top persuasive speech topics 2021

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for any project.

General Education

Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should all national museums be free to citizens?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• Should all interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
• Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
• Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
• Should students who bully others be expelled?
• Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
• Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
• Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
• Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
• Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
• Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
• Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
• Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
• Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
• Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
• Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
• Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
• Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
• What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
• Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
• Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
• Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
• Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
• Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
• Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Should assault weapons be illegal?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
• Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
• Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
• Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
• Should affirmative action be allowed?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

• Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
• Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
• Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
• Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
• Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
• Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Who was the best American president?
• Should the military budget be reduced?
• Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
• Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
• Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
• Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
• Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
• Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
• Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
• Should priests be allowed to get married?
• Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
• Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
• Should women be allowed to be priests?
• Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
• Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
• Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
• What is the best type of renewable energy?
• Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
• Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
• Should puppy mills be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should animal testing be illegal?
• Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
• Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
• Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
• Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
• Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
• Should college sports teams receive less funding?
• Should boxing be illegal?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should parents let their children play tackle football?
• Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
• Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
• Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

• Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
• The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
• Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

• Do your research
• Consider all the angles
• Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

Want a great GPA? Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript.

Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing , community service , and volunteer abroad programs.

Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

To write a captivating and persuasive speech you must first decide on a topic that will engage, inform and also persuade the audience. We have discussed how to choose a topic and we have provided a list of speech ideas covering a wide range of categories.

What is persuasive speech?

The aim of a persuasive speech is to inform, educate and convince or motivate an audience to do something. You are essentially trying to sway the audience to adopt your own viewpoint.

The best persuasive speech topics are thought-provoking, daring and have a clear opinion. You should speak about something you are knowledgeable about and can argue your opinion for, as well as objectively discuss counter-arguments.

How to choose a topic for your speech

It’s not easy picking a topic for your speech as there are many options so consider the following factors when deciding.

Familiarity

Topics that you’re familiar with will make it easier to prepare for the speech.

It’s best if you decide on a topic in which you have a genuine interest in because you’ll be doing lots of research on it and if it’s something you enjoy the process will be significantly easier and more enjoyable. The audience will also see this enthusiasm when you’re presenting which will make the speech more persuasive.

The audience’s interest

The audience must care about the topic. You don’t want to lose their attention so choose something you think they’ll be interested in hearing about.

Consider choosing a topic that allows you to be more descriptive because this allows the audience to visualize which consequently helps persuade them.

Not overdone

When people have heard about a topic repeatedly they’re less likely to listen to you as it doesn’t interest them anymore. Avoid cliché or overdone topics as it’s difficult to maintain your audience’s attention because they feel like they’ve heard it all before.

An exception to this would be if you had new viewpoints or new facts to share. If this is the case then ensure you clarify early in your speech that you have unique views or information on the topic.

Emotional topics

Emotions are motivators so the audience is more likely to be persuaded and act on your requests if you present an emotional topic.

People like hearing about issues that affect them or their community, country etc. They find these topics more relatable which means they find them more interesting. Look at local issues and news to discover these topics.

Desired outcome

What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? Use this as a guide to choosing your topic, for example, maybe you want people to recycle more so you present a speech on the effect of microplastics in the ocean.

Persuasive speech topics

Lots of timely persuasive topics can be found using social media, the radio, TV and newspapers. We have compiled a list of 75 persuasive speech topic ideas covering a wide range of categories.

Some of the topics also fall into other categories and we have posed the topics as questions so they can be easily adapted into statements to suit your own viewpoint.

• Should pets be adopted rather than bought from a breeder?
• Should wild animals be tamed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like monkeys?
• Should all zoos and aquariums be closed?

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should automobile drivers be required to take a test every three years?
• Are sports cars dangerous?
• Should bicycles share the roads with cars?
• Should bicycle riders be required by law to always wear helmets?

Business and economy

• Do introverts make great leaders?
• Does owning a business leave you feeling isolated?
• What is to blame for the rise in energy prices?
• Does hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt the economy?
• Should interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should schools include meditation breaks during the day?
• Should students be allowed to have their mobile phones with them during school?
• Should teachers have to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as the regular form of teaching?
• Is higher education over-rated?
• What are the best ways to stop bullying?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their drivers’ licenses?
• Should prostitution be legalised?
• Should guns be illegal in the US?
• Should cannabis be legalised for medical reasons?
• Is equality a myth?
• Does what is “right” and “wrong” change from generation to generation?
• Is there never a good enough reason to declare war?
• Should governments tax sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Has cosmetic surgery risen to a level that exceeds good sense?
• Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity?
• Should school cafeterias only offer healthy food options?
• Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Does consuming meat affect health?
• Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Law and politics

• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Should the President (or similar position) be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Would poverty reduce by fixing housing?
• Should drug addicts be sent for treatment in hospitals instead of prisons?
• Would it be fair for the government to detain suspected terrorists without proper trial?
• Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
• Should celebrities who break the law receive stiffer penalties?
• Should the government completely ban all cigarettes and tobacco products
• Is it wrong for the media to promote a certain beauty standard?
• Is the media responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Has freedom of press gone too far?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Does religion have a place in government?
• How do cults differ from religion?

Science and the environment

• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in supermarkets?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should selling plastic bags be completely banned in shops?
• Should smoking in public places be banned?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• How does parental pressure affect young athletes?
• Will technology reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have mobile phones?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Should we recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency?
• Should bloggers and vloggers be treated as journalists and punished for indiscretions?
• Has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should mobile phone use in public places be regulated?
• Do violent video games make people more violent?

World peace

• What is the safest country in the world?
• Is planetary nuclear disarmament possible?
• Is the idea of peace on earth naive?

These topics are just suggestions so you need to assess whether they would be suitable for your particular audience. You can easily adapt the topics to suit your interests and audience, for example, you could substitute “meat” in the topic “Does consuming meat affect health?” for many possibilities, such as “processed foods”, “mainly vegan food”, “dairy” and so on.

After choosing your topic

After you’ve chosen your topic it’s important to do the following:

• Research thoroughly
• Think about all of the different viewpoints
• Tailor to your audience – discussing your topic with others is a helpful way to gain an understanding of your audience.
• How involved are you with this topic – are you a key character?
• Have you contributed to this area, perhaps through blogs, books, papers and products.
• How qualified are you to speak on this topic?
• Do you have personal experience in it? How many years?
• How long have you been interested in the area?

While it may be difficult to choose from such a variety of persuasive speech topics, think about which of the above you have the most knowledge of and can argue your opinion on.

For advice about how to deliver your persuasive speech, check out our blog  Persuasive Speech Outline and Ideas .

• College Application

Persuasive Speech Topics: The Best 150 Ideas

Plus, a step-by-step guide for writing and delivering your speech.

Persuasive speech topics can inspire an audience and influence change in your community, town, or city. Whether you are giving a presentation at a large conference or converting a college essay into a speech to be given at your high school's auditorium, delivering a persuasive speech is not an easy task. We are here to guide you through this difficult process and provide you with 150 persuasive speech topics that can help you prepare your own inspirational presentation.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Listen to the blog!

Article Contents 13 min read

The art of persuasion.

The art of oratory is one of the oldest and most compelling persuasion tactics in human history. The power of speech has been used for centuries by men and women to negotiate peace, start revolutions, and inspire generations. At the source of change, we often witness a great speaker or speech that affected people’s worldviews. King Solomon, Socrates, Cicero, Elizabeth I, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, were all powerful speakers who changed the course of human history.  

Luckily, not every persuasive speech happens on such a grand scale. You do not have to become Napoleon to change the lives of people who hear what you have to say. You might have experienced this yourself – perhaps you have had a teacher who instilled in you a great passion for the study of physics during his lectures? Or you happened to attend a political, grassroots gathering where you heard a speech that changed your attitude towards homelessness or poverty. Or maybe your classmate's presentation revealed something about a novel you were reading in class that made you reflect on your own life and the people in it.

The power of a speech lies in your conviction and delivery of the topic you choose to discuss. A persuasive speech topic can be anything you are passionate about. Yes, it is true; whether you want to discuss the repercussions of the Cuban Revolution or analyze the power of K-pop in popular culture, it is up to you to enthrall the audience with your topic. The key to any successful speech is your confidence and enthusiasm. So, let’s start by examining what makes a speech persuasive.

To deliver a speech takes a lot of guts – not everybody is comfortable with public speaking. But to deliver a good speech takes conviction. Think of it like this: you must believe in the importance of your speech topic to discuss it. This must be something you care about and believe in; otherwise, your topic must be something that drives your curiosity, and you believe that it must be examined further.

Conviction stirs your desire to share this topic with others – you are convinced that other people will similarly find this topic fascinating! Whether it is the importance of recycling or bike lanes, the conviction is what will become the backbone of a successful and persuasive topic choice, as well as drive your desire to give a speech in the first place.

With conviction comes passion. These two elements of a successful speech are intimately intertwined. If you believe in the importance of something, you will be passionate about sharing it with the public.

If we look at some of the most famous speeches in human history, you will notice that conviction and passion are the driving force that makes these speeches legendary. Whether it's Cicero's defense of the Republic in the Roman Senate or Martin Luther King's speech in the defense of civil rights almost two millennia later, both these speakers believed in the importance of their convictions and were passionate about sharing their beliefs. In these cases, even despite the threats of death.

Unbiased Expertise

Conviction and passion should also drive your need to know everything there is to know about your topic. To give a persuasive speech, you must not only show confidence and excitement but demonstrate that you are an expert in the topic of your choice. Granted, if you are a high school student or an undergraduate who's been assigned to deliver a speech in less than 2 weeks, you are not going to become a world-renowned expert in your subject matter. However, as I pointed out, your speech topic should be something you are already passionate about, so you must have done some research and have some knowledge of your topic.

A persuasive speech should be based on facts. It should deliver arguments and counterarguments to show many sides of the issue you choose to discuss. For example, if you choose to discuss the importance of bike lanes, you can present several arguments in support of creating more bike lanes in your town or city, such as safety, decrease in traffic, environmental benefits, etc. However, make sure to include arguments that also show the other side of the issue, such as having to close down several major streets in your city to reconstruct the roads to fit in the new bike lanes and the side-effects of construction for businesses. Presenting both sides of the issue will show your comprehensive knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your professionalism.

Using the bike lanes topic as an example, I want to emphasize that showing unbiased research and knowledge of your topic can win the audience’s favor. You can, and should, still have your own opinion on the matter and defend your conviction in the speech but presenting the audience with both sides of the story is a tactic that will make them trust you.

Additionally, knowing both sides of the coin shows that you have come to your conviction after long and thorough research. You are not just presenting an uneducated opinion.

Taking care of the substance of your speech is the first step. While learning how to properly deliver your speech may seem less important, even the most well-researched and factually based speech will seem weak if the orator does not engage the public.

Though they certainly help your confidence, conviction and passion do not always result in strong delivery. This is understandable since public speaking is not everyone’s forte. While you may be animated and absorbing when you speak of your topic with friends, gripping an audience full of strangers is different.

There are three potential goals of any persuasive speech:

To familiarize your audience with a topic they have never considered before and inspire them to research it on their own. "}]" code="timeline1">

When you think about it, these objectives are pretty ambitious. Delivery plays a huge part in achieving these goals. It will be hard to move your audience to pursue any of these goals without clear articulation, professionalism, and charisma.

Strong delivery can be developed. Yes, there are those to whom oratory skills come more naturally, but this is rather an exception than the rule. Many successful orators were terrified of public speaking but worked hard to overcome their fears. A good example of this is King George VI of England. Before taking the throne in 1936, he was already an infamously bad speaker. The King trained to keep his speech impediment and nerves at bay once he was crowned and delivered one of the most inspiring speeches against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich at the beginning of World War II.

Now that you know what makes a speech topic persuasive, let's go over a step-by-step formula that will help you choose the right topic for you. 

• Brainstorm where your convictions lie and what you are passionate about. You must reflect on what interests, hobbies, news, events, individuals, and activities of yours could be developed into a persuasive, strong narrative. 
• Narrow these down to 2 or 3 topics that are particularly important or riveting to you. 
• Now comes the practical side of the brainstorming process: take a moment to think whether preparing a comprehensive and compelling speech on this topic is feasible in the amount of time you have available. Consider the following questions: Are the topics of your choice well researched by you? Do you know these topics well? If you are not well-versed in the topic of your choice, do you have enough time to do research to present a comprehensive and complete narrative? Do you have enough time to form a well-developed stance about this topic? A thesis? Will you be able to cover several sides of this topic in the amount of time you have available?
• If you have answered “No” to these questions regarding each of the topics you had in mind, you must go back to the drawing board. 
• If you have come up with a topic that results in a positive response to all the questions mentioned in step 3, you might have found the winner.
• Start by developing a thesis, i.e., the main message of your speech. Without a thesis, you will not have a strong speech. 
• Develop arguments that endorse your thesis and support them with facts. Remember, a strong speech must be based on facts, rather than opinions and unsubstantiated statements.
• Research counterarguments to your thesis. While you may not personally support these, you must present a well-rounded picture of the issue you are discussing. 
• You can finish off your speech by responding to the counterarguments in a way that reinforces your thesis. Don't forget to re-emphasize your main message in the closing paragraphs of your speech.

Know your audience

It is always a good idea to know who your audience is. Whether you are giving a speech in your high school, or traveling to attend an undergraduate conference, reflect on who will be listening to your speech. Before you sit down to write it, consider whether you can give yourself the freedom to use technical language, jargon, or make inside jokes on the matter. In general, I would advise you to avoid overly technical or niche language. It is never a good tactic for making a persuasive speech – this might alienate a large part of your audience.

However, if you are delivering a speech to a like-minded audience, you may use "industry lingo". For example, if you are delivering a speech at a video game convention, it is likely that many, if not most, attendees will be familiar with the terms and vocabulary you use. You will be able to strengthen your speech by using language that unites you with your audience. In this case, you are encouraged to engage the public by making inside jokes, using niche terminology, and creating a relatable experience with your speech.

Knowing your audience will allow you to develop a language for your speech. It will also allow you to gauge how deep you can delve into the topic of your choice. For example, if you are a young physics aficionado who is giving a lecture on black holes to your sophomore classmates, you might want to consider the fact that many of them have never studied physics in depth. This may help you shape your speech into something accessible and interesting for others.

If you are unsure about who your audience might be, try researching it. It is always good practice to know whom you will be addressing. Not only will it help you prepare the speech, but it will also ease your anxiety about the day of your speech delivery.

Hook the audience

Your opening sentences can hook the audience and guarantee their attention. While it will be the substance of your speech that keeps them listening to you, the opening must be captivating for your speech to have a chance for success.

So, what do I mean by hooking the audience with your opening? For example, you can state a shocking statistic about your topic. It will be especially impactful if it is related to your audience’s experiences, geographical area, community, or hot-topic issue. Here’s an example for an opening sentence for a speech about the importance of bike lanes:

“Last year, the city of Toronto recorded 715 serious accidents involving cyclists, with over 5% of these accidents resulting in a fatality."

Now, if I was living in Toronto, I would be surprised to hear such information; especially, if I have never thought about this before. I am saddened by this statistic and would like to learn how we can help prevent these accidents.

Let’s examine another opening. This time, we will consider a speech topic involving a historical event. For example, if you are captivated by the mystery of Princess Anastasia of the Russian royal family, the House of Romanov, you might start your speech thusly:

“The question of whether the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova survived the brutal execution of her entire family by the Bolsheviks is one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.”

This sentence performs several tasks:

The opening sentence is your chance to establish yourself as the expert! You will seem like the authority on this topic, especially if you can pronounce the Princess's name without mistakes. "}]" code="timeline2">

Coming up with a strong opening sentence is not easy, but very worthwhile for delivering a persuasive speech. If you are having trouble finding the right opening sentence, you do not need to wait to start writing your speech. If you are stuck, move on to the main body of your speech and return to creating a captivating opening later.

To be persuasive, your speech must have a thesis. A thesis is the main argument you are trying to convince your audience of, or simply put, the purpose of you giving the speech. Without a thesis, your speech will be aimless, chaotic, and most likely, unengaging.

And while you can write your introduction after the main body of your speech is ready, you cannot write your speech without a thesis. It will be the landmark, the leading light, of your speech. Everything you say and every fact and argument you include in your essay must support your thesis. Certainly, you will be able to bring up alternative points of view later in the speech, but as we already discussed, your objective is to persuade the audience that your thesis is the correct one.

Let’s return to our bike lanes example. If you are a proponent of bike lanes, your thesis should be more than “Bike lanes are good”. While this can be considered a thesis, it is pretty thin. Instead, find a way to make your thesis compelling, include a supporting statistic, or a benefit of having bike lanes. For example: 

“Having more bike lanes in our city will not only reduce traffic by X% but also allow our city to be at the forefront of the environmentally friendly initiatives happening all over our country.” 

This thesis is clear and introduces the audience to some of the main points of the speech. The listeners get a concise prelude to what the speech is about and what it stands for.

Research and Arguments

Research is always conducted before you sit down to write. While you may have some general knowledge about your topic, remember that you are trying to be as persuasive as you possibly can be. This means that you need the latest statistics, the most up-to-date information, and the strongest support from experts in the field. 

Tip: keep in mind your thesis as you are writing. All your arguments and facts must be in support of the main purpose of your essay. While you should present alternative points of view in your speech to make it well-rounded and unbiased, a strong speech must contain arguments that make it clear that your thesis is the correct one.

Concluding your speech has a twofold purpose. In addition to persuading the audience of your thesis, you must complete your narrative. Give the audience some closure about the topic. On the other hand, you must leave them even more interested in learning about your research. In other words, they must be compelled to explore on their own.

Tip: your conclusion cannot be a dry summary of your thesis and arguments. While you must restate your thesis in the conclusion, you are strongly encouraged to incite an emotional response from your audience. For example:

“More bike lanes will alleviate the heavy traffic and relieve our city from car fumes and soot. It is our responsibility to start making our city more eco-friendly. These small steps will inspire even more initiatives across our hometown and lead to a brighter, greener, future."

In this example, the audience is not only reminded of the main purpose of the speech but is also encouraged to think of other green initiatives that can help their town. The author does a good job of invoking responsibility for the future to encourage their audience to act. 

Want to learn how to choose persuasive speech topics? Check out our infographic:

Now, let’s go over 150 persuasive speech topics that can inspire your own essay and presentation! Note that these are questions that should help you form ideas, arguments, and most importantly, theses. Rather than giving you the thesis upfront, we are encouraging you to come up with your own opinion and answers to these questions.

Your speech should be between 15 to 20 minutes long. Anything longer may lose your audience's attention. If applicable, don't forget to factor in some time after your presentation for questions from the audience.

The best way to approach the choice of topic is to reflect on your convictions and passions. If you are truly interested in a topic, your excitement will be felt by the audience.

Of course, you must be interested in your topic, first and foremost. Secondly, your speech must demonstrate a level of expertise and knowledge that will allow the audience to believe that you know what you are talking about. Thirdly, your delivery will have a great effect on whether you succeed in persuading the audience. Even a well-researched speech will suffer from poor delivery.

Firstly, only practice can really help you improve. Once you have written your speech, read it over several times. Do not memorize it, but rather, remember the structure, the flow of your arguments, your main points. Then start practicing pronouncing your entire speech in front of the mirror. Do this until you are quite confident with the content of the essay. Then, you can start practicing with family members, your friends, and classmates. Ask for their feedback: can they hear you well? Are you being articulate? Does your speech have a logical flow? Did they understand your thesis? Their feedback can help you modify not only your content, but also your presentation.

Your speech should take the form of an academic essay: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Your speech must have a thesis, otherwise it will be meandering and pointless. A thesis will guide you and keep your essay/presentation well-structured. A thesis is what you will be arguing for (or against, if it's a negatively stated thesis) throughout your speech. And while you can include some alternative points of view in your speech, your thesis will inform every argument you make in the speech.

Typically, you should avoid using overly technical language. Even if you are presenting at a professional conference in front of peers, there is a chance that some of your audience will be unfamiliar with the professional terminology. To be inclusive, you should avoid niche language.

To be frank, there is no such thing. You can make a great speech on any topic of your choosing! Your research, your delivery, and your passion will determine whether your speech is successful.

Acknowledging opposing views and presence of debate will demonstrate your thorough knowledge of the topic. Additionally, you will demonstrate that you came to your conclusion/thesis after researching the topic, rather than simply forming an uneducated opinion.

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions, get started now.

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar:

How to make your college applications stand out, (and avoid the top 5 mistakes that get most rejected).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee you'll get into your dream college or university or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

Ace the Presentation

120 PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

In today’s post we will be sharing tips on what you should consider before choosing a persuasive speech topic, and give you over a hundred and twenty persuasive speech topics and ideas you can explore across different niches such as business, health care, college, and high school education, government, politics and policy, religion, technology and much more. I hope you’ll be getting some sweet ideas for your next speech.

Why do we use Persuasive Speeches?

Persuasive speech topics are typically thought of as brain-teasing, thought-provoking, insightful, and very concise about its position on the matter at hand. As a result, you are advised to only make persuasive speeches on topics you are quite conversant and knowledgeable about, so you can hold down a solid argument and be always ready to field questions that crop up.

How to choose a persuasive speech topic?

There are several types of speech you can deliver to an audience, however choosing a persuasive speech topic is not always an easy thing to do as there are a ton of factors, other than you being conversant with the topic, that usually comes into play when trying to come up with a compelling topic. Some of these factors, we will be addressing below. (If you are curious about the other kinds of speech , please visit this other post ).

1. Choosing A Topic Of Interest

A great way to select a topic is researching an area you have the most interest in. This is because the mind is more attuned to what it naturally enjoys doing, and as such, you will find out that the process because very easy and flows smoothly. You will most likely feel a rush of ideas when you are passionate about a particular subject, that coming up with bullet point topics will be in a timely order.

When you stick to only topics that fancy your interest, the audience will naturally see and share your enthusiasm too when you are making your presentation, which ultimately makes your speech more convincing.

2. Visualize The Topic

Visual presentations like PowerPoint slide presentations add a special touch to your public addresses. That is like the proverbial icing on the cake! A visual representation will help explain the topic at hand better as the brain processes pictorial depictions easier, which will consequently pick the interest of the audience better.

3. Have The Audience’s Interest In Mind

4. touch on emotional topics.

One of the greatest catalysts for making a successful public speech is building up emotions. Being able to sway the emotions of an audience is a great skill, because emotions act as deep motivators, so much that the audience is incited and is more likely to be sentimentally tilted towards your standpoint or request.

5. The Topic Should Be Relatable

6. avoid being generic.

Most time when people get exposed to the same subject over and over again, there is the likelihood they might tune off as there is nothing fresh and unique being added to what they already know before. Always consider this when drafting persuasive speech topics, so you do not come off as too generic or cliché.

Of course, they can be a few exceptions in this case. Where the topic of discussion is one that has been over flogged, you can add a little twist by coming up with a fresh idea from your own personal understanding of the topic. Ensure that you are adding something new and unique to what is already established. Otherwise, steer clear of such subjects. 

7. Have A Goal In Mind

Finally, it would be best if you had a goal in mind. This should entail what you expect of your audience after listening to your speech. Come up with a call-to-action conclusion . Like when convincing people to adopt eco-friendly habits to curb climate change, you can point them towards adopting new small but conscious day-to-day habits that are beneficial to the environment, like recycling plastic, using energy saving bulbs, taking a walk instead of driving, or opting for a more vegan diet, etc

120 Persuasive Speech Topics You Can Use

Below is a list of persuasive speech topics broadly spaced out across different niches.

BUSINESS & WORK PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• The advantages and importance of niche marketing.
• Advertising can be deceptive.
• Should advertising be subjected to be stricter guidelines?
• Owning a Business will toughen you.
• You should not mix business and pleasure.
• Reasons introverts are great leaders.
• Owning a business can make you drop some friends and acquaintances.
• You must learn to be coordinated as an entrepreneur.
• Why it is very essential that a business must have a brand identity?.
• Why going into business with family is a recipe for disaster?

PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS ON HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION

• Should teachers be required to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• High school kids must be made to complete mandatory community service in order to graduate high school?
• Should a new set of tests be introduced to ascertain students skill level just before they graduate high school?
• Do you think cyberbullies should be expelled from school?
• Do you think high school tuition should be free to poor kids?
• High school students should not be allowed to use smartphones during school hours?
• Only students with good grades should be let to participate in sports.
• Art and music programs should be made an integral part of public school education.
• Students should be subjected to periodic search in order to fight drugs.
• Should students not be permitted to play music during class hours?

PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURE

• Stricter laws should be passed concerning endangered species
• Should native plants only be grown in gardens?
• Why we should avoid making use of disposable diapers.
• Should people be more compelled to use public transport?
• Hybrid vehicles are great for the environment.
• The use of natural resources should be limited
• Why pollution is hurting human life.
• Why keeping our community clean should be compulsory.

GOVERNMENT PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• Why there must be stricter federal laws pertaining to content found on the internet?
• The government should be tasked to make shelter available for homeless individuals.
• Zoning laws are rather common sense.
• The nation’s justice system needs to be overhauled.
• Should the government interfere with our type of diets?
• Should the state be allowed to raise fund for schools run by religious bodies?
• Whose national hero do you think should be printed on the latest currency?
• The federal government should increase funding for Amtrak.
• Repairing potholes should be the responsibility of local government.
• Has the war on drugs been a failure?
• Should people be tested for drugs in order to get aid from the state?
• The military budget must be reduced.
• What are the best ways to increase gun control?
• We should push the government for more transparency on how they use taxpayers contributions?
• Sovereign debts should only be approved if 75% of parliament agrees to it.
• Why African leaders need to combat corruption more fiercely?

