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169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

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

In this article:

Food & Drink

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

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

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

Good 2-Minute Speech Topics for Students

13 All-Time Best TED Talks

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

Ideal Teacher

is life really a blessing?

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

Why personal (private) rules are helpful

I got an A!!!!!

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

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

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

i want a topic that involves supernatural: HELP

Is water wet?

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

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

Tanks for giving me an A in drama

so helpful thank you

thanks this helped with my speach at school

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

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

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

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

How do create presentation for famous place in Sri Lanka

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

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

Pls I need more ideas on self help

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

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• Speaking exams
• Typical speaking tasks

Oral presentation

Giving an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam can be quite scary, but we're here to help you. Watch two students giving presentations and then read the tips carefully. Which tips do they follow? Which ones don’t they follow?

Instructions

Watch the video of two students doing an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam. Then read the tips below.

Melissa: Hi, everyone! Today I would like to talk about how to become the most popular teen in school.

Firstly, I think getting good academic results is the first factor to make you become popular since, having a good academic result, your teacher will award you in front of your schoolmates. Then, your schoolmates will know who you are and maybe they would like to get to know you because they want to learn something good from you.

Secondly, I think participating in school clubs and student unions can help to make you become popular, since after participating in these school clubs or student union, people will know who you are and it can help you to make friends all around the school, no matter senior forms or junior forms.

In conclusion, I think to become the most popular teen in school we need to have good academic results and also participate in school clubs and student union. Thank you!

Kelvin: Good evening, everyone! So, today I want to talk about whether the sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.

As we all know, cigarettes are not good for our health, not only oneself but also other people around. Moreover, many people die of lung cancer every year because of smoking cigarettes.

But, should the government make it illegal? I don’t think so, because Hong Kong is a place where people can enjoy lots of freedom and if the government banned the sale of cigarettes, many people would disagree with this and stand up to fight for their freedom.

Moreover, Hong Kong is a free market. If there's such a huge government intervention, I think it’s not good for Hong Kong’s economy.

So, if the government wants people to stop smoking cigarettes, what should it do? I think the government can use other administrative ways to do so, for example education and increasing the tax on cigarettes. Also, the government can ban the smokers smoking in public areas. So, this is the end of my presentation. Thank you.

It’s not easy to give a good oral presentation but these tips will help you. Here are our top tips for oral presentations.

• Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say. 
• If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form.
• Use more formal language.
• Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly.
• Pause from time to time and don’t speak too quickly. This allows the listener to understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea.
• Speak clearly and at the right volume.
• Have your notes ready in case you forget anything.
• Practise your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your presentation. If you can’t record yourself, ask a friend to listen to you. Does your friend understand you?
• Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion .
• Look at the people who are listening to you.
• Write out the whole presentation and learn every word by heart. 
• Write out the whole presentation and read it aloud.
• Use very informal language.
• Only look at your note card. It’s important to look up at your listeners when you are speaking.

Useful language for presentations

Explain what your presentation is about at the beginning:

I’m going to talk about ... I’d like to talk about ... The main focus of this presentation is ...

Use these expressions to order your ideas:

First of all, ... Firstly, ... Then, ... Secondly, ... Next, ... Finally, ... Lastly, ... To sum up, ... In conclusion, ...

Use these expressions to add more ideas from the same point of view:

In addition, ... What’s more, ... Also, ... Added to this, ...

To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and expressions:

However, ... On the other hand, ... Then again, ...

Example presentation topics

• Violent computer games should be banned.
• The sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
• Homework should be limited to just two nights a week.
• Should school students be required to wear a school uniform?
• How to become the most popular teen in school.
• Dogs should be banned from cities.

Check your language: ordering - parts of a presentation

Check your understanding: grouping - useful phrases, worksheets and downloads.

Do you think these tips will help you in your next speaking exam? Remember to tell us how well you do in future speaking exams!  

