political topics with higher level students which have worked really well.

However, some topics are just too hot to handle and you don’t know who you are upsetting so be careful what topics you do debate, you never know who is listening, or who is going to offense at any of your personal views that you may let slip!

Here is a good resource for more ESL debate ideas .

Book And Movie Review s

This is pretty much as it sounds. I like to set a reading task for students over a holiday break and when they return they have to submit a video review of the book or movie they watched/read. 

I usually show them a good movie review for ideas and ask them to follow the same format. Something like this review of Kung Fu Panda . This goes along the lines of: background information, main characters, plot explanation, favorite moments, final recommendation.

I’ve also done this with higher level groups for documentaries but with enough support and speaking frames pre intermediate students can engage well with this activity.

Conversation Question s

Don’t underestimate the value of pure lists of conversation questions. Students are often happy to just ‘have a chat’ and use the English that they do know.

It is great for their confidence and fluency, as well as requiring zero lesson prep, which is always a nice thing. Just be sure to rotate speaking partners to avoid students getting bored with the same partners and used to different accents.

Sometimes, depending on ability and interest levels I will teach three or four idioms at the beginning of the lesson and set the task of trying to naturally drop them into conversation later on.

There are lot of good sources of conversation questions, here are a couple: eslconversationquestions.com and esldiscussions.com .

ESL Exam Preparation Material

Some students are hugely motivated by doing well in exams such as the IELTS test, and IGCSE ESL speaking tests. Exam boards for tests such as these produce a plethora of practise material that is often available for free online and ready to be use.

My students particularly enjoy the IELTS speaking part 2 task where they are required to speak about a given topic and are given three bullet points to talk about. They are given one minute to prepare their ideas before they have to speak on their own for two minutes. 

If you think your students might enjoy this then here are some good sources of free IELTS style questions: IELTS IDP and ielts-exam.net , and for IGCSE ESL speaking questions check out the role play paper here.

The added bonus of these activities is that there is always a grading criteria ready to be used so you can grade students and give them real reasons why they scored a certain level and what they need to do to score higher in the future.

Here are the IELTS speaking criteria for example which clearly spells out what is expected of students at different levels.

Finger Puppet Shows

One really good way to get shy students speaking I have found to introduce sock puppets. As silly as it sounds, there is something about using a puppet that takes away the pressure on the speaker and frees them up to speak.

Whether it is the element of hilarity of  speaking sock or the fact that people are generally looking at the sock rather than the person it seems to work well.

Depending on the ability level I will either give pairs of students scripts to act out with puppets. They can introduce their own props as well to make it even more funny. Alternatively, I will do this as an improv.

I will read out a situation, for example, one of you has lost their passport at the airport. Then the students have to act out this scenes as best as they can.

Switch partners and introduce more situations and watch the energy level of the room pick up!

By the end of the lesson you may well notice previously shy students speaking confidently with other students having been drawn into the magic of sock puppets! A great little speaking project.

Role Plays With Idioms

I use this lesson pattern quite regularly and it works well. I start off with student matching idioms to meanings and then to example sentences with the idioms missing.

After going through these answers and doing any teaching necessary to aid understanding I will then hand out a dialogue but with all the sentences jumbled up.

Students then have to unjumble the conversation which contains one or more of the idioms being used in a natural way. Next, they read the dialogue through taking different roles each and then doing the dialogue again without looking at the words.

Next, students are given the task of creating their own dialogues using at least one of the idioms in an appropriate way. Students write out the dialogues, rehearse them and then act them out for the group.

You can also do this with phrasal verbs but either way it works out well and the routine can be used again when you are a bit short of material or are having a hangover day!

Barrier Activities

One favourite of mine that never fails to stimulate plenty of language use is to simply create your own barrier exercise. I like to get a nice chunky newspaper article related to what we are learning and then go through each paragraph and remove key details, such as: names, dates, place names, times, location etcetera…

I create two versions of this, the first one will have words missing from odd number paragraphs and the second copy will have words missing from even number paragraphs.

This prevents it from becoming confusing and make sure to keep one master version with no details missing and if you have time highlight the missing words in red so it is easy for students to check later.

Once the missing word copies are ready you can divide the class into two halves distributing sheet A to one half and sheet B to the other half. Allow them to work in groups at this point to work out what questions they need to ask the other half of the group in order to get the missing details filled in.

If you think this will be too difficult for them you can provide the questions in a jumbled up format so they have to rearrange them to make the questions,, or even give them the questions but they have to work out the order in which to ask them to correspond to the paragraph order.

After this preparation period students can then pair up with someone from the opposite half of the group to take turns asking and answering each other’s questions.

Make sure that students do not show each other their articles and simply just sit and copy the answers, clearly this simply defeats the whale point of the exercise.

Before starting this I also pre teach any tricky vocabulary that I know is going to come up in the article just to make sure the final questions and answer session goes without too much stopping and starting to ask about vocabulary.

After students have got the answers then you can either display the answers on an overhead projector, or send students back to their original half of the group to see if they have all gotten the same answers.

Jigsaw Reading

This is another easy way to get students involved in the language and speaking. Select a relevant article related to the topic you are studying and chop it up into paragraphs. Hand out A4 paper with a simple one column table with as many boxes as there are paragraphs.

Hand out the paragraphs to the students considering which paragraphs are more difficult and should go to the higher level learners and which are slightly easier and can go to the lower ability students. 

Individually, students now summarise in their own words as far as possible their paragraphs and write the summary in a box in the table. Following this students pair up with students who had a different paragraph and they then read out their summaries whilst the other students make notes of it.

Rotate partners so that everyone can get every paragraph and after the first couple of times students have read their summaries, force students to turn over their paper and explain their paragraph from memory.

After the first couple of goes they should be able to do this and by the time they have explained to everyone in the group they should be reeling off their summary very comfortably.

A Word On Differentiation …

There is a lot of fun to be had for the students in the above activities but it is important to not forget that some students will require more support than others. Just asking students to do a role play with no support may be too much for some. 

Always consider using speaking frames, having sentence starters placed around the room, ‘useful language’ handouts, and always show a clear model of what it is you are expecting the students to produce. 

If you can tick those boxes then your speaking lesson will go that bit more smoothly.

All the best with your ESL speaking projects!

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400+ Language Exchange Topics (organized by language level & theme)

by Marissa Blaszko · February 8, 2021

Once you’ve figured out how to do a language exchange, language exchange topics are going to be incredibly important.

Because your once-a-week Skype or Zoom call with the same person is going to get incredibly boring incredibly fast if all you do is talk about what you did last week, how work is going, and languages.

One of the best language exchange tips I’ve  ever received is to use a menu of conversation exchange topics. But since I do 2-5 language exchanges every week…. I quickly ran out of a lot of smaller (and unorganized) language exchange topics lists online.

So here is the ultimate language exchange topics list ever put together! Hope you enjoy!

Language Exchange Topics hide 1 How to use these language exchange topics (START HERE) 2 Language Exchange Topics 2.1 Life Story 2.2 Communication & The Mail 2.3 Daily Schedule 2.4 Family 2.5 Jobs 2.6 Education 2.7 Language Exchange Topics about… Languages! 2.8 Home Life 2.9 Events & Parties 2.10 Politeness 2.11 History 2.12 Friends and Dating 2.13 Food 2.14 Religion and Politics 2.15 Holidays 2.16 Myths and Paranormal 2.17 Pastimes and Hobbies 2.18 Sports and the Outdoors 2.19 Health and Healthcare 2.20 Climate, Geography, and Urban Life 2.21 Travel and Tourism 2.22 Fashion and Style 2.23 Art and Music 2.24 Books and Literature 2.25 Movies and Shows 2.26 Plants and Animals 2.27 The Internet 2.28 Technology 2.29 Spaces and Physics 2.30 Self-care and Growth 3 Bonus: how to do a language exchange tips

How to use these language exchange topics (START HERE)

Before jumping in, make sure you check out this handy graphic for how to make the most out of this list!

(Also, a huge thanks to my own language exchange partner Ingrid! She was the one who first introduced me to language exchange topics and then helped me create this one. Her creative language blog can be found at SecondHalfTravels.com .)

BEFORE YOU START

• Check on everyone’s language levels to decide which conversation levels you should work with. (TIP: A-level topics will still be fun for C-level learners, but C-level topics will be too advanced for A-level learners.)
• Ask them what they’re interested in. Make sure your language partner(s) is/are interested in and comfortable with the same topics you are.

AS YOU WORK THROUGH THE LANGUAGE EXCHANGE TOPICS

• Split your time 50/50. Doing a 2-language-exchange? Spend the first half in one language and the second in the other.
• Have everyone answer. Doing a group chat? Pick one question, then go in a circle so everyone can answer!
• Try one theme per chat. Between all of our lists, you’ll have enough language exchange topics to get you through a year of weekly exchanges with the same person!

And here are some more tips for building great language exchanges:

This page of language exchange topics is the best to start with! But once you finish it (or if you want to work with a tutor on top of your exchanges), here are some other conversation menues we’ve made!

Language Exchange Topics

These conversation topics are the most basic, but great for getting to know a new language exchange partner!

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• How would you describe yourself in three words (adjectives)?
• Have you ever had a nickname? What was it?
• What gets worse and worse as you get older? What gets better and better?
• What do you like most about your personality?
• What’s the best thing about you?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What was your silliest fear as a child?
• How old were you when you moved away from home? Why?
• Do you think your childhood was better than the average childhood in your country now? Why or why not?
• How old were you when you learned to cook? What motivated you?
• Do you have any siblings? How do you think being the youngest, oldest, middle, or only child affected you?
• How old were you when you got your first job? Why did you get that job?
• What’s one thing that someone has borrowed from you and never given back? Do you miss it?
• How old are people when they start school in your country? What do you think about that?
• How old are people when they get married in your country? What do you think about that?
• When someone retires in your culture, what does that look like now?
• What do you think is the most important thing you’ve done so far in your life? Why do you think it’s the most important?
• What’s the best decision you’ve ever made? Did you almost make a different decision? What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t made it?
• What’s the best piece of advice you ever got?
• What’s one thing you are so incredibly terrible at that you gave up doing it completely? Will you ever try it again?
• What’s one thing you’re incredibly terrible at but you still do anyway?
• What future thing in your life are you looking forward to?
• What’s one random compliment that someone gave you that really stuck in your memory?
• What’s the oldest possession you currently have? Why do you still have it?
• If your childhood had a smell, what would it smell like?
• Do you remember any big event or situation that everyone else in your life has forgotten about? What happened, and why do you think you remembered it?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would that be?
• If you could go back and relive one day of your life but with all of the knowledge you have now, what day would you relive and why?
• If your life was a movie, what actor or actress would you want to play you and why?
• If you could be the same age forever, what would that age be and why?
• What are the biggest or most common misconceptions people have about you? Why?