COLLEGE STUDENTS & LIFE PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• Students should be acquainted with other students.
• Is it wise to always have tougher lectures early in the day before simpler ones?.
• Should student’s phones be turned off during lectures?
• Should attendance during lectures be made part of the continuous assessment?
• Should summer classes be made compulsory for college students?
• Taking notes in class should be made mandatory.
• Should tablets be used in learning in place of textbooks?.
• Students should not be made to study what they have no passion for.
• Students should be wary of excessive student loans.
• Will the current college education system be enough to prepare our future leaders in ways that the world needs?
• How sufficient are the entrepreneurial electives in preparing students for becoming successful business owners?

PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS ON POLITICS & POLICY

• Is it legal for politicians to accept campaign contributions from corporate lobbyists?
• Why do we vote?
• Abusive language should be banned in elections.
• Central Asian states are becoming a threat.
• America should be made to refrain from always playing “big brother.”
• Globalization is good for world politics.
• We should know more about Bernie Sanders.
• Term limits need to be honored and respected.
• Give Kurdistan back to the Kurds.
• Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel.
• How to end with elections fraud in Africa?

RELIGION & FAITH PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• Should religion be taught in public schools?
• Students should be free to practice their religion in school.
• Why are religious cults dangerous?
• Faith should be protected.
• Why is Islam a peaceful religion?
• Should religious leaders who extort their followers be allowed in the country?
• The Islamic faith has never been associated with terrorism for 14 centuries.
• Should women be made priests?
• Religious conflicts must be avoided.
• How much is too much when it comes to freedom of religion?

PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS ON FUNDRAISING

• More funding is needed for public television and radio.
• Should high school football programs receive less funding?
• Should college sports teams receive more funding?
• Can religions run state fund schools?
• Let us all take a small % of our income to help war displaced orphans.

TECHNOLOGY-RELATED PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• Will artificial intelligent take away many jobs?
• What age should children be let to own a cell phone?
• Should new buildings be made energy efficient?
• Is Net Neutrality a good or bad thing?
• Should libraries be replaced with more access to e-books?
• How has technology helped to connect people or isolate them?
• Should self-driving cars be made legal?
• Do violent video games encourage negatively affect players in real life?

TV & MEDIA PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• Freedom of the press has gone too far?
• Should some T.V. shows have age restrictions?
• Is the media to be blamed for eating disorders?
• How can we make the Media accountable for Teenage behavior?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Bad parenting is the cause of disastrous teenagers; the media is not to blame.
• How is low self-esteem being fueled by the Media’s portrayal of certain beauty standards?
• Why promoting specific beauty standards on TV negatively affects people.
• More funding is required for public television and radio.
• Should the Russian have beat Rocky?
• Cable TV monopolies destroy the competition.
• Should violence on television be regulated?
• There are benefits in reading comic books.
• Some TV shows are quite educational.
• TV should be made more educational.

PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS ON HEALTH CARE

• Should the US change to a single-payer health care system?
• Should healthy people be required to donate blood regularly?
• Should birth control be permitted for underage kids without their parent’s approval?
• Disclosing your HIV status to a sexual partner must be made illegal?
• Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Should schools contribute to sexual diseases education and prevention by distributing condoms?
• Should there be a medical insurance package for every old and retired individual covered by the Government?

MOTIVATIONAL PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

• Set realistic and achievable goals and take action to make them happen.
• How to overcome performance anxiety and unleash your potential?
• Having a moral standard set for kids under 18 years old.
• Be straightforward about what project you hope to undertake, and review your progress in between milestones achieved.
• How to help reduce the high levels of depression in our country.
• Why are we afraid of pursuing our dreams, and how can you do it.
• What keeps most of us from following our heart when it comes to what we love?
• Why being prudent is a value we all forsake, yet need in our lives.
• Moral imagination is an ingredient for intellectual and spiritual development.
• Why should we pay no heed to naysayers?

There are a ton of other persuasive speech topics ideas that we could add to the list, and hopefully, I will be doing that in the future. Please remember that the value of a great speech is in it being able to move, touch, and spur emotions that lead to action from the audience, and you can not achieve that without proper audience analysis , and ensuring that your topic of choice connects with the audience.

The last thing I want you to take from this post, and it is related to my other post on persuasive speech techniques (which I highly recommend that you go and check) , is that delivering persuasive speeches is hard. I mean, convincing people to change their minds, and buy into your idea is the most amazing skill you can have when it comes to communicating and delivering speeches.

This is one of our posts on the types of speech series, should you be interested in learning about other types of speeches, please click on of the links below when you are done reading this article.

The 14 Speech Types Series of Posts

Part I. 8 Persuasive Speech Techniques & Topics

Part II . 9 Tips for Writing and Amazing Informative Speech and 120+ Topic Ideas

Part III. 5 Quick Tips on how to Give an Effective Motivational Speech

Part IV. 15 Demonstration Speech Ideas and Techniques

Part V. How to Give an Effective Special Occasion Speech?

Part VI. 6 Key Tips for a Memorable Entertaining Speech + Topics and Ideas

Part VII. Explanatory Speech: 7 Key Tips to Help You Deliver an Effective Speech

Part VIII. 5-Step Strategy for an Effective Debate and Speech Delivery

Part IX. 7 Oratory Secrets: How to Deliver Effective Oratorical Speeches

Part X. Public Speaking Contests: 7 Ways to Nail at Forensic Speech Competitions

Part XI. 80+ Impromptu Speech Topics & 7 Ways to Nail One

Part XII. 13 Ways to Effectively Deliver Pitching Presentations

Part XIII. Farewell Speech – An 8-step guide to help you deliver a Memorable one

Part XIV. Eulogy Guide: How to Give a Heartfelt Funeral Speech (with 4 Eulogy examples)

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

Chief Essays. List of 200 Persuasive speech topics. https://chiefessays.net/200-persuasive-speech-topics/ . Accessed on 07/07/2019.

Christine Sarikas. 105 Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project. https://blog.prepscholar.com/good-persuasive-speech-topics . Accessed on 07/07/2019.

Virtual Speech. 75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas. https://virtualspeech.com/blog/persuasive-speech-topics-and-ideas . Accessed on 07/07/2019.

My Speech Class. 434 Good Persuasive Speech Topics. http://www.myspeechclass.com/persuasivetopics2.html . Accessed on 05/07/2019.

ThoughtCo. 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students. https://www.thoughtco.com/list-of-persuasive-speech-topics-for-students-1857600 . Accessed on 07/07/2019.

Similar Posts

12 Great Communication Skills for the Workplace – A True Leader’s Mark

Through the exchange of information, you can build trust and respect, align actions, execute plans and strategies, and ultimately improve bottom-line performance. I am sharing below 12 communication skills for the workplace, they are effective communication skills required of every employee, especially from a leader. You have someone whom you think of when we consider…

Why Mastering Public Speaking Skills Will Improve Your Life – 4 Examples.

Public speaking skills are the most important skills for all those who intend to inspire, influence, lead, support and educate others. It’s perhaps the oldest and most respected skill in our history as a species, and that alone tells you how important it is to keep improving your public speaking skills. Public Speaking Skills and…

8 Key Tips for Answering Phone Calls Professionally

According to Cornell University, United States research, first impressions have the power to influence future relations framing our personality because of an attitude, morals, tastes, and more; our character is now judged by the person with whom we interact. This study suggests that people take their assumptions about others to new interactions, so let’s imagine…

The I Have A Dream Speech By Martin Luther King Jr

The “I Have A Dream” speech, which was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr on August 28, 1963, was part of the speeches delivered during the March on Washington to secure the enactment of the Civil Rights Acts in 1964. The Speech, which was a call for freedom and equality, turned out to become one of the defining moments that…

9 Ways to Improve Written and Verbal Communication Skills

Effective communication is an essential tool for achieving success; good communication generates understanding, brings people together, and facilitates understanding messages.  Immense problems arise from poor communication, such as disagreements between people, harmful environments, be it at work or at home, etc. Generally, the difficulty in communicating is associated with a lack of professional competence, so…

The most popular TED Talks of 2021

What ideas captured people's attention and took off the quickest? Here are the talks that intrigued and inspired in 2021.

How every child can thrive by five

How to stop languishing and start finding flow

How to have constructive conversations

The science behind how parents affect child development

The 1-minute secret to forming a new habit

How your memory works -- and why forgetting is totally OK

Using your voice is a political choice

Meet the scientist couple driving an mRNA vaccine revolution

The cure for burnout (hint: it isn't self-care)

The counterintuitive way to be more persuasive

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• About me/contact
• Writing a persuasive speech
• 100 persuasive speech ideas

Persuasive speech ideas

100 good persuasive speech topics for high school students

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Potentially interesting persuasive speech topics are everywhere - billions of them! But exactly how do you choose the right topic for yourself?

My goal is to help you do that easily! ☺ 

What you'll find on this page:

• 100+ persuasive speech ideas  grouped by theme: animals/birds, arts/culture, automotive, business/economy, social/community, environment, education, ethics, global/world, sports... 

Notes covering:

• what makes a speech topic 'good'
• why some topics are potentially boring for an audience to listen to and best left alone
• local and 'happening now' (current) persuasive speech ideas
• the best way to use this list of topics

Reading the notes  before trying to decide what you'll talk about will make the process of choosing the perfect persuasive speech topic simpler.    

How to pick the right persuasive speech topic

The trick to picking the best topic from the bewildering mass of possibilities begins with understanding what makes a speech topic idea 'good'.

What makes a speech topic good?

While there are many factors that combine to make a 'good' speech topic, the three main ones are:

• the subject matter is something you are genuinely interested in. If you're enthusiastic about your subject, you'll enjoy doing the research required and you'll do it thoroughly. What's more, your interest will show in the way you give your speech. A passionate person is a great deal more persuasive than someone who is ambivalent about what they're talking about.
• something your audience will be interested in hearing about. Before you make a final choice consider carefully who you are talking to. As a group what particular topic, subjects or issues will make them want to sit up and listen? You'll want to avoid topics that have limited or little appeal to your audience. For example, you may be fascinated by your Great-Grandmother's hand crocheted doily collection, but will your audience really share your opinion that everyone would benefit from learning to crochet? Unless they're all like you, I don't think so! Find out more about the  benefits of audience analysis  in effective persuasive speech preparation.
• something that has not been covered a 'squillion' times, already. You want a fresh topic!

Return to Top

Beware! Some persuasive speech topics are tired

All the engaging 'wow, that's interesting' energy has been squeezed out of them because they have been covered over and over again.  Those topics are exhausted through overuse. They've become cliches.

Most people do not want to listen to another speech:

• smoking/vaping should be banned,
• the legal drinking age should be raised to 21,
• wearing seat belts in vehicles should be compulsory, or
• the voting age should be lowered.

Even if the issues they raise are unresolved choose something else rather than risk boring your audience.

Of course, there are exceptions!   If you have a genuinely fresh and interesting angle to bring, perhaps new information or research to share, then go ahead. However, make that clear from the outset, otherwise you'll risk losing your audience's interest before you've had a chance to get your speech underway.

Remember - local and topical is GOOD

Before settling on a  persuasive speech topic from my list  check what's going on right under your nose. 

Great persuasive speech topics can pop out of your local community newspaper, radio, TV, or even your Facebook page. These could genuinely interest your audience. 

After all it's where you all live and the issues in your community have an impact on everyone's wellbeing.

The 'Wellywood' sign saga

I've just flicked through a copy of the local community news I picked up at my supermarket.

There were articles about a huge sign Wellington airport is considering placing on a prominent hill alongside the runway. It will read "Wellywood".

Airport authorities say it supports our thriving film industry, celebrating and building on the success of "The Lord of the Rings".

Those against it argue it's cheap copycatting of the famous Hollywood sign. They say the thousands of overseas visitors per day who see it will hoot and snort with derisive laughter.

There are two potential persuasive speech ideas right there: depending on your point of view, either for or against the sign.

Another piece was on the mixed success of a newly introduced recycling scheme.

Yet another was on depression alongside the story of a young man who suffered from it. What angles could be taken on either of those?

How to use this list of speech topic suggestions

Note down 3 possibilities as you go through the list of speech topics below.

As you read apply the three 'tests' for selecting a good persuasive speech topic I've already mentioned: your interest in the topic, its appeal to your audience and its freshness.

In addition to those there are a few other factors to bear in mind before committing yourself. 

Other important factors to consider

Any of these could also influence your choice.

• the time you have to research the topic thoroughly If it's a complex topic and you have limited time to prepare you may want to reconsider.
• your desired outcome A successful persuasive speech persuades!  It challenges and seeks to change the way people think, feel and behave. What do you want your audience to do as a result of hearing you speak? Sign a petition, make a donation, vote for you, volunteer ...? What you want to happen is often called a ' most wanted response ' or MWR. Being clear about that will help you choose your topic as well as shape your speech.
• your credibility How qualified are you to speak on the topic you've chosen? Do you have personal experience on your side?  How long have you been interested in it?  Have you done your research? Have you found reliable resources from reputable sources covering all angles of your topic?

100+ good persuasive speech ideas

Animals/birds ...

• Factory farming of animals (e.g. of cows, sheep, pigs or chickens) is inhumane.
• Humane meat production is an oxymoron.
• Exotic animals can make excellent pets.
• Should rats, mice and birds be used in scientific experimentation?
• Pit-bull dogs are dangerous.
• There are significant advantages to animal testing.
• Puppy mills should be illegal.
• The domestic cat is a serious threat to endangered birds.
• Pet therapy should receive more funding.
• Birds should not be kept in cages.
• Wild animals should be left in the wild.

Arts/Culture

• Artists should be supported and funded by the state.
• Cultural appropriation in any form is an insult.
• No subject should be considered taboo in art.
• Graffiti is art.
• Indigenous artifacts should be returned to their rightful owners.
• Famous artists are entitled to have their rights to privacy respected.
• Music videos are an art form in their own right.
• Art should be freely accessible to all.
• Tattooing is a modern form of Fine Art.
• Art appreciation and practice should be compulsory subjects.
• Respecting cultural difference should be taught in all schools.
• Everyone should know about the culture(s) they are born into.
• Culture is essential, just like fresh air and food.
• Hands-on defensive driving training should be compulsory.
• Electric vehicles should be subsidized.
• Internal combustion engine powered vehicles should be taxed to cover emissions.
• Bicycles and cars should have separate roads.
• Children under the age of 10 should not ride bicycles on public roads.
• Everybody who holds a driving license should be regularly retested.
• Driving while using a cell phone should be illegal.
• Private vehicle ownership and use in cities should be restricted.
• Public transport in cities should be readily available and affordable.

Business/Economy

• Money is not the root of all evil.
• Power does not necessarily corrupt.
• All workers should at least receive the minimum wage.
• All workers should be paid equitably for the same job regardless of differences in race, gender or sexuality. 
• The minimum wage should be increased.
• Local businesses deserve more support.
• Using cheaper foreign labor for manufacturing is ruining our economy.

Social/Community

• Homelessness is the result of choice.
• Becoming a parent should be an earned privilege.
• Same-sex marriage should be accepted in the same way that heterosexual marriage is.
• Juvenile crime is a cry for help not punishment.
• Guns should not be allowed in public places.
• Helping those who need it in the community should be everyone's responsibility.
• Food should never be wasted.
• Community service projects create healthier communities.
• All education should be free.
• Higher education is over-rated.
• Boys and girls should be educated separately.
• Students should wear uniforms.
• GPAs (Grade Point Averages) are more harmful than helpful.
• The state colleges versus private colleges debate is meaningless.
• Sex education is essential.
• Mental health should be a mandatory subject in schools.
• Private (fee-paying) schools achieve better results.
• Everybody who wants to go to school should be able to.
• Ranking student ability using traditional examinations should be stopped.
• Assessment of a student's progress should be measured against themselves not their peers.
• Class sizes should be smaller.
• What is right? Choosing a major on the basis of personal interest or because of a potential salary? 
• On-line teaching is as effective as classroom-based teaching.

Environment

• Being 'green' is a fashionable fad.
• Many current farming practices damage the environment and should be banned.
• All plastic packaging must be banned.
• Disposable diapers need to be biodegradable.
• Should fracking be illegal?
• Renewable energy schemes should be supported.
• Climate change is a fact.
• Mining in environmentally vulnerable areas should be stopped.
• 'Green' spaces are good for mental health. There should be more parks. 
• Lying is always wrong.
• Truth is never debatable, or alternative. 
• There is never an excuse or reason good enough to declare war.
• Free speech should not be confused with hate speech.
• What is 'right' and 'wrong' changes from generation to generation, from culture to culture.
• Is it right to allow white supremacists to hold rallies?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Ethical considerations should underpin stem-cell research.
• Disabilities of any sort (mental, emotional, or physical) are an opportunity for personal growth.
• Healthcare is the responsibility of the individual, not the state.
• What we eat, we become.
• What we think, we are.
• Drug addicts are chronically sick. They have a disease.
• Access to effective, safe birth control should be a right.
• Plastic surgery should be only for those who really need it.
• Assisted dying (suicide) should be legal.
• Vaccinations in schools for common infectious diseases should be compulsory. 
• A tax on sugar would help lessen the spread of diet related health problems.
• Fast foods should not be blamed for health concerns.
• Good affordable housing would solve many chronic health problems.
• Therapies, like art or music, should be government funded. 

Global/World

• Global warming is real.
• The idea of peace on earth is naive.
• Nationalism creates and sustains enemies.
• Cultural difference should be celebrated.
• First world countries should meaningfully and freely assist countries who need help.

Government/Law/Politics

• Religion has no place in government.
• State censorship or surveillance is never a right course of action.
• That giant international companies should not be able to dodge paying tax.
• Military service should be compulsory.
• It should be illegal to own or have a semi-automatic or assault weapon.
• Modern media is to blame for lowering moral standards/ reading levels/ escalating violence. (Select one!)
• Online games can be good for you.
• Internet chat rooms should be monitored.
• Facebook (or any other form of social media) is replacing the need for face-to-face communication.
• Cyberbullying controls should be more actively put in place.
• Monitoring media of any sort should be banned.
• Religious tolerance should be encouraged.
• All religious institutions should be monitored by the state.
• Animal sacrifices as part of religious practice need to be viewed in context.
• Should students be allowed to follow their religious practices in public schools?

Science/Technology

• Food engineering is the way of the future.
• Cell phone use in public places should be controlled.
• Should the government put restrictions on the development and use of AI?
• Designer children - is this good for future generations?
• Cloning is justifiable.
• Self-driving cars should be legal.
• Should schools teach the use of AI tools?
• The use of robots should be limited.
• All professional athletes should be required to take regular drug tests.
• Professional male and female athletes in the same sport should be paid equally.
• Children should not be allowed to play collision sports.
• Is cheerleading a sport?
• Competitive sports teach us valuable life lessons.
• Physical education should be a compulsory subject.
• No-one should be barred from a sport because of their gender.

Getting from compelling topic to persuasive speech

For help turning your chosen persuasive speech idea into a fully-fledged speech check these pages.

Resources for preparation 

• Persuasive Speech Outline Find out more about structuring an effective persuasive speech using Monroe's Motivated Sequence, the classic 5 step pattern used by all professional persuaders: politicians, the advertising industry, and PR experts. There's a step-by-step example outline and a printable blank persuasive speech outline template for you to use too.

Image per courtesy Purdue University

• And here's a  persuasive speech example  that uses Monroe's Motivated Sequence.  Before you go to look I'd like you know its content is potentially controversial: suicide and the impact it has on close family and friends.
• Sample Speech Outline This is the familiar 3 part speech outline - good for any type of speech. Read the step by step instructions then download a free blank speech outline to complete. Fill it in and you're ready to go!
• How to Write a Speech Step by step easily followed instructions for shaping your material into an effective speech.

More persuasive speech topics to choose from

And if you're still in need of persuasive speech ideas check these pages:

• 50   good persuasive speech topics  
• 105 fun persuasive speech topics  
• 309 'easy' persuasive speech topics
• 108  feminist persuasive speech topics    
• 310 persuasive speech topics for college . 

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Welcome speech
• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Blogging Aloud
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

+61 481607654

90+ Persuasive Speech Topics 2021 [Updated List]

Table Of Contents

What is persuasive speech, types of persuasive speech, 90+ persuasive speech topic examples, how to choose good persuasive speech topics, need help getting out of confusion deciding a persuasive speech topic, persuasive speech: topics & types with examples.

If you’re here looking for persuasive   speech topics, then you might be working on it, right? If that is the case, then voila! You’re at the right place.

Assignment Prime, being the top academic writing assistance provider, has thought of bringing out some amazing topics to help students with their persuasive speech. So, if you’ve also been searching for it, then this is your jackpot; dip deeper to make your search fruitful with some good   persuasive speech topics to impress everyone.

Have you ever noticed how before elections, the nominated persons or the politicians deliver speeches to the audience? This is a very common thing to do at the time of election campaigning, right? Yes, be it college, university, state elections, or any other, the common practice is the nominators deliver a speech to persuade the audience to vote in favor of them. Such speeches are known as persuasive speech.

In other words, the speeches delivered to persuade/convince the audience that the speaker has the right thought process, and his point of view is the most appropriate one are known as a persuasive speech.

This is one of the most common and influencing forms of delivering one thought, communicating with the audience, and convincing them to accept your opinion.

There are mainly three types of persuasive speeches that a student should know about; the sole purpose behind this is to make them aware of the categories so that they can choose which one is the best for them to go ahead with. The three types are:

1. Proposition of fact

These include the easiest   persuasive speech topics that have a clear conclusion: whether true or false. They might also include topics that can be concluded to an outcome after conducting proper research on them. Some examples of this type are:

• There are 7 continents on earth.
• America has 50 states in it.
• Social media creates a negative impact.

2. Proposition of value

Unlike the proposition of facts, where you’ve to look at a topic with the only true or false option, you look into the content here. In other words, this is the type that invokes you to understand the point, bring out its meaning, and then weigh it to find its value such that you can choose one accordingly. Some examples include:

• Digital money- Get free from the cash system
• Amazon- Easiest way to buy groceries from anywhere
• Apple- Connecting people from remote areas is just a tap away

3. Proposition of policy

Unlike the other two types of propositions, in this type, you are persuaded to take action. This thus includes a call for action which takes you to perform a certain task. Here are a few examples of the same:

• Should students be accessed to university parking?
• Should sanitary products be provided for free?
• Should high school students be taught about teen pregnancy?

These are the top 3 proposition types of persuasive speech. The speech you choose includes these, and thus, it is mandatory for you to know this before you get started with your persuasive speech. Now, let’s take a look at some public   speaking persuasive speech topics in the below section.

You Might Also Like to Read:  Informative Speech Topics A to Z: Ideas to Make an Impact on the Audience

Here are some interesting persuasive speech topics from different categories to help students choose one that matches their preference. So, let’s get going:

A. Topics According to You Academic Level

Here are some topics for students from different academic levels so that everyone can get a choice to pick a topic they feel comfortable with:

1. Persuasive speech topics for kids

• Is showering every day important?
• Should kids do yoga the first thing in the morning?
• Should kids have TVs in their rooms?
• Is math more important or reading?
• Is playing video games a good hobby?
• Can kids choose which class to attend?
• Having international pen pals is good or bad for kids?
• Should kids be allowed to have cell phones?
• Is wearing pajamas in public inappropriate?
• Should there be a playground in every society?

2. Persuasive speech topics for high school

• Are co-curricular activities good for students?
• Are violent games negatively impacting kids?
• Is journal writing equivalent to therapy?
• Tablet vs. laptop: which one is better?
• How texting while driving can be dangerous?
• Are open-book tests better than closed books?
• Is there a choice of healthy snacks for kids?
• Should it be mandatory for everyone to learn an instrument?
• Should we pay taxes?
• Should smoking in public be banned?

3. Persuasive speech topics for college students

• Explain the pros and cons of allowing mobile phones in colleges.
• Should students be taught about teen pregnancy?
• Should co-ed schools and colleges be encouraged?
• Is it apt to replace books with laptops and tabs?
• Should student field trips be restricted to their country only?
• Can foreign languages be included in academics?
• Is the college year fit to complete the curriculum?
• Should take a year off from college be encouraged?
• Can students leave the campus area during breaks?
• Students should ask permission to go to the restroom. Yes or no?

Students Also Like to Read:  Top 51 Persuasive Essay Topics to Make Your Paper Stand Out

B. Topics According to the Theme

Here are some categories from which you can choose some easy   persuasive speech topics and make quite a good impression on your audience.

4. Funny Persuasive Speech Topics

• Do boys gossip more than girls?
• The reason why not to take a food challenge
• Are dogs better than cats or vice versa?
• Can camping be fun or no more fun?
• Do vegetables and fruits have feelings?
• How being an adult is not an easy task?
• Can we be happy to drive people crazy?
• Does Cinderella prove new shoes do magic?
• Reasons why Mondays should be banned
• Can auto-correct ruin your life?

5. Sports Persuasive Speech Topics

• Why should people dance more?
• Should it be mandatory to master any sport?
• There should be a pro-mentor assigned to every amateur?
• Should exercise be included in the daily routine?
• Drug addicted players should be banned from sports?
• Do fangirls know about sports?
• Should sports be gender-specific?
• Is it mandatory to retire at 35?
• Role of sleep in sports recovery.
• Should smoking be banned in stadiums?