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25+ GCSE English Speaking and Listening Ideas

In GCSE by Think Student Editor February 11, 2023 1 Comment

One of the most important parts of studying GCSE English Language is that you are tested not only on your written communication but also on your verbal communication. This component of GCSE English Language is surrounding spoken language and exists in the form of a presentation or speech that you have to make.

While this may seem straightforward, there is quite a lot of work that you will have to put into this presentation and a range of factors that you may struggle with. However, the first problem you will have is in deciding what topic you’re going to choose. If you’re struggling to decide, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Continue reading to get some ideas for what you could do for your own GCSE English speech. This article will not only provide you with over 25 great ideas for your GCSE presentation but also give you a few tips on picking your topic.

How to choose your GCSE English Language speaking exam topic

First of all, you need to make sure that the topic you pick will allow you to meet the requirements of your presentation. For this component of your GCSE, you are meant to demonstrate that you can present information and ideas by selecting the right information for your speech and using it effectively and appropriately for the audience you have and the purpose you are using it for.

You are also meant to show that you can speak in Standard English and also that you can respond to any questions or feedback that you are given. If you would like to learn more about this, check out this guide on the government website for more information about the aims and content of GCSE English Language.

These requirements can have quite a big impact on what topic you decide to choose. This is because you will need to make sure that you can do lots of research into your topic area so that you can demonstrate your ability to present information and that the topic is clear enough so that you can show your ability to present ideas.

Other than that, it’s important to remember that your presentation topic is primarily up to you. As long as it is approved by your teacher and otherwise allows you to meet the requirements of your presentation then the choice is yours.

There are many different categories that the topic you choose may fall into. Some of the main ones include social issues, school life or even your personal interests or hobbies. In the rest of the article, you will be able to get some ideas for your presentation centred around these 3 categories.

GCSE English Language speaking exam ideas related to social issues

As previously mentioned, for your GCSE English Language presentation you’re going to be tested on how well you can present ideas and information. One of the best ways to score highly on this is to choose a topic that allows you to present opposing ideas and to reach a conclusion. This is because it would allow you to show that you can evaluate and weigh up the significance of the information you have selected, which in turn shows off your critical thinking skills.

One of the main topics that would allow you to present opposing ideas easily is a topic to do with social issues. This is because they tend to be controversial with people having completely different ideas about how to deal with them.

The only problem with choosing a topic like this is whether you will be comfortable to talk about it in a way that shows that you can present ideas and information appropriately and whether your teacher approves the topic. Due to this, in this section I will take you through some of the ideas to do with social issues that aren’t too controversial and that you can easily talk about in your GCSE English Language speaking exam.

1. Should climate change be taken more seriously by the government?

When thinking about social issues, climate change is arguably one of the best ones to talk about. This is because it pretty much affects everybody and most people have an opinion on it, whether they feel it’s incredibly important or if they feel it’s incredibly not. This makes it something of a safe zone on terms of how controversial the topic is and thus a good topic idea to avoid offending anyone (kind of).

Also, there are so many facts and figures that you can use and manipulate to make your presentation stand out. With these, you can show off your great researching skills, making it one of the best topics you can do as it allows you to do this so easily with statistics and information being readily available.

2. Should zoos be banned?

In recent years, there has been more and more emphasis on exposing animal cruelty and trying to protect animals from being exploited by humans. While this takes many forms, such as animal testing, which can be another great idea for your presentation and will be looked at later. One that you may not quite think of are zoos.

As it is slightly less expected as zoos are generally seen as harmless, this can be a great topic idea. This is because it can feel a lot more original than other topics that may have been done many times before.

Also, as zoos are typically thought of in a neutral or even positive light, exploring both the positives and negatives of them can really show your creativity in presenting ideas. This is because you can use a range of different techniques in your speech to create the most effect while contrasting these opposing ideas and coming to your judgement.

3. Does social media have more drawbacks than benefits?

Social media was only created in 1997, yet since then it has evolved and been transformed into something that we use in our daily lives. For more on this, look at this article by CBS News.