Communication & The Mail

• Do you ever send letters? Why or why not?
• Do you think sending postcards is thoughtful or kitsch?
• What do you think about emojis? When (or why not) do you use them?
• Do you buy more things online to be shipped to your house than you did 5 years ago? Why or why not?
• Why would someone want to collect stamps? (Have you ever met anyone who does?)
• Do you get or receive Christmas cards? Why? What do you do with the ones you receive?
• Why do you think it’s important to people to send printed invitations to certain parties (weddings especially) and not electronic invitations?
• What was the best letter you ever got in the mail?
• What was the first package you remember receiving in the mail?
• Why (or why not) is a public post office important?
• Have you ever had a pen pal through your school, church, or any other phase in your life?
• Why do some people still write cards and letters?
• What are the different roles of emails and social media in your life? How are they different for you?
• Do you prefer phone calls or text messages when talking with your friends?
• Do you prefer phone calls or video calls when talking with family?
• Do you think the art of writing a beautiful letter is lost, or will be lost one day?
• Do you think the global popularity of online shopping has been positive or negative for small business owners?
• How can someone use cell phones and instant communication to be toxic? Has that ever happened to you?
• What do you think the future of the postal service will look like?
• When a company changes over to fully electronic communication (meaning they don’t send out bills or notifications in the mail anymore), who do you think wins the most: the company, the client, or the environment?
• Do you think future historians will cite Tweets like historians today cite letters as primary sources?

Daily Schedule

This topic might feel a bit small-talk, but the real reasoning for including it was to give beginner language students some interesting ways to use the vocabulary and grammar they’re learning, and force advanced students to brush up on some lesser-used daily routine vocabulary.

• What is a normal day for an adult in your culture?
• What does your normal day look like?
• What time do people normally wake up and go to bed?
• Do you work on weekends? Is it normal for people to work on weekends?
• Are you an organized person? Why or why not? Do you want to change that?
• What kind of schedule is valued in your society? (Early morning, 9-5, leisure, hard work, etc)
• Did you wear a uniform when you went to school? Are they common where you’re from?
• What is a common dress code for an office job where you live?
• Do you drink caffeinated drinks like coffee or tea in the morning? Why or why not?
• Is it valued in your culture to wake up early? Do you agree that people who wake up earlier are more productive or harder working?
• What’s the largest amount of people you’ve had to present in front of at work or school? How did it go?
• If you could pick your ideal daily schedule, what time would you get up or go to bed? How often would you eat?

While “family” doesn’t always make it on the list of taboo topics to talk about, make sure the other person is interested in these before deciding to spend an entire exchange chat on it. (Adoptees, children who immigrated, and many other people might find certain questions painful, although I tried to be cognisant about that while writing these.)

• Who are you closest within your family?
• Do you have or want any children? Why or why not?
• What do you think the ideal family size is?
• How do last names work in your culture? If someone is married or a child is born, what last names do they have?
• What do you do when you get together with your family?
• What was the strangest or coolest object in your childhood home? Does it have a story?
• What is your favorite family tradition? Is it personal or cultural?
• In your country or culture, how important is family?
• Does your culture have set gender roles? What do you think about them?
• In your culture, is it normal for kids to hide things from their parents? What do you think of that?
• Can you share a good story your parents told you about their lives?
• Can you share a good story your grandparents or other family members told you about their lives?
• Can friends be family, or are those two different categories?
• If you could go back and talk to one ancestor, who would it be and why?
• If you had to change your name, what name would you change it to and why?
• Would you have been teenage friends with your parents if you all went to high school together and had the same age? Why or why not?

Our weird relationships with jobs and work span cultures. This is a great one for practicing storytelling and polishing your ability to ask good follow-up questions!

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• What is your job right now? What do you like about it?
• What do you dislike most about your current job?
• Do you think you’re good at your job? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• What was the first job you ever had?
• What was the most interesting job you ever had?
• What was the worst job you ever had?
• What did you want to be when you were little? Why?
• Did you get to choose your career path? Why or why not?
• What are the most valued jobs in your society? Why?
• What is one important job that is not valued in your society? Why?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?
• What would be the worst job for you?
• If you could try any job for one day, without any training, what job would you want to try?

The education questions here are a mix of personal and political, and could certainly be split up between two or more language exchanges. So again–ask great follow up questions and really enjoy this one!

• Do you think a university education is important? Why or why not?
• Do you want to go back to university one day? Why or why not?
• For how many years do most people go to school in your country?
• What are the most popular subjects to study in school?
• What do school students eat for lunch?
• What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
• What was your least favorite subject in school? Why?
• Who was your favorite teacher in middle school or high school? Why?
• What was the most boring class you ever took?
• What was the most surprising class you ever took?
• What do you think your country values in their students? (High test scores, critical thinking, practical skills, etc)
• What is the structure of university in your country? Do you have a credit system, just a focus, etc?
• What are high schools like in your country? What kind of schools exist at that level?
• What advice do you have for young people who want to go to university in your country?
• What do you think is the best way to measure if students are learning? Tests, writing, or something else?
• Are there divides in who can or cannot attend university in your country?
• Did you ever read a book in school or university that you really loved? What book?
• Did you have the option to take arts classes in high school? Why or why not?
• Do students have homework where you’re from? What is that like?
• What education did your grandparents receive? Was that common for their generation?
• Are graduations celebrated in your culture? If not, why not? If so, how do celebrations look like?
• What classes do you wish you would have taken?
• If you could go to an amazing university for free and be guaranteed any job after graduating, would you go back and study something else? Why or why not/
• Would you have changed your educational focus if you could?
• If you could change the university system in your country, what’s the first thing you would change?
• Would you ever want to be a teacher? What subject? Or why not?

Language Exchange Topics about… Languages!

Everyone’s favorite topic! These questions were a ton of fun to write, but if you have any other ideas leave them in the comments below so I can take a look and hopefully expand this section.

• What languages do you speak or study?
• What is your favorite language and why?
• What languages don’t interest you at all?
• What do you think about conlanguages? (Esperanto, Klingon, etc)
• Do you prefer to study multiple languages at lower levels or fewer languages to higher levels? Why?
• What do you think is the prettiest accent in the world?
• What do you think the most attractive accent in the world is?
• What do you think makes a good language teacher?
• Do you think spelling is important? Why or why not?
• If schools in your area could only teach a local sign language or an international language, which do you think they should teach and why?
• What languages did you grow up around?
• What language(s) did your ancestors speak? Do you speak it/them? Why or why not?
• What is the role of a dictionary in society? Do you have a favorite dictionary?
• What languages do you want to learn?
• What are your favorite words or phrases in one of your languages?
• What is the hardest part about the language you’re speaking right now?
• Why did you pick this language to learn or study?
• What motivates you to keep learning and improving your language?
• Did you study languages as a child in school? What was that like?
• What is one stereotype about the language we’re speaking right now? Do you agree with it?
• What is your all-time favorite language learning tool or resource?
• What do you do when you’re not motivated to study at all?
• How important do you think accents are?
• Can you share the first moment where you felt like you were making progress with your target language?
• Do you identify with the words monolingual, bilingual, multilingual, or polyglot? Why or why not?
• What’s the most important piece of advice you have for anyone who wants to learn a new language?
• Do you think everyone speaking the same second language (English or French for example) is a good thing for communication or a bad thing for linguistic diversity?
• Do you wish you had done anything differently during your language learning journey?
• If you could suddenly be instantly fluent in one language, what one language would that be?
• What languages do you wish you spoke?
• Do you think that language learning is really accessible to everyone? Why or why not?

Our relationships with the people we live with and where we live are not only unique culture-to-culture but person-to-person. This is great for practicing or revisiting beginner vocab, especially if you go into a lot of detail about specific objects and how they’re used.

• Do you prefer the city or country, and why?
• Who do you live with? What is the hardest part of that arrangement?
• Do you have any pets? Why or why not?
• What are popular pets in your area?
• What are popular pet names in your country or region?
• What architecture is popular in your region or city? What does it look like?
• What do homes look like in your region? Size, bedrooms, etc?
• How many people normally live together in your culture?
• Do you like to clean? Why or why not?
• Have you moved around a lot? Why or why not?
• Where did you grow up? What was it like?
• How has your city or town changed over the past 20 years?
• Is gentrification a problem where you live? What’s your relationship to it?
• If you have pets, how did you pick their names? If not, what is your favorite pet name?
• Did you have any pets growing up? Why or why not?
• What do kitchens in your region normally have?
• What do bathrooms in your region normally look like?
• In your community, where do elderly people live? What do you think about that?
• Do many people own their homes in your town or city? Why or why not?
• Is the interior design of your house important to you? Why or why not?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
• What would your dream apartment or house look like?
• If you could safely live with any animal of any species, what would that animal be?

Events & Parties

A1-A2 Language Exchange Questions

• What are the most important holidays in your culture? What events, parties, or dinners do people have to celebrate?
• What are some popular foods to have at a party?
• What does a birthday celebration look like where you’re from?
• When is alcohol appropriate or inappropriate to have at an event or party?
• If you’re invited to a party that begins at 7:00p, at what time is it polite to arrive?
• On a Friday night, would you rather go out with friends or relax at home alone?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Questions

• What makes a good party?
• What was the best party you’ve ever gone to?
• Can a wedding be boring? What would make a wedding fun or boring?
• What was the worst party or event you’ve ever gone to?
• When you get together with a small group of friends, what do you actually like to do?
• What is the most stressful part of having people over your house to celebrate something?
• What was the best event you’ve ever organized yourself?
• How do you decide what kind of gift you would bring to a given event?
• What is one type of holiday or event you are socially obligated to go to but always dread?
• What culture has the coolest events? (Parties, festivals, etc?)
• If you go to a party and you don’t know anyone there besides the host, what are your strategies for making friends?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Questions

• What life accomplishments or milestones are most celebrated in your culture? What life accomplishments/milestones are not celebrated that you wish were?
• If you had 100,000 euros to throw the best party ever, what would it look like?
• If you had to organize a party but had zero budget, what would that party look like?

This section was absolutely inspired by all of the faux pas and groseros that have tripped me up before with friends from other countries. Again–if you have any other ideas for what else could go in this section, please leave the questions in the comments for consideration to be added!

• What are polite topics of conversations with strangers in your culture?
• When you are paying for food at a grocery store, is it polite to talk with the cashier or not? Why do you think that is? What do you think about that?
• In your culture, do the colors black, white, red, green, blue, pink, green, yellow, or purple represent anything important?
• Can you give a good example of how someone in your country should act with a waiter or taxi driver? What should tourists do or avoid in order to be polite?
• What is one thing that everyone in your culture really cares about that you don’t care about at all? (Ex: personal space, beauty, social obligations, politics, etc)
• What is one very rude thing that foreigners sometimes do when visiting your country?
• Who do you give tips to in your country? How much? Why or why not?
• Is it appropriate to touch friends or people you are talking to in your country? Can you explain when or why?
• Can you show some examples of non-verbal body language from your culture?
• What topics should be avoided when speaking with people you don’t know in your culture?
• What’s a rude question that someone from another country might ask you? How do you respond?
• When making plans in a group, should a person wait to be invited or invite themselves?
• Do you think people say things very directly in your culture, or very indirectly? (“That shirt doesn’t look good” vs “I think another shirt might be better”.) Do you think this is important?
• What’s one thing you wish you knew about language learning before you started?
• If you had a time machine but could only use it once, what is the one dormant language you would go back to learn?

A1-A2 Conversation Ideas

• Did you like history class growing up? Why or why not?
• Do you think it’s important to study history? Why or why not?
• Do you think ancient history or modern history is more important to know? Why?