6. Controversial Persuasive Speech Topics

• Importance of school prayer at educational institutions
• HIV tests should be available at drug stores like pregnancy kits
• Is there corruption in journalism?
• Should animal testing and experimenting ban?
• Does the jail environment contribute more to crimes?
• Is it mandatory to test all athletes for drugs?
• Should punishments be made tough for people committing animal cruelty?
• How should birth control be regulated and its availability?
• At what age should teens start dating?
• How to deal with a teen’s eating disorder?

7. Medical Persuasive Speech Topics

• Is it mandatory to inform parents if an under-aged girl opts for abortion?
• What are the consequences of skipping breakfasts on a regular basis?
• Reasons why we should consume less salt than usual
• How can sleepwalking be fatal to the patient?
• Importance of maintaining hydration in the body by regularly drinking water
• How to maintain a healthy diet in the right proportion?
• What are the bad consequences of wearing high heels for a long time?
• Benefits of laughing in context to saving lives
• Why wearing seatbelts is mandatory while driving?
• What are some health benefits of eating dark chocolate?

8. Unique Persuasive Speech Topics

• Ways in which books are better than movies
• Should age restrictions for TV shows be made stricter?
• Should lyrics in songs be censored?
• Purpose of love and relationships n our lives
• How to know a person for real without getting emotionally attached to them?
• Do your looks influence the success you achieve?
• Should drunk driving be restricted completely?
• How genetically modified foods are harmful to health?
• How excessive wealth can make people corrupt?
• Explain the importance of buying local goods.

9. Educational Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should students who bully be removed from schools?
• Should teachers get a bonus when their students excel?
• Pros of including meditation classes for students
• Can students listen to music during their study sessions?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as regular teaching?
• Should teachers also have tests to renew their certificates?
• How effective is homeschooling in rural and remote areas?
• What age is appropriate to provide students with sex education?
• Should homework be made optional for kids?
• Should the traditional education system be updated now?

10. Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should all be provided paid maternity and paternity leaves?
• Should working from home be made the new standard?
• Can three-day weekends improve productivity at work?
• Should TV shows and movies for kids have stronger guidelines?
• Do aquariums and zoos help in wildlife conservation?
• Should we stop making and buying fur products?
• Why children should avoid using chat rooms online?
• Is it mandatory for all kids to know cooking?
• Pros of drinking orange juice regularly.
• Should recycling be made mandatory?

‘Choosing an easy persuasive speech topic can only make this tough for you.’ This is a diplomatic saying. Yes! Many students, after choosing a simple topic, fail, while some who chose the most complex topic can succeed on their first try. Though the major role player here is the confidence with which you deliver your speech, the hidden game-changer here is the TOPIC.

When you choose an easy topic, your audience knows that this is simple, so there is no big deal in your excelling at it. But on the other hand, when you go for a complicated topic, they still make fun of you for taking up something you cannot perform well at. So, don’t get overboard and choose a topic that’s right for you. Wondering how you do it? Follow these simple 4 steps, and voila! You can pick impressive persuasive speech topics in no time. Let’s get started:

1. Think, develop, Criticize, Repeat

The first step is where you think about the theme, develop a suitable topic, criticize and evaluate it, and repeat this process till you get a satisfactory topic that interests you.

2. Research About Your Audience

The next step is where you research your audience, try to know who they are, their preference, and other such factors that affect their choice of topic.

3. Add a Personal Touch to It

Now, look for ways using which you can add a personal touch to your speech through that chosen topic- it can be your experience, observation, or anything.

4. Don’t Miss the Interesting Factor

The final step is finalizing the hook; it can be a quote, saying, fact, stats, or anything that grabs the attention of the audience and hooks them.

Follow these simple steps, and you can find how you chose a topic that is interesting and informative. Once you have a topic that you know pros and cons about, the audience’s interest in it, you can personally connect with it, and an interesting factor to put up related to it, then you can decide it is what you want. But, if you still can’t choose one, then it’s high time that you read the below section for a possible answer.

If you are stuck with too many topics or to few to choose one that interests you the most, then turn to Assignment Prime . We have a team of experts- assignment writers , essay writers , researchers, editors, proofreaders, quality analysts, and more who give their best to deliver you perfection.

Whether it's about choosing a topic, writing an essay, drafting an assignment, or compiling a dissertation, we are the best among all across the globe. Not just that, we also make sure you get all the necessary services in one place at the most affordable prices. So, what are you still waiting for? Reach out to us and avail the best!

To Make Your Work Original

Check your work against paraphrasing & get a free Plagiarism report!

Check your work against plagiarism & get a free Plagiarism report!

Get citations & references in your document in the desired style!

Make your content free of errors in just a few clicks for free!

Generate plagiarism-free essays as per your topic’s requirement!

FREE Features

• Topic Creation USD 4.04 FREE
• Outline USD 9.75 FREE
• Unlimited Revisions USD 21.6 FREE
• Editing/Proofreading USD 29.26 FREE
• Formatting USD 8.36 FREE
• Bibliography USD 7.66 FREE

Get all these features for

USD 84.3 FREE

Thesis Statement Writing: How Crucial is it? How to Write? & More

All About Short Essay Writing [Examples Included]

How to Write a Letter of Reference with Templates?

Experts' Guidance on How to Conduct Nike’s SWOT Analysis

Avail the Best Assignment Writing Services in Just One Tap!

Add "5% extra off on app"

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Know more

Please rotate your device

We don't support landscape mode yet. Please go back to portrait mode for the best experience

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

50 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

• 5-minute read
• 13th January 2023

Some find writing a persuasive speech to be intimidating, but it’s an opportunity to share your position on a topic you care about and to invite listeners to support (or at least appreciate) your way of thinking. You’ll benefit from a clear position, credible evidence, and careful consideration of your audience.

Your first step is to pick a topic. Whether you’re a teacher creating an assignment or a student deciding what to speak about, our list of 50 suggested persuasive speech topics and tips are a good starting place.

Choosing a Topic

●  It’s more enjoyable to research and write a speech about a topic that genuinely holds your interest. It’ll make for better delivery, too. Passion is contagious! On the other hand, boredom and a lack of enthusiasm come through easily in vocal tone.

●  Avoid tired, overdone issues. If you’ve heard it all before, there’s a good chance your audience has, too. Pick something current and relevant to your listeners . If you go with a popular topic, try to approach it from a fresh angle.

●  Issues that contain multiple viewpoints are preferable to simplistic good/bad debates. Most reasonable people would agree that “bullying is bad.” But they might learn something new if you share recent research on bullying and offer different approaches to tackling it.

Let’s look at some interesting speech topics, categorized by subject.

Should free speech on the internet be restricted?

At what age should children have access to smartphones?

Does texting hinder interpersonal skills?

Should parents limit their children’s screen time?

Should laws prohibit using devices while driving?

Is there a link between device usage and decreased mental health?

Should the number of US Supreme Court Justices be increased?

Should voting be compulsory?

Should Election Day in the US change from Tuesday to the weekend?

Should the electoral college system be abolished?

Should election procedures be standardized in all states?

Should the Senate filibuster be abolished?

Should the death penalty be legal?

Should states be allowed to have different abortion laws?

Should the legal age to own an assault rifle be raised?

Should the US conduct a voluntary gun buyback program?

Are governments doing enough to address climate change?

Is student loan forgiveness fair?

Should the US invest in high-speed rail similar to those in Japan and Europe?

Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?

What is the greatest threat to international stability?

What can be done to prevent cyber threats?

Is the two-party political system of the US failing?

Should the US adopt a single-payer universal health care system?

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Should minimum wage be a factor in the cost of health care?

Is healthcare a human right?

Should access to abortion be required by healthcare providers?

Do school shooter drills damage students’ mental health?

Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?

Should employers offer incentives and bonuses to employees who bike or walk to work?

Do school uniforms offer any advantages?

Are school dress codes gender biased?

Are standardized test scores given too much importance in schools?

Do college entrance exams privilege those with higher socio-economic status?

Should teachers be allowed to keep firearms in their classrooms as protection against active shooters?

Should indigenous languages be taught in schools?

Should immigrants have access to free language classes?

Should books ever be banned in schools?

Should elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?

Should schools be cellphone free?

Should volunteering before graduation be compulsory?

Should school cafeterias serve more plant-based foods?

Should parents let their children play tackle football?

Should college sports teams receive less money?

Should there be more female priests or pastors of churches?

Should churches and other religious organizations pay taxes?

Should all priests be allowed to marry?

Should prayer be permitted in public schools?

On balance, does religion create more conflict or foster peace?

Should there be exceptions to the freedom to practice any religion?

Persuasion Isn’t All or Nothing

People often think persuasion means getting others to agree with you, but persuasion is more nuanced than that. You might persuade someone to go beyond sympathy and act. You might highlight the gray areas of a typically black and white debate.

When total agreement is out of reach, you can settle for agreement in part. Consider your audience thoughtfully when you decide on your goals and remember that you have options.

Step Up with Confidence

We hope these suggested persuasive speech topics have the wheels of your mind turning. Whether it’s for a speech or an argumentative essay , getting your ideas on paper and editing them is a necessary part of the process. Our editors are here to help you confidently put out your best work. Submit a free sample today .

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

4-minute read

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

9-minute read

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Effective professional communication is an important skill for contractors and freelancers navigating remote work environments....

3-minute read

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

125+ Persuasive Speech Topics To Amaze Your Audience

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/26/24

This article provides a comprehensive list of persuasive speech topics and answers to some of your frequently asked questions about speech topics. 

Persuasive writing is hard, and it’s even harder to try to come up with an engaging topic that interests you and your audience. 

Not only do you have to convince your audience to take your side on subjects that are often pretty divisive, you also have to persuade them to take your side of the argument. The first step to making a successful persuasive speech that will amaze your audience is having a strong topic.  

Keep reading for 125+ persuasive speech topics. 

125+ Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Persuasive speech ideas are harder to come up with than you may think. There is a fine balance between interesting your audience, interesting to you, unique and fresh, all while being thought-provoking without being outright offensive. 

Here is a breakdown of various topics for persuasive speeches, organized by categories, to inspire you. 

1. Arts & Culture

Art and culture are always hot topics amongst individuals and groups. There are many interesting arguments and stances on both topics, and many people have strong opinions when it comes to the subject matter. 

See below for prompts for persuasive speeches about art and culture: 

• Is graffiti art? 
• Should art classes be mandatory for all students?
• Should we keep reading classic literature that is offensive? 
• Should there be a distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ literature?
• Are romcoms and erotica series like Fifty Shades of Grey empowering for women?
• Is reading actually more beneficial than watching TV or playing video games?
• Is there any benefit or relevance to teaching high school students Shakespeare?
• Should video games be considered a high form of entertainment?
• Are biographical movies of deceased musicians and artists ethical?
• Is modern music really worse than older music?
• Should paparazzi be banned and unable to sell their photos?

Topics in arts and culture are always fun to debate and discuss because you have the opportunity to talk about your favorite pieces of media!

2. Economics

Economics is a hotly debated topic. There is no shortage of compelling, engaging arguments involving economics. 

Here are some good persuasive speech ideas on the topic of economics: 

• Is capitalism a functional, ethical economic system? 
• Should everyone, despite their income, be taxed at the same rate?
• Can we introduce another economic system to our society? 
• Should each state, the federal government, or individual companies be responsible for setting a living wage?
• Should minimum wage be doubled?
• Should everyone adapt to the four-day work week?
• Should people who make under a certain amount per year not be taxed at all?
• Should governments encourage and reward people for shopping locally? 
• Should advertisements be banned during TV and media programming aimed at kids?
• Has modern consumerism gone too far?

Economics is a great topic for a persuasive speech because it affects our everyday lives in so many ways. There are tons of research and perspectives to help support your argument. 

3. Education

Many people feel strongly about education and there are many sides and perspectives that come into play: teachers, parents, students, student athletes, and more. 

Here is a list of some engaging topics to write a persuasive speech on:

• Should post-secondary education be free?
• Should taking a year off between high school and college be mandatory?
• Is it fair to take cell phones away from kids in middle/high school while they are in class?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory in all high schools?
• Should cursive writing still be taught in schools?
• Do frats and sororities actually serve their purpose? 
• Should programming and coding be introduced to young students?
• Should school lunches be free?
• Is college/university necessary anymore?
• Does the education system prepare students for adult life?
• Should gyms be mandatory for all students?
• Do schools need to do a better job at teaching students a second language?
• Should schools teach sign language?
• What age should students be taught sex ed?
• Should distant learning be encouraged, or avoided at all costs?

Education is another great topic to write a speech about because it intersects with economics, culture , and politics . These topics will guarantee an engaged audience. This is a popular topic for high school students who are learning about tuition and scholarships at their top colleges! 

4. Environment

Since the release of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and Greta Thunberg’s unapologetic activism, climate change has been at the forefront of many political, economic, and cultural conversations. 

If environmental issues spark your interest, consider writing on one of the topics below:

• Can we ever live in a truly ‘green’ and environmentally friendly society?
• Should water bottles be banned?
• Are businesses responsible for implementing environmentally friendly production and products?
• Should there be a carbon tax?
• Should electric cars be mandatory in the near future?
• Should we switch over to entirely renewable energy?
• Do low-income families have the same duties to be eco-conscious as high-income families do? Should plastic bags and single use plastic be completely banned?
• Should car racing be banned?
• Should fast fashion be banned?

The environment and climate change are becoming, if not already, some of the most pressing issues of our day. 

Ethics may be one of the most difficult topics to write a persuasive speech about because the topics tend to cover sensitive subject matter. However, ethics are also some of the most compelling and complex topics to explore. 

Here are some potential topics for a persuasive speech about ethics:

• Is animal testing ethical?
• Is drinking coffee unethical?
• Are animal shelters that allow euthanization ethical?
• Should more people try to adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet?
• Is the death penalty ethical? 
• Can racism ever truly be eliminated?
• Can the prison system genuinely contribute to the improvement and rehabilitation of individuals?
• Should justice systems and incarceration facilities focus on rehabilitation over punishment? 
• Should cosmetic plastic surgery be covered by insurance?
• Are morals objective or subjective?
• Should zoos and circuses be banned?
• Should fur coats be illegal?
• Are censorship laws ethical?
• Is it ethical to genetically modify an embryo? 
• How should we, and who is responsible, for addressing the homelessness crisis? 
• Should minors who commit violent crimes be charged and tried as adults?

Tackling a persuasive speech on ethics is a challenge, as many of these topics are complex and sensitive. It can also be difficult to wrap up a speech on such huge ethical debates. 

However, these topics also provide some of the most riveting and energizing debates - if you’re up to the challenge, you should definitely try to tackle one of these topics. 

From fitness to food prices to economic privilege, there are tons of debatable topics regarding health. Here are just some of the potential topics you can write a speech on:

• Are individuals solely responsible for their own health?
• Should prescription medications be free?
• Should sugary drinks like pop be taxed at higher rates?
• Should Starbucks be allowed to advertise their high-calories and high sugar drinks?
• Should the government regulate the prices of fruits and vegetables?
• Should fast food restaurants regulate and reduce their portions?
• Should gym memberships be free?
• Should the government change and restructure the work week to reduce stress?
• Should nurses be paid more?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Should insurance companies fully cover rehabilitation stays for health issues like eating disorders?

People have varying opinions and understanding of health, which makes these topics very engaging and interesting to write about.

7. Politics

It goes without saying that almost every political issue is debatable. 

• Do we actually live in a truly democratic society?
• Should there be a minimum wage or a living wage?
• Should the legal voting age be decreased?
• Does the pay gap exist?
• Are younger politicians more effective?
• Should there be stricter gun laws?
• Should Presidents be able to serve more than two terms?
• Should everyone get the day off work to go vote?
• Should political party funding be regulated?
• Should political smear campaigns be banned?
• Is there a political bias in mainstream media?
• Should you date someone with opposing political views? 
• Is the government spending too much on the military sector?

Politics are all about persuading people to take a side, which makes it a strategic topic for delivering a moving persuasive speech. 

Sports is another big topic that people care a lot about. There are sports related matters that are questioned everywhere: sports on TV, the Olympics, college sports and athletics, and athletic sponsorships . 

Below is a list of captivating sports topics for a persuasive speech: 

• Should the pay for professional teams be based on audience viewership? 
• Are professional sports getting too violent? 
• Are athletes overpaid?
• Is cheerleading empowering or exploitative? 
• Should children be allowed to compete in competitive sports?
• Should we continue spending millions of dollars on the Olympic Games?
• Do people put too much importance on high school and college football?
• Should alcohol and tobacco ads be banned during sports?
• Is betting on sports teams ethical?
• Should high school and college athletes be paid?

Sports is a topic that people don’t often think of as controversial. However, your audience is bound to be engaged and contemplating your argument as you present your speech. 

9. Technology

As the world increasingly moves to online spaces, and technology advances faster than ever before, technology is another hot topic that people have a lot of thoughts and opinions on. 

• Should all workplaces offer hybrid/remote work?
• Should we pursue Artificial Intelligence?
• Do we need to put resources into travelling to space?
• Should parents monitor their children’s online activity?
• Is it okay for phones to use facial recognition and fingerprint technology?
• Is technology actually addicting?
• Can we blame technology for increased stress and anxiety?
• Are security cameras and body cameras an invasion of privacy? 
• Should the internet be surveilled or managed?
• Should video game chats be surveilled or even banned?
• Are machines replacing human labor? 
• Should cloning be outlawed/banned?

As technology continues to advance and expand into our personal lives, it is a great topic to write a unique persuasive speech on. 

Having a unique and creative speech topic discussing one of your interests can make it stand out more! Think about extracurriculars you participate in, podcasts you enjoy, or fascinating facts you’ve learned. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. 

• What makes a hero?
• Are we headed towards World War 3?
• Did humans really land on the moon?
• Are serial killers born or made?
• Can good and evil be separated neatly?
• Is cancel culture a positive or negative thing?
• Can money buy happiness?
• How to become a millionaire
• How to become more confident
• How to live to be 100
• How to survive an apocalypse
• Do extraterrestrial beings exist?
• Why students should start investing at 16
• The true history of… (event of your choice, such as the Chernobyl disaster, the Black Plague, Salem Witch Trials, etc.)

Exploring these kinds of diverse and intriguing topics will not only capture your audience's attention but will also allow you to share your passions with your peers! 

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

The best persuasive speech topics are topics that are not overdone, and topics that the speaker is genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about. 

Persuasive speech topics should also be a bit controversial (this does not mean offensive) because the topic and speech itself should be thought-provoking. The more people are emotionally invested in the topic, the better. 

For example, while you can try to persuade your audience that strawberry ice cream is better than chocolate ice cream, it’s unlikely that many people have a strong emotional investment in that topic. Without an emotional investment, audiences will be sitting listening to your speech thinking: “so what?” 

On the other hand, a topic like “Should government’s set limits on how many children a family can have in overpopulated countries?” is emotionally charged and truly matters to people. 

FAQs: Persuasive Speech Topics

After reading through all the possible topics you can write a persuasive speech on, you may still have some questions before you get going. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about persuasive speech topics. 

1. What Are Some Easy Persuasive Topics?

Any persuasive topic can be easy to write about if you are passionate about your stance. The more passionate and knowledgeable you are about your topic, the easier it will be to research and write. 

There are also easy persuasive topics that are more lighthearted than controversial, which some people may find easier to debate and write about. Some easy persuasive topics include: 

• Should everyone have a three-day weekend?
• Should every public place have free Wi-Fi?
• Does social media do more harm than good?
• Should kids get paid for getting high grades?
• Do we need more holidays?

These topics are all fun to debate, which makes it easy to write a persuasive speech or essay. Whereas some persuasive topics can be complex and sensitive, the topics listed above are pretty straightforward, which makes them easier to discuss than more complex topics. 

2. What Is a Good Persuasive Speech Topic For School?

A good start to finding a good speech topic for school is looking for a topic that involves something related to school. For example, you can look into talking about school uniforms, class sizes, tuition and scholarships, and school sports, just to name a few. 

Having a speech topic related to school is a good idea for school because your audience (teachers and peers) are directly in that environment as well. This means they will likely be more engaged as the topic, whether they agree or disagree, is relevant to their everyday lives. 

3. What are Three Examples of a Persuasive Speech Topic?

Any of the above topics listed in this article are examples of persuasive speech topics. Three specific examples that have not been listed are:

• Is social media to blame for the rates of depression and anxiety amongst youth?
• Do young adult romance novels encourage harmful and toxic relationships to their target audience?
• Should children under 18 have total control over medical decisions made about their bodies?

These topics are examples of persuasive speech topics because you need to take a clear stance in order to answer the question. The point of a persuasive speech is to convince or persuade the audience that your side of the argument is valid and should be considered, so the topic needs the individual to take a specific stance. 

As briefly touched upon before, your topic needs to interest your audience for a successful persuasive speech. While you should make sure your topic isn’t overdone, you don’t want to go with something too ‘safe’ as that will most likely bore your audience. 

Final Thoughts

Coming up with a topic for a persuasive speech may be the most difficult part of the writing process. 

Read over our list of topics and pick out a few topics that genuinely interest you. From there, do some preliminary research on each topic and see which one has the strongest evidence to support your argument. Then, you’ll be good to start writing your persuasive speech that will amaze your audience!

Get A Free Consultation

You may also like.

How To Deal with College Admission Envy

How Long Are SAT Scores Valid?

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

• Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
• Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
• Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
• Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
• Should we limit screen time for children?
• Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
• Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
• Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
• Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
• Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
• Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
• Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
• Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
• Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
• Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

• Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
• Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
• Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
• Is capitalism the best economic system?
• Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
• Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
• Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
• Should the government enact a universal base income?
• Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
• Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
• Should US workers have more vacation time?
• Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
• Should we legalize euthanasia?
• Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
• Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
• Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Should we allow the cloning of humans?
• Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
• Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
• Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
• Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
• Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
• Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
• Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
• Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
• Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
• Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
• Should the government provide childcare?
• Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
• Should one parent stay home?
• Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
• Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

• Should social media platforms ban political ads?
• Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
• Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
• Is social media making us more or less social?
• Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
• Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
• Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
• Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
• Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
• Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
• Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
• Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
• Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

• Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
• Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
• Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
• Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
• Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
• Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
• Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
• Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
• Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
• Should grading on a curve be allowed?
• Should graphic novels be considered literature?
• Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
• Should colleges pay student athletes?
• Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
• Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
• Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
• Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
• Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
• Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
• Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
• In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
• Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
• Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
• Should the FDA ban GMOs?
• Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
• Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
• Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
• Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
• Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

• College education: should the government make it free for all?
• Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
• Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
• Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
• Does cancel culture impede free speech?
• Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
• Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
• Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
• Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
• Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
• Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
• Should there be a statute of limitations?
• Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

• Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
• Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
• Should the US establish a national gun registry?
• Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
• Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
• Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
• Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
• Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
• Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
• Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
• Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
• Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should schools have uniforms?
• Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
• Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
• Should companies implement a four-day work week?
• Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
• Should the school day start later?
• Is homework an effective teaching tool?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
• Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should we allow pets to run for public office?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
• Is procrastination the key to success?
• Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
• The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
• Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
• Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
• Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

• Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
• Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
• Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
• Should parents let children choose their own names?
• Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
• Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
• Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
• Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
• Should calories be printed on menus?
• Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
• When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
• Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
• Should commercial fishing be banned?
• Are cemeteries sustainable?
• Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

• Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
• Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
• Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
• Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

• Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
• Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
• Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
• Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
• Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?
• Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
• Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

• 2-Year Colleges
• Application Strategies
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Essay
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High Schools
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Private High School Spotlight
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

I am a... Student Student Parent Counselor Educator Other First Name Last Name Email Address Zip Code Area of Interest Business Computer Science Engineering Fine/Performing Arts Humanities Mathematics STEM Pre-Med Psychology Social Studies/Sciences Submit

100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

• Homework Tips
• Learning Styles & Skills
• Study Methods
• Time Management
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

If you are planning a persuasive speech, you should think about a topic that can engage your audience. For this reason, you may want to consider a few topics before settling on the one that allows you to be more descriptive and entertaining.

Another important factor when picking a persuasive speech topic is to choose one that can provoke your audience. If you stir up a little emotion in your audience members, you'll keep their attention.

The list below is provided to help you brainstorm. Choose a topic from this list, or use it to generate an idea of your own. It could even be an idea that opposes the proposed example. For instance, instead of arguing American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law, you could argue why this shouldn't be the case.

How to Pick a Good Persuasive Speech Topic

Persuasive speeches are generally meant to convince an audience to agree with an idea you present. The topics can range from political to scientific or societal, and professional to personal—or even fun. They can be almost anything.

Just remember, a persuasive speech is different than a persuasive essay because you are presenting to an audience. So as you decide on a topic, think about your audience and decide on a subject matter that will be appropriate, compelling, and engaging to discuss. Perhaps it's a timely issue attracting a lot of news coverage, or maybe you want to be motivational and encourage a healthy activity. Whatever it is, structure your argument with a hook to capture attention , a clear definition of the topic or issue, and finally, your proposed solution or opinion.

