DEVELOPING A SET OF POTENTIAL TOPICS

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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.