B1-B2 Conversation Ideas

• What do you think the most interesting time period from your culture was? Why?
• What do you think the most boring time period from your culture was? Why?
• Without having to study, would you rather wake up and be able to read 10 historic languages (Latin, Ancient Greek, Old English, Ogunquit, Old Norse, etc) or 1 speak of today’s most-spoken languages (Hindi, Mandarin, English, Cantonese, etc)? Why?

C1-C2 Conversation Ideas

• If you could meet one historic figure, who would it be and why?
• If you could go back and see one event, what would you see and why?
• If you could go back in time and stop one single event from happening, what event would you stop and why? How would you stop it?
• You’re allowed to make one trip back in time for one of these trips, but are warned that because of the butterfly effect you might change all of human history. Do you take the risk? What do you do to make sure you don’t hurt history?

Friends and Dating

Who do we know outside of our families? And how important are those people to us?

• When you go out with friends, what do you like to do?
• What personality traits are most important in a new friend? What about in a romantic partner?
• Is it normal in your country to have friends and relationships from different religions or politics? Why or why not?
• How do you greet strangers in your culture? How do you greet friends?
• How important is community in your culture?
• What qualities do you value in a friend?
• In your group of friends, what social roll do you play?
• Who was your first celebrity, movie, or TV crush?
• Can you give anyone advice on flirting with someone in your culture?
• What is dating like in your culture?
• If someone moves to your country or city, how should they find new friends?
• What was the best date you ever went on?
• What was the worst date you ever went on?
• What kind of casual parties do you have in your country? (Dinners, birthdays, etc.) What do they look like?
• What do weddings look like in your culture?
• What was the best party you ever went to?
• How should people dress when they go to weddings in your country?
• How should people dress when they go to a friend’s house for a casual evening?
• Who is your longest friendship with? Have you both changed, or not?
• Is there anyone who’s no longer in your life who you wish you could reconnect with? Why?
• Is there anyone who you wish you had met earlier in life? Or had never met ever?

Food vocabulary is often taught at lower language levels. But do you know how to name herbs, explain cooking instructions, or critique a dish? Hopefully you can get really expansive with these questions and your answers!

• What’s your favorite dish?
• What’s your favorite cuisine?
• What is one important cultural dish that everyone should try when visiting your region or city?
• What food is popular where you live?
• Does someone in your family have a special dish that they always cook? What is it?
• What is the worst food from your culture?
• What food do you eat the most? Why?
• What do people in your culture normally think about “foreign” cuisine? Are any foreign foods really popular? (Americans eating at Mexican restaurants; Germans eating different Turkish dishes.)
• Do you have any food restrictions? (Moral, allergies, religious, etc.) What do you have to do in your daily life to eat like that?
• What was the most interesting restaurant you’ve ever been to?
• What are your first memories of eating a “foreign” food? What was it, why did you try it, and what did you think?
• What was your favorite food when you were a small child? How do you feel about that now?
• What was the most interesting food you’ve ever eaten?
• What’s the spiciest food you’ve ever eaten? How did it go?
• What food do you really want to try that you haven’t yet?
• What was the one meal your parents made that you hated growing up?
• Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Why or why not?
• When you go out with a group of people to eat, who pays? How is it decided?
• Do you think you’re a good cook?
• What’s the best compliment you ever received for your cooking?
• If you eat out at a restaurant and the food is terrible, what do you do?
• Does your culture have any special beverage that you think everyone should try if they visit?
• What is the most common beverage in your culture? Tea, coffee, or something else? Do you like it? Why or why not?
• In your culture, what is the culture around alcohol use? Is it encouraged for business meetings? Is it normal to give to children? Is it illegal? Explain and talk about what you think.
• If you were a fruit or vegetable, what fruit or vegetable would you be?
• If caffeine became illegal, what would you do? What lengths would you resort to in order to continue to use it?
• If you could only ever eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be?

Language exchange topics about religion and politics

Religion and Politics

I tried to make these questions less about the individual and more about society as a whole. But if either you or your partner isn’t excited about these, you can skip this section of topics.

• How is your town or city run? (Mayor, council, village meeting, etc)
• How do people dress when going to a religious service?
• Do you vote? How and where do you vote?
• What are the language laws like where you live? What is taught, spoken in government, or used in businesses?
• What religion is most common where you live?
• Is religion viewed as important to daily life where you live?
• What is the relationship between religion and the government where you live?
• Is there any big problems in your local community or city right now? What are they?
• What do you think the biggest problem for all of humanity is right now?
• What do you think the most harmful law in your country is right now? Why?
• What’s one thing that is currently legal where you live, but you don’t think will be in 20 years?
• What has been the biggest political change in your lifetime been?
• You wake up one morning as Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world who makes about 8,961,187 USD per hour and has 196 billion (a million million) dollars. You have 24hrs to do anything you want without it being reversible by Jeff the next day, but you can’t let it get traced to you. What do you do?
• If you could change one law in your country, what would it be and why?
• If you could make one international law that every country had to comply with, what would it be and why?

Time for some nostalgia! Have fun explaining these to someone who’s maybe never heard of them before.

• What is your favorite holiday? Why?
• What is your least favorite holiday? Why?
• What holiday is most important in your culture? Why?
• What are birthday celebrations like in your culture?
• Is there one celebration that’s local to where you’re from, that no one else celebrates?
• What kind of festivals exist in your culture? Are they for any holiday, season, or occasion?
• When someone goes party in your city, what’s the 1 song everyone will know the words to?
• Do you prefer to get gifts or give gifts? Why?
• What kind of bank holidays / federal holidays do you have in your country? Do you think they’re important?
• Is there any holiday that you celebrate where you give gifts? What is the gift-giving like? (If not, why not?)
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten?
• What’s the worst gift you ever gotten?
• What do you do with gifts you don’t want? Why?
• Does your culture have any unpopular or controversial holidays? What are they, and why?
• Is there any special food that you love, but that is only eaten for one certain holiday or celebration?
• If you go over to someone’s house for dinner, should you bring something with you? How do you decide what to bring?
• What are some common wedding gifts for adults?
• What kind of gifts do you get someone for their birthday? How should you pick one out?
• What would an example of a really bad gift be?
• If you could start your own holiday, what would it be?

Myths and Paranormal

Dig into some really culturally-relevant vocabulary and C-level grammar. Because of the difficult vocabulary, none of these questions are good for A-level students–but if you’re excited to talk about this hopefully you can use it as inspiration to improve the language you’re learning!

• Do you have a good luck charm? What is it, and why? Or why not?
• Do you have good luck in any one thing? Do you believe in luck?
• What’s one conspiracy theory that you actually believe in or think could be true?
• What is the worst, least probable, or most harmful conspiracy theory you know about?
• Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?
• Do you believe in aliens? Why or why not?
• What cultures have the coolest myths? Why?
• What book, movie, game, or series has the fictional universe you’d most like to live in? Why?
• If you had a familiar (a spirit animal or magical creature that is linked to you somehow), what would it be and how would it act?
• You’re transported into the last fantasy or science fiction book/movie/series/game you read. Are you going to survive? What will your life look like?
• Have you ever gone to a psychic, tried tarot cards, or had your palm read? If so, how was it? If not, are you interested in it?
• Do you think rituals like Ouiji boards or seances are dangerous? Why or why not?
• Have you ever seen something supernatural? (Bigfoot, an angel, a UFO, etc?)
• Do you think time travel will be possible one day? Why or why not?
• Does your culture believe in witches? What are the historic and current opinions?
• Does your culture have any mythical creatures? (Fairies, dragons, Big Foot, Moth Man, etc?)
• You encounter the exact opposite version of yourself. What would they be like?
• If you could level up your life in a video game, what ability would you level up next? (Health, intelligence, speed, strength, etc.)
• Time has stopped for everyone in the world except you for 24hrs. What would you do?
• If you could perfectly communicate with all animals, what would you do with that power?
• If you could trade one year of your life for a million dollars, how many years of your life would you trade?
• You drink a magic potion that makes you never have to sleep again. What would you do with the extra time every night?
• Do you have a myth or folktale you really like? Can you tell it?
• If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
• If you could have one magical power, what would it be?
• What would the worst power be, and why?
• If aliens exist, what do you think they look like?

Pastimes and Hobbies

With the workday getting longer and longer, do people still have hobbies?

• What do people do outside on a nice day?
• What do people do when the weather is bad outside?
• Do you like to read? Why or why not?
• When you watch TV, you prefer movies or series? Why?
• Do you prefer to watch or play sports? Or neither? Why?
• Video game competitions are the fastest-growing category of sports in the world. Do you think they’re a sport? Why or why not?
• What popular games do small children play in your culture?
• Are there any seasonal activities that are popular in your region during one specific time of year?
• Did your parents’ generation have any hobbies that your generation doesn’t have?
• What was the first hobby or interest you remember as a child?
• What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?
• Do you play board games? If so, what’s your favorite? If not, why not?
• Have you ever collected anything?
• Video games, social media, and TV steaming are incredibly addicting. Do you think they should come with warnings or government regulation? Why or why not?
• If you had to go onto a reality TV show for one season, what TV show would you pick and why?
• Do you care about any sports team rivalries? Or are there any in your local area?
• What do children do during school breaks in your region? Do you have any good memories?
• Do you think learning languages is a fun hobby or a chore you have to do so you can speak it?
• If time and money weren’t an issue, what’s one hobby you would pick up that you can’t right now?
• What do you think about “hustle culture”, ie: only having hobbies if you can make money off of them?
• Dressing up as your favorite video game, movie, or comic book character (“cosplay”) is becoming more and more popular with adults who attend media conventions. What do you think of this phenomenon? Who would you like to dress up as if you went to a fan convention?
• If you could cheat at a board game to guarantee that you won and not get caught, would you cheat? Why or why not?

Sports and the Outdoors

For this language exchange topic, please be sensitive to different physical abilities your partner may have. We’ve included questions for language learners who use wheel chairs, have had tramatic injuries, or who have any disability–but it’s best not to assume that everyone can do things as easily as you can!

• What do people do outside where you live?
• Are sports important to you? Why or why not?
• What’s your favorite season of the year to be outside? What do you do?
• What are the most important sports or teams where you live? What do you think of them?
• Do you watch the Olympics? Why or why not?
• Are parks and beaches where you live accessible to wheelchair users? What do you think about that?
• Have you ever played sports? What did you play, and how did it affect you?
• What is one sport that you hate hearing about? Why?
• Is auto racing a sport? (Nascar; Grand Prix; etc.) Why or why not?
• Are dancing or cheerleading sports? Why or why not?
• Do you know how to swim? If not, why not? If you do, when did you learn?
• Are indoor gyms popular where you live? What do you think of them?
• Do you work out regularly? What do you do, or why don’t you?
• Do you prefer calm exercise like yoga and walking or harder exercise like running or weight lifting? Why?
• What animal or plant species exist where you are, that are unique to your region? Can you describe them?
• Have you ever gone camping? What was it like, or why haven’t you gone?
• Have you ever slept outside? Where was it, and what was it like?
• Do you have parks where you live? What do they look like?
• What do you listen to when you exercise? Why?
• What is the most dangerous animal, plant, or weather condition near where you live? Does this impact your life at all?
• What sports were popular in your high school?
• Do you think hunting is a sport? Do you think it’s moral? Why or why not?
• If you could suddenly be amazing at one sport, what sport would you pick and why?
• If you could meet one sports icon, who would you pick and why?
• Do you think using steroids or other drugs should be allowed in sports competitions? Why or why not?
• What do you think the most useful outdoor skills are? (Making fires, building shelters, foraging for food, etc.) Do you know how to do this? Do you know anyone who does?