100 Examples of Persuasive Speech Topics

• Studying martial arts is good for mind and health.
• Competitive sports can teach us about life.
• Reality shows are exploiting people.
• Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students.
• The characteristics that make a person a hero.
• It's important to grow things in a garden.
• Violent video games are dangerous.
• Lyrics in a song can impact our lives.
• Traveling and studying abroad are positive experiences.
• Journal writing is therapeutic.
• You should spend time with your grandparents.
• A laptop is better than a tablet.
• Religion and science can go hand in hand.
• School uniforms are good.
• All-female colleges and all-male colleges are bad.
• Multiple-choice tests are better than essay tests .
• We should not spend money on space exploration.
• Open-book tests are as effective as closed-book tests.
• Security cameras keep us safer.
• Parents should have access to students' grades.
• Small classes are better than big classes.
• You need to start saving for retirement now.
• Credit cards are harmful to college students.
• We should have a royal family.
• We should protect endangered animals.
• Texting while driving is dangerous.
• You can write a novel.
• Recycling should be required in the U.S.
• State colleges are better than private colleges.
• Private colleges are better than state colleges.
• We should do away with penny coins.
• Fast food containers hurt the environment.
• Plastic straws are harmful to the environment.
• You can eat and enjoy healthy snacks.
• You can become a millionaire.
• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• You should own a bird.
• It's unethical to keep birds in cages.
• Liberal arts degrees prepare graduates to be better workers than other degrees.
• Hunting animals should be banned.
• Football is a dangerous sport.
• School days should start later.
• Night school is better than day school.
• Technical training is better than a college degree.
• Immigration laws should be more lenient.
• Students should be able to choose their schools.
• Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
• Grass lawns should be prohibited.
• Sharks should be protected.
• We should do away with cars and go back to horse and carriage for transportation.
• We should use more wind power.
• We should pay more taxes.
• We should do away with taxes.
• Teachers should be tested like students.
• We should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
• Every student should join a club.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• People should stay married for life.
• Smoking in public should be illegal.
• College students should live on campus .
• Parents should let students fail.
• Giving to charity is good.
• Education makes us happier people.
• T​he ​ death penalty should be outlawed.
• Bigfoot is real.
• We should increase train travel to save the environment.
• We should read more classic books.
• Fame is bad for young children.
• Athletes should stay loyal to teams.
• We should reform our prisons.
• Juvenile offenders should not go to boot camps.
• Abraham Lincoln was the best president.
• Abraham Lincoln gets too much credit.
• Students should be allowed to have cell phones in elementary, middle, and high school.
• College student-athletes should be paid for playing.
• Elderly citizens on fixed income should receive free public transportation.
• Colleges and universities should be free to attend.
• All American citizens should complete one year of community service.
• Students should be required to take Spanish language classes.
• Every student should be required to learn at least one foreign language .
• Marijuana should be legal for recreational use nationwide.
• Commercial testing of products on animals should no longer be allowed.
• High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
• The minimum drinking age in the U.S. should be 25.
• Replacing fossil fuels with cheaper alternative energy options should be mandated.
• Churches need to contribute their share of taxes.
• The Cuba embargo should be maintained by the U.S.
• America should replace income taxes with a nationwide flat tax.
• Once they reach the age of 18, all U.S. citizens should be automatically registered to vote .
• Doctor-assisted suicide should be legal.
• Spammers—people who bombard the internet with unsolicited email—should be banned from sending junk mail.
• Every automobile driver should be required to take a new driver's test every three years.
• Electroshock treatment is not a humane form of therapy.
• Global warming is not real.
• Single-parent adoption should be encouraged and promoted.
• Gun companies should be held accountable for gun crimes.
• Human cloning is not moral.
• Religion does not belong in public education.
• Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
• American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
• Middle School Debate Topics
• How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech
• Controversial Speech Topics
• High School Debate Topics
• Speech Topics to Meet Oral Communication Standards
• 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
• Preparing an Argument Essay: Exploring Both Sides of an Issue
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• Impromptu Speech Activities
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
• 5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay
• 50 Topics for Impromptu Student Speeches
• Deliberative Rhetoric

VCE Study Tips

English Language

Private Tutoring

Only one more step to getting your FREE text response mini-guide!

Simply fill in the form below, and the download will start straight away

English & EAL

Oral Presentation Topics 2021

January 18, 2021

Want insider tips? Sign up here!

Go ahead and tilt your mobile the right way (portrait). the kool kids don't use landscape....

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

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

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

1. Working From Home

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

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

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

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

Possible Contentions: 

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

2. Education

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

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

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

Possible Contentions : 

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

The Climate Crisis

1. the paris agreement.

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

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

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

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

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

2. Environmental Racism

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

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

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

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

3. A Carbon Price?

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

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

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

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

1. First Nations Justice

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

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

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

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

2. Refugees

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

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

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

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

3. COVID-Related Racism

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

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

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

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

1. Representation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pop Culture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get our FREE VCE English Text Response mini-guide

Now quite sure how to nail your text response essays? Then download our free mini-guide, where we break down the art of writing the perfect text-response essay into three comprehensive steps. Click below to get your own copy today!

Access a FREE sample of our How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation study guide

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

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

• What is a Written Explanation?
• Creative Response-Based Written Explanations
• Oral Presentation-Based Written Explanations

1. What is a Written Explanation?

Written Explanation (also known as Statement of Intention, SOE, and various other names throughout different schools) is a short introductory piece to your essay. The Written Explanation is intended to explore the reasons behind why you made particular writing decisions. This is done via FLAPC:

F orm,  L anguage,  A udience,  P urpose,  C ontext

2. Creative Response-Based Written Explanations

The following is taken from the VCAA study design for Creative Response-Based Written Explanations:

'a written explanation of creative decisions and how these demonstrate understanding of the text.'

Most assessors are quite lenient with how you want to approach the Written Explanation – there is no rigid structure that you need to abide by. As we will discuss below, this allows you to consider which aspects of form, language, audience, purpose and context you wish to include. Each of the points should establish why you have written your piece. They are considered as part of your SAC and thus, are marked accordingly. They are not  examinable during the English exam. 

There are traditionally three forms of writing accepted in assessments: expository, creative or persuasive essay. 

‘I chose to write in an expository style, employing conventions of format and style of a traditional essay. This allows me to express my ideas in a logical order while adopting a sophisticated tone.’

When writing, you choose particular words and phrases to illustrate your ideas. Think about what type of language have you used and why. Perhaps your piece is formal or informal, sophisticated or simple, or from a first or third person perspective. All these factors are important in shaping your Context piece. Also consider language techniques you may have incorporated such as repetition, rhetorical questions, metaphors, symbolism and more.

‘I have chosen to write from a first person perspective to shed light on the inner workings of Gardiner from  The Lieutenant .'

You must select a targeted audience for your essay. Your choice can be adults to young children, or even to your future self. Make sure your target audience is suitable for your essay – select a group that would realistically be interested in your work.

‘My piece is to be published in an anthology for those who have had difficulty assimilating into a new group or culture. As they have familiarity with the concepts I discuss, I intend for readers to depart with a greater understanding and appreciation of the ideas in my written piece.’

The purpose section is where you discuss the message you would like to send to your audience. Here you discuss your contention or arguments; whether you completely agree, disagree or a bit of both in regards to your prompt.

‘The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that there can be different outcomes from encountering conflict: firstly, that conflicts can change many people through growth in understanding or a sense of self-development and secondly, that there are times when people remain unaffected by conflict and thus, unchanged.’

Since your essay is based on your studied text, you should provide a brief discussion of the basic ideas behind the Context . You can do this prior to your  Purpose  section since it is a good lead-in.

‘In this essay, I explored the idea that ‘Conflict inevitably changes people’; a concept heavily explored in  The Lieutenant . Every person encounters conflict. It drives individuals to challenge themselves, and deal with new experiences.'

Different schools will set different word limits for Written Explanations. These can range from 300 – 350 words based on the VCAA study design. With such a small word limit, be succinct and choose wisely what you will discuss in order to score the maximum marks allocated to Written Explanations.

3. Oral Presentation-Based Written Explanations

The VCAA study design requests students write:

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

Using the topic,  'Why we need to stop crying "cultural appropriation" when  cultural exchange  is far more important ', let's see how this can be done with FLAPC with some examples below (if you need help selecting a topic, check out our 2020 Oral Presentation topics to get those brain juices flowing ):

‘I chose to adopt the conventions of a persuasive speech, where I use a structure of presenting my main ideas by rebutting arguments made by the opposition. Throughout my speech, I embed persuasive tactics in an effort to firstly, encourage engagement from the audience and secondly, sway them to readily accept my point of view.

‘Since I am an Asian-Australian, I have purposefully forgone the opportunity to adopt a persona and instead, have chosen to write from a first person perspective as I can uniquely shed light on my own experiences towards cultural exchange and how that has directly impacted me. My speech heavily focuses on delivering tangible examples, such as anecdotes and social media usage, as I aim to heighten the topic’s relevancy and relatability for my audience. Moreover, as my focus is to reinforce positive attitudes towards cultural exchange, I have adopted a light-hearted approach with humour through the first portion of my speech, then moving into an urgent tone towards the end to highlight the importance of this issue.'

'I have opted to target young Australian adults since we are the generation of the future, and have a major role to play in positively shaping the Australian society’s views and attitudes towards cultural exchange.

'I aim to convince my audience that it is too easy to cry 'cultural appropriation' by being overly sensitive, and instead, we need to consider the benefits of cultural exchange. Cultural exchange itself, has shaped the world as we know it today – it has an important role in globalisation, understanding foreign cultures and the development of Australian society.'

'Australia is known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. However, recent media has drawn attention to cries of 'cultural appropriation' towards Indigenous Australians and other cultures, claiming that we fail to appreciate and respect cultural values when we take others' culture for our own (whether it be fashion, music, food or otherwise).'

‍ Sample FLAPC compiled and rearranged for flow and fluency:

Australia is known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. However, recent media has drawn attention to cries of 'cultural appropriation' towards Indigenous Australians and other cultures, claiming that we fail to appreciate and respect cultural values when we take others' culture for our own (whether it be fashion, music, food or otherwise). I aim to convince my audience that it is too easy to cry 'cultural appropriation' by being overly sensitive, and instead, we need to consider the benefits of cultural exchange. Cultural exchange itself, has shaped the world as we know it today – it has an important role in globalisation, understanding foreign cultures and the development of Australian society. I chose to adopt the conventions of a persuasive speech, where I use a structure of presenting my main ideas by rebutting arguments made by the opposition. Throughout my speech, I embed persuasive tactics in an effort to firstly, encourage engagement from the audience and secondly, sway them to readily accept my point of view. Since I am an Asian-Australian, I have purposefully forgone the opportunity to adopt a persona and instead, have chosen to write from a first person perspective as I can uniquely shed light on my own experiences towards cultural exchange and how that has directly impacted me. This also has an additional persuasive effect as I invite my audience to relate to my opinions through their own similar experiences as young Australian adults. I have opted to target this audience since we are the generation of the future, and have a major role to play in positively shaping the Australian society’s views and attitudes towards cultural exchange. My speech heavily focuses on delivering tangible examples, such as anecdotes and social media usage, as I aim to heighten the topic’s relevance and relatability for my audience. Moreover, as my focus is to reinforce positive attitudes towards cultural exchange, I have adopted a light-hearted approach with humour through the first portion of my speech, then moving into an urgent tone towards the end to highlight the importance of this issue.

Download a PDF version of this blog for printing or offline use

Need more help with your Creative Response? Check out How To Achieve A+ in Creative Writing (Reading and Creating)!

See how Lisa achieved full marks in her SAC in her Advice for A+ Oral Presentations guide.

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

What is an Oral Presentation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to choose your Oral Presentation topic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Filter out the boring events/issues

Understand who your audience is.

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

This question matters because “your aim of this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue you’ve selected.” This means that what you say to your audience and how they respond to your speech matters.

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

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

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

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

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2014

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2015

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2016

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2017

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2018

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2019

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2020

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2021

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2022

VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2023

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

How to choose your oral presentation contention

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

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

So, there are three things I like to AVOID:

1. Broad, Overarching statements

2. A Contention That Is Just Plain Obvious

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

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

How to write your speech 

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 tips on presenting your Speech

1. Body Language

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

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

2. Eye contact

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

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

3. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

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

- Looking up ahead

- Holding the cue cards in the right spot; and

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

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

4. Tone variation

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

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

5 things to keep in mind while writing the written explanation

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

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

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

2. Language

3. Audience

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

Resources to help you prepare for your Oral Presentation

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

‍ A Three Part Guide to Nailing Your Oral Presentation

Advice for A+ Oral Presentations

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

How To 'Overcome' Your Fear of Public Speaking

Oral Presentations | How To Do Speeches

5 Common Oral Presentation Mistakes

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Possible Contentions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Are NFTs a positive advancement in contemporary technology? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Possible Contentions:  

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

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

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

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

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

‍ Possible Contentions: 

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

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

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

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

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

Possible contentions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‍ Possible Contentions:

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

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

Written by Milo Burgner

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

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

1. Writing an Unentertaining Speech

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

Choosing the Wrong Topic

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

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

‍ Writing With the Wrong Sense of Tone

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

Issue: Should the Newstart allowance be increased?

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

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

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

2. Presenting Without Confidence

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

Reading Instead of Talking

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

Stalling for Time

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

3. Not Distinguishing Yourself From Your Class

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

Starting in an Uninspiring Way

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

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

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

Topic: Should we ban sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate?

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

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

No Enthusiasm

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

4. Incorrectly Using Visuals

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

Overusing PowerPoint Slides

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

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

Using Cluttered Infographics

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

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

5. Disregarding the Statement of Intention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

List of topics

1. ‘implementing a sugar tax to curb australian obesity.’.

Premise: Mexico and UK have already implemented the ‘Sugar Tax’ on soft drinks to prevent obesity through the avenue of consumer choices, with this debate being sparked in Canada and Australia as to whether this is a viable solution. The World Health Organization believes this could reduce consumption of sugar by reinvesting the more expensive prices into health initiatives against ‘Childhood Obesity’. The Federal Government is facing this decision in 2019, to introduce these radical changes. Thus, whether or not the sugar tax should be implemented would be the core of your oral.

Basis of the tax

Young stakeholders ‍

Expert opinions, use this for further reading ‍

Mexico comparison, who have done this

British conversation, opposing views on sugar tax ‍

2 . ‘What can Australia do to reduce the dangers of paramedic assault and overtime?’

‍ Premise: Lately in the media, paramedic attacks and unreasonable overtime shifts means that the safety of our ambulance staff is compromised. A series of movements and a necessity for awareness has been sparked in Australia, with one paramedic being assaulted every 50 hours, and 147 assaulted in 2018. Whether or not people choose to support ambulance safety on a political front, social front or preemptive front (see Ambulance Victoria’s ‘Help keep our ambos safe at work’), action has been gaining momentum in contemporary news and campaigns. Is Australia doing enough for paramedic safety? This would be the basis of your oral.

‍ Ambulance Victoria’s campaign

Paramedics’ Union urging Political Parties in 2019

Other factors, overtime shifts

Further reading on specific cases of paramedic violence ‍

3 . ‘How are our politicians dealing with events of Melbourne CBD terrorism ?’

Premise: A series of concentrated terrorist attacks on Melbourne’s Bourke Street and around Melbourne’s CBD has led to preventative measures such as 88 concrete blocks and anti-terror speaker systems. With politicians such as Matthew Guy pushing movements such as suspects facing curfews and counselling and drones around the city being put in place to monitor events like Christmas Day and New Years, this issue is being noted. But is enough being done? How effective are these measures, and are the police and government working closely enough to avoid these situations? This would be the basis of your oral.

Victoria Police’s response to terrorism

Bourke Street incidents

Links to other attacks and opinion article ‍

Political movements from Matthew Guy ‍

Anti-terror measures

4 . ‘Are loot boxes just gaming, or gambling?’

Premise: The question of whether loot boxes being utilised in video games marketed to underage children are in fact exposing them to gambling is currently being debated at a Senate level in Australia and around the world. Whilst opinions are segregated on whether this is harmless or harmful, statistics and experts seem to believe in Europe that the detriment is too high, with 15 gambling regulators pinning game developers and publishers. Similarly, the UK and especially Australia have been making movements to rid the gaming industry of this practice. However, ‘EA Games’ is a big player against this, thriving of their sales in games such as ‘FIFA Coins’ and ‘Star Wars: Battlefront’. Thus, whether it is just gambling or gaming would form this oral.

The Senate Inquiry on loot boxes ‍

Are loot boxes gambling? ‍

Expert Opinions ‍

Age restrictions with gambling v. gaming ‍

Global statistics/reasons against

5 . ‘ Anti-vaccination movements within Australia.’

Premise: The anti- vaccination movement, concentrated in the beachside town of Byron Bay in Australia is claiming more young lives daily, as medical reports are starting to note a greater toll in whooping cough cases and other vaccination related diseases. With campaigns such as the ‘No Jab, No Play’ initiative and other experts stating the way vaccinations are being handled, the situation is not apt in the current necessity for herd immunity amongst young Australians. Whether or not vaccination should be more heavily emphasised would be explored in this oral.

Geographic case study for vaccinations

Implications and health issues

No jab, no play campaign

Case studies

For vaccination

6 . ‘The competition of Uber, Taxis and other ride sharing services.’

Premise: The hyper competitive nature of ride-sharing services and transport on the Australian field means that Uber and taxis have a lot more competition with one another, meaning shared business can affect the others customers in a major way. Hence, the Australian approach of lawsuits and the pickup of other services such as Shebah, Gocatch and Ola, means that drivers are facing harder times finding customers and also maintaining a steady stream of income. Whether or not these competing companies escalate the quality of transport or are too detrimental to driver’s livelihood would be explored in this oral.

The premise ‍

Taxi share zones, official action/recognition ‍

The legal aspects ‍

For the competitive nature

Other platforms that affect this ‍

7. ‘The drought impact on Australian farmers.’ ‍

Premise: Communities within Australia, specifically in Queensland, prepare themselves for overwhelming drought this 2019, with as their profits will most probably drop below $13,000 in this next financial year for farmers. Whilst milk companies and other politicians have attempted to rally with farmers, more attention seemingly may have to be put in place to assure the livelihood of these agricultural practitioners. Hence, even with drought relief practices and campaigns with many stakeholders in the government and as owners of business, it may require more of a push on a formal level in these pivotal years for farmers. The necessary movements and activism for greater support of farmers would be explored in this oral. ‍

The lack of support for drought ‍

What the implications of drought are ‍

Campaigns and movements already in place ‍

Stakeholders and the issues amongst them ‍

The up and coming concerns for drought in 2019 ‍

8. ‘ Microplastics in the Ocean.’ ‍

Premise: The rise in plastic consumption on a global scale and also lack of environmental solutions has led sea turtle’s digestive tracts and parts of the deepest oceans to be littered with seemingly minute particles called ‘microplastics’. However, these particles have detrimental effects and often litter foods, water sources and our ecosystem, usually sinking to the bottom of the ocean, with 99% of the plastic the seas contain building on the bottom. Ultimately, how we deal with these microplastics and whether it is important would be illustrated in this oral.

Marianas Trench plastics ‍

Contamination in foods ‍

Actions against microplastics ‍

The basics of microplastics ‍

Expert opinions 9. ‘ Indigenous ‘Close the Gap’ Campaign’. ‍

Premise: The ‘Close the Gap’ campaign originally focused on integrating the Indigenous people back into modernized society that excluded them wrongly. Objectives were necessary to fulfill educational reforms, social necessities and the favour within employment that needed to be shown in order to “even the playing field”. Over the years, this has been scrutinised and subjected to downfalls, both political and social, with many of these objectives not achieved. Thus, greater attention or movement may have to be incited. Hence, whether enough is being done or more needs to be provoked would inspire this oral. ‍

Scott Morrison on the current ‘Closing the Gap’ measures

Discussion of the origins of this movement

Stakeholders in parliament, Indigenous rights

A review of the campaign and its downfalls

The new closing the gap campaign and its implications

10 . ‘Can we use genetically modified foods in daily life?’

Premise: The discussion of GMOs (genetically modified foods) and their ethical, moral and health implications have segregated both consumers and producers alike. Australia’s viewpoint of the scientific practice in modifying foods has been portrayed in the recent elongation to bans in South Australia until 2025, but has also been challenged with groundbreaking research that could double the crop yield in theory, due to the advances in photosynthetic characteristics and other chemical properties of plants. Thus, whether or not they should be refuted or supported would form the basis of this oral.

The science behind GM foods

Other global players accepting GM crops

Advances and what this means for farmers

Photosynthesis/scientific endeavours in the field of GM crops

The bans in South Australia, and the dangers

11 . ‘The wage gap : Women in STEM.’

Premise: It is rare to find a career where the exact same work will be paid differently based on sexuality, race or gender. It seems in the contemporary age the real issue is that cultural norms raise more women lawyers, doctors and teachers than engineers, physicists and STEM workers. Rather than a direct percentage of the pay gap, it is made apparent that it is rather a systematic average of less over time because of the careers being chosen. Whether or not the wage gap is due to STEM and what we can do to prevent this would be the formation of your oral.

What is the gender pay gap?

Statistics and figures

Australian specific pay gap

Against the gender pay gap

12. ‘Should we take on Finland’s education system ?’

Premise: Standardised testing is often a debate that goes without alternatives that truly work. But the core of Finland’s number 1 education system in the world is that they hire so many good teachers, hence independent learning is monitored and possible. The VCE system and IB curriculum does not streamline because students are so pressured they do not take time to explore and ultimately find what they want to do in tertiary. In Finland, it is less about the competition, and more about individual learning up until university so that they excel in different pathways. What would it take to change Australian systems to model this? This would be a key idea within your oral.

Australian education reform

Study assist packages being released

Universities involved, education opportunities amongst

Finland school system comparison

The National qualifications bureau

13 . ‘Should we change Australia day? ’

Premise: This is a heavily utilised oral topic. The Australia Day debate is a popular one, and this is because it is rich in cultural, social, ethical and political stances within itself. With the date remaining the same in 2019, and with the fireworks of the Perth council still going ahead, more protests and council movement means that these discussions are still very contemporary and readily available online. The bids and failed attempts to change the day to a Reconciliation Week celebration, or any date but ‘Invasion Day’ all form evidence to back up either side. Hence, the question of whether or not the date should be moved would be the primary focus of this oral.

‘For’ changing Australia Day in its entirety The council players in changing the date Bids/failed attempts to change the date The council’s on movements and government reflection on history

14 . ‘Is the National Broadband Network , working?’

Premise: The National Broadband Network policy meant that the telecommunications sector was supposed to gain momentum and strengthen itself, however, downfalls of the technicians and rollout of the service have meant public scrutiny and Government blame being laid. Telstra’s work on this with ping and download speeds being effective, but upload speeds suffering means that Australian consumers are not completely satisfied with the service, putting into question the ultimate effectiveness of NBN as an invested infrastructure. The success of NBN would form the base of this oral.

New rollouts geographically

New government policies

The effectiveness of NBN

Does it work as promised?

Downfalls of NBN

15. ‘ Teaching standards for undergraduates in Australia.'

Premise: The teaching standards of Australia have been heavily scrutinised after certain lower ATAR scores were primarily accepted into the fields. Thus, the question of whether the right teachers are being accepted and their skills are being honed is put into the spotlight, as a lower bar for the academic necessity of the career sparks debate on whether the standards for Australian education has fallen. However, with 2 teachers in the Global Top 50 for the education sector means there is still hope, and with lots of regional areas geographically, it can be difficult- So whether or not Australia is doing enough would form this oral.

ATARs and their own role in teachers

The skills necessary for teachers

A lower bar for academics means a lower bar for teachers

The consequences for teachers in regional areas

Australian teacher’s success stories

16. ‘Is the cost of living rising too high in Australia?’

Premise: The cost of living within Australia is inevitably rising, with a spike of homelessness within Sydney and the common retiree locations being in Asian countries forming the basis of whether or not we should start working on this sector of Australia’s wealth. However, some sources argue that our economy is steady and positive, with the perspective gained on this challenging what 2019 seems to hold for the cost of living. It is a contemporary topic as the next generation will have to face these challenges, proving an interesting oral if you focus on the stakeholders in each category (teenagers, workers, government and retirees).

The rising homelessness rates

Key area in the study of rising prices

The perspective of the greater economy in comparison to the cost of living

The meaning for retirees and where they have to go

The changes in 2019 to the cost of living

17 . ‘Are we doing enough to aid beekeepers in Australia?’

Premise: The ‘Save the Bees’ campaign begun as we started to realise the necessity and imminent danger we would face if bees were in harm's way. Recently, South Australia faced some strange occurrences with mysterious bee deaths, and younger stakeholders attempting to grasp Australia’s bee population. National Geographic focused on real steps and actions that could be taken within Australia, with measures that could potentially be put in place in order to protect these bees. Hence, this could be a unique oral if presented with the statistics and urgency of this issue.

Young stakeholders trying to save the bees

The implication of bees dying

Bees dying in South Australia

The plan to save Australia’s bees

Other measures in place that may affect bees

18. ‘The impact of the strawberry needle scare. ’

Premise: The Strawberry Needle Scare was a 2018 issue, with 2019 implications in the dangers of food tampering, and a case of needles in grapes at a Melbourne store. Moreover, the implications for farmers and the agricultural community meant that many workers were affected by this, as consumers initially feared the worst, affecting Australian livelihood at its core. Thus, in order to do a contemporary oral on this, you would focus primarily on the impact on the farmers, what future fears could arise, (eg. the grape needle scare), and what consumers need to be aware of in future contamination.

The grape scare, new to 2019

The Western Australian side of the strawberry scare

Food tampering in history, where this fits

The effects on farmer that the needle scare has

The movement for farmers from consumers to just ‘cut them up’

19. ‘The epidemic of anxiety. ’

Premise: In a digital, gratification-desiring age, anxiety and depression are symptoms of the high pressure scenarios within daily life. Recently, new studies proving the dire nature within Australia’s mental health provoked more attention by experts and the population into methods and the ‘epidemic’ we face, as we continue to head down a dark spiral. With case studies, statistics and the current situation within pressurised work situations, this could form a strong oral.

The need for instant gratification

The effects of employment on mental health

Australian statistics on worry and anxiety

The Kids helpline and a case study

More statistics/stakeholders in the debate

20 . ‘Is the zero road toll possible?’

