Sometimes, especially for a public speaking class, you are required to inform or persuade your audience regarding a particular topic.
It is always better to speak on a topic about which you already have knowledge or personal interest. However, to some extent, this interest needs to be shareable with your audience.
In choosing a topic, consider the following:
- What have I found interesting in current events recently?
- What has been especially easy and fun for me to learn in my other classes?
- What do I like about my personal hobbies, about my work, or about my family or cultural history?
- What is a topic I know I could speak about with friends for a long time without stopping? What is it about that topic that I like the best, or makes it fun for me?
- What do I know about that my audience could benefit from learning?
If you are choosing a topic for persuasion or argumentation, also consider these questions:
- What do I care enough about that I feel I need to argue or defend it? Does my audience also care? If not, how could I attract them to the topic based on their own perspectives?
- What arguments have I heard from others that I feel I could challenge?
- What arguments have I heard that I think are misunderstood?
- What are some things that my audience ought to do?
After you consider these questions, choose a topic for which:
- You know you can find examples and/or authoritative sources.
- You know you won’t have to fake enthusiasm.
- You know you can find an element that your audience will understand and appreciate.
- If it is a persuasive speech topic, you know about the most common and difficult challenges to your argument.
Once you confidently choose your topic, allow that confidence to drive your choices in researching and organizing the content of your speech.