Health and Healthcare

Not only is health personal, but it’s also political. Remember not to ask questions that are too direct about someone else’s health unless they volunteer that information.

• How does someone find a doctor in your country? How do they make an appointment?
• What do you think of the use of things like magnets or crystals in healing?
• When someone goes to the doctor in your community, who pays for the visit?
• Do you do anything in your daily routine to stay healthy? What and why, or why not?
• What is your routine right before going to bed?
• How good do you think your country’s healthcare system is? Why do you think that?
• What kind of training to doctors need in your country? Who pays for that training?
• What do you think about the use of antibiotics in your society?
• Is it easy to become a doctor or nurse in your country? What do you think about that?
• What is your country’s policies towards marijuana use? What do you think about that?
• How do you see the future of healthcare in your country?
• What are some of the problems in healthcare in your country?
• What do you think about alcohol? Do you drink?
• If you could change one thing about your country’s healthcare system, what’s the one rule you would make?
• If you could change your country’s laws about drugs, what would you change and why? Or why wouldn’t you change it?

Climate, Geography, and Urban Life

Language learning often focuses on cultures. But what about that places we live? What do they look like, and how do we survive them?

• Is there anything outdoors for tourists to do if they visit your region?
• What is the biggest city near you? What are the buildings or architecture like?
• What kind of transportation is the most and least popular where you live?
• What are your favorite and least favorite modes of transport?
• What are your favorite and least favorite seasons, and why?
• During the coldest days where you live, what’s the best activity to do?
• During the hottest days where you live, what’s the best activity to do?
• What is the terrain like where you live? (Deserts, plains, forests, mountains, etc)
• What sort of bad weather do you have? (Blizzards, thunderstorms, monsoons, tornados, etc)
• Are public buildings, restaurants, public transport, and parks in your city accessible to wheel chairs? What do you think about this?
• If you could rename the street you live on, what would you rename it and why?
• Is your region known for anything important?
• What is your favorite climate type to visit? Why? (Desert, tropical, subarctic, etc.)
• Is there any natural phenomenon you haven’t seen yet but want to? (Snow, aurora borealis, the ocean, the rain forest, mountains, the arctic, etc)
• What was the worst disaster that’s affected your region in your lifetime? What do you remember?
• What are popular attitudes towards plastic bags or cups in your region?
• What is the garbage or recycling system like where you live? What do you think about it?
• If you could design your ideal city, what would it look like? (Describe housing, transportation, green spaces, shopping, industry, and anything else)
• At what age do you think children should be taught about climate change, and why?
• What is the coldest you’ve ever been? Where were you, and what was happening?
• If a micronation is badly affected by climate change, do you think larger governments who have contributed to climate change (the US, China, the EU) have any responsibility towards that smaller country? If so, what should they do? If not, why not?
• What are some urban planning problems in your city or region? What are the causes and solutions?
• Has the climate in your area changed in the past 10 years? If so, how?
• What do you think is the scariest part about climate change?
• If you could implement only one law to stop climate change, what would that law be and why?

Travel and Tourism

My goal with these questions was to make them as inclusive as possible. Remember to not assume your language partner’s passport has the same accessibility as yours, or that they’ve traveled as widely as you have.

• What places would you recommend tourists visit in your city?
• What places would you recommend tourists visit in your country?
• What is your favorite place you have visited?
• Are there any places in the world that are important to your family? (A town your grandparents grew up in, a favorite beach, a cemetery or church, etc)
• What do you think the most enjoyable mode of transportation is? Why?
• What’s one country you can name, but besides the name know almost nothing about? (Can anyone else in the group teach you something about it?)
• How is travel viewed in your culture? Why do you think that is?
• When you go somewhere new, do you prefer cities or the country?
• Do you go to museums? Why or why not?
• What was the most lost you’ve ever been? What happened, and how did you find your way back?
• What do you think about AirBNB, which converts apartment buildings into hotels and lodging? Has it affected any city or place in your life?
• What do you think about the phrase “open borders”? What does it mean to you, and how do you feel about it?
• Describe your first memorable encounter with another culture.
• If you could visit one planet, what planet would you visit?

Fashion and Style

This category of language exchange topics isn’t just for fashionistas! Plenty of nostalgia, politics, and culturally-interesting questions for anyone to enjoy.

A1-A2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• What do you normally wear every day?
• What is your favorite thing in your closet?
• How do you like to wear your hair or facial hair? Why?
• Do you think shopping is fun or a chore?
• What celebrity has the worst fan base?

B1-B2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• Do you check labels for ethical stickers? (Cruelty-free, Made in America, etc) Why or why not?
• Do you have a certain style?
• What do people near you normally wear when they go to the beach? Are there any laws about what you can or can’t wear where you live?
• What’s one trend that’s popular now but will be the most embarrassing thing in 5 years?
• Do you think it’s fair for employers to mandate uniforms if their employees have to pay for them? Why or why to?
• What’s the worst fashion trend you’ve seen in your lifetime?
• What is one fashion trend from history or your lifetime you wish would come back?
• What is the one piece in your closet you almost never wear (or have never worn)? Why?
• What do you think about makeup?
• What’s the best pair of shoes you ever owned? What made them “the best”?
• When you were in high school, what was the coolest accessory anyone could have?
• Can you name one traditional piece of clothing from you culture? How do you feel about it?
• Have you ever had a horrible hair cut? What did it look like?
• What do people think about shaving in your culture?
• What is a popular place to get clothing in your area? What’s it like? What do they sell?
• Are there any fashion brands or designers you really like? What is their clothing like?

C1-C2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• If you had to wear the same outfit every day, what outfit would that be?
• If you had endless money just for buying clothing, accessories, or grooming products, how would you dress?
• What do you think about animal testing? Why is it necessary, or what are some alternatives?
• Do you own products made from leather, wool, or other animal parts? Why or why not?
• If you could change your hair for one day, and after that, it would go back to normal, what hairstyle would you have?

Art and Music

Do you use music in your language learning routine? Do you know the history of the language you’re studying? You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy these questions!

• Do you have any art in your house? If so, talk about your favorite piece. If not, why not?
• What’s your favorite music genre?
• What genre of music do you hate and why?
• What do you think of modern art and why? (Examples: Jackson Pollack, Juan Mirro)
• What are some artists who make music in your language that you want to recommend to your exchange partner?
• Did you ever play any instruments growing up?
• Have you ever met or seen a celebrity? What was your reaction like?
• Have your music tastes changed since high school? How? Why or why not?
• What album have you listened to the most times in your life? Why that one? (If you have no specific album, what about a specific artist?)
• Have you ever done karaoke? Why, and do you have any good stories? Or why not?
• What are the 5 most popular songs at a wedding in your culture?
• What is your favorite style of art and why?
• What musician made the biggest impact on your life?
• Who was the most popular band when you were in high school, and how did you feel about them?
• What is one song that your parents played that makes you think of them? Can you talk about it a bit?
• Do you like to make visual art? If so, what do you like about it? If not, when did you stop liking it?
• Who do you think the most important visual artist (painter, sculpture, architect, designer, etc) is of all times? Why?
• Do you think fashion is art? Why or why not? Or under what circumstances?
• What do you think about elaborate nail art? (Google it if you need any pictures.)
• Is makeup art? When or when not, and where is that line?
• If you could master one musical instrument, what would you pick and why?
• If you could choose one famous painting to hang in your house, what would you pick?
• If you could meet one musician, who would you meet and why?
• If you could only listen to one album the rest of your life, what would that album be?
• If your life was a painting, what would the title be?
• If your life was a music album, what would the title be?

Books and Literature

This is another great list of topics to help you give and receive awesome recommendations, as well as deepen your understanding of other cultures.

• What’s your favorite book genre?
• Do you prefer paper, digital, or audiobooks when reading in another language? Why?
• Do you like poetry? Do you read it often?
• What is your favorite poem and why? If you don’t have one, what about your favorite song lyrics?
• What genre of literature do you hate and why?
• Do you think song lyrics can be poetry? Under what conditions?
• Who’s the most important writer to come from your region, culture, or country? Why?
• What book protagonist do you have the most in common with and why?
• What is the one book in your language you think everyone should read?
• What is the most read book from your culture or country by students?
• What was the last book you read, and do you recommend it?
• What was your favorite book as a child? Why?
• What was the first book you ever remember reading or having read to you?
• Have you ever written a book, or wanted to write one?
• If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would that book be?
• If you could meet one writer, who would it be and why?
• If you could go to any book universe (Hogwarts, Hunger Games, the Shire etc) which would you go to and why?
• If you could have lunch with any character from any book, who would it be and why?

Movies and Shows

This is probably going to be the most beloved part of this list. Remember: don’t spoil a new show for your partner if they haven’t seen it!

• What is your all-time favorite series? Or top 5?
• What’s one movie you think is overrated?
• What’s one TV show you think is overrated?
• What is one movie from your culture or language that you think everyone should see?
• When do you use subtitles? What are your preferences, and what does it depend on?
• Do you like to watch films in languages you don’t understand or study? Why or why not?
• Did you have any film or TV crushes as a kid? Do you remember your first?
• What’s the most recent movie or show that you saw? Would you recommend it?
• What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
• What was your favorite show or movie as a child? Why?
• Do you feel represented in mainstream movies or shows? Why or why not?
• What’s the worst cliché in movies or TVs that you hate?
• What is your favorite movie or show that you’ve seen in the language we’re speaking right now?
• What country do you think makes the best movies and TV? Why?
• Do you prefer subtitles or dubs? When do you use them?
• Would you rather never watch a movie or series again, or never read a book again? Why?
• If you could have dinner with one character from any TV show or movie, who would it be and why?

Plants and Animals

Language learners tend to love people, but what about all of the other species we coexist with?

• Does your home have a garden, terrace, or yard? What does it look like, or why not?
• Do you keep any plants in your house? Why or why not?
• What are the world’s cutest and ugliest animals in your opinion?
• Do you have a lot of wild animals where you live? What are the most fun and most scary to see when you’re alone?
• What are your favorite local fruits and vegetables? What recipes does your region use them for?
• Do you have any poisonous plants or venomous animals where you live? Do you do anything to avoid them?
• What kind of plants or gardens are popular where you live? Can you describe them?
• Do you have a green thumb (a talent for growing plants) or a black thumb? What do you think the difference is?
• Do you eat any specific fruits, vegetables, herbs, or plants for a health benefit?
• What animals are you afraid of?
• What kinds of animals can you find in your region that are unique to where you live?
• Are there any plants that are significant to your culture or region? What are they and why?
• How does your culture view eating animals? Do you agree with that?
• Have you ever grown your own food? Is it common where you live?
• What is the most disgusting vegetable to eat, in your opinion? Why?
• If you were a flower, what flower would you be? Why?
• If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why?
• If you could have any animal as a pet (and have it be safe for both you and the animal) what animal would you pick?