Premise: The concept of the ‘Towards Zero’ campaign is that we would have no deaths on the roads in short. This takes drink driving measures, the hazardous first months of a probationary driver and the zones in which these accidents are most highly occurring into consideration, as the government, younger drivers, and adult drink drivers are all concerned. There are already worrying trends going into 2019 however, as this forms the basis of some concerning patterns, and could be explored either way in an oral of whether or not the ‘zero road toll’ is truly possible.

The action plan, released by TAC branch

The implications of striving for the road 0 toll

What is already in place, is there grounds to this?

Trends and why it may not be possible

The official campaign

Are you a slow writer who struggles to write down all of the information that you hear in the listening audio clip? Have you ever been in a situation where the next sentence in the audio comes up way before you finish writing down information from the previous sentence? If yes, then this blog is for you! 

You want to write down as much useful information as possible in a short period of time during your VCE EAL exam, so it is very useful to implement a system of techniques that works well for you personally. Here are some ideas and suggestions that you may want to use to increase the speed of your note-taking. 

1. Use Different Coloured Pens or Keys for Different Speakers

Under the stress of exams/SACs, you might lose track of which speaker is talking. This is likely to happen if the speakers are of the same sex or they sound similar to each other (from personal experience, I had a listening task with 3 female speakers!) A simple way to remind yourself of who is speaking is to take side notes with different coloured pens and/or symbols for different speakers. 

‍ For example:

If in the audio: Lisa says, ‘The weather is lovely’ and Cici replies ‘Let’s go for a run’. We can write side notes using L (for Lisa) and C for Cici, which may look like: 

L ‘weather is lovely’

C 'Let's go for a run’ 

Or, you could use a red pen for Lisa and blue pen for Cici. 

2. Use Signs & Symbols to Replace Words

Using symbols is an efficient way to increase the speed of writing and ultimately increase the amount of information that you can record. Here are some examples of symbols I have used in the past and the meanings I gave them. 

→ Leading to/Stimulate/Result in

↑ Increase   

↓ Decrease  

⇆ Exchangeable 

☓ Cross/Incorrect   

∴ Therefore OR Consequently 

?  Uncertain/Possibly/Disapprove  

> Greater than/More than

< Less than/Fewer than

~ Approximately OR Around OR Similar to OR Not Equal OR Not the same as

c/b Could be 

- Negative/Before 

+ Positive/Plus

3.Use Abbreviations

Use abbreviations that work for you. There is no right or wrong here as the ‘blank space for scribbles’ will not be marked. Abbreviations can take the form of short notes or letters...you get to be creative here!

You can also choose to keep only the essential vowels and consonants in words. Or, leave out the double consonants and silent letters. The following list contains some abbreviations for common words or phases:

Answer = answ

About = abt

Morning = am 

Afternoon = pm

As soon as possible = asap 

Before = bef/b4

Between = bt

Because = bc

Common = com

Condition = cond

Diagnosis = diag

Regular = reg

Notes = nts

With respect to = wrt 

Will be = w/b 

Within = w/i 

Without = w/o

Here are some examples of how you might use abbreviations and symbols:

‘You should remember to take notes in classes’ 

Can be abbreviated as:

‘U shld  rmbr t tk nts in cls’

Example 2  

‘Gidon has a rare blood condition which means he visits the hospital quite regularly. Since his diagnosis, Gidon’s family paid more than ten thousand dollars just to visit the hospital. Gidon initiated a petition that advocates for lowering the fees for parking in hospitals and putting a limit on how much the hospital can charge.’

• G has rare blood condi → he  visits hosp. v. reg.

I've used G as an abbreviation for Gidon, and the arrow here represents that the stuff on the left side of the arrow (i.e. his rare blood condition), led to the events on the right side of the arrow (i.e. regular hospital visits). 

• Since his diag. →  G’s fam paid  >$10K to visit hosp.

Here I’ve also used the arrow, indicating that the stuff on the left side of the arrow (i.e. his diagnosis), led to the events on the right side of the arrow (i.e. Gidon's family paid more than 10 thousand dollars). I’ve also used  >$10K to indicate that the amount Gidon’s family paid is more than 10 thousand dollars.

• G → petition → advocates for  ↓ $ parking & limit how much hosp. can charge

Using my symbols and abbreviations above, it’s your turn to work out how I’ve abbreviated this ;)

I hope these tips and tricks will assist you with note taking during the EAL listening SACs and exam. If you would like more practice on the listening section, check out the following blogs!

EAL Listening Practice and Resources

EAL Listening Practice

Tips on EAL Listening

Hey everyone!

I’m super excited to share with you my  first  ever online tutorial course for VCE English/EAL students on  How to achieve A+ for Language Analysis !!!

I created this course for a few reasons:

Language Analysis is often the  key weakness  for VCE English/EAL students,after my  intensive workshops , students always wish we had spent  even   more  time on Language Analysis,many of you have come to me seeking private tuition however since I am fully booked out, I wanted to still offer you a chance to gain access to my ‘breakthrough’ method of tutoring Language Analysis,I am absolutely confident in my  unique  and  straightforward  way of teaching Language Analysis which has lead to my students securing exceptional A graded SAC and exam scores!

Are you a student who:

struggles to identify language techniques?

finds it difficult to identify which tones are adopted in articles?

has no idea explaining  HOW  the author persuades?

finds it difficult to structure your language analysis essay?

becomes even more unsure when comparing 2 or 3 articles?

feels like your teacher at school never explained language analysis properly?

prefers learning when it’s enjoyable and easy to understand?

wants to stand out from other students across the cohort?

wants to know the secrets of 45+ English high achievers?

wants to know what examiners are looking for?

sees room for improvement whether you’re an average student or a pro?

wants to get a head start and maximise your potential in VCE?

This is what you will accomplish by the end of the course:

Be able to successfully identify language techniques in articles and images

Be able to successfully identify tones adopted in articles and images

Be able to analyse a single article or image

Be able to analyse 2 or more articles and/or images

Be able to apply your new skills coherently and clearly in essay writing

You will be able to accurately describe HOW an author uses language to persuade

You will be able to plan and write a language analysis essay structure (single article/image)

You will be able to plan and write a language analysis essay structure (2 or more articles/images)

You will understand common pitfalls and how to avoid these in language analysis

Be confident when approaching your SACs and exam

Know exactly what examiners are looking for and how to ‘WOW’ them

Know how to distinguish yourself from other students

Have unlimited help in course forum from myself and other VCE students

You will become a better VCE English language analysis student!

To find out more, you can check out the full details of the course   here !

See you in the course!

Authorial intent is without a doubt one of the most important parts of any analytical essay in VCE English because talking about it is what offers the deepest level of analysis and shows the examiners that you have thought deeply about the text at hand. If you can discuss authorial intent effectively, you’ll be able to show that you have a solid understanding of what you are talking about and that you’re not working exclusively with surface-level ideas.

What Is Authorial Intent?

When we talk about authorial intent, what is really being referenced is the author’s reason for writing their piece in the way that they have and what messages they are trying to convey. Essentially, it’s what your teacher wants you to think about when they ask you things like “why is the door red?”. More generally speaking, why has the author made a point of telling us as readers the weather at that time? Why has that character been given that particular line of dialogue? Why have they brought in that specific tone for this part of the text? These are all the kinds of questions that you should be asking yourself when you’re reading through material that you have to analyse.

You might also hear authorial intent talked about as the writer’s ‘views and values’ . If you’re unsure what views and values actually mean, you can kind of think of it as though the ‘views’ are how the author sees something and the ‘values’ are how the author thinks about something. Essentially, their opinions and perspectives are their views, whereas their morals and principles are their values. These two elements will often be central to the overall intention behind writing their text.  

Why Is Authorial Intent Important?

Authorial intent plays a major role in your interpretation of the text; if you can’t figure out what the intent is, you will often miss out on key points and messages throughout the text. If you are lucky, the author will make it really clear to you as a reader what their intent is; however, this often is not the case. That being said, whether their intent is stated or implied doesn’t matter - there will always be something there for you to talk about.

How To ‘Find’ Authorial Intent in the Text: Key Identifiers To Look Out For

If you come across a text that makes it a little bit more difficult to discern what the author is actually trying to say, a good place to start is to look at the context behind the piece of writing. 

The time period the novel/movie/play is set in is often a good indicator of what the author is saying. The author will often be using their text as a means by which they can comment on or critique one or more elements of that society, or perhaps as a metaphor for events that are occurring at the time the text is/was written. Alternatively, they may be portraying their view about the events that actually occurred during that time. For example, if you have a text that is set in the Georgian era, it is likely that the author’s message has something to do with colonialism or imperialist mindsets (zeitgeists) because this was a very dominant theme in that society. 

Some other reasons you might consider an author having could include: 

• to highlight the importance of something
• to criticise a behaviour or mindset
• to ridicule certain actions
• to warn against something
• to discourage people from doing something
• to convey certain political messages or controversial opinions

Realistically there is a broad range of things that the author could be saying, it's your job to pinpoint what that really is. 

Once you’ve determined what it is the author is generally talking about, you then need to start thinking about the way that this has been represented. This is where you start to bring in the characters, the events, the dialogue, the inner monologues. Basically, you start looking for the elements that the author has added, not necessarily for a story-telling purpose but, more so, to convey their views and values through the text. This isn’t always going to jump right out at you so there may be a bit of deeper thinking involved. 

Another good place to start is to try to identify the central themes of a text. This might be something like ‘Judgement’, ‘Redemption’, ‘Guilt’, etc. The author wouldn't have made these themes so relevant if they didn't have anything to say about them. Once again, this is where you look at the quotes, the setting, the characters and other features (as mentioned before) just with a more theme-focused approach. 

Useful Vocabulary & Sentence Examples 

When you come to actually putting together a paragraph, it is really important that you don’t forget to include authorial intent at some stage (at least once per paragraph). If you work with a TEEL structure (watch from 05:10) as the baseline, these kinds of comments about the author’s intent would usually be located within the ‘explanation’ section. A good way to double-check that you’ve incorporated authorial intent is to go back through your paragraph and make sure that the author’s name is in there somewhere. If you’ve talked about authorial intent you likely will have said something like:

‍ ‘In doing so, (Author) condones the (whatever it is they condone).’

Sentence Templates

Below are some sample sentence structures that you might think about using throughout your essays. Obviously, the particular vocabulary will vary depending on what your text is and which message you are talking about, but these are good as a guide.

• Through (example from text) AUTHOR (offers, provides, asserts) a (condemnation, evaluation…) of (idea, theme, concept, action…)

E.g. Through emphasising the internal struggle faced by Rooke during the floggings, Grenville offers a condemnation of the Empire’s heinous approach to loyalty, as the threat of ‘wirling at the end of the rope’ essentially forces individuals to value duty over conscience. (The Lieutenant)

• In doing so, AUTHOR (establishes, condemns, reveals…)

E.g. In doing so, Miller reveals the self-destructive nature of religious extremism in breeding instability and conflict. (The Crucible)

• (scene, event…) allows AUTHOR to (suggest, convey, assert,…) that 

E.g. Her sorrowful pleas that ‘she beg me to make charm’, fraught with grammatical errors, allow Miller to saliently illustrate the gulf that exists between the vulnerable outcasts such as Tituba and more privileged individuals within a community, in this case, Reverend Parris. (The Crucible)

• AUTHOR’s depiction of (character) as (courageous, morally conscious, selfish…) emphasises their belief that…

E.g. Ham’s depiction of Teddy as a morally conscious and genuine individual emphasises her belief that it is possible to transcend the social codes enforced by one’s community. (The Dressmaker)

• AUTHOR’s suggestion that… (serves as a reminder, highlights, emphasises the importance of…)

E.g. Euripides’ blatant suggestion that the fate of most of these women is in servitude and sexual slavery is a damning reminder that the victims of war are not just those killed during the conflict. (Women of Troy)

• (Hence, thus, as a result…) AUTHOR asserts that… 

E.g. Thus, Euripides asserts that victory in war ultimately proves futile as loss will inevitably be suffered somewhat equally by both sides. (Women of Troy)

• Evident through AUTHOR’s (characters’ actions/dialogue/section of text…) is the idea that…

E.g. Evident through Miller’s depiction of the struggles faced by Goody Osburn and Goody Good is the idea that where geographical isolation and strict moral codes render a community intolerant, the marginalisation and ostracisation of those who do not fit the societal mould is inevitable. (The Crucible)

• Through (action, quote, scene…) AUTHOR seeks to…

E.g. Through highlighting the harm which can result from individuals utilising their power to manipulate situations, Ham seeks to expose the damages caused by ignoring the truth, particularly when done so for personal benefit. (The Dressmaker)

If you’ve gotten to this point then hopefully that means that you are starting to get a better understanding of what authorial intent actually is, the thought processes that go into finding it and why it is such a useful and important element to analyse. Most importantly, I hope that you can at least start recognising the way that the author’s voice comes through in the particular texts that you are studying, and that you can start looking at including some of those observations and ideas when you're writing your responses.

Authorial Intent is an aspect that's going to be relevant to Text Response & Comparative for the most part, but it's also handy to understand for Language Analysis !

Whenever you write anything, whether it be a creative piece, a text essay or a literature discussion, keep these four words in mind:

Simple language, complex ideas.

It seems a basic concept, and at the heart of it, it is! But these four words hold the key to unlocking your English potential. 

To write at your own personal best, you need to utilise the language that you are familiar with. This way, you won’t confuse yourself, and as an extension, the marker too!

Writing clearly and precisely is a skill that all academics can improve on, so how do we outdo ourselves? It’s really quite simple. 

Whenever you write, choose words familiar to you. Searching for longer and more complex words can be dangerous. Rather for the simple word, the word that can be universally understood. When you truly understand the language you use, you then have the power to explore your arguments with far more efficiency.

Of course, with progression of writing comes an increase of sophistication, but do not let this be your goal. Rather, aim to allow your vocabulary to increase organically, looking up definitions when and where you need to. Expression is a facet of writing that every person can improve on, so why overcomplicate your task?

Next time you write anything, consciously focus upon how you express your argument, point of view or analysis. Often, you will find, the simplest word can be the most effective!

So, what about the complex part? This too will grow organically. Find a concept, idea or theme that you understand, and simplify it through the best language you can think of. This way, you ensure that nothing becomes lost in translation, and you demonstrate clearly to the marker that you understand the core of your topic. Next, find another idea, this time of a greater complexity. Break it down and put it into your own words. Over time, you will not only build a concise and accurate writing style, but you will also learn your arguments intimately. You can never go wrong!

Plans are one of the most ignored (and underestimated) steps in the essay writing process. Some people don’t do them simply because they don’t want to, some sacrifice them because they think they’ll run out of time, and some do ‘plans’, but in reality, they’re only a rough mental outline. Each of these situations place too many students time and time again in sticky situations come an English SAC or exam.

Why plans are essential for any good essay

• They ensure that you can’t mind blank — it’s all on the paper in front of you!
• They ensure that you always stay on topic.

Mental plans or not having a plan at all mean that you don’t have a true direction in which your essay is going. If you’re not sure where you’re going, well, how are you going to get anywhere?

They save you time in writing time.  

Instead of wasting reading time, you’ve done most of your thinking right at the beginning of the SAC or exam, positioning you to do really well in your essay because you can focus on constructing some really juicy, coherent analysis in your body paragraphs, rather than remembering your basic points and/or making sure your essay is actually answering the question.

Let’s have a look at an essay topic that I’ve tackled in the past. This one is based on Kate Grenville’s The Lieutenant , a current VCE Year 12 English text. To learn more about themes, quotes, characters about this text, and to have a look at an essay topic breakdown, check out this blog post written by outstanding LSG tutor, Angelina !

“But a man could not travel along two different paths.” How does Grenville explore Rooke’s conflict of conscience in The Lieutenant ?

Step 1: Highlight key words

Now, it may seem like I've just highlighted the whole prompt, and I understand why you might think that! However, each of the words highlighted convey something meaningful within the prompt. If you're ever unsure about what could be considered a key word, consider whether the prompt would have the same meaning without the word in question.

Step 2: Define key words

In this topic, the main phrase that needs defining is ‘conflict of conscience’. For me, this signals that we must consider morality and the weighing up of right and wrong, especially when tough decisions have to be made.

I’d also take a moment to analyse the quote. This essay prompt is quote-based, so it’s imperative that we discuss the quote and consider the meaning of the quote throughout our essay. For some more detailed info on how to tackle different types of essay prompts, check out this blog post.

Step 3: Start essay plan

Next, I’d start tackling the plan itself. Although it seems like the above steps would take a while, my real-life planning process only takes about 5 minutes. You certainly don’t have to write everything down and you certainly don’t have to make it make sense to anyone but yourself.

Personally, I like to format my plans in dot-point form. I write 1, 2, 3 for each of my body paragraphs and I leave a space underneath each so I can plan each paragraph.

First, I’ll just write rough topic sentences under each, so I can really step back and consider whether my plan of action for the essay’s body paragraphs will do a good job at answering the prompt itself. Again, these are only rough topic sentences — fancying them up will come during the essay writing phase.

Step 4: Important things to include in each paragraph

Once I’ve decided on what each of my body paragraphs will be about, I can them go into a bit more depth for each of them individually.

These are the elements that I include for each:

Essentially, the points that I’ll argue and the reasoning behind the paragraph

The evidence that I’ll be using to reinforce my point(s).

Literary devices/metalanguage

In Year 12, I made a conscious effort to include one literary device or metalanguage example per body paragraph in all of my English essays. This really set me apart from the rest of the state because, in reality, not enough students really focused on the language of their texts, which can really impress examiners.

Strategy: Colour-coded plans

For me, using different colours in my plans helped me organise my thoughts, distinguish between them, and ensure that I had covered everything that I wanted to cover.

Obviously, you can come up with a colour system that works for you, but this is what I came up with:

• Green = metalanguage
• Red = quotes
• Black/blue = everything else!

And that’s it — my four-step but five minute essay planning process. Don’t be afraid to modify this to make it work for you and your needs. However, definitely DO be afraid of not planning — it’s absolutely essential for any good essay.

Happy planning!

[Video Transcription]

Hey guys. I've been doing a load of essay topic breakdowns for you guys, and we've been looking at plans for them, so I thought I would actually show you how I actually do a real life plan, one that I would do on paper if I was preparing for a SAC or an exam, as opposed to the ones that I do on YouTube because the ones that I do on YouTube are slightly different. I definitely go into more detail than I normally would. But at the same time I still do use the same concepts as I would when I do read the steps on YouTube. So I'm going to go and show you that today. And before I actually do that, I just want to preface this and tell you guys why doing a plan is so important. So I know that a plan is something that one, a lot of people just don't do, or two, they tend to sacrifice it if they feel like they don't have enough time, or three, they do a plan in their head, but they don't actually write it down on paper. Now, all of these things are pretty detrimental for you, especially because when you write a plan, it actually helps to secure you and ensure that one, you're not going to mind blank throughout your essay or let me rephrase that, if you do mind blank throughout your essay, you will still have a piece of paper in front of you telling you, "This is what you were thinking Lisa, just go and follow this method or what you've written down here." So that way you don't just get stuck in the middle of your essay and start having a freak out because you've forgotten what you were supposed to write. Second thing is that it ensures that you don't go off topic. This is something that happens quite frequently. If you don't have a plan, then you have this idea of, "Oh, I'll write this and this", and then somehow halfway through an essay, halfway through a paragraph, you realize, "Holy crap, I have completely veered off the topic or this has gone completely in the other direction from what I intended. This is not what I wanted." So in order to prevent that from happening, just do a plan, please! You will find that it ends up saving you so much time and it just gives you that reassurance that you need in situations where there are so many unpredictable factors, like what prompts you're actually going to get. And your focus and attention should be more about developing those ideas, rather than having a mind blank in the middle of your essay and then having a little bit of a freakout as a result. So I'm going to base this video on a previous essay topic breakdown in the past, and that is on Kate Grenville's The Lieutenant. I was going to say Lieutenant, because I always accidentally say that, but no, it is Lieutenant. Now, if you are not doing as text as always, don't stress about it because what I want you to take away from this video is how you actually do plans, the thinking that goes behind it and the formatting around it. So let's just get started. The essay topic that we're doing today is, "But a man could not travel along two different paths." How does Grenville explore Rooke's conflict of conscience in The Lieutenant. So as always, my first step is I will highlight the keywords that I see inside the prompt. Keywords are different for everyone, but these are the ones that I think are most important. Firstly, the actual quote itself, how Grenville, conflict of conscience. Pretty much in this case I could probably just highlight the entire thing, but for the sake of just defining some keywords, this is what I would do. So the next step is to define key words. I think the only big key word that I need to define here is conflict of conscience. And so to me, the conflict of conscience suggests internal conflict, which implies that we'll need to consider morality and the concepts of right and wrong, especially when a difficult decision must be made and sides need to be taken. So as you can see, I've written these words down next to the keyword and that will just help me ensure that I stay on topic or I stay in tune with what the keyword is about and I don't suddenly change my mind halfway through the essay. Then what I'll do is, I will analyze the quote itself. So this is unique because this particular essay prompt has a quote inside it, but I'll have to think about, okay, where did I see this quote? Who might've said it and what might it mean? And I'll draw it down a few notes for that. Then I'll pretty much just go straight into my plan. Now, my plans I've written within five minutes, most of the thinking is actually done during reading time. So personally, I've always found that just writing dot points is completely fine. I don't need to go more beyond that. And I'll show you a few examples now of real life year essay plans that I did during that time. And as you can see, they are pretty much just scribbles and if anybody else was to look at my essay plans, they would have no idea what I'm talking about. But you know what, for me it makes complete sense and that's all that matters. You're not graded on your plan, so just go ahead and do it your way. You do you. So what I'll do is I'll quickly dot down one, two, three, and these represent my body paragraphs. Then I'll just write down very quickly what the topic sentences will be. I don't actually write the full topic sentence itself, but I guess the essence of it, so the key things that I will mention in the topic sentence. By writing down the three topic sentences, this allows me to take a step back and look at the essay holistically and ensure that I am answering it the way that I want to. Then what I'll do is I'll move into each individual body paragraph and write down some things that I think are important for me to remember when I go ahead and write it. So I might write down a couple of ideas that I think are important. I will write down quotes that I think are essential to my discussion. And then what I'll do is I will throw in at least one literary device or a metalanguage that I think is important to discuss. So in this case, in this first body paragraph, it's limited omniscient third person perspective. By throwing this in, I will ensure that I can show my examiner or show my teacher that I can go on that deeper level. I'll repeat this method with both paragraph two and three. Of course for you, you might need to write down more dot points. You can write fewer dot points, it's really just dependent on every individual. If you are somebody who needs to write down the quotes more, then go ahead and do that. But for me, a lot of the quotes will stick in my head. I just need one point just to bounce off, and then from there, I'm able to pull in all of the other quotes that are necessary. You also notice that I do things in different colors. Now, I think this is a strategy that I implemented in order to make things a lot clearer for myself before jumping into an essay. So for example, for anything that's a metalanguage based, I'll write it in green. The whole purpose for that is to ensure that in every single body paragraph, I do cover some form of a literary device because that was always really important for me. I thought that it was one of the key things that helped me differentiate myself from other students. So if I took a step back from the plan and I looked at it overall, I could see, okay, there's a green color in every single body paragraph, done. I have ticked off that criteria. I also used to write quotes in red as well. So red just helped me do the same thing. It helps me take a step back and go, "Yep, there's a bit of red in every single body paragraph. I'm definitely including quotes," which might sound pretty stupid, but it's just that little bit of reassurance that I think really makes that difference when it comes to a stressful situation. That's pretty much it. It's just five minutes of your time, so we probably don't need to go into it in too much more detail than that. But as you can see from my essay plans, I'm quite minimal. I just keep things as short as possible because that's all I really need because a lot of the information is here, but I just need to reinforce it and ensure that it is concrete when it is on paper. So for yourself, I would recommend that you start practicing your plans. You can try my method and see if that works for you, but over time, I'm sure that you'll come to find your own way of writing plans that work for you. Next week I'm going to have another essay topic breakdown for you. Can you guess what it might be? If you want to take a stab, put it in the comment section below, but that's it for me in this week guys. I hope that was helpful for you, and don't forget plans are crucial to an amazing essay. If you needed any extra help, then my mailing list is always available for you guys. I send out emails every single week just giving you new advice and tips for your studies, so I'll put that in the description box below for you to sign up. Other than that, I will talk to you guys next week. Bye!

1. Summary 2. Themes 3. Symbols and Analysis 4. Quotes 5. Sample Essay Topics 6. Essay Topic Breakdown

Alice Munro is a Canadian Nobel-Prize-winning author of short stories , and Runaway , first published in 2004, is a collection of eight such stories (though kind of actually only six, because three of them are sequential). These stories examine the lives of Canadian women throughout the last century, but not all of them are necessarily realistic to what daily life actually looks like. Rather, Munro uses borderline-supernatural events (which some critics say feel staged or contrived) to shed light on the tensions and challenge s of gender in modern life.

This can mean that some of the stories are quite hard to follow; they go through all these twists and turns, and the lines between stories start blurring after a while. Let’s go through each in a bit more detail before jumping into our analysis.

2. Story-by-Story Characters and Summary

The titular story is about a woman Carla , her husband Clark , their goat Flora , and their elderly neighbour Sylvia Jamieson . There are many runaways in the story: Carla ran away from her middle-class home to marry Clark, Flora the goat literally runs away, a scandalous lie about Sylvia’s late husband gets a bit out of hand, and now Sylvia is helping Carla run away once again, this time from Clark. Few of these runaways are really very successful: this story is really interrogating why and how.