Even if this doesn’t apply to you directly, it most likely will to at least a few of your classmates, which makes it even more of a relevant topic to choose. This could make it more engaging for your audience, which could lead to more question/ feedback at the end of your presentation.

As a result of this, as long as you prepare for these, it could allow to score more highly on the listening and responding requirement of this component. However, it is important to note that this will depend on how your presentation is structured and whether your classmates can freely interact with your presentation.

Another reason why this topic could be great is if you do regularly use social media. T his is because, while you will still need to do the research, you will probably have first-hand knowledge about the advantages and drawbacks of using social media.

This background knowledge can make tackling this topic even easier and may even help to improve your presentation in several ways. To begin with, you may choose to use anecdote alongside your research when presenting your ideas and coming to your judgement . Alternatively, you may want to simply use your pre-existing knowledge as a starting point for your research in order to gain examples.

4. Is animal testing ethical?

As previously mentioned, there has been more emphasis on protecting animals from animal cruelty and from being overexploited by humans. In this, many debates and controversies have been sparked, one of the main ones being to do with animal testing.

Once again, this topic can be a great choice as it is current and relevant. You can even make it even more so by applying this debate to things that apply to you and your audience, which are your teacher and classmates. To do this, you may want to look at particularly businesses or even business industries that particularly do use animal testing or that particularly don’t and what this means for your judgement.

Moreover, this topic can be great in allowing you to show that you can effectively present ideas and information as there is so many different arguments within this debate. This means that you will have to be selective in presenting and fully backing up only your strongest points.

5. Should euthanasia be allowed in the UK?

Euthanasia is quite a heavy topic to tackle, particularly for something like your GCSE English Language speaking exam. However, this arguably makes it more thought provoking and makes how you use language even more important in making the presentation good . Therefore, if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge, choosing a heavier topic, such as this one could be a good idea.

Even more than that, this topic is an incredibly controversial subject that often sparks lots of debate. This is especially as it relates to general ethics, people’s personal beliefs and the need for regulation or some kind of laws surrounding it to decide whether or not it should be allowed.

Once again, this could be good for your presentation as being able to tackle a topic such as this one would show off your ability to present ideas, as per the requirements for this component. Other than just being able to present ideas, to be able to do this topic properly, you would be showing off your critical thinking and analytical skills. This would help you to score better within this component.

6. Should the death penalty be brought back?

Once again, this topic is rather heavy and even a bit dark. However, if you feel comfortable tackling it then it could make for a rather interesting speech.

As with other topics within this category, this topic being so controversial is partially what makes it such a good topic. This is because the ideas that you need to present are quite distinctly opposing views. This allows you to show off high-level skills such as evaluation and analysis in order to present these ideas and come to a conclusion.

Also, you can show off your ability to select the appropriate information due to the extent of facts and data that exists on this topic. This is because you can adapt your entire presentation based on what kind of information you use.

For example, if you use historic data of the death penalty being used in the UK, you could consider why it was abolished in the first place and its ineffectiveness, particularly in later years. Otherwise, you could look at information from other countries that still use the death penalty.

Therefore, this topic is also quite versatile, which can also make it a good pick.

7. Should the voting age be lowered?

As of 2023, the voting age is 18 and you now need some kind of photo ID to be able to vote. For more information about this, check out this page on the government website.

This topic could be a great pick, if you’re interested in young people’s involvement in politics and just politics in general. This is because it allows you to look at the political system in the UK and research into an area which may be relevant to you, especially if you’re under the age of 18.

Not only does this topic area easily allow you to fulfil the research requirements of your GCSE English Language spoken language endorsement, but it will also enable you to be a bit more varied in how you can show off your ability to “present ideas”. This is because instead of just giving you opposing views and ideas to present and to give a judgement on, students also need to present ideas on the specifics of this topic.