The Internet

Since you’re reading this online, you almost certainly have some opinions about cyberspace…

• What is your favorite app?
• Do you think Wikipedia is a reliable source? Why or why not?
• Are certain social media platforms more toxic than others? Why or why not?
• Do you follow any bloggers or vloggers? Why or why not? If so, who?
• Video game championships are now the most-watched sporting events on the planet. Do you consider them sports?
• What is your first memory of the internet?
• What was the first social media platform you used? Do you still use it?
• If you could add one rule that everyone must follow when they use the internet, what rule would that be?
• Could you turn off your phone for 24hrs without anxiety? What do you think about that?
• What’s the most annoying thing about smartphones?
• Do you think social media has been a good or bad thing for politics? Why?
• Do social media networks have any responsibility for political campaigns, protests, or even violent acts that are organized using the networks? Why or why not?
• Do you think your relationship with your phone is healthy? Why or why not?
• Can people you know from the internet be real friends, or are online friendships not real friendships?
• Have you ever met someone from the internet in real life? What was that like?
• Do you protect your online data? If so, how? If not, why not?
• Does learning new languages “unlock” new parts of the internet?
• Have you ever tried online dating? Why or why not?
• Do you think the Internet should be a human right? Why or why not?
• Have you ever had a blog or vlog? If so, what about? If not, would you want to one day?
• What are the most dangerous things about the Internet? Do you do anything to avoid these things or protect yourself?
• Who are the “unsung heroes” of the internet?
• If you were in charge of Facebook, what’s the one policy you would change?
• Who should be held responsible for fake news? How do you that should be enforced?
• What piece of technology are you the most reliant on, and why?
• What is the most overrated tech product on the market? Why do you think it exists?
• Do you think smart houses (where computers control everything from the refrigerators to temperature) are a good idea? Why or why not?
• Does technology pamper modern humans? Why or why not?
• Do you ever wish you could go “off the grid” and live a life without any technology? Why or why not?
• Do you fear automation in your industry? Why or why not?
• What technology skills should be taught to young school children? (Elementary school / Years 1 – 6) What about in middle school? (Years 7-9) What about teenagers? (High school / Years 10-13)
• What would an artificially intelligent robot have to do or have in order for the robot to be considered a legal person with rights? Or is that impossible?
• At what age should children be allowed to use screens and/or computers? Why do you believe that?
• Do people believe more or less in science than they did 50 years ago? What do you think about that?
• Does artificial intelligence pose a security threat to humans? Why or why not?
• If you were in a foreign city and your phone stopped working, how would you get back home?
• Should politicians who don’t know how to troubleshoot their own computer problems be allowed to regulate technology? Why or why not?
• Have tech companies like Google, Microsoft, or Facebook shown us that they can be trusted? If yes, how and what should be done to protect their autonomy? If no, why not and who should regulate them?

Spaces and Physics

Language exchange topics about science are almost always reserved for B2+ level students. We added some for the A-level students, but don’t get frustrated if these end up too hard! They’re meant to be a challenge.

A1-A2 Exchange Themes

• Do you like science fiction movies, books, or TV shows? Why or why not?
• Do you think Pluto is a planet? Why or why not?
• What do you think aliens look like? (Describe what you think their appearance is like.)
• Does your government have a space program? What do people think about it?
• How important do you think science and maths courses are in school, in comparison with literature, technology, arts, history, or anything else?
• Are you curious about life on other planets? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Exchange Themes

• Pretend you are a scientist who just discovered a new planet and can now name it. What are you going to name it?
• Why do you think scientists are often stereotyped as dorky or weak in schools or in the media?
• Many countries spend billions of dollars a year on space research. Do you think this is a good use of the money? Why or why not?
• What do you think the most annoying part of living in zero gravity is for astronauts? (Food, hygiene, daily routine…)
• Why do you think some people still think the Earth is flat, or that we never landed on the moon?
• Space tourism may be a reality in our lifetimes. (A vacation in zero gravity; a resort on the moon; a trip to Mars.) Would you want to participate in it? Why or why not?
• American Billionaire Elon Musk wants to start a human colony on Mars, where he says the governments of Earth will have no control. What do you think?

C1-C2 Exchange Themes

• We know nothing about what would happen to a human baby conceived and birthed in space. Do you think scientists should be able to experiment to see what happens? Why or why not?
• Space debris is a growing problem for astronomy done from the Earth. Do you think the use of corporate satellites for things like cellphones and GPSs is so important that one day we might not be able to see the stars?
• As you read this, Earth is currently broadcasting lights and sounds into space to let anyone else know where we are. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?
• Why do you think we’ve never found any hard proof of alien life?
• If you were explaining human life to an alien, what do you think the hardest thing to explain would be?
• If humans found evidence of bacteria or plant life on a planet, would we have the right to move to that planet and claim it as our own? What about if we found animal life? What about if we found intelligent life? Where do you draw the line, if you have one?
• If you could travel in time, but could only go for one day, what would you do and where would you go?
• Light pollution from big cities may mean that astronomy (from Earth) becomes impossible in a few years. Would you be willing to have a midnight light curfew in your city so humans could continue to study space? Why or why not?

Self-care and Growth

To close off this list, let’s look to our future with some optimism.

• What do you do every day that makes you really happy?
• Name something nice that happened to you today.
• Do you look up to anyone? Who and why? Or why not?
• What makes a good role model?
• Do you like self-help genre books? Why or why not? What are some books you particularly like or dislike?
• What’s one good habit you have?
• What’s one bad habit you have?
• What are you most proud of in your life?
• How do you define “self-care”?
• What role does self-care play in your life?
• What do people in your culture think about therapy? Do you agree?
• What goals are you currently working towards? Why?
• Have you ever done meditation before? If so, what was your experience? If not, why not?
• What should be put inside a mental-health first aid kit?
• In your culture, is it polite to talk about your victories or pride? How can you do it politely?
• Are you good at accepting compliments?
• Who are the people that have taught you the most in life?
• How should success be measured? Is that how you currently measure your own success?
• What are you looking forward to most in the future?
• What was your biggest accomplishment of the past year?
• Where do you see yourself in a year?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• In what areas of your life do you have the highest hopes in the future? In what areas in your life do you have the lowest hopes for in the future?
• If you had an extra free hour every day, what would you do?
• If money were no issue, how would you spend your time?

Bonus: how to do a language exchange tips

Honestly, this list is going to change how you do language exchanges. But on top of using this menu, here are the biggest lessons I’ve taken away after two years of awesome (and terrible) language exchanges.

• Ask a lot of people, but make sure you screen them.  Many people you ask simply won’t reply, won’t have schedules that line up, or won’t have things in common with you. After that, plenty of people will drop off or just not be a great fit. So ask plenty of people, but make sure you want to talk about the same language exchange topics and have schedules that work well together.
• Don’t put up with a bad conversation exchange partner.  Is someone flaking on dates or always coming late? Has someone made uncomfortable comments? Or do you just have nothing in common, and spending time together is like pulling teeth?? If you don’t love your language exchange partner, you don’t have to stay with them. Another reason why asking a lot of people is a great idea!
• Spend each lesson 50/50 between your languages.  Doing Day 1 in Language 1 and Day 2 in Language 2 can be extremely frustrating if schedules changes or someone doesn’t show up. At the halfway point of your language exchange, just put on your biggest smile and announce that it’s time to switch into the other language. It might seem awkward at first, but it’ll feel normal really soon! (And it’s much, much better this way anyway.)
• Don’t forget about non-native speakers.  Most people want to trade conversation in their native language for a conversation with a native speaker of their target language. But advanced students of a language might have more linguistic understanding of that language than a native–and making friends who are studying the same language as you at the same level can mean more time speaking that language. So don’t discount fellow learners!
• Communicate about corrections.  I love to receive written corrections if one of my partners notices a mistake or knows the word I’m looking for. Do you prefer to just try your best without corrections? Or ONLY work with people who will give you notes? Or are afraid to get your self-esteem destroyed? If this is important to you, make sure you communicate!
• Ask awesome follow up questions.  “Why is that?” “How did that feel?” If someone seems shy to really elaborate on any of these questions, asking them questions is a great way to make your conversation go deeper and longer.
• Consider a language exchange book club or film club.  Another way to make your language exchanges more interesting is by using an extension to watch Netflix together in your target languages, or reading the same book together and coming together to discuss. I’ve done both, but you really need a reliable buddy–so make sure you find someone just as committed as you! (This also works best with someone who’s studying the same language as you when you’re both at B2-C2 levels.)

Do you have any questions or language exchange topics you think should go on this list? Let me know in the comments so I can consider adding them and making this list truly inexhaustible!

Tags: language exchanges tools and resources

Marissa Blaszko

Not only did I fail out of high school Spanish, but I also managed to forget my native language (Polish) in the process. After 10 years of establishing my career in the arts I decided to give language learning one last chance, and many years (and languages) later, I now help others online learn or relearn languages. I now speak English, Spanish, French, Catalan, Portuguese and am relearning Polish, my heritage language. I've also studied Italian, German, and other languages to low- or intermediate-levels for fun. If you want to relearn a language, I'd love to help!

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9 Responses

• Pingbacks 0

Do you have a printable version of this?

Hey Heather! I’m considering making one in the future, but right now I’m working on two additional lists of exchange topics, so I’m not sure when I’ll get around to it. The list is mostly for online exchanges (in which case the link is better anyway), but you can always save it in your browser or on Pinterest for later reference 🙂 If / when I make a printable version though, I’ll link to it at the top of the blog so no one can miss it!

Hey! I loved your tips! I hope we can keep in touch. I have a podcast that talks about language learning: Diversilingua. We might talk in one of the episodes someday.

That’s awesome! I’m most active on Instagram as @MultilingualMarissa and I love podcasts, so if you’re on there let’s connect 🙂 And glad you liked the tips!!

Hi I just made a little tool to shuffle random questions from your post. I have linked your original post on the site:)

Thanks for this list. It has inspired me to think up more topics, in fact. My question is: what do think differentiates a A1-level topic from a C2 level topic. This will help me plan moving forward. I already speak French, but I’m trying to reach super-proficiency level (i.e., understanding speeches delivered at Parliament, participating in a committee meeting on the fight against racism, or even advocating for a someone before a human right tribunal). (Oh, and don’t worry about the technical vocab, I already know that.) So, what do you think I should keep in mind when thinking up topics, just to make sure I’m getting the most out of my tutoring session. My tutor is great and loves to talk; I just need to harness that talent to make sure I’m getting the most out of our speaking time, and that our conversations are putting me on the road to my goals.

If you can think of more topics, please let me know! I’d be happy to add more questions here and credit you 🙂

And I sorted the levels by grammatical complexity. Most things in the A1-A2 category are in the present tense and focus on habits, preferences, or observations. B1-B2 questions typically add future and past tenses and are a bit more argumentative. C1-C2 are more hypothetical or require much longer stories. As far as vocab goes, it’s all a bit more technical than a normal exchange would go no matter what the level.

This is also 1 of 4 pages I have for exchange questions, so check out the others (especially the vocab builder which is really really technical and challenging for every level, and focuses more on the level of detail required by the answers and not on grammatical difficulty.)

Good luck with your super-proficient French journey!

I’m not trying to relearn a language or converse in it. Speech in English is difficult enough with my hearing problems. However, I use your Topics in a different way. They give me relatively short topics to write about in Norwegian (my target language). Some days it’s more difficult to find a topic to write about than to actually write about it. And a sort of diary is boring and too unstructured for learning.