Chance/Soon/Silence

The next three stories are sequential, and revolve around Juliet , a well-educated classicist who is working as a teacher in the first story, ‘Chance’ - it is set in 1965 and she is 21. In this story, she meets her lover Eric Porteous on a train, then finds him again six months later. Eric is sleeping around with a few women in light of his wife’s declining health and eventual passing, but by ‘Soon’ he and Juliet have settled down and had a baby together - Penelope .

‘Soon’ focuses more on the relationship between Juliet and her parents, in particular her mother Sara . Juliet feels a bit out of place now at home, and feels guilty about not being more present for Sara. In turn, ‘Silence’ depicts her own daughter running away from her. Juliet returns to her studies and only hears about Penelope’s life through a chance encounter with a friend who reveals that Penelope is now a mother herself.

The next story is about Grace , an older woman revising the family home of her husband Maury Travers . Their marriage never had a lot of passion in it really - Grace was always more interested in Maury’s family - but both of them were just doing what was expected of them. The contrast comes from Maury’s brother Neil , a doctor who accompanies Grace on a hospital trip when she cuts her foot. This trip becomes longer and more sensual, feeling adulterous even though very little actually transpires between them - the story raises questions around what counts as cheating, and what marriages should entail. 

‘Trespasses’ is slightly deliberately disorienting from the start (which is actually the end of the story). We go on a flashback in the middle to learn about a father, Harry , and his daughter Lauren . One day when moving house, Lauren finds a cardboard box - Harry explains that it contains the ashes of a dead baby who he and his wife Eileen (Lauren’s mother) had had before Lauren. This leads to Lauren questioning if she was adopted, which is further complicated by Delphine , a worker at a hotel who seems to think Lauren is her biological daughter. The ending (which was teased at the beginning) is the evening of confrontation between the four characters where the truth is finally revealed. 

Conversely, ‘Tricks’ has a more linear plot to follow. Robin is a carer for her asthmatic sister Joanne , but she’s taken to watching Shakespeare plays in the next town once a year. One year, she meets a European clockmaker Danilo who plans to meet her next year when she is back in town - but this doesn’t go to plan at all. It’s only 40 years later that Robin finds out Danilo had a twin brother, which is why the plan had gone downhill.

The last story in the collection is arguably the most complex, and it’s broken into 5 parts to reflect that complexity. It follows Nancy as she ages from a fresh high school graduate to an old woman by the end of the sequence, including her marriage to the town doctor Wilf . Importantly, the stories also cover her friendship with Tessa , who has the supernatural powers mentioned in the title. However, by the third story, Tessa has been abandoned in a mental hospital and she has lost her powers. Throughout the stories, we also see Ollie , Wilf’s cousin (or a figment of Nancy’s imagination according to this analysis), who seems to be responsible for Tessa’s demise.

Let’s start tracing some of the common themes between the stories.

A key theme explored throughout many of the stories is marriage and domesticity . There’s a strong sense that it’s an underwhelming experience : it doesn’t live up to expectations and it particularly dampens the lives of the women involved. Nancy’s marriage to Wilf in ‘Powers’ only happens because she feels guilty - 'I could hardly [turn him down] without landing us both in…embarrassment' - but, as a result, she loses her fun, intellectual streak as he tells her to put down her book, 'give Dante a rest'. A similar fate befalls Juliet, who gives up her study in the process of becoming married.

 Marriage is also sometimes explored as a deliberate choice , even if it might have unintended consequences - for example, Carla’s marriage to Clark is described as a life that she 'chose'. This interpretation is more unclear though, and is contradicted in other stories like Passion, where Grace’s marriage is described as 'acquiescence ', acceptance without protest. It’s even contradicted to some extent in the same story: Munro compares Carla’s marriage to a 'captive' situation, where she might’ve chosen to enter the marriage, but after that has little say in how it goes.

This sounds a bit trite, but the title is a key theme as well - just not necessarily in the physical sense . Consider all of these different definitions and how they pop up in the stories. In ‘Runaway’, Carla and the goat run away, but also the lie Carla tells Clark about Leon, a runaway lie that taints his relationship with Sylvia completely. Some runaways are described as accidents - 'she – Flora – slipped through' - while others are much more deliberate. The question here is how much control we actually have over our own lives . Not a lot, it would seem.

The other side of runaway/s is to think about who the victim in each runaway is. Does somebody run away because they are 'in a bad situation, the way it happens', a victim of circumstance , or do they run away because they feel guilty , or because they’re abandoning someone else, the true victim of being left behind? Carla does seem like more of a victim of circumstance with good reason to run away, but think about Nancy leaving Tessa behind in ‘Powers’: ‘“I’ll write to you”, she said…she never did.’

This question about who the real victim is might be the hardest to answer for ‘Silence’. Juliet’s daughter abandons her, but it’s not like there’s a strong history of positive mother-daughter relationships in their family: Juliet wasn’t able to give Sara what she needed ( 'she had not protected Sara') and in turn isn’t able to quite give Penelope what she needs either (Penelope having a 'hunger for the things that were not available to her in her home '). At the same time, Penelope’s abandonment does feel quite callous and inexplicable , even if Juliet feels like it’s what she deserves; Munro suggests at the end of the story that a reunion would be an 'undeserved blessing[]'. The intertextuality with Aethiopica reveals Juliet’s good intentions, her similarity to the 'great-hearted queen of Ethiopia', but it doesn’t quite give us the satisfaction of a neat resolution either.

Ethics and Morality

Finally, Munro’s stories also raise questions around morality . Besides what we’ve already covered - adultery, runaways - there are further questions raised around parenthood , particularly in ‘Trespasses’. Harry seems to share a bit too much information with his child, who really doesn’t need to know about the dead baby just yet. Lauren is 'not short of information', and it’s worth questioning where that boundary should be for a child of her age.

But not all ethical questions have simple answers : as in ‘Tricks’ they can sometimes just have 'outrageous', cruel punchlines that don’t reveal themselves for decades. Munro doesn’t necessarily have all the answers on this one. She brings up complex moral situations but does not pass judgment on any.

4. Symbols & Analysis

Greek elements.

Throughout the stories, Munro brings in a few elements of Greek mythology or literature . The intertextuality in ‘Silence’ is one example, drawing on the classical text Aethiopica , but there are a few more scattered throughout the stories: the constellations of Orion and Cassiopeia in ‘Chance’ and an oracle-like figure in Tessa, a main character in ‘Powers’. All of these elements have some significance:

• Cassiopeia is known for her arrogance and vanity, which parallels with the way Juliet detaches herself from her life ('she had made herself into a rather superior, invulnerable observer' - despite her very real vulnerabilities)
• Orion is known for his forbidden romance with the virgin goddess Artemis, which parallels with Eric’s romance with Juliet (Juliet being relatively inexperienced with men herself, with all of her experiences being 'fantasy')
• Oracles in mythology are like mouthpieces of the gods who can prophesy about the future. They were often women, so oracles were unusually influential in their male-dominated societies. The question is whether this parallels with Tessa at all: even though she has these supernatural powers, are there other forms of power she might lack instead?

In general, intertextuality is a way to enrich a text by drawing parallels and linking characters to existing stories or archetypes. Here, Munro uses classical texts to add dimension to her characters in a way that is almost-but-not-quite commentary. Pre-existing Greek myths are a way for us to see what’s really going on .

(Rail)Roads and Transit

The other symbol that comes up a few times in the stories is roads or railroads - basically places where runaways might happen . ‘Chance’ is set in the middle of a train journey, ‘Tricks’ involves a couple of train journeys, ‘Runaway’ maps the roads leading in and out of Carla’s home, and almost all of ‘Passion’ takes place on the road. If we broaden ‘places where runaways might happen’ to include planes as well, then we can add ‘Powers’ and ‘Silence’ to the list.

All of these spaces are what might be called liminal - they’re ‘in-between’ spaces with an air of suspense about what can happen. It’s probably most prominent in ‘Passion’, where Grace describes the events of that road trip as a 'passage” in her life, both physically and metaphorically. In general though, they’re the settings where the wildest and most significant events tend to happen.

• 'She—Flora—slipped through.'
• 'She (referring to Carla) chose this life with Clark.'
• 'She is just in a bad situation, the way it happens.'
• 'She saw him as the architect of the life ahead of them, herself as the captive, her submission both proper and exquisite.'
• 'She might be free.' - this is the second last line in the story. Note the ambiguity here (and through all these quotes, to be honest) about which ‘she’ is being referred to (Carla, Flora or even Sylvia)
• 'Juliet was twenty-one years old and already the possessor of a B.A. and an M.A. in classics.'
• 'The problem was that she was a girl. If she got married—which might happen…—she would waste all her hard work.'
• 'She had made herself into a rather superior, invulnerable observer.'
• '…the two of them (referring to Sara and Juliet) intertwined. And then abruptly, Juliet hadn’t wanted any more of it.'
• 'But she had not protected Sara. When Sara had said, soon I’ll see Juliet , Juliet had found no reply. Could it not have been managed?…She had put everything away.'
• Penelope supposedly had a 'hunger for the things that were not available to her in her home.'
• 'Penelope does not have a use for me.'
• 'She hopes as people who know better hope for undeserved blessings, spontaneous remissions, things of that sort.'
• Grace, watching a movie with Maury, felt 'rage…because that was what girls were supposed to be like. That’s what men - people, everybody - thought they should be like. Beautiful, treasured, spoiled, selfish, pea-brained. That was what a girl should be, to be fallen in love with.'
• 'It was not in her nature, of course, to be so openly dumbfounded, so worshipful, as he was.'
• 'Describing this passage, this change in her life, later on, Grace might say - she did say - that it was as if a gate had clanged shut behind her. But at the time there was no clang - acquiescence simply rippled through her.'
• Lauren 'had been brought up to believe that children and adults could be on equal terms with each other.'
• 'How could she be sure that they had not got her as a replacement? If there was one big thing she hadn’t known about, why could there not be another?'
• 'Forgive us our trespasses' - note the ambiguity of ‘trespasses’ (does it mean sins as in the prayer, or overstepping boundaries, or both?)
• 'Some of the best-looking, best-turned-out women in town are those who did not marry.'
• 'A means to an end, those tricks are supposed to be.'
• 'I couldn’t stand for the poor man (referring to Wilf) to have had two girls turn him down’
• 'I used to have a feeling something really unusual would occur in my life, and it would be important to have recorded everything. Was that just a feeling?'
• 'She could be upset to see you leave without her. So I’ll give you an opportunity just to slip away.'
• 'He has nearly forgotten that he ever believed in her powers, he is now only anxious for her and for himself, that their counterfeit should work well.'

Having great quotes is one thing, but you also want to make sure you know How To Embed Quotes in Your Essay Like a Boss !

6. Sample Essay Topics

• What does Runaway teach us about romance?
• Carla, Grace and Tessa are more similar than different in terms of their relationships with the men in their lives. Do you agree?
• How does Munro contrast younger and older women in Runaway ?
• What does the setting contribute to the overall effect of Runaway ?
• 'Forgive us our trespasses.' What types of boundaries are created and overstepped in Runaway ?

7. Essay Topic Breakdown

Whenever you get a new essay topic, you can use LSG’s THINK and EXECUTE strategy , a technique to help you write better VCE essays. This essay topic breakdown will give you a brief glimpse on the THINK part of the strategy. If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response .

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

Step 1: A nalyse

Step 2: B rainstorm

Step 3: C reate a Plan

‘Forgive us our trespasses.’ What types of boundaries are created and overstepped in Runaway ?

Step 1: Analyse

This quote is from ‘Trespasses’ and captures the double meaning of the word as both overstepping physical boundaries and sinning in the moral or religious sense . It’s likely we’ll want to talk about both interpretations - physically trespassing but also encroaching on boundaries in immoral ways. Note that the prompt also includes the action words ‘created’ and ‘overstepped’, meaning that there’ll be a pretty diverse range of examples that we’ll need to use to answer this prompt comprehensively.

Step 2: Brainstorm

Let’s start with physical boundaries : Carla’s marriage and the fences on her property and the US-Canada border in ‘Powers’ come to mind. Then, we’ve got non-physical boundaries: emotionally as in ‘Chance’ and ethically as in ‘Trespasses’. This is where we start getting into whether these boundaries are created or overstepped .

Clark creates boundaries for Carla and her attempts to break free from them are unsuccessful. The border in ‘Powers’ is more of an excuse for Nancy to neglect Tessa, a boundary she creates and never makes the effort to overstep. Finally, the ethical boundaries in ‘Trespasses’ are overstepped from the get-go. How can we synthesise these ideas into one essay?

Step 3: Create a Plan

I think the trick with questions like this is not to just allocate different types of boundaries and/or different action words to each paragraph. Try to think of creative ways to string these ideas together that also build towards a bigger picture or overall contention about the text as a whole. This example plan explores physical and emotional boundaries but makes a bigger argument that they are often associated with regret in Munro’s stories.

‍ Paragraph 1 : Physical boundaries are both the most intentional and the most difficult to overstep.

• Carla’s farmstead is isolated and bordered by roads; her marriage to Clark and her life on this farmstead is likened to a 'captive' situation, with Clark being the 'architect' of it all
• Munro ends Runaway on a pessimistic note about Carla’s ability to leave this boundary: 'She might be free'
• International borders also constitute physical barriers, and these are used by Nancy in ‘Powers’ to avoid responsibility; because this is an active decision (‘“I’ll write to you”, she said…she never did.’), it’s a barrier that never really gets broken. Similar to Penelope in ‘Silence’

Paragraph 2 : Munro’s stories, however, focus more on emotional boundaries , and the way these are applied varies greatly. This variation underscores their complexity .

• Emotional boundaries when created can prevent intimacy: Juliet 'ma[kes] herself into a rather superior, invulnerable observer' so as to avoid commitment. These boundaries come back to bite when she has a daughter
• Conversely, they cause a great deal of harm when overstepped: for example, ‘Trespasses’ sees 'crazy and dangerous' adults toy with the life of a child, constantly assuming that she 'can take it' when in fact this is not the case

Paragraph 3 : Regardless, Munro’s characters often come to regret the boundaries they erect or overstep.

• Carla’s ambivalence about her marriage is tinged with regret either way: when she’s there, she wants to escape, and when she escapes, she questions if she has 'anything left in [her]'
• Juliet reflects on the boundaries she puts up between herself and Penelope and realises that 'spontaneous remissions' between them are undeserved and impossible
• In ‘Powers’, Nancy struggles with the guilt of abandoning Tessa: many years later, she still wants to 'open [the past] up' and understand her motives. However, it is too late, and the boundaries are already there
• Munro does not suggest that boundaries are inherently good or bad, but her stories show how they can be sources of regret when treated improperly

Runaway is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Creative Response. Check out Audrey's blog on how to approach Runaway as a Creative Response for more.

For a detailed guide on Creative Response as a whole, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Creative Writing .

Get exclusive weekly advice from Lisa, only available via email.

Power-up your learning with free essay topics, downloadable word banks, and updates on the latest VCE strategies.

latest articles

Check out our latest thought leadership on enterprise innovation., vce creative writing: how to structure your story.

VCE English Unit 3, Area of Study 2: Creating Texts - What Is It?

Breaking Down Themes & Key Quotes in The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie

Keep in touch

Have questions? Get in touch with us here - we usually reply in 24 business hours.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to answer any emails here requesting personal help with your study or homework here!

Copyright © Lisa's Study Guides. All Rights Reserved. The VCAA does not endorse and is not affiliated with Lisa's Study Guides or vcestudyguides.com. The VCAA provides the only official, up to date versions of VCAA publications and information about courses including the VCE. VCE® is a registered trademark of the VCAA.

03 9028 5603 Call us: Monday to Friday between 3pm - 6pm or leave us a message and we'll call you back! Address: Level 2 Little Collins St Melbourne 3000 VIC

151 Best Public Speaking Topics In 2021

Thu Oct 21, 2021

Do you love giving a speech in front of a large group of people or simply feel nervous about it? Sometimes, the lack of preparation and planning a good speech may cause the latter. With today's fast-paced environment, you will have to step up on stage to deliver a speech at some time in your life. Writing a compelling and insightful speech necessitates the selection of a suitable topic, extensive research. It will need the creation of individual ideas to communicate everything fact and opinion. It might be difficult to select a suitable speech topic for your speech . But don't worry, the work has been done for you! This blog provides a list of popular English speaking themes as well as some useful tips and methods. Be ready to effectively communicate your views and suggestions in front of the public. Table Of Contents:

List Of Best Speech Topics For Public Speaking

1-minute speech topics.

• 2-Minute Speech Topics

Unique Speech Topics

Interesting speech topics, easy speech topics, speech topics on environment.

• Speech Topics On Social Issues

Speech Topics On Greatest Leaders

Speech topics on education, speech topics on health, frequently asked questions.

Speeches are entirely about the speaker's own ideas. It should not be duplicated from another source. It ultimately boils down to what the speaker believes about any particular issue. Examine the following collection of English Speaking Ideas on various current topics and themes.

A 2-minute speech is an excellent method to start into public speaking and is often utilised in the classroom. It's brief. It's quick.

To make things easier for yourself, choose a topic that fascinates you and about which you can speak passionately.

• Public Smoking
• Bar Hours of Operation
• Confirmed Alien Sightings
• The Rape Culture
• Indian Reservation Casinos
• Marijuana Legalization
• Making Prostitution Legal
• The Dangers of Cosmetic Surgery
• Adoption Across Cultures
• What Causes Men to Have Affairs?
• What Is the Importance of Reading?
• Homelessness in the United States
• Reducing the Legal Drinking Age
• General Education Courses (20)
• Is Online Dating Dangerous or Safe?
• How to Speak English in America
• Getting Your Pets Spayed/Neutered
• Are Video Games Beneficial to Your Health?

Choosing new and exciting unique speech themes for your public speaking skills is vital. It can also help with any other special event that necessitates developing your own exceptional experiences. Read through these ideas and choose just the ones that are unique to you.

• Seniors are no longer able to adopt children.
• TV commercials are not works of art.
• Allow students to use social media at school.
• Cash will be phased out.
• Music has the ability to heal.
• Historic structures must be protected.
• There should be a one-car-per-family regulation.
• Marriage should be permitted only after the age of 25.
• Parents who home educate their children should first have to pass examinations.
• The Bermuda Triangle is not a work of fiction.
• Medication has no effect on hyperactive youngsters.
• It is possible to survive without internet access.
• Leadership cannot be learned.
• Married couples should engage in extramarital relationships.
• Modern art just requires ambition.

Almost always, you will be required to present one or more compelling speeches throughout your career.

Unless the topic is appropriate, no matter how good your material or delivery is, you will fail to make an impression. As a result, when making this decision, one must use extreme caution and wisdom. Here are some interesting topics to choose from, especially if it’s your first on stage.

• Reality television is a source of exploitation.
• Reality programmes are far from authentic.
• Computer-based learning is the most efficient.
• Gamification and virtual reality are the educational technologies of the future.
• Juvenile criminality is tolerated.
• Prostitution need to be legalised.
• To conserve endangered species, severe fines should be imposed.
• Pollution of the environment is a worldwide issue.
• The developed world is to blame for global warming.
• Is Pink appropriate for men
• Eco-fashion is the way of the future.
• Fashion shows one's actual self.
• Travel introduces fresh experiences.
• Travel broadens your horizons.
• Rhetorical learning is less essential than personal experience.

If you don't have much time to prepare or research , it's necessary to adhere to what you know. This will greatly reduce your burden because you already know the majority of what there is to know.

Here are some simple and easy speech topics on popular topics.

• There are less professional ads in schools.
• Why are single-gender public schools preferable than co-ed?
• From cradle to finish, schools should educate students on healthy nutrition.
• Students who engage in cyberbullying should be expelled from school.
• Before getting married, you should live together.
• Higher education is a basic requirement for success in today's world.
• French fries and drinks should not be served in schools.
• Students who study online are more likely to cheat.
• Classic literature should be reserved for college students alone.
• Every kid at every school should be required to wear a uniform.
• After completing a basic education, students should be put in trade schools.
• Exam results provide little insight into a student's skills.
• History textbooks do not always tell the entire storey.
• It is critical for students to learn about all global faiths in school.
• Homeschooling outperforms formal education.

For public speaking , consider environmental speech themes and essay writing on many elements of our ecology. https://www.letstute.com/s/store/courses/Spoken%20English

Do you want to write about sustainability in the environment? These suggestions will serve to enliven your imagination.

• The dangers of oil spills in the water.
• Recycling should be made compulsory.
• Why is it necessary to save oil?
• Why should we use reusable bags?
• Why should palm oil be banned?
• Mining should be prohibited in environmentally vulnerable regions.
• Disposable diapers pollute the environment.
• In deciding how a person will turn out, the environment is more significant than heredity.
• The dangers of drilling for oil in Alaska.
• Fishing restrictions are required to protect the ecosystem.
• Endangered species must be protected.
• We need to put more money into alternate fuels.
• Endangered oceans ought to be protected.
• We should work for a paperless society.
• Conserve the world's resources.
• Rain forests must be safeguarded.

You may also like:

• The massive list of 51 English speaking tips
• How talk in English
• 13 Actionable tips to learn English Speaking

Speech Topics on Social Issues

When working on a speech that asks you to write about a societal topic, you must be neutral in your research and writing. The topic you choose should be related to and relevant to the societal issue addressed in your speech. Here are a few issues that will have a bigger influence in terms of social affairs.

• The notion that all individuals are equal
• The statistics on homelessness in the United States are accurate. Fashion is the biggest cause of kid misbehaviour.
• Corporate corruption is a major factor of poor economies in many countries.
• Never take your right to privacy for granted.
• People are not killed by firearms. People kill one other, and the meaning of beauty pageants is muddled.
• The prevalence of spoiled children has increased as a result of media violence.
• The world's biggest population has lost its cultural identity.
• There is an urgent need to put an end to the maiming and abuse of schoolgirls.
• China's one-child policy is justifiable.
• In current culture, correct tipping etiquette and procedures
• Unemployment, a growing crisis
• The Importance of the Right to an Education
• Child trafficking as an unspoken issue

The capacity to lead is extremely powerful since it allows you to influence the future and control the behaviour of others.

Choose a theme for your speech that focuses on the notion of leadership. By delving into this subject and expanding on it in your speech, you may not only increase your personal understanding of what makes a successful leader. However, also communicate your insights with your listening crowd. Pick on the topics below to exemplify leadership.

• Jacinda Adern
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Nelson Mandela
• Winston Churchill
• Martin Luther King Jr
• Abraham Lincoln
• Mother Teresa
• Napoleon Bonaparte
• George Washington
• Julias Caesar
• Franklin D Roosevelt
• Francoise Hollande
• Pope Francis
• Akbar the Great

Education is a human right to which everyone is entitled. When individuals differ on what is good and wrong with education, problems occur. As a part of public speaking, education becomes an important topic to address the audience about.

The topics listed below are ones that everyone working in or with education must deal with at some time.

• The value of education in advancing one's career
• Outside the classroom, there is a lesson to be learned.
• The Advantages of E-Learning
• E-learning vs. traditional classroom instruction
• What will the future of education look like?
• Is it appropriate for instructors and students to connect on social media?
• Should homework be assigned in schools?
• How to Achieve Academic Success in College Through Online Learning
• Which is the better measure of success: theory or practise?
• Various modes of learning and teaching
• Before being admitted to school, one should undergo a psychological evaluation.
• Do you believe it should be permissible for students to drop out before reaching the age of 18?
• Should life skills classes be required in schools?
• Should public universities be free?
• Should laptops take the role of textbooks?

Today, public health speeches are required so that people may concentrate on promoting and safeguarding community health. It is critical to implant the concept of well-being in broad groups of people, with a focus on wellness.

Here is a list of compelling and instructive health and wellness speech themes. These are certainly, also for the purpose of enhancing your own thinking and that of others.

• Diet beverages are frequently not diet at all, while ordinary beverages are not quite regular.
• Going barefoot in the summer is beneficial to your feet.
• Take a test to determine whether you are susceptible to any hazardous diseases or viruses.
• Why you shouldn't work too hard if you have diabetes.
• Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day for several reasons.
• Fast food establishments should provide healthier choices.
• Do you believe that sex education should be taught in schools?
• People who live in cities will die younger.
• Excessive salt consumption is harmful to one's health.
• Consumption of meat should be decreased.
• People should be more concerned about their sleep.
• Why should you become an organ donor?
• Why should we utilise homoeopathic remedies?
• Why are vaccinations beneficial?
• Are e-cigarettes preferable to cigarettes?

1. What are the 4 types of public speeches?

To master public speaking, you must first distinguish between four styles of public speaking:

• Ceremonial Speaking
• Demonstrative Speaking
• Informative Speaking
• Persuasive Speaking

2. What do you say in a 2-minute public speech?

Prepare your 2–3 main points ahead of time, and keep in mind that a successful presentation would include:

• Captivating start, such as a strong quotation or questions that pique your audience's attention.
• Introduction, major body, and conclusion are all well-structured.
• A strong conclusion that will stay with the viewers.

3. What is the best topic for students?

The Best Speech Topics for Students:

• Noise Pollution
• Women Empowerment
• Environment Pollution
• Health and Wellness

4. What are the 7 elements of public speaking?

The 7 aspects of public speaking are:

• The speaker
• The message
• The channel
• The listener
• The feedback
• The interference
• The circumstance

5. How do you practice impromptu speaking?

You may practise spontaneous speeches in two ways:

• You're on your own. Every day, pick a different random topic and talk out about it.
• Speak in front of a group. The greatest method to master spontaneous speaking is to practise in front of a group and receive expert criticism.

