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Possible speech topics are as varied as human experience. For example, your topic could be lighthearted or serious, address ancient history or current events, or relate to professional interests or a recreational activity—and that’s just the beginning. Here are some topics we’ve seen students select over the past several years:
| airport scanners | Iditarod dogsled race |
| Arab Spring | life on other planets |
| Birthright trips | my dog Max |
| Cleopatra | neonatal technology |
| concussions in sports | Ozark trail |
| debit cards on campus | Peruvian civilizations |
| good bacteria | recession-proof jobs |
| Great Wall of China | social music platforms |
| helicopter parents | wardrobes of the future |
| history of toilets | Xhosa narratives |
| Hmong weddings | zebras |
Often it is the speaker’s responsibility to select a topic, though in some instances you may be assigned a topic by your instructor, by your employer, or by those who have invited you to speak. When you are called on to choose your own topic, there is a process you should follow to select the best topic for your speech. The first step is to develop a diverse set of possibilities using the following strategies: research, brainstorming, word association, and mind mapping.