I copied all of your A1-A2 topics into a text file. Each of your questions becomes the title of that particular paragraph. Then each day I pick one that interests me or that I’m fairly sure I have enough vocabulary for. I skip around at will rather than following a major topic.

I often revisit work that I’ve already done and edit it to add more information or add new words I’ve learned. I also change ways of saying things as I learn more grammar, structure, idioms, slang or whatever will make it more interesting to read (though I’m the only reader).

I don’t know if others use your Topics in this way, but it is both a motivator and a useful structured learning tool for me.

I love this method Eric! Super creative and totally in the spirit of DIY language learning 🙂

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17 Foreign Language Speaking Activities That Simulate Real-world Conversation

Do you want your language students to go further than parroting back given words and sentences?

Are you looking for classroom speaking activities that get students to really, truly, actively use their brains?

Lucky for you, in this post, you’ll find 17 Modern Foreign Language (MFL) speaking activities  to improve your student’s learning experience while keeping them engaged. 

1. Sell Me Something

2. i am history, 3. news reporter, 4. scenes from the hat, 5. sing me that song, 6. hard questions, 7. things my grandmother taught me, 8. blind instructions, 9. photo differences, 10. missing directions, 11. speed chatting, 12. the first five minutes, 13. google doc conversations, 14. agree or disagree, 15. creative question responses, 16. telephone role play, 17. prompts from a hat, why true speaking is true learning, strategies to encourage speaking in your classroom.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

This activity involves a student trying to persuade the class into buying something. They’ll note all the benefits and advantages of the said product and deliver a sales pitch using the target language.

Preparation:

Students choose an object that they would like to sell and bring the actual object to class on the day of the pitch. If that’s not possible, students could instead bring pictures or videos to show the class.

These videos could have subtitles to help with comprehension. The students should also be dressed for the part, so if a student is selling some oranges in a market setting, he should dress accordingly in order to be more in character. If a student is selling a solid gold airplane, then she should also dress the part.

The Activity:

Each student is given two minutes to pitch the product to the whole class. They’ll relate to the class the distinct features of the product as well as its primary advantages and benefits. This is great for teaching students to be descriptive, confident and persuasive .

This activity is a good vocabulary-building exercise that’s specifically geared to make the adjectives of the target language particularly memorable. Because a student has to describe the product’s physical features, they’ll have to dig into the trove of adjectives available.

Because there’s a visual reference and strong context for the vocabulary, it becomes memory-friendly not only for the student delivering the pitch but also for the classmates looking on and listening in.

So, for example, the word “ripe” becomes much more alive for the students when they see those plump red tomatoes held by one of their classmates.

The activity also lends itself to quick lessons in numbers and units of measurement, because when selling something, prices as well as quantity will often be discussed.

Students get to pick a favorite historical character and develop a speech as if they were the person. The class will guess who the character is.

Encourage students to pick characters who may not be as famous as Gandhi or Alexander the Great so they could learn something extra along the way. The personalities could be on fields like science, economics or the arts and they would have to do research about him/her. (If the male students would choose to play female historical characters and vice versa, this could elevate the fun and interest level a few notches higher.)

Remind the students that they’ll be dressed in character and can freely bring props for their presentation.

Each student gets two minutes to talk as the character of their choice, dropping plenty of hints as to their identity. They’ll get to mention the character’s credentials, accomplishments, trivia and anecdotes credited to them.

Because the task is arranged as a first-person speech, your students will get plenty of practice in first-person sentence construction and grammar. This first-person point of view is vital in any target language because it’s what native speakers use to talk about themselves and their experiences.

At the end of the speech, you ask the class who the person standing in front of them is. Brownie points to the student who guessed correctly, as well as the student who gave the speech.

Students pick a news event to report on, then act as if they’re an anchor or field reporter telling the news to the class. The activity requires students to don their reporter hats and give a detailed account of an interesting event.

Ask students to pick a news item, a current event or a social issue that they’d like to report on. For example, a student may choose to report on a G7 Meeting, the spate of college dropouts around the country or, for some lighter news, a newborn panda in China.

Make a list of all your students’ topics and make sure there are no duplicates.

Encourage the class to pick a broad range of news and issues, from politics to entertainment, lifestyle and business.

Each student has from 45 seconds to 2 minutes to deliver the news. They could either be anchors pretending to sit in a studio or field reporters delivering the news from the thick of it.

The activity is set up so that it not only hones the speaking aptitude of students but also gives them a peek into the storytelling and information-delivering aspect of the language. Reporting the news is essentially like telling a story, and telling a story is one of the most important social functions of a language.

The activity also enriches each student’s practical vocabulary, by introducing them to words that might be new to them but are common phrases and expressions for the specific beat they’re reporting on.

This is a traditional improv game where students draw prepared scenes from a hat or bowl. They’ll have to act out the scene or task that’s written on the piece of paper they’ve drawn.

Prepare a list of scenes or tasks that students will have to perform in front of the class. Write them on pieces of paper. Roll the pieces of paper and deposit them in a hat, bowl or any appropriate container.

The scenes, written in the target language, may include classics like a mother looking for a lost child, a girl 15 minutes after a break up, a groom 1 hour before the wedding, a photographer telling models what to do, a politician campaigning for president, etc.

If you want the students to work in pairs, then prepare scenes that are suitable for duos like friends fighting over a girl, buyer and seller haggling over the price, etc.

Ask the students to draw their scenes/tasks from the bowl. Depending on the skill level of your students, you can ask them to do the scene impromptu — they should perform as soon as they’re done reading what’s written on the paper.

For beginners and intermediate students, it would be better if you give them a day or two to compose their lines or dialogue. Doing it this way, you give ample time for students to wrestle with the language, research and practice their lines over and over.

Students pick a familiar English song. They’ll translate that song into the target language, then sing it in the translated lyrics. This is an activity where students get speaking practice through music and melody.

Students are given their pick of English songs. Any song will do, from Katy Perry’s “Friday Night” to Tom Jones’s “Delilah.” As homework, they’ll have to translate two stanzas and the chorus of the song and submit to you a copy of the original and translated lyrics so you can check and polish their work.

Come presentation day, the student sings the translated (and corrected) lyrics in front of the class, to the delight of everyone seated.

This activity is actually both a translation exercise as well as a speaking activity. It broadens your class’s vocabulary by engaging them in translation activities. And beyond that, you have just given them a wonderful opportunity to practice by singing a song. 

Students get to discuss the hard questions in life. “Ketchup or Mustard?” “Who’s cooler, Superman or Batman?” “Jacob or Edward?”

This discussion activity is done as a class and works best when students are actually prepared to express their thoughts. So for a most fruitful discussion, a day or two before this activity, announce to the class that you’ll be resolving a very important issue (e.g. Ketchup or Mustard?).

Make it very clear that you’ll be calling on people to express their opinions on the matter, using the target language of course. Make them realize that they really have a say in the direction and the quality of the discussion. This should get the class worked up.

The other preparation involves you, the teacher. Acquaint yourself with the issue (e.g. Superman or Batman?) List down the strengths and weaknesses of each side. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both? Have these ready so that during the discussion, you can challenge, amplify or extend the arguments provided by the class.

Student talking time in the beginner phases often serves as comprehension checks. In “Hard Questions,” talking time is used to develop both thinking as well as language skills.

Do the activity as a class and facilitate the discussion by inviting opinions from the members of the class. Who’s cooler, Superman or Batman? You can actually spend the whole session with just that question. Anybody can talk and throw in their two cents into the pool of ideas. Ask the class to give their reasons and make their point.

If nobody speaks up at first, give your own opinion on the matter and ask if they agree. Your skill as a facilitator will be very important. Probe and lead, but most of all, be very positive and motivate your students .

This one’s for advanced learners. Students pick a local proverb to expound on.

Students will be given two to three days to prepare for a two-minute presentation. The presentation should include the following elements:

• A literal and figurative English translation of the proverb.
• A short story or anecdote to illustrate the proverb.
• An insight, advice or prescription that will benefit the class.

The students are free to bring visual aids or props to help them make a point. Bringing pictures or showing video clips can make for an interesting and memorable presentation.

Note: The two minutes given are for speaking time exclusively and wouldn’t include the time it takes to play a video clip.

This activity is unique in that it not only provides room for practice, it provides a peek into the rich cultural wisdom of the target language. A language’s proverbs and sayings reveal the distinct character of a culture, what issues are vital to people, and what values they hold most dear.

And since sayings and proverbs are purposely written or composed in a catchy manner, every line, every proverb, presented in front of the class would be brimming with highly memorable, highly contextualized vocabulary that will benefit the listening classmates.

This activity can help students learn to be more precise in their speaking, meanwhile helping them develop their listening skills.

Seat  pairs of students  with their backs to one another and then give an object to one of the two partners. This object could be a picture, or it could be a selection of objects grouped in a specific way.

One partner gives directions while the other must draw the picture as it’s described, or place a similar group of objects in the same configuration, using spoken directions only.

This exercise aids students in their descriptive ability and, again, helps the group as a whole become better listeners.

Distribute multiple copies of the same photo to your class, but with a few slight differences.

Perhaps the color of a pair of sunglasses differs in many of them. Or maybe there’s a bird in a tree in some of the photos but absent in others.

Ask each student to describe his or her photo clearly to the class or to a small group. Students will listen to determine what the differences are based on these descriptions. Then call on some of the students to tell you what differences they heard.

This activity can help to develop skills in task-directed communication as well as reading comprehension.

Create a list of directions for a complex task, such as baking a cake or assembling a house with Legos.

Split your students into groups and distribute only part of the directions to each member of the group. Your students need to work together to comprehend and follow the directions and accomplish the task. 

Give the class a heads-up the day before about what the topics will be so that they can practice answering the questions ahead of time. Seat students facing each other at two rows of desks. Set a timer for approximately five minutes (though a longer or shorter duration may work better depending on your group).

Whenever the timer goes off, introduce a new topic. You could perhaps start with the old standbys such as family, leisure activities, etc. If you have a solid understanding of your students and their interests, you might try making the questions more specific and relevant.

For example, if a fun and popular event like a festival or a concert just happened in the community, you might ask students to talk about what they saw or what they did. If you know for certain that some of your students enjoy a particular TV show, you might ask them to discuss their favorite character.

Whenever the timer goes off, require the students in one row to rotate so that everyone has new partners.

It helps take the pressure off when speaking occurs within a set timeframe. Your shy students will also feel more at ease in the knowledge that only one person is listening at any given time, making the speaking more low-risk.

This activity allows students to practice initiating and continuing a conversation.

Let your students know who is going to be a facilitator ahead of time so that they can prepare. You can use a random name spinner  to decide who’s going to be the next day’s facilitator. To help quieter students, you may want to give them more notice by preparing a monthly rotation schedule so that they can practice appropriate conversation starters ahead of time, or even have a practice run with you before their turn comes.

Each day, for the first five minutes of class, assign a different student to facilitate group conversation.

During the activity, don’t be afraid to jump in and gently prompt students if necessary. 

By working together to prepare a conversation, students can develop their confidence, especially if they know that corrections have already been made.

Let students choose the topic or give them guidelines to set the scene (on vacation, at the hairdresser’s, etc.).

Have small groups collaborate on a conversation written in a  Google Doc  that they’ll then present to the class.

When they’re finished writing, ask them to share the document with you so that you can make corrections.