People are generally encouraged to talk about a current issue in order to help them become better public speakers. They are also required to acquire the skill of expressing themselves in front of an audience. Choosing the appropriate topic before you begin practising your speech may make all the difference. It is a method of keeping your audience engaged and from being bored. You may also choose one about which you are enthusiastic so that you can express it properly. When considering these persuasive English speech ideas, ensure you keep it interesting, engaging, short, and clear. Do you think we left something out? Or do you have a topic that you believe is significant and would want to add? Please mention them in the comments section below!

OUR COURSES View More

Sign up complete your profile.

Must contain atleast 1 uppercase, 1 lowercase and 1 numeric characters. Minimum 8 characters.

You may also be interested in

Effective communication skills are more crucial than ever, especially for this decade where persuasive communication has considered as one of your strongest traits. It empowers individuals to express their thoughts clearly and confidently, making a lasting impact on their audience.

Due to its powerful communication, academic experts have included persuasive speeches in the coursework. Whether you are a student preparing for academic challenges or seeking to ignite change, mastering the art of persuasive speeches is essential.

Persuasive speech is a form of public speaking that not only nurtures self-expression but also engages diverse audiences to express thoughts on specific subjects. It strengthens the ability to stand up for one’s beliefs. Considering the importance of persuasive speech in academics, we wrote this blog on top persuasive speech topics for 2024 to help you improve your persuasive speech skills. 

In academic settings, persuasive speeches are used to present research papers, participate in debates, or deliver compelling arguments. The ability to communicate persuasively is key to achieving success in these endeavors. By developing effective persuasive speech skills, you can captivate your audience, convey your ideas with clarity and conviction, and leave a lasting impact. 

This blog aims to provide you with a thoughtfully curated list of good persuasive speech topics for 2023. We understand that selecting the right persuasive topic can be overwhelming, but fear not because we have done the hard work for you. We strive to be your primary source for generating persuasive speech ideas.  

Our meticulously chosen lists of topics for persuasive speech are designed to inspire you with thought-provoking ideas. Each persuasive topic reflects the pressing issues and trends of the year, ensuring that you have relevant and engaging subjects to explore. However, we don’t stop there! We also offer valuable tips and strategies to assist you in crafting a compelling speech that resonates with your audience. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced speaker, this blog will be your companion in choosing the best persuasive speech topics. 

Moreover, understanding your challenges to write down persuasive speeches, our experts suggest you can take the help of an Instasolving USA assignment help . The experts will help you to nail your speech.

What is a Persuasive Speech?

A persuasive speech is a special kind of speech that aims to convince the audience to accept a specific viewpoint, take a particular action, or change their beliefs or behavior on a certain topic. The main goal of a persuasive speech is to persuade, influence, or motivate the listeners by presenting a strong argument supported by logic, evidence, and emotions to pursued them to get convinced about your topic.  

A persuasive speech follows a structured format, including an introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction, the speaker grabs the audience’s attention, establishes credibility, and clearly states the main argument or idea. The body of the speech provides supporting evidence, examples, and logical reasoning to strengthen the central message.

This section may also address counterarguments and refute opposing viewpoints to strengthen the speaker’s position. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the key points and restates the main argument, leaving the audience with a memorable and persuasive closing statement. 

It’s important to remember that it’s unrealistic to expect everyone in the audience to adopt the speaker’s viewpoint after a single speech instantly. In a democracy, everyone has the right to their own opinion. However, a persuasive speech aims for complete understanding and agreement from the speaker’s perspective within certain limits. 

Components of a Persuasive Speech

A persuasive speech comprises essential components that aim to persuade the audience. These key components are Ethos, Logos, and Pathos; each plays a crucial role in crafting a compelling argument. Let’s explore the significance of each component in detail

• Ethos: Ethos refers to the speaker’s credibility and trustworthiness. It involves showing expertise, knowledge, and authority on the persuasive topic. This can be achieved by presenting qualifications, personal experiences or citing credible sources. Establishing ethos helps build confidence and enhances the persuasive impact of the speech.  
• Logos: Logos employs logical reasoning and evidence to support the main argument. It involves presenting facts, statistics, expert opinions, and logical arguments. The use of logos appeals to rationality and intellect. Providing well-researched evidence and logical explanations strengthens the argument and convinces the audience of the viewpoint’s validity.  
• Pathos: Pathos aims to evoke emotions and establish a connection with the audience. It involves the use of storytelling, vivid descriptions, and emotional language. Pathos appeals to feelings, values, and empathy. By tapping into the audience’s emotions, Pathos helps create an emotional bond, making the argument more relatable and persuasive. This emotional connection can influence attitudes, beliefs, and actions.  

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos form a powerful trio in a persuasive speech topic when effectively combined. Ethos establishes credibility, Logos provides logical reasoning and evidence, whereas Pathos appeals to emotions. By incorporating these components, speakers can create a persuasive argument that resonates with the audience and increases the likelihood of achieving the desired outcome. 

Importance of Persuasive Speeches for Students   

Persuasive speeches are highly important for students as they offer valuable skills and benefits. Firstly, they help students develop strong communication skills, enabling them to express their thoughts and ideas effectively. By crafting persuasive speeches, students learn to organize their arguments, choose compelling language, and engage their audience. These skills are not only valuable in your academic carrier but also help you in your personal and professional life.  

Furthermore, persuasive speeches promote critical thinking among students. Researching the topic, gathering evidence, and analyzing different perspectives enable students to think critically and evaluate information. They learn to anticipate counterarguments and present well-reasoned viewpoints, enhancing their ability to think logically and make informed decisions.

3 Types of Persuasive Speech Topics

1. factual persuasive speech:  .

Factual persuasive speeches involve presenting information and evidence to convince the audience about specific persuasive topics or points of view. These speeches rely on facts, statistics, research findings, and expert opinions to support the speaker’s argument. The goal is to present a compelling case based on objective evidence and logical reasoning. Factual persuasive speeches are effective when the speaker needs to educate the audience, debunk myths, or raise awareness about important issues. 

2. Policy Persuasive Speech:  

Policy persuasive speeches focus on advocating for specific actions or changes in policies, laws, or regulations. These speeches aim to persuade the audience to support a particular course of action or influence decision-makers to implement a specific policy. Persuasive policy speech topics require a thorough understanding of the issue, including its implications, potential benefits, and possible drawbacks. Presenting a well-reasoned argument and proposing practical solutions are essential in this type of persuasive speech ideas.  

3. Value Persuasive Speech:  

Value persuasive speeches aim to persuade the audience to adopt or embrace a particular set of values, beliefs, or moral principles. These speeches tap into persuasion’s emotional and ethical aspects, appealing to the audience’s sense of right and wrong, justice, or personal convictions. Value persuasive speeches often touch upon sensitive and controversial topics, such as social justice, environmental ethics, or personal integrity. They require the speaker to deeply connect with the audience, employing storytelling, personal anecdotes, and compelling arguments to sway their values and beliefs on persuasive topics. 

What Makes Good Persuasive Speech Topics?   

Good topics for persuasive speeches possess several key qualities that make them engaging, impactful, and compelling to the audience. Here are three cost effective essential aspects to consider when choosing topics for a persuasive speech:

1. Simple and Easy Topic:  

Good persuasive speech topics should be simple and easy to understand for both the speaker and the audience. It should be accessible to many people, regardless of background or expertise. By choosing a straightforward and uncomplicated persuasive topic, the speaker can effectively convey their message and ensure the audience can easily grasp the main points. This simplicity facilitates clarity and encourages active engagement from the listeners. 

2. New Topic:  

The interesting persuasive speech topics should be new and current, addressing the pressing issues and trends of the time. By selecting a relevant and up-to-date topic, the speaker can capture the audience’s attention and demonstrate the significance of the subject matter. New persuasive topics are more likely to resonate with the audience and generate a sense of relevance and urgency. They allow the speaker to tap into the listeners’ collective consciousness, fostering a connection and a sense of shared importance. 

3. Interesting Topic:  

The best persuasive speech topics should be interesting and captivating to both the speaker and the audience. It should pique curiosity, spark discussions, and evoke emotions. Choosing inherently interesting persuasive speech topics for the speaker will enhance their enthusiasm and passion, which will be conveyed to the audience. Interesting persuasive topics for speech often challenge conventional thinking, present unique perspectives, or shed light on lesser-known aspects of a subject. They encourage active participation and inspire the audience to think critically and engage with the speech more deeply. 

How to Choose a Persuasive Speech Topic?

Choosing good topics for a persuasive speech is crucial for persuasive speech ideas that captivate your audience. Follow these steps to choose a persuasive speech topic that is engaging and impactful: 

• Identify your interests: Start by considering persuasive topics that genuinely interest you. It’s easier to speak passionately and persuasively about subjects you are personally devoted to. 
• Research current issues: Stay updated on current events and trending persuasive topics. Look for pressing issues that spark debates or controversies. These topics will likely engage your audience and make your speech more relevant. 
• Consider your audience: Understand your audience’s demographics, interests, and concerns. Tailor your persuasive topic to resonate with their needs and perspectives. It will also help you connect with them on a deeper level. 
• Brainstorm ideas: Generate a list of potential persuasive speech topics based on your interests and the needs of your audience. Don’t limit yourself at this stage; let your creativity flow freely. 
• Evaluate the feasibility: Assess the feasibility of each good persuasive topic by considering the availability of credible sources, relevant data, and supporting evidence. Ensure that you can gather enough information to support your arguments effectively. 
• Narrow down your options: Review your list and prioritize the topics for persuasive speech that align with your interests, audience, and feasibility criteria. Choose the most compelling and well-rounded options. 
• Test for significance and impact: Ask yourself if the chosen persuasive topics for speech have the potential to make a meaningful impact or persuade others. Consider the importance and relevance of each topic in the context of the current social, political, or environmental landscape. 
• Choose the final topic: Based on the previous steps, select the persuasive speech topic that ticks all the boxes: it aligns with your interests, resonates with your audience, is well-researched, and carries significance and impact. 

Top Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024  

The foundation of good persuasive speech ideas lies in the topic you select. Therefore, make sure that the persuasive speech topics for 2023 that you choose are close to your heart. Undoubtedly, you need to believe in the topic to appeal emotionally to the audience and sway their support. 

You can’t convince the audience unless you are confident about what you are saying. Therefore, begin your search for good persuasive speech topics for 2023 with a solid understanding of the topic. Without a deeper understanding and a sound knowledge of the topic, you cannot make a compelling argument. So, complement your understanding with impressive storytelling technique to ensure that you have a good narrative through which you can persuade your audiences easily.  

Thus, let’s delve into the list of good persuasive speech topics for 2023 that you must check out: 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 in Arts

• Importance of performing arts for holistic development 
• Should art be a compulsory discipline? 
• Graffiti: Art or Nuisance 
• Importance of art and culture 
• Should performing arts be made credit based 
• Museums are the dying reservoir of arts and culture 
• Entry to museums should be free 
• Schools should host annual arts festivals 
• The slow death of ancient art forms 
• Modern art lacks authenticity 

Best Persuasive Speech Topics for High School Students:  

• The importance of volunteering in your community 
• The benefits of implementing mindfulness exercises in schools 
• Why high school students should learn financial literacy 
• The need for comprehensive sex education in schools 
• The importance of promoting mental health awareness among teenagers 

Best Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students:  

• The advantages of studying abroad during college 
• The impact of technology on higher education 
• The benefits of participating in internships during college 
• Why college students should engage in extracurricular activities 
• The importance of developing critical thinking skills in college 
• Emerging Technologies: Blockchain, AI, and Their Societal Impact
• Global Health Issues: Strategies for Pandemic Preparedness
• Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in the Modern World
• Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
• Space Exploration: Benefits and Risks for Humanity
• The Future of Work: Gig Economy and Remote Working Trends
• Sustainable Practices in Food Production and Consumption
• The Role of Youth in Shaping Political Landscapes
• The Impact of Globalization on Local Cultures and Economies
• Mental Health Awareness in a Digital Age

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Academics  

• Books are the only source of learning 
• Computer-based learning is the most effective 
• Gamification and virtual reality are the future of education 
• MCQs are better than essay tests 
• Extracurriculars are a waste of time 
• Only main papers should be considered for grading 
• Academics are the only criteria for individual success 
• Rote learning is the best way to get good grades 
• Conceptual clarity beats rote learning 
• Sports can boost learning effectiveness 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on the Economy  

• Brexit will fuel the UK economy 
• There should be no minimum wage 
• Political unrest decelerates economic growth 
• Economics as a discipline must be mandatory 
• The economic growth of China is a model to follow 
• Free trade agreements are bad for labor 
• The economy is defined by a few rich industrialists 
• Foreign labor slows down the economy 
• Import duty should be removed 
• Exports boost economic growth 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Entertainment  

• Reality shows are a source of exploitation 
• Reality shows are anything but real 
• Media has a negative influence on teenagers 
• Media influences political decisions 
• TV shows influence human behavior 
• TV shows reflect the society around 
• Reality shows reduce human IQ 
• TV shows are a great source of motivation 
• Reality shows are scripted 
• Reality shows dilute important topics of discussion

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Ethics  

• 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 
• The death penalty should be abolished 
• Substance abuse is a cause of social evils 
• Underage alcohol consumption should lead to prison time 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Environment  

• There should be strict penalties to protect endangered species 
• Environmental pollution is a global concern 
• Developed nations are to blame for global warming 
• The greenhouse effect threatens human existence 
• Limiting the use of natural resources and fossil fuels 
• A complete switch to renewable energy is the way to go 
• Using plastic is self-defeating 
• Humans are to blame for environmental degradation 
• Carpooling can save the environment 
• Noise pollution is detrimental to human development 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Fashion  

• Men shouldn’t wear pink 
• Eco-fashion is the future 
• Fashion reveals the true identity 
• Sustainable clothing is the way to go 
• Clothes define a person 
• Jewelry defines your worth 
• Fashion is an important part of society 
• Certain fashion brands have a negative influence on society 
• The fashion industry has the greatest influence on teenagers 
• Celebrity-endorsed fashion brands are the best 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Motivation  

• Following dreams is hard 
• Goal setting is important for success 
• Overcoming stage fright is crucial for success 
• Importance of creating a positive vibe 
• Sustainable living is a source of motivation 
• Happiness can be measured 
• Personal experience is more important than rote learning 
• Exposure to violence leads to demotivation 
• Video games increase motivation 
• Motivating teamwork and cooperation  

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Travel  

• Airline tickets should be cheaper 
• Travel brings new experiences 
• Travel makes you more inclusive 
• Eco-tourism is important for sustainable development 
• Flying first class is a once-in-a-lifetime experience 
• Traveling in a guided group is monotonous 
• Solo travel allows the best way to self-exploration 
• Antarctica should not be open to tourists 
• Environmentally endangered sites should not allow tourism 
• Tourism boosts the local economy 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics for 2024 on Technology  

• Google is the death of libraries 
•  Social media is an end of face-to-face conversations  
• AI is the future of technology 
• Technology is changing our lives 
• Limiting screen time for adults 
• Government should regulate internet usage 
• Technology has made life better 
• Internet chat rooms are not safe 
• Humans are addicted to technology 
• Internet fraud awareness: Must for cybersecurity 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics on Family:  

• The benefits of family meals and regular family time 
• The importance of open communication within families 
• The impact of divorce on children and ways to support them 
• The benefits of spending quality time with grandparents 
• The role of parental involvement in a child’s education 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics on Social Media:  

• The need to practice responsible social media usage 
• The impact of social media on mental health and self-esteem 
• The benefits of using social media for networking and professional development 
• The importance of digital literacy and online safety education 
• The role of social media in promoting social and political activism

Good Persuasive Speech Topics on Education:  

• The importance of arts education in schools 
• The benefits of personalized learning approaches 
• The need for inclusive education and accommodating diverse learning styles 
• The impact of standardized testing on students and alternative assessment methods 
• The benefits of early childhood education and its long-term effects 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics on Sports:  

• The benefits of participating in team sports for physical and mental health 
• The importance of gender equality in sports 
• The impact of sports on character development and leadership skills 
• The benefits of including adaptive sports programs for individuals with disabilities 
• The role of sports in fostering community and promoting social integration 

Good Persuasive Speech Topics on Politics and Government:  

• The importance of voting and civic participation in a democratic society 
• The impact of climate change policies on future generations 
• The need for stricter gun control laws to ensure public safety 
• The benefits of implementing universal healthcare 
• The importance of promoting diversity and inclusivity in political representation 

Best Tips for Writing a Persuasive Speech  

• Understand your audience: Research and analyze your audience’s demographics, beliefs, values, and knowledge of good persuasive topics. It will also help you tailor your arguments and appeals to resonate with them. 
• Choose a compelling topic: Select persuasive topics that are interesting, relevant, and align with your audience’s interests and concerns. Also, make sure you are passionate about it and can effectively argue for or against it. 
• Conduct thorough research on your chosen topic: Gather credible and up-to-date information from reliable sources to support your arguments. You can also use sources such as books, articles, studies, and expert opinions to strengthen your speech. 
• Develop a clear thesis statement: Craft a concise and powerful thesis statement that clearly states your position on the topic. This will serve as the main focus of your speech and guide your arguments. 
• Structure your speech: Organize your persuasive speech ideas into an introduction, body, and conclusion. Start with a captivating opening to grab your audience’s attention, present your arguments logically and coherently in the body, and end with a solid and memorable conclusion. 
• Use persuasive techniques: Incorporate rhetorical devices, such as ethos (credibility), pathos (emotions), and logos (logic), to appeal to your audience’s emotions, intellect, and sense of credibility. You can also use storytelling, examples, statistics, and quotes to make your arguments more compelling. 
• Anticipate counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments and provide counterpoints to strengthen your position. Consider opposing viewpoints and refute them with solid evidence and reasoning. 
• Engage your audience: Use engaging language, vocal variety, and body language to keep your audience interested and attentive. Encourage interaction through questions, rhetorical prompts, or audience participation. 
• Rehearse and revise: Practice your speech several times to improve your delivery and ensure smooth transitions. Revise and refine your content, eliminating unnecessary information or weak arguments. 
• Conclude with a call to action: End your speech with a clear call to action, urging your audience to take a specific step or adopt your viewpoint. Motivate them to act upon your persuasive message by leaving a lasting impression. 

For further enhancement of your persuasive speech, consider enlisting the assistance of a reputable speech writing service . Speech writers will help you refine your arguments, structure your speech effectively, and ensure your message resonates with the audience. Investing in professional speech writing greatly elevates the impact and effectiveness of your persuasive speeches as a student. 

Final Verdicts on Good Persuasive Speech Topics  

Choosing the best persuasive speech topics is essential for delivering impactful speeches in 2023. By exploring this blog’s discussed components, types, and tips, you can effectively engage your audience and make a meaningful impact. Remember to strike a balance between logical appeals and emotional connections to captivate your listeners. 

If you find yourself in need of assistance in crafting a persuasive speech that hits the mark, consider seeking help from TutorBin. With a network of subject matter experts, we offer support in refining your arguments, structuring your speech, and engaging your audience effectively. Their expertise can provide valuable guidance, helping you deliver a compelling and persuasive presentation. 

Embrace the power of persuasion, choose your persuasive topic wisely, and captivate your audience with amazing speeches in 2023. Make a difference with your persuasive voice and leave a lasting impact. 

Most Popular FAQs on Persuasive Speech Topics!  

How do i choose a persuasive speech topic  .

Choosing persuasive speech topics involves considering your personal interests, researching current issues, and understanding your audience. It’s essential to select persuasive topics that you are passionate about and that resonate with your audience. Additionally, staying updated on current events and trends can help you identify relevant and impactful topics. 

How do I make my persuasive speech engaging?  

To make your persuasive speech engaging, you can incorporate storytelling techniques, use visual aids, and involve the audience through interactive elements. Balancing logical appeals with emotional connections can help capture the audience’s attention and keep them invested in your speech. 

Can I get help with writing a persuasive speech?  

Yes, you can seek help with writing a persuasive speech. Online homework help websites like TutorBin offer assistance from expert writers who can guide you in developing persuasive arguments, structuring your speech, and engaging your audience effectively. They can also help you refine your ideas, improve your delivery, and make your speech more impactful. 

What are some good persuasive speech topics?  

• Climate change: Addressing the urgency of reducing carbon emissions and adopting sustainable practices. 
• Cyberbullying: Raising awareness about the impact of online harassment and promoting digital empathy. 
• Voting rights: Advocating for equal access to voting and the importance of civic engagement. 
• Mental health stigma: Breaking down stereotypes and promoting understanding and support for mental health issues. 
• Gender equality: Highlighting the importance of equal opportunities and challenging gender stereotypes. 

What are the best examples of a persuasive speech topic?  

• The benefits of adopting a plant-based diet for personal health and the environment. 
• The need for stricter gun control laws to reduce gun violence in society. 
• The importance of early childhood education in setting a solid foundation for future success. 
• The impact of social media on mental health and the need for responsible usage. 
• The benefits of renewable energy sources in mitigating climate change and creating a sustainable future. 

Our Trending Services >>  Homework Help  |  Assignment Help  |  Live Sessions  |  Essay Writing Help  |  Lab Report Help  |  Project Report Help  |  Speech Writing Service  |  Essay Generator  |  Presentation Writing Service  |  Video Solutions  |  Pay Someone To Do My Homework

Our Popular Subjects >>  Math Homework Help  |  Physics Homework Help  |  Chemistry Homework Help  |  Civil Engineering Homework Help  |  Finance Homework Help  |  Electrical Engineering Homework Help  |  Mechanical Engineering Homework Help  |  Computer Science Homework Help  |  Economics Homework Help  |  Calculus Homework Help  |  Fluid Mechanics Homework Help

• E- Learning
• Online Learning

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*

Comment * NEXT

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

Wow, superb weblog layout! How long have you ever been running a blog for? you made blogging glance easy. The total glance of your web site is excellent, as well as the content!

Nice. I just go the right topic for my debate.

At this moment I am going to do my breakfast, when having my breakfast coming yet again to read other news.

Wow, incredible weblog layout! How long have you ever been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The entire look of your website is excellent, as smartly as the content material !

Thank you for another wonderful write-up. Where else could anyone get that kind of details in this kind of a ideal way of writing? Ive a presentation next week, and I am on the appear for these information and facts.

My brother recommended I might like this blog. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!

Is it alright to put part of this on my page if I include a reference to this web page?

If you desire to obtain a good deal from this article then you have to apply such strategies to your won weblog.

When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!

First of all I would like to say awesome blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I’ve had a tough time clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas out. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints? Kudos!

I wish to show my thanks to the writer for rescuing me from this challenge. As a result of surfing through the the web and getting notions which are not helpful, I figured my entire life was gone. Living devoid of the approaches to the problems you have sorted out all through your good post is a critical case, and ones that might have in a wrong way affected my entire career if I hadnt come across your site. Your own knowledge and kindness in controlling every item was tremendous. Im not sure what I would have done if I hadnt encountered such a point like this. Im able to at this time look ahead to my future. Thanks very much for this high quality and results-oriented guide. I will not hesitate to suggest your web site to anyone who will need tips about this matter.

Best view i have ever seen !

I really got into this article. I found it to be interesting and loaded with unique points of interest. I like to read material that makes me think. Thank you for writing this great content.

thank you for your sharing visit my web.

We are a bunch of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with useful information to work on. You have performed an impressive activity and our entire neighborhood can be thankful to you.

Best View i have ever seen !

Thank you for sharing, I really like the explanation given for what a persuasive speech is. I can really see my students grasping a good understanding of how they can refine their skills to writing their own persuasive speech. Do you have any example pieces of writing that show the above components?

We were happy viewing this site. We enjoy NFTs. Link to our digital art at . I would love new comments. Enjoy your day Thank you

naturally like your web site however you need to test the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to tell the truth on the other hand I will surely come again again.

Pretty component to content. I simply stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to claim that I acquire in fact loved account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing for your augment or even I fulfillment you get entry to consistently quickly.

Wow, superb blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is fantastic, let alone the content!

What’s up every one, here every person is sharing such experience, therefore it’s nice to read this web site, and I used to visit this web site everyday.

Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.

If you desire to obtain a good deal from this article then you have to apply such techniques to your won blog.

I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website.

Reading this info So i am glad to convey that I have an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed. I most undoubtedly will make certain to don?t disregard this website and give it a glance regularly.

I really like your wp template, wherever did you download it from? Thank-you in advance!

How is it that just anyone can create a blog and get as popular as this? Its not like youve said anything incredibly impressive more like youve painted a pretty picture about an issue that you know nothing about! I dont want to sound mean, right here. But do you actually think that you can get away with adding some quite pictures and not genuinely say anything?

Excellent post. Thanks pertaining to sharing these details. It’s really of great be an aid to me. From a person’s article, I know extra in this particular respect. I may continue paying attention to your write-up.

Asking questions are rewlly pleasant thing if you are not understanding something fully,except this article presents plleasant understanding yet. Bulldog frances gris criadrero bulldog françes

Your artical is very simple however , retains a little elegance together with grace. And with all the options along with customization you could have enabled, I’m sure it would appeal to a lot bloggers. It’s really commendable that you are interested in let people, the end users, to employ a wide selection of themes for the blogs.

Damn, Ive been looking for information like this for a while now. Thanks!

Whoa! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design.Superb choice of colors!

Hi, I just read texts on your website and I became interested in the topic. I like your article and I am thinking whether I could use your words in my work? Would it be probable? If yes, please contact with me. Thank you.