By this, I mean that due to the slight vagueness of this topic, you can also present your ideas of what age the voting age should or shouldn’t be lowered to and why this is the case. In this way, you’re able to open up this topic to not only be focused on politics. This means that you can also look into the responsibility and maturity of people under the age of 18 in the case of making decisions, such as voting.

Therefore, this topic can be quite in-depth, allowing you to talk more on the topic to better meet the requirements.

8. Is nature or nurture more influential on someone’s personality?

The nature vs nurture debate is an old one that tends to have an answer something along the lines of “it depends”. Despite this, arguing for one side is most certainly doable, especially for your GCSE English Language speech.

If you’re interested in psychology, then this social issues debate is great for you. This is especially as psychology is the main discipline that this debate comes under, although it may also be applied to others.

To meet the requirements of presenting ideas and presenting information appropriately, you will probably need to rely on case studies and psychologists’ research to base your argument on. As these are likely to be quite advanced and very detailed, this topic could allow you to show off your ability to present information as you will need to be selective to make sure that the information in your presentation is relevant.

9. Is AI dangerous?

Science fiction films and books love to tell stories of AI and robots turning against the humans that created them and taking over the world. While that seems unlikely to happen in real life, it does strike the question on the possible dangers of AI.

With this topic being so up to date and relevant, it can be a great idea to choose as it will be more engaging. This is both for you and your audience, allowing you to benefit from more potential feedback or questions, depending on how this part of the speaking exam will work.

Also, the term “dangerous” can be a bit vague. This gives you the opportunity to look at a range of different ideas for what this actually means and then to present your strongest ones. This allows you to meet the requirement of presenting ideas well.

10. Is vaping better or worse than smoking?

Vaping at least used to be an alternative to smoking, one that was seen as better and a way to quit smoking. However, with the rise of vaping, it’s been made clear that vaping isn’t actually good for you.

Due to this, you can compare vaping and smoking in your presentation and explore the ways in which one is worse than the other. This topic idea would give you lots of opportunity to research with there being a lot of information available about smoking and vaping statistics.

Please note that this topic may be a bit more difficult to get approved due to the problems of both smoking and vaping in schools.

11. Are teenagers addicted to their phones?

You’ve probably heard older people say that teenagers are addicted to their phones. By doing this for your presentation you can present an argument for why this may be true as well as one for why it’s not.

This once again gives you an excellent opportunity to show how well you can present ideas. They also give you the opportunity to analyse and evaluate these in order to reach your conclusion. This can allow you to show your critical thinking skills, which would enable you to score higher.

However, the only problem with this topic idea is that you might fall into the trap of being too comfortable with the topic. Remember that while you can use techniques, such as anecdotes to talk about your own experiences, you will still need to actively do some research in order to meet these requirements.

GCSE English Language speaking exam ideas related to school life

Your GCSE English Language speech doesn’t have to be on a heavy, thought-provoking topic to still be good. As previously mentioned, the main idea of the component is to test your speaking and presentation skills as well as your researching skills.

This means that lighter topics, such as things to do with school, can still be great choices. This is especially as you will be more familiar with these topics and so they’re automatically more relevant to you and your peers.

12. Should detention be banned?

Detentions are probably the most common type of punishment that is used in schools in the UK. For more on this, check out this Think Student article , where you can learn more about the different types of punishments used in the UK.

As a student, you will probably be familiar with how they work and may even have experienced detention(s) yourself. Due to this, this topic can be a great idea as it can make it easier for you to present different ideas as you consider your own idea as well as the opposing view.

Like other ideas that you may be more familiar with, it’s still important to remember that you are also being tested on your ability to present the information and so you need to make sure that you do the research. As this is a topic that relates to both you and your classmates, you could do a survey during your presentation asking your audience, your classmates, if they agree or disagree. You could then to use these results in your presentation.

13. Should students have to wear uniform?

Do you agree that clothing is a form of expression and so everyone should be allowed to wear what they want at school? Alternatively, you may be arguing for the use of uniforms in schools.

This topic can be a great idea for your GCSE English Language speaking assessment as there are so many ideas that you can present both for and against the statement, allowing you to show off your ability to do this.