Once they’ve had the opportunity to make corrections and practice, they’ll have enough confidence to perform their scene, either for the class or for a small group. Make it even more fun by including props and costumes!

This exercise gives students valuable practice in a task that everyone enjoys: expressing their opinions.

Write a controversial statement on the board or post it to your class blog. 

Ask students to discuss whether or not they agree with the statement.

Be clear that they must give reasons for their opinion—not just a “yes” or “no.” Try for something that’s relevant to the majority of students, for example, an unpopular school rule or a notorious celebrity. For best results, assign students to small groups in which they can share their opinion without the whole class listening.

This is a great activity to prepare your students for real-life presentations they may have to do in future academic or professional settings.

Many students feel more comfortable expressing themselves verbally when their creative side is unleashed. For this activity, students can create visual responses to questions that they’ll then support with speech.

When you have a question that you want the class to discuss, have students create a poster or an infographic that portrays their response in a creative way.

They can create these posters on traditional poster board and construction paper, or they can use a multimedia presentation platform of your choice.

Afterward, depending on your class structure, you can have them present their work in small groups or individually for the class. 

Activities that stimulate spontaneity and creativity will boost their comfort level with speaking in class.

Seat students back-to-back. This is great practice because it allows them to focus on the words in their conversation without being distracted by the other person’s mannerisms and facial expressions.

Assign them a prompt and have them act out a telephone conversation.

As an added bonus, you can seize the opportunity to teach appropriate telephone etiquette in the target language (and perhaps even in their own). Allow students to practice their telephone role-play several times. If students are too shy to perform for the class, consider asking them to record the audio so you can listen to it on your own or play it for the class if the participants feel comfortable with that.

For this activity, don’t get hung up on correct grammar and pronunciation too much. Just let them have fun. 

Write 15 to 20 creative and humorous speaking prompts on small slips of paper. For example, you might include a phone conversation in which each person mistakenly thinks they’re talking to someone famous. Another might be a group of siblings trying to hide the fact that they accidentally broke their mother’s favorite glass vase. Collect these prompts in a hat.

Occasionally ask individual students to reach into the hat and choose one. The chosen prompt will give them context for a group conversation, lending some spontaneity to make conversing feel like less of a chore.

In teaching a language, much of what we do in the classroom should involve students opening their mouths and trying out the target language.

There is, of course, room for grammar, syntax and proper sentence construction , but what’s more important is for us teachers to give opportunities for students to speak —to feel how the words and phrases roll off their tongues, to actually hear themselves enunciate strings of vocabulary . Along with listening and comprehension activities, speaking activities belong on the priority list of every language teacher.

Talking of speaking activities, the most productive type isn’t one where you say, “ Si! ” and the whole class repeats after you with a chorus of “ Si! ” Maybe the listen-and-repeat scheme may work for absolute beginners, but when you really want your students to acquire the language, you need to allow them to really use the language.

Provide meaningful contexts for the utterance while you’re at it. Let them observe the language as it’s being used: to talk to a friend, to greet a stranger, to ask a question or to buy stuff.

Let your students have at it—with all the mistakes they can muster. You not only allow them to use the language, but you, the teacher, also give your students clear and unequivocal permission to make mistakes .

Don’t worry that they’ll butcher the language or that they’re not yet ready for the big leagues. You’re there to guide them—just like somebody teaching a little girl to ride her first bike.

No matter what type of activities you decide to try, there are a few strategies that are helpful in fostering a classroom environment in which students feel comfortable speaking.

• Start each class period with a speaking activity. Begin with a brief, low-pressure “icebreaker” activity every day so your students become more comfortable with the expectation of speaking every day. 
• Give your students the space and time to speak. Give them time to structure their thoughts before speaking so they won’t feel rushed or pressured. Don’t hurry to cover the silence. Remember that the more time you spend talking, the less time your students have to do so.
• Provide goal-directed, real-world tasks. Have students work together to navigate a subway map or create a menu for a language-themed event while communicating in the target language. Communication is most meaningful when it’s used in the service of a relevant task with a specific goal in mind.
• Ensure an equal back-and-forth within pairs and groups. Monitor paired and group interactions and gently intervene when it seems that one person may be dominating the conversation. You might try cheerfully and calmly prompting the quieter students by asking their opinions to draw them out.

With these wonderful speaking opportunities, your students will come out of the course not just knowing a list of grammar rules, but having been immersed in the language like native speakers.

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation

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.

There are pros and cons to giving a 5-minute presentation. One good thing is the length. Long presentations can easily become boring, and you have a much better chance of keeping your audience engaged from beginning to end than with a 5-minute speech.

In this article:

Food & Drink

Relationships, social media, supernatural, list of topics for a 5-minute speech or presentation.

Choosing a topic is extremely important. To help you getting started, here is a list of some killer topics for 5-minute speech or presentation.

• Why it’s better to adopt a pet from a shelter
• Choosing the perfect leash for your dog
• What is the best food for your pet?
• How much exercise does your pet need?
• The horror of puppy mills
• Bringing back endangered species
• How long are giraffes in labor
• Domestication of horses
• Picking the right vet
• Sleeping with your dog
• Why should you get goats in pairs
• Ethics of zoos
• The domestication of dogs
• How to keep a goldfish alive for a long time
• How to choose the right pet
• Why cats are so independent
• When to get a dog
• What kind of dog is best for a household with children
• Why therapy animals work
• How to find the money to go to college
• How much control should the federal government have over curriculum design?
• How to choose a college
• Ideas for narrowing down a career choice
• When to declare a major
• Benefits of charter schools
• Why charter schools are bad
• Negative effects of school vouchers
• Attracting the right people to the teaching profession
• Discipline in the classroom
• Memory tricks that work
• Why homework is bad
• Should students still have to use the books in the library?
• Why cursive should still be taught in schools
• Textbooks vs. tablets
• Benefits of going to a trade school
• Are there positives to taking a gap year?
• The problem with low teacher pay
• Social media in the classroom
• Benefits of integrating apps into the classroom
• The importance of attachment
• How to compromise on names for your kids
• What is the ideal age to start a family
• How important are grandparents
• Traveling with children
• Strategies for potty training
• How to help a child with nightmares
• Middle child syndrome
• How many kids should you have?
• How to recognize a gifted child
• When your child doesn’t like to eat
• How to encourage good eating habits
• When to intervene with a bully
• Being active in your child’s school
• The benefits of aunts and uncles
• When family falls apart
• The first days with a new baby
• When to call the doctor
• Caring for an ailing parent
• Balancing home and career
• When to start saving for retirement
• IRA vs. Roth IRA
• When should you start saving for your children’s college education?
• Crowdfunded loans vs. the bank
• How Kickstarter changed everything
• Using your HSA
• How to apply for a mortgage
• Improving your credit score
• How to negotiate a raise
• Renting vs. buying
• How does compound interest work?
• How to ask for a promotion
• When is it time to get a new job?
• What to do when you find out a coworker makes more than you
• How much of a down payment on a house do you really need?
• Living on minimum wage
• Is it better to lease or buy a new car?
• How to budget for a new car
• What to do when you lose your job
• Using credit cards responsibly
• Is rare meat safe?
• Vegan vs. vegetarian
• Microbrews vs. standard brewing
• How to make your own wine
• What are hops?
• Best plants for a backyard garden
• When to transplant sprouts
• Bananas and plantains
• How to make a brine for pickling
• Where did brunch begin?
• Why pineapple belongs on a pizza
• When to order in
• Planning a menu
• Meal planning and grocery lists
• Is free range really better?
• The perfect macaroni and cheese
• Growing your own herbs
• How to make your own pasta
• How to make cookies that are softer
• Benefits of drinking black coffee
• Benefits of a gluten-free diet
• Is the paleo diet accurate?
• Effects of not getting enough sleep
• Are meal subscription services worth it?
• Downsides to Crossfit
• Benefits of yoga
• How to meditate
• Can therapy change the way your mind works?
• Are GMOs really dangerous?
• The truth about diet soda
• Importance of hydration
• Why cleanses don’t work
• Best juice diet
• Most effective exercise for burning calories
• Do essential oils really work?
• The history of television
• When the railway was king
• Thwarted assassination attempts
• The first Olympics
• Media during World War II
• Military advancements between World War I and World War II
• War photographers
• Things you didn’t learn in history class
• Historical lies
• The early Internet
• Why podcasts are great
• Most unbiased news channel
• When do people tune into the news most
• How relevant are women’s magazines?
• Cable vs. Netflix
• How worried should you be about your browsing history?
• How to limit screen time
• Why it’s bad to use your smartphone right before bed
• Apple vs. Android
• The best age to get married
• How to get an amicable divorce
• Finding a roommate
• Splitting financial responsibilities evenly among the household
• How to have a happy marriage
• Choosing your family
• How to fight effectively
• Signs of an abusive relationship
• What to look for in a spouse
• When to let it go
• How to overcome self-doubt
• Faking confidence
• Becoming comfortable with yourself
• How to say no
• Relaxation techniques
• Controlling anxiety
• Qualities of a leader
• The importance of self-care
• Identifying triggers
• How to eliminate negativity
• Making new habits
• Ethics of posting pictures of your children on social media
• How Internet ads are tailored to you
• How to advertise your business on Facebook
• Privacy and social media
• How to protect your personal information
• When to allow your kids to get their own social media accounts
• Why you shouldn’t post your location on social media
• How to use a hashtag
• Uncovering Twitter Bots
• Snapchat etiquette
• Proof that aliens exist
• Debunking crop circles
• Is Bigfoot real?
• Proof that ghosts exist

Good 2-Minute Speech Topics for Students

13 All-Time Best TED Talks

23 thoughts on “169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation”

Ideal Teacher

is life really a blessing?

This has helped me so much for my English class thank you!

Why personal (private) rules are helpful

I got an A!!!!!

Risks of abortion Wage gap How social media impacts education/mental health Why it’s important to have a good stable mental health Do teenagers really spend all their time on their phones Gsce requirements unfair or reasonable

Here is a kind of a dense topic, domestic abuse. Why does it happen? What are some ways to identify a abusive relationship? How does it affect families? Why is the abuser abusive?

We have presentation next week. I can’t think about the topic. Please help me!

i want a topic that involves supernatural: HELP

Is water wet?

death, what if the earth loses air entirely for five minutes, what is the most common death.

I have presentation next two day concerning with my classroom. I must choose five topics but i can’t think how to choose these topics. Please! help me

Tanks for giving me an A in drama

so helpful thank you

thanks this helped with my speach at school

i need a best topic to present on that is educational to consumer science and food nutrition students. can i please be assisted

what if the earth stopped spinning pros and cons of being an artist how Gen Z affected slang why people are afraid of the dark why knowing how to play an instrument is beneficial/not needed

Here’s a controversial one: are trans, intersex and non-binary people getting the same right as every else?

I have a presentation this week I don’t understand how to find a good title please help me I’m a diploma student the speech must have more than 10 minutes

How do create presentation for famous place in Sri Lanka

i need something for my oral communication class. it must be attention grabbing and not an argument. please help

I need ideas on a slide show presentation, a kid appropiate topic.

Pls I need more ideas on self help

hi lol i like these topics but i need a trendy one like something new or like a natural phenomene or someth like that… 🙂

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© 2024 My Speech Class

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 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 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 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 . 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 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 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 , 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 , and Simplicity (SECS) 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 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.