Major thankies for the blog.Thanks Again.

We are building a large collection of sex-related texts, easy to navigate, categorized, without advertising. Anyone can have us publish their texts, for free.

Hello There. I found your blog the usage of msn. This is a really well written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your helpful information. Thank you for the post. I’ll definitely comeback.

Hey, I remember, much too long since the last time I was here some. Well okay. I need it something I am working on, lucky it has a similar topic as this post. Glad, happy trails.

Thank you for the smart critique. Me & my neighbour were preparing to do some research about that. We got a superior book on that matter from our local library and most books where not as influensive as your details. Im quite glad to see these data which I was searching for a long time.

This is my first time pay a quick visit at herre and i am genuonely happy to read all at single place.

Pretty element of content. I simply stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access persistently rapidly.

Hi my loved one! I want to say that this post is awesome, nice written and include almost all vital infos. I’d like to peer extra posts like this .

Im still learning from you, while Im making my way to the top as well. I definitely enjoy reading everything that is written on your blog.Keep the aarticles coming. I loved it!

Hi it’s me, I am also visiting this website on a regular basis, this website is in fact nice and the people are truly sharing nice thoughts.

Me and my close friend had been arguing about an difficulty related to this! Now I know that I was correct. lol! Appreciate it for the information you post.

Hi! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My site looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to resolve this issue. If you have any recommendations, please share. Appreciate it!

An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on this. And he actually bought me breakfast due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to talk about this subject here on your internet site.

Great article thanks for sharing!

Wow! At last I got a webpage from where I know how to truly take useful facts concerning my study and knowledge.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you actually recognize what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally seek advice from my site =). We could have a hyperlink change arrangement between us

Hello I am so excited I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Bing for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a fantastic post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the minute but I have saved it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the great work.

This was a truly very good submit. In theory I’d wish to write like this also – getting time and actual effort to make a good piece of writing but what can I say I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to obtain some thing done.

Have you thought about adding some videos to your article? I think it might enhance viewers understanding.

It seems like we are residing in really wondrous times – at minimum poker -sensible. Why do you believe you make calls when you know you’re beat? Don’t make the error of playing as well many fingers.

Hi there, I discovered your web site by way of Google whilst looking for a related matter, your site got here up, it seems good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

Amazing website I’m glad I have stumbled upon it.

What an amazing post this is, I will surely share it.

It’s awesome.

Good an very informative post. I will come back to your blog regullary. One thing: I do not exactly know what do you mean in the second paragraph. Could you please exmplain your opinion?

Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you actually realize what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also talk over with my web site =). We may have a link exchange contract among us

thank you for your post.

My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This post actually made my day.

You cann’t imagine just how much time I had spent for this info!

hey there solid blog website and layout. I am hoping I am not annoying you I merely wanted to inquire precisely what wordpress plugin you use to show the newest commentary on your blog? I want to do exactly the same for my free apple iphone page but I cant find the plugin or widget for it. Thanks for your time

First off I want to say superb blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing. I’ve had trouble clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or hints? Thank you!

This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Thanks!

Hello friends, pleasant post and nice arguments commented here, I am actually enjoying by these.

If you would like to improve your experience simply keep visiting this website and be updated with the latest information posted here.

I need to to thank you for this wonderful read!! I absolutely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have got you saved as a favorite to check out new stuff you post…

Hi there, just wanted to mention, I enjoyed this post.

It was helpful. Keep on posting!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts . Regards

I got this web page from my pal who shared with me about this site and now this time I am browsing this web site and reading very informative articles or reviews at this time.

I like the valuable information you provide on your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and test again right here frequently. I am moderately sure I will learn many new stuff proper here! Best of luck for the following!

Pretty great post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.

After all I will be subscribing on your rss feed and I am hoping you write once more soon!

Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.

It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!

Explore our out there positions whenever you click on HERE.

I really delighted to find this website on bing, just what I was searching for : D also saved to fav.

produce,It happens to be love people raised countless party while in the turntable, the main turntable will not avoid so that the overall victorious one that will not always appreciate what people.

Hello!I am following your weblog for some days now. I have to say that it is very easy to check out . It is added in my favourite list and i will try to track it frequently. Thank you for the nice posts . On top of that, i truthfully like your template and the way you have structured your content . Is it possible to tell me the name of your web template ? Thanks

I do trust all of the concepts you’ve presented for your post. They are really convincing and can certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are too brief for newbies. May just you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.

I’d should talk to you here. Which is not some thing I do! I quite like reading a post which will make people believe. Also, many thanks permitting me to comment!

Hello.This post was extremely fascinating, especially because I was searching for thoughts on this topic last Thursday.

Hi there terrific blog! Does running a blog similar to this require a lot of work? I’ve absolutely no knowledge of computer programming however I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near future. Anyhow, if you have any suggestions or techniques for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off topic nevertheless I just had to ask. Kudos!

We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with valuable info to work on. You have done a formidable job and our entire community will be thankful to you.

Can you email me with any tips about how you made your blog look this cool , Id be thankful!

My family every time say that I am killing my time here at web, however I know I am getting experience all the time by reading such nice articles or reviews.

This piece of writing is genuinely a pleasant one it helps new theweb users, who are wishing in favor of blogging.

Hi, I log on to your blogs on a regular basis. Your humoristic style is awesome, keep doing what you’re doing!

Is it okay to post some of this on my page if I post a reference to this page?

inspiring insights you are sharing. I love the way you are sharing it. Is there any way I could get updated for more?

Concise and well crafted, appreciate the data. Would you care basically post some of this on my site basically incorporate a mention of the this website?

Nice blog right here! Also your website quite a bit up very fast! What host are you using? Can I am getting your associate link in your host? I want my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

Thank you for the post on your blog. Do you provide an RSS feed?

Great website! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am bookmarking your feeds also

You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

Good day! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?

There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Thanks

I really like looking through an article that can make people think. Also, many thanks for allowing for me to comment!

Good day! I could have sworn Iíve been to this site before but after going through a few of the articles I realized itís new to me. Nonetheless, Iím definitely happy I discovered it and Iíll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!

The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…

Your method of describing everything in this article is really pleasant, all be capable of simply understand it, Thanks a lot.

It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions.

Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!

Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.

Someone necessarily assist to make critically articles I’d state. This is the first time I frequented your website page and so far?

I amazed with the research you made to make this actual put up incredible. Excellent job!

After I originally commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Is there a way you are able to remove me from that service? Thank you!

My relatives every time say that I am killing my time here at net, except I know I am getting familiarity everyday by reading such fastidious articles.

Saved as a favorite, I really like your web site!

The road to addiction will not always be easy, but I will take it one day at a time, focusing on the moments I’ve dreamed about for so long. — Amanda Lindhout

Post writing is also a fun, if you be familiar with afterward you can write otherwise it is complicated to write.

I was very pleased to discover this web site. I want to to thank you for your time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it and i also have you bookmarked to see new things in your website.

Fortunately, this book is available in all local shops or, even in the popular on-line shop now. Most of these joints will attempt to aggressively lure you in and consider you for a ride.

I love how your website looks, thanks for the post it was nice read.

Itís hard to find well-informed people about this topic, but you sound like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks

Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this site.

You have brought up a very wonderful details, thanks for the post.

Very good article! We will be linking to this great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.

You are so interesting! I don’t believe I’ve truly read through a single thing like that before. So good to discover somebody with a few original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This site is something that’s needed on the web, someone with some originality!

Touche. Sound arguments. Keep up the great work.

This website really has all the information and facts I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.

You May Also Like

How to Write A Research Paper? Complete Guide By Experts

10 Simple Python Projects for Beginners to Build Confidence

From Zero to Hero: Learning Python Through Online Resources

Real-World Java Projects to Enhance Your Portfolio and Skills

Challenges of Doing Calculus Homework & How You Can Overcome It? 

Online homework help, get homework help.

Get Answer within 15-30 minutes

Check out our free tool Math Problem Solver

About tutorbin, what do we do.

We offer an array of online homework help and other services for our students and tutors to choose from based on their needs and expertise. As an integrated platform for both tutors and students, we provide real time sessions, online assignment and homework help and project work assistance.

Who are we?

TutorBin is an integrated online homework help and tutoring platform serving as a one stop solution for students and online tutors. Students benefit from the experience and domain knowledge of global subject matter experts.

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

13 All-Time Best TED Talks

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.

Hello and welcome to my TED talk.

You probably know what TED is already – one of the most popular conferences worldwide , offering inspirational lectures on a broad range of topics… does that ring any bells?

While some associate conferences with dull, stale and business-y individuals talking about boring things on stage, TED is as far from that as you can get. It has a charming heart, fueled by passion and made up of exceptional individuals who strive to make a positive change in the world. With so much content produced by TED, though, which of these are the best TED talks?

As a religious follower of TED over the past few years, I decided to dig a bit deeper into the topic and lay them out for you. Chances are these will inspire your next great idea and convince you that nothing is impossible – given you approach something in the right way.

By the end of this article you will know:

• What are the best TED talks?
• What are the best TED talks of 2020?
• What is TED conference?
• Are TED talks worth it?
• What does the acronym TED stand for?
• And much more curiosities

In this article:

Which are the most influential TED Talks?

1. do schools kill creativity, 2. this is what happens when you reply to spam email, 3. your body language may shape who you are, 4. how great leaders inspire action, 5. the power of vulnerability, 6. how to speak so that people want to listen, 7. inside the mind of a master procrastinator, 8. the next outbreak we’re not ready, 9. my philosophy for a happy life, 10. looks aren’t everything. believe me, i’m a model., 11. what makes a good life lessons from the longest study on happiness, 12. why people believe they can’t draw, 13. 10 things you didn’t know about orgasm, 1. how we must respond to the coronavirus pandemic, 2. why covid-19 is hitting us now — and how to prepare for the next outbreak, 3. what coronavirus means for the global economy, 4. it’s ok to feel overwhelmed. here’s what to do next, 5. how the pandemic will shape the near future, 6. the perks of being a pirate, some final words.

As I dove deep into uncharted Internet territory, looking far and wide to answer this question, I stumbled upon some curiosities regarding TED. There is a chance that you, like myself, are interested in whimsical trivia and statistics, so I will share some with you:

• TED was established in February 1984 , but became an annual conference from 1990 .
• An average TED talk is 18 minutes or under 18 minutes long – which is backed by strategy and neuroscience.
• The conference covers a broad spectrum of topics – from tech, business and innovation, to culture, feminism and spirituality.
• It produces content in more than 100 languages .
• TED.com currently hosts over 2,400 talks , with new additions daily.
• There are 3,400 Youtube TED talks on the official TED channel.
• The TedX Youtube channel hosts over 90,000 videos , with new additions daily.
• Hans Rosling, a Swedish physician, holds the record for the most TED talks given by a single person – a whopping 8 .
• There are more than 10,000 TedX events given out as of 2020.

Now that was refreshing, wasn’t it? With so many dazzling and insightfully good TED talks to pick from, one can get crosseyed and confused easily. This is why I took it upon myself to look into the creme de la creme of the best TED talks ever.

Ready? Hold your breath, because we are diving in.

13 Best TED Talks of All Time

TED talks are built on delivering fresh ideas, by original thinkers and writers, which aim to leave behind a better world. So out of all these inspiring talks, it is very difficult to compile a list of the best of the best. This is why I have focused on view count as a metric – the talks with the most audience surely have something in them that makes them stand out.

Speaker: Sir Ken Robinson Views: 65.9M Category: best TED talks for middle school parents

All kids have tremendous talent. This is the main point that TED speaker Sir Ken Robinson argues for in one of the best TED talks ever made. In his eyes, however, education systems around the world are ruthlessly squandering that talent, which leads to its eventual death. Robinson is firm in his belief that creativity nowadays is just as important as literacy in the context of education, and should be cultivated the same way.

It’s no secret that math, science and literacy have been the focus of schools worldwide for the past who-knows-how-many-years. Children are discouraged from doing dance, art or theatre because “the money is not there”. But should this continue to be this way? If you ask Robinson – definitely not.

Through anecdotes and personal stories, the author and educationalist beautifully states that creativity is the freedom to willingly make mistakes, try out new things and be brave – which are all qualities that children possess. Children don’t lack creativity, but rather grow out of it, are educated out of it, he preaches with his soothing British accent. For me, this is the greatest speech on TED ever.

Speaker: James Veitch Views: 60.2M Category: best short TED talks

Do you know how much gold you’d need if you want to start running an illegal distribution business? 2kg? 9kg? How about 25kg? This, of course, is if witty comedian James Veitch and his alleged communication with the scammer Solomon is to be believed. Even if it’s not, this TED talk is cleverly funny and is bound to make your day a bit brighter.

That being said, spam makes up 45% of our emails . Of course, you rarely click on spam, unless you are above a certain age and want to check out that cool offer you got sent, only to find out that your laptop is now infected with viruses. Yes, I am talking about my dad. On average, spammers receive 1 response to every 12.500.000 emails . People often bash them, but at the end of the day, spamming is a tough and ungrateful job.

Curiously enough, this one is among the most popular TED talks, even though it’s entirely built on humour.

Fun fact – using emojis in online negotiations can bring you more value. That is, if you know how to use them. 😉

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy uses this peculiar fact to introduce the broader topic of the importance of body language to the audience. According to her, our body language doesn’t only influence other people – it influences us as well. In fact, communication consists of 7% spoken words, 38% tone of voice, and 55% body language .

Cuddy’s experiment with low and high power body poses can be positively implemented in many fields – including tough job interviews. She has a “fake it till you make it approach”, which can impress others and give you the needed confidence to see difficult situations through. Cuddy also talks a lot about the connection between hormones, body language, and the importance of presence. This is a great TED talk for teens, who may be struggling with showing their confidence to the world.

Speaker: Simon Sinek Views: 50.8M Category: Best TED talks on leadership

Apple, Martin Luther King, the Wright brothers – what do these seemingly unrelated subjects have in common? It’s easy, they don’t think like you and I. They are innovators – they don’t get discouraged and have strong beliefs. They have dreams and the passion to see their dreams become a reality.

They start with Why?

Starting with Why? is the key component of the Golden Circle , a concept defined by leadership expert Simon Sinnek. It’s also the name of his bestselling book. The Golden Circle consists of three seemingly simple questions – Why? How? and What?, and is integral to making a company stand out from the rest. Everyone knows what they do, some know how they do it, very few know why they do it. And as it turns out, this is key. Sinnek explains all of this in one of the best TED talks for business there is.

People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. People are drawn to purpose, cause, and belief. To inspiration. That is why you have to show them why you get out of bed in the morning and why they should care about that.

Speaker: Brené Brown Views: 48.9M Category: most inspiring TED talks

Brene Brown delivers an extremely touching and human TED talk which explores the importance of human connection. From a neurobiological standpoint (Brown is a researcher-storyteller), this is the meaning of human life.

Brown defines shame as the fear of disconnection. It is the question that each of us has asked ourselves at one time or another – is there something about me that other people will see that will make me not worthy of connection?

Some, however, don’t perceive vulnerability as a flaw, but rather as a necessity. Being vulnerable is the personification of strength and the ultimate courage to love with our whole hearts, even though there is no guarantee that we will receive anything in return. To call your doctor, to tell her you love her first, to surrender – and see what’s on the other side, head held high.

One of the best motivational TED talks of all time, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this one.

Speaker: Julian Treasure Views: 42.8M Category: best audio TED talks

Ever felt like you are speaking logically and soundly, but no one seems to listen? Julian Treasure is here to lend a helping hand and explain why that might be. In this brisk and practical talk, he outlines 7 habits to try and stay away from, if you want to have meaningful conversations , where you have people’s attention. He also pinpoints 4 powerful cornerstones that can enhance our speech further . They spell out the word HAIL – can you guess what each letter stands for?

Finally, Treasure opens the toolbox of our voice and offers some good ideas on keeping track of our register, timbre, prosody, pace, pitch, and volume. This is one of the most famous TED talks because of how practical and easy to implement it is.

Speaker: Tim Urban Views: 40.1M Category: best TED talks for college students

Master procrastinator Tim Urban tells a tale of laughter and woe – in what is one of the funniest TED talks out there. He introduces the audience to the deities living in his brain – the Rational-Decision Maker, who tries to sail the ship and achieve goals within a set timeframe, by spreading out the workload evenly. And the Instant Gratification Monkey, which solely exists to have fun and take the easy way out. Naturally, these two are in a constant struggle, with the Monkey prevailing most of the time, which kind of works… occasionally.

Luckily, procrastinators have a guardian angel – the Panic Monster, which keeps the procrastinator out of trouble and allows for them to do a substantial amount of work in very little time.

Procrastination is a serious issue – according to some surveys, 85-95% of students have problems associated with it . This is why this talk can be deemed among the best TED talks for students. Urban thinks that everyone is a procrastinator, as we are all procrastinating something. However, we should see the bigger picture, since before we know it, we might have procrastinated our lives away.

Speaker: Bill Gates Views: 36.3M Category: best prophetic TED talk

Bill Gates should consider scratching a lottery ticket, because apparently he can predict the future. In this 2015 TED Talk he talks about how the next big thing that humanity should be scared about isn’t nuclear war – it’s influenza. Here, he is talking in the context of Ebola, which was a big thing in 2015 – it had a 50% fatality rate .

This is one of the greatest TED talks, as it shows how credible the organization really is. Apparently, Bill was very well aware of what would happen in 2020, because in his prophetic talk he warns us that the world isn’t prepared to handle an outbreak such as this, and we should be wary. Turns out governments shouldn’t have skipped this great talk, as his words, more or less, came true.

Speaker: Sam Berns Views: 35.1M Category: best motivational TED talks

In this touching and inspiring talk, then 17-year-old Sam Berns shares his philosophy for leading a happy life. Sam is the star of the HBO documentary “Life According to Sam”, which was considered to be nominated in the Documentary Feature category of the 86th Oscars .

Berns suffers from progeria, an extremely rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder, but he doesn’t let it dictate his life. Of course, there are some limitations to what he can and can’t do, but ultimately he chooses what to focus on, preferring to look at the bright side of things, rather than the grim one.

Unfortunately, Sam passed away in 2014 due to complications of his illness, but he delivered one of the most inspirational ted talks to this date. His simple philosophy can inspire people everywhere – being brave isn’t supposed to be easy.

Speaker: Cameron Russell Views: 34.7M Category: best TED talks for women

Cameron Russell, a Victoria’s Secret model, is here to share that being superficial often yields nothing good. She answers some of the most asked questions she gets about her modeling career and builds up to the conclusion that even though models seem perfect on the outside, they are often some of the most insecure people on the planet.

58% of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight . This presentation is especially good for them to hear, as Cameron talks with conviction and passion, hoping that her message comes across as intended. No wonder this is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time – women and body image have a complicated relationship and social pressure isn’t doing them good – even though Russell says that all the images we see in magazines are simply a skillful construct.

Speaker: Robert Waldinger Views: 34.1M Category: best psychology TED talks

What is the key ingredient to keeping us healthy and happy as we move through life? Many say that fame and fortune are the things that will greatly contribute to their happiness – but psychiatrist Robert Waldinger disagrees. In what is one of the most inspirational TED talks of all time, he explains the findings of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which lasted for 75 years and tracked the lives of 724 men.

As it turns out, the secret to living a long and happy life is quite simple – maintaining good relationships. Quality close relationships make us thrive, and it has been discovered that loneliness kills. Waldinger shares some insight on how to best implement the study findings in our own lives and ensure that we are living mindfully and rich – metaphorically speaking.

Speaker: Graham Shaw Views: 32.6M Category: highest rated TED talks

Many people believe they can’t draw – I am guilty of that myself. Graham Shaw, however, doesn’t agree and argues that that has to do more with your limiting beliefs than your actual skills. He proceeds to show several easy cartoons that anyone can replicate and that the technique for each gets coded within our memory for future use.

This is the best example of what a TED talk stands for – it’s positive, easy to replicate immediately in our lives, and inspires people to keep an open mind.

Speaker: Mary Roach Views: 31.4M Category: best curious TED talk

It’s a bit curious how this is one of the most watched TED talks of all time – but then again, who isn’t guilty of being curious about the mysterious orgasm? Mary Roach treads through the matter effortlessly with her signature wit and humorous nature – and it makes for an informative listen.

It’s a bit funny how this one made it into the top TED talks of all time, but who am I to judge? People like what they like and there is no shame about it. Be sure to watch this fascinating talk for some fresh ideas and funny stories.

5 Most popular TED Talks of 2020 (+ a bonus)

It should come as no surprise that the best TED lectures this year are dedicated to COVID-19. A speaker who appeared in the above list appears not once, but two whole times – can you guess who this influencer is?

And since this whole COVID talk is making us globally anxious, I included a small bonus at the end of the list, which is something different but still communicates valid and important points.

So, without further ado – let’s see which the Best TED talks 2020 are.

Speaker: Bill Gates Views: 7.3M

Bill Gates is one of the most Famous TED talk speakers when it comes to viruses, and no, I don’t mean computer ones. Here he gives his insights into the COVID-19 pandemic and argues why self-isolation and testing are of the utmost importance. He also discusses which medical advancements are promising, and what the world has to do to end this crisis.

Speaker: Alanna Shaikh Views: 3.1M

One of the great TED talks regarding COVID gives a brief rundown on the virus – where did it come from, how did it spread so fast, and most importantly – what’s next? Global health expert Alanna Shaikh talks about all this and follows the spread of the virus, discussing why it’s not effective to restrict travel and highlights the much needed medical reforms worldwide to prepare for what’s coming. “We need to make sure that every country in the world has the capacity to identify new diseases and treat them,” she says.

Speaker: Ray Dalio Views: 2.1M

Another one of the top TED talks of 2020 is corona-related. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, offers wide-spectrum insights on the best ways to recover from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic – and use the opportunity to reconstruct the systems that help cultivate our economies. “I’m a capitalist. I believe in the system. I believe you can increase the size of the pie and you could divide it well,” he says.

Speaker: Elizabeth Gilbert Views: 1.7M

Fear and anxiety are common shared feelings amidst the pandemic. Author Elizabeth Gilbert offers a safe haven of understanding and hope by reflecting on how to stay present in the moment, accept negative emotions, and trust in the endurance of the human spirit. This is one of the more recent TED talks, and takes a different angle on the COVID-19 pandemic. “Resilience is our shared genetic inheritance,” Gilbert says.

Speaker: Bill Gates Views: 1M

Bill Gates is at it again with one of the hottest TED talks topics of the year, discussing the best and worst scenarios that COVID-19 could cause in the months ahead. He further explains what the challenges are to reducing virus transmission, speaks about promising vaccine candidates, and even takes a second to consider conspiracy theories revolving around himself. He also makes an appeal to fellow philanthropists, whose action is needed now more than ever.

Speaker: Tom Nash Views: 2M

Harrr. I am so glad this one made it into the top TED talks of the year. DJ and self-proclaimed pirate Tom Nash is here to bushwack our hearts with his charm and humor, while pondering on how facing adversity due to disability welcomed pragmatism, patience and ambition into his life in enlightening ways. “We all have unique weaknesses,” he says. “If we’re honest about what they are, we can learn how to best take advantage of them.” One of the most popular TED talks of the year (which isn’t centered around COVID) will make you smile and reminisce a bit about life.

The staggering combined view count of the best TED talks listed above is more than 550 million. I find it exhilarating that so many people are curious about the world that surrounds them and want to learn more and to feed new information into their brains. Knowledge is seductive and powerful, and in today’s day and age anyone can easily access it on the Internet. So make it count.

Which were your favorite TED talks from the list? Let us know!

Q: What is the best TED talk ever?

A: If you ask me, Sir Ken Robinson’s “Do schools kill creativity?” is absolutely awe-inspiring and deservedly stands on top of the most watched TED talks of all time. If you want to watch something different, you can always check out this playlist – TED actually have quite a few handy playlists that collect videos on similar topics. It’s useful if you don’t know where to start, or have very specific interests.

Q: What TED talk should I watch?

A: Any pick from this list should be a good place to start. The talks listed here are among the best TED talks of all time, the ones which people found great worth and inspiration in. After you get acquainted with the different topics that TED showcases, you can browse here to find more personalized content, suited to your taste.

Q: Are TED talks worth watching?

A: Definitely. TED’s entire philosophy is based on delivering innovative and inspirational content that is meant to ignite creative minds and spark a flame in their hearts. There are so many TED talks topics that it is virtually impossible to not find something you like – you can start with the ones listed in the article, as they are the most viewed TED talks of all time. Furthermore, TED talk science states that 18 minutes is the optimal time to assimilate new knowledge – and you’d be lying if you say you don’t have 18 minutes to spend in your day.

Q: What is TED short for in TED talks?

A: TED stands for: T echnology, E ntertainment and D esign. The conference’s early focus was mainly on technology and design, which was consistent with its Silicon Valley origins. However, given the conference’s 34-year lifespan, it has evolved and now welcomes a broad range of TED talk categories, including science, politics, culture and academia.

Q: What is a TEDx Talk?

A: TEDx talks are independent TED events which can be organized by anyone who obtains a licence from TED. As of October 2017, the TEDx archive surpassed 100,000 talks . TEDx events are quite versatile and can include films and live presentations as well. Understandably, TEDx talks 2020 are all held online.

169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation

10 Portable Microphones and Speakers for Presentations to Buy in 2022

Leave a Comment

I accept the Privacy Policy

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities

Vivamus integer non suscipit taciti mus etiam at primis tempor sagittis euismod libero facilisi.

© 2024 My Speech Class