Also, like the other school related topics, this affects both you and your peers directly. Therefore, this means that you can engage with them more easily, which could help you to indirectly lead the feedback section into questions that you feel more prepared to answer.

14. Should teachers stop giving homework?

Homework is often the source of troubles for students as it can be tedious and boring and it’s even worse if you’ve forgotten to do it. However, there are many reasons why homework may actually be a good thing.

If you take on this topic, you will have the interesting task of deciding whether there are more pros of homework or more cons. As this topic is very light hearted, it gives you the opportunity to bring in presentation techniques, such as humour and potentially other ones, such as hyperbole. Due to this, you can make your presentation higher level, which in turn can help you gain more marks.

15. Should the school day be shorter?

Choosing this topic could be a great idea for you. This is because it is relevant for all involved, including, you and your classmates but also your teacher. This could make it more engaging for them to watch and thus easier for you to react to their feedback or questions.

Plus, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably felt at times that the school day is way too long. Due to this, this topic could be a great idea as you’ll feel more involved with it, making it easier to present clear ideas, as per the requirements.

However, this topic can still be a bit difficult as you still need to justify your argument, whether you’re agreeing or disagreeing. This means that you still need to do the research to back up your points and to consider the other side of the argument.

16. Should everyone have to study English and maths until they’re 18?

In 2023, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his plans to have all students study some form of maths until they’re 18. For more on this, look at this page on the government website.

While he’s basing this off his own education, should this be the case for all students? That’s what you get to decide with this topic idea.

Like with all the other topic ideas, you will need to present clear ideas on the pros and cons of this topic. While you will still need to do the research, you can very much tailor your response on your own plans for after GCSEs.

For example, if you’re planning to study some form of maths, whether that is A-Level Maths, Core Maths or something else, you can explain the benefits to you of choosing this option. Whereas, if you’re planning to do an apprenticeship, which would give you the training you need for your role, or any qualification that isn’t related to maths, you could explain why you don’t actually need this.

Remember that you will still need to do research, so you could look into statistics of the number of people who do maths qualifications after GCSEs or even look into the education histories of successful people. This would allow you to better show off your researching and presenting of information skills.

17. Is it important to learn about […]?

This can cover a wide range of subjects or topics, such as history or a specific type of history, such as black history or even wars, to religion or something completely different such as maths or science or even art.

This topic idea can be great as it can relate to you and students around you . However, unlike other options, such as detentions and uniforms, you’re more likely to see disagreement on whether it is or isn’t important to learn something.

This could also be beneficial for the feedback section of your presentation. Therefore, it’s even more important to make sure that your points are clear and well backed up.

Also, this topic idea can provide you with a bit more variety than the other school related ideas. This is because you have complete freedom as to what subtopic you choose and so you can easily tailor it to yourself and your preferences.

Alternatively, you could use this as an opportunity to tailor it to your audience. This would help to show off your ability to be selective in order to present effectively to your audience.

18. Should learning another language be compulsory?

The world is becoming more and more globalised with every passing day, so should learning another language be compulsory. If you already take a language, this topic idea could be great as you should already be familiar with both the pros and cons of language learning and you can apply this to your speech.

As always, research is key in order to meet the requirements for your presentation. However, as language learning can also be done outside of the academic sense, you should be able to find more information about the potential pros of it in general. Then, to consider the drawbacks, you can think about it in the academic context.

You can look at this Think Student article , which goes through the benefits of studying a language, to help you get started.

19. Should Shakespeare be taught in schools?

As part of the GCSE English Literature specification, students have to be taught a Shakespeare play. For more information about this, check out this guide on the government website.

Plus, even before that in Years 7- 9, students will still be taught Shakespeare due to the National Curriculum. You can also learn more about this by clicking on this link to the government website.

Due to this, this topic idea is definitely relevant to all students. Therefore, it can once again be more engaging for both you and your peers to break down this topic. If done right, you can do this to show off your ability to present ideas and information effectively for your audience.