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News archives, faculty media experts, social media directory, publications, style guidelines, public relations team, requests for public relations services, classes of 2024 and 2025 slp students shine bright at the white coat ceremony, speech-language pathology students don their white coats for the first time.

In a momentous occasion that marked a significant step in their educational journey, speech-language pathology (SLP) students from the Classes of 2024 and 2025 donned their white coats for the first time. The White Coat Ceremony took place in the John W. Nevins, M.D. '44 Auditorium on April 1, where the ambiance was charged with jubilation and a sense of accomplishment.

The event, attended by an enthusiastic audience comprising friends, family, esteemed faculty members, and distinguished leaders from the School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP), was a testament to the dedication and commitment of the 38 students from the Class of 2024 and 32 students of Class of 2025 to the field of speech-language pathology. With this symbolic gesture, they signified their transition into the clinical phase of their curriculum and the exciting commencement of their budding careers. The proceedings began with a heartfelt messaged delivered by Vikas Grover, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, chief and associate professor in the Division of Speech-Language Pathology, who also shared encouraging sentiments with the students, echoing pride, achievement, and responsibility. “We tend to think of speech as something of our mouths,” he said. “We forget that speech has an origin and connection to our hearts and brains. The ceremony is a reminder of how complete your learning is and your willingness to come into your journey of service to others." Joining the festivities remotely via Zoom, Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and chief executive officer, imparted words of wisdom and inspiration. “Students of speech-language pathology as you don the white coat, I welcome you to that long line of women and men, backwards and forwards in history, who have worn the white coat for the purpose of the relief of pain, the amelioration of suffering, and to help people to avoid, to the extent possible, premature death.” The ceremony continued to be a beacon of celebration as Robert W. Amler, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the SHSP and vice president for government affairs, lauded the students, saying, "For many of you and for many of us, it’s not just a career, but it’s a calling," he said. “This is a happy moment. It’s a matter of great pride, but it’s a moment of real humble responsibility for the tasks you will have at hand.” The enthusiasm and support from the faculty and leadership underscored the vibrant atmosphere of encouragement and camaraderie. The spotlight then turned to the invited speaker, Izel Obermeyer, M.S., OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA, chief clinical officer of the Westchester Institute for Human Development, who inspired students to use their education and personal experiences to shape the speech-language pathologists they want to be in their careers, and to make the most of their careers. Alumnus speaker Andrew Keltz, M.S., CCC-SLP '20, encouraged students to offer kindness and compassion to their patients no matter of their circumstance. With bated breath and hearts brimming with pride, the students were called to the front of the auditorium to ceremoniously don their white coats with the assistance of their dedicated SLP faculty members. Adorned in their emblematic attire, the students stood tall and recited the Pledge for Speech-Language Pathology with unwavering commitment. As the White Coat Ceremony concluded, it left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of everyone present, heralding the bright futures and boundless possibilities that await these exceptional SLP students of the Classes of 2024 and 2025. 

Videos of the SLP White Coat Ceremony and other ceremonies are available on the NYMC Youtube Channel .

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The New York Medical College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the college. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. See full non-discrimination statement with contact info .

2024 WWE Hall of Fame: Highlights, most memorable moments from induction ceremony

PHILADELPHIA — Paul Heyman. Bull Nakano. Thunderbolt Patterson. The U.S. Express. Lia Maivia. Muhammad Ali.

All were immortalized into wrestling history as they were inducted into the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame class on Friday, one of the most honorable achievements in the business. It's already been an emotional night filled with laughs, tears and quite the amount of expletives. But there's still several stars set to take their place among the greats of wrestling. The Hall of Fame ceremony is the perfect way to get WrestleMania weekend going.

Here are the highlights from the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony:

Paul Heyman gets emotional, drops an F-bomb

It's rare to see the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns show his softer side, but the "Tribal Chief" opened up about his perspective on Paul Heyman. Reigns shared a story of when Heyman told him that he didn't need him to succeed, he just needed to believe he could do it. Still, Reigns had to acknowledge what he did for his rise to the top.

"The Tribal Chief doesn't happen if I'm not with The Wiseman," Reigns said .

Heyman came out to his old-school ECW theme and the crowd erupted in an ECW chant, while he hugged some of the former ECW stars who helped him make the promotion a success decades ago. Heyman soaked it all in, getting teary eyed before he even said a word. The crowd chanted "you deserve it," then he dropped one of the best F-bombs in WWE history.

"You're damn right I (expletive) deserve it," he said.

Heyman gave credit to WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque for leading the company, but also took a dig at him by telling his wife, Stephanie McMahon, she "married the wrong Paul."

Even though Heyman is in the middle of a feud with Cody Rhodes, as he thought about the people that he wished to be here, he turned to Rhodes and said, "I so wish your father was here tonight." Both had tears in their eyes.

Paul Heyman rocks old ECW gear

After getting through the "mushy" stuff, Heyman then said it was time to acknowledge ECW, and it was then when he whipped out his coat, headset and hat that was his signature look when he ran the promotion.

Heyman then went on a profanity-filled promo that was filled with giving himself his flowers, and he finished by saying he will continue to disrupt the industry and he's not going anywhere.

Bull Nakano rocks signature face paint

The polarizing Japanese star Bull Nakano came out to receive her honor in her signature blue face paint, and said it was a moment that she had hoped would happen one day.

“I have waited a long time," she said.

The Undertaker inducts Muhammad Ali; wife Lonnie Ali gifts The Rock a title

Only one of the greatest in wrestling could induct one of the greatest in boxing.

The Undertaker made his electric entrance to induct Muhammad Ali and welcome Ali's wife, Lonnie, to accept the award.

Ali told the story of how The Rock had asked her husband if he could use "The People's Champ" nickname. She said the great boxer was thrilled and wanted him to use it. To pay it back, Ali presented The Rock with an actual championship belt.

Rotunda family honors late brother Bray Wyatt

With Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Rotunda children, Mika and Taylor, better known as Bo Dallas, honored the tag team.

But Mika and Taylor made sure to recognize their brother Windham, known as Bray Wyatt, who died in August. As they spoke about feeling their brother's presence, the crowd lit up the arena with the fireflies that were always associated with Wyatt.

The U.S. Express also paid tribute to their fallen family member, lighting up the fireflies at the end of their speech as Wyatt's entrance music played throughout the arena.

Thunderbolt Patterson gets long deserved recognition 

Thunderbolt Patterson received a warm welcome from the WWE Universe, earning his rightful place in wrestling history. 

A pioneer in creating promos, his impact on professional wrestling is still felt today, evidenced by The New Day, which inducted him 31 years after his last television appearance. On Friday it felt like he never had left the ring. Patterson, who dealt with racism throughout the prime of his career, conducted an emphatic prayer with the crowd.

The Rock honors his grandmother

Lia Maivia took her place in the WWE Hall of Fame, posthumously inducted by her grandson, The Rock.

There was a quick stare down between The Rock and Rhodes, but The Rock turned the attention back to his family, and promised to take care of business at WrestleMania in their honor.

"I love you grandma, thank you so much," The Rock said to close out the show.

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April 6, 2024

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Can language models read the genome? This one decoded mRNA to make better vaccines

by Princeton University

The same class of artificial intelligence that made headlines coding software and passing the bar exam has learned to read a different kind of text—the genetic code.

That code contains instructions for all of life's functions and follows rules not unlike those that govern human languages . Each sequence in a genome adheres to an intricate grammar and syntax, the structures that give rise to meaning. Just as changing a few words can radically alter the impact of a sentence, small variations in a biological sequence can make a huge difference in the forms that sequence encodes.

Now Princeton University researchers led by machine learning expert Mengdi Wang are using language models to home in on partial genome sequences and optimize those sequences to study biology and improve medicine. And they are already underway.

In a paper published April 5 in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence , the authors detail a language model that used its powers of semantic representation to design a more effective mRNA vaccine such as those used to protect against COVID-19.

Found in Translation

Scientists have a simple way to summarize the flow of genetic information. They call it the central dogma of biology. Information moves from DNA to RNA to proteins. Proteins create the structures and functions of living cells.

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, converts the information into proteins in that final step, called translation. But mRNA is interesting. Only part of it holds the code for the protein. The rest is not translated but controls vital aspects of the translation process.

Governing the efficiency of protein production is a key mechanism by which mRNA vaccines work. The researchers focused their language model there, on the untranslated region, to see how they could optimize efficiency and improve vaccines.

After training the model on a small variety of species, the researchers generated hundreds of new optimized sequences and validated those results through lab experiments. The best sequences outperformed several leading benchmarks for vaccine development, including a 33% increase in the overall efficiency of protein production.

Increasing protein production efficiency by even a small amount provides a major boost for emerging therapeutics, according to the researchers. Beyond COVID-19, mRNA vaccines promise to protect against many infectious diseases and cancers.

Wang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the principal investigator in this study, said the model's success also pointed to a more fundamental possibility. Trained on mRNA from a handful of species, it was able to decode nucleotide sequences and reveal something new about gene regulation. Scientists believe gene regulation, one of life's most basic functions, holds the key to unlocking the origins of disease and disorder. Language models like this one could provide a new way to probe.

Wang's collaborators include researchers from the biotech firm RVAC Medicines as well as the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The language of disease

The new model differs in degree, not kind, from the large language models that power today's AI chat bots. Instead of being trained on billions of pages of text from the internet, their model was trained on a few hundred thousand sequences. The model also was trained to incorporate additional knowledge about the production of proteins, including structural and energy-related information.

The research team used the trained model to create a library of 211 new sequences. Each was optimized for a desired function, primarily an increase in the efficiency of translation. Those proteins, like the spike protein targeted by COVID-19 vaccines, drive the immune response to infectious disease.

Previous studies have created language models to decode various biological sequences, including proteins and DNA, but this was the first language model to focus on the untranslated region of mRNA. In addition to a boost in overall efficiency, it was also able to predict how well a sequence would perform at a variety of related tasks.

Wang said the real challenge in creating this language model was in understanding the full context of the available data. Training a model requires not only the raw data with all its features but also the downstream consequences of those features. If a program is designed to filter spam from email, each email it trains on would be labeled "spam" or "not spam." Along the way, the model develops semantic representations that allow it to determine what sequences of words indicate a "spam" label. Therein lies the meaning.

Wang said looking at one narrow dataset and developing a model around it was not enough to be useful for life scientists. She needed to do something new. Because this model was working at the leading edge of biological understanding, the data she found was all over the place.

"Part of my dataset comes from a study where there are measures for efficiency," Wang said. "Another part of my dataset comes from another study [that] measured expression levels. We also collected unannotated data from multiple resources." Organizing those parts into one coherent and robust whole—a multifaceted dataset that she could use to train a sophisticated language model—was a massive challenge.

"Training a model is not only about putting together all those sequences, but also putting together sequences with the labels that have been collected so far. This had never been done before."

The paper, "A 5' UTR Language Model for Decoding Untranslated Regions of mRNA and Function Predictions," was published in Nature Machine Intelligence . Additional authors include Dan Yu, Yupeng Li, Yue Shen and Jason Zhang, from RVAC Medicines; Le Cong from Stanford; and Yanyi Chu and Kaixuan Huang from Princeton.

Journal information: Nature Machine Intelligence

Provided by Princeton University

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