Also, by looking into Shakespeare some of the research may also be easier. This is because in your GCSE English Literature studies, you will probably have needed to look into Shakespeare to get context points for your essays. This means that you can actually do a bit of revision for GCSE English Literature while researching for your presentation.

20. Should phones be banned at school?

Many schools across the UK have banned phones. In this presentation, you would come to a judgement on whether that’s the right decision or not.

With this topic idea, you can talk about the wider context and debates that exist around students, particularly one that are teenagers and phones. For example, you may want to slightly look into the notions of teenagers being addicted to their phones, as mentioned above, or at other issues, such as cyberbullying.

By doing this, you can make your speech more complexed, which in turn can make the ideas you present feel more sophisticated, which can land you higher up the marking criteria.

21. Should extracurricular activities be compulsory?

Doing extracurricular activities can come with a range of benefits, so should they be compulsory? That’s exactly what you will need to explore with this topic.

Once again, you can personalise this topic based on your own experiences. If you already do extracurricular activities, then you can explain the benefits, using anecdote, which is a good skill in presenting. If you don’t do any, then you may present clear ideas for why this is.

Therefore, this topic can be a great idea as implementing a mixture of your research, including data and statistics alongside your personal anecdote can be a great way of doing your presentation. This is because it shows that you can be selective with the information and ideas you have chosen to present.

GCSE English Language speaking exam ideas related to interests

As mentioned above, it’s important to remember that your presentation is yours. One of the best ways to personalise it even more is to make it about something that you’re interested in .

Due to this, making your presentation on any specific interest that you have can be a great idea. These interests may be more general, being topic areas such as art or science. Alternatively, they may be more focused on specific things.

22. Should Banksy be considered a great artist or a criminal?

If you’re interested in art, street art in particular, this topic idea could be perfect for you. This is because you’ll get to look into one of the most well-known street artists in the UK and consider if Banksy should be called an artist at all.

Banksy is often considered a great artist but technically, the art he does is vandalism and so is illegal.

With this topic, you need to be looking at the different sides of the debate, backing them up with facts and coming to your own conclusion. Unlike other topic ideas, the sides of this debate aren’t entirely opposites as Banksy could be considered both a great artist and a criminal.

Due to this, there is greater variation within this topic as you will fully need to decide how to argue this topic. This may also allow you to score better in your assessment. This is due to the fact that if done well, you will be showing off how you can effectively structure your argument to make it more engaging.

23. Are books becoming obsolete?

Less and less people, both young and old, are reading nowadays. Whether this is due to new technologies, such as phones or there simply being a cultural shift, it raises the question of whether books are becoming obsolete.

This topic is great for all the bookworms out there as it gives you a chance to consider your own reading preferences. By this I mean, are you still reading books? If not, what are you reading?

Also, an interesting feature of this topic is that you can define what this question actually means. This is because you need to state whether you are just talking about physical books becoming obsolete or if you’re considering other types as well, such as e-books or audio books.

By doing so, this allows you to demonstrate that you can present ideas clearly as you are giving the ideas and explaining them well.

24. Is […] the best singer/ actor/ etc.?

Whether you’re an absolute Lizzo stan and you want to spend your entire presentation justifying why she’s the best or if you’ve watched every Tom Hanks film and want to use your presentation to argue that he’s the best actor. This topic idea is great if you’re a fan, regardless of who the celebrity is.

This topic idea gives you so much flexibility whether you want to decide who is the best singer, actor, dancer, comedian or even social media influencer. This allows you to personalise it to you and make it more interesting for yourself.

You can even decide on what your criteria is going to be. This can show that you have produced a well thought out presentation as the criteria can act as a structure for you to go through your speech.

25. Was […] the most influential writer/ artists/ etc.?

If you want to talk about a different kind of famous person, such as a writer or artist, you may want to consider how influential they are rather than if they’re the best. This topic idea can prove to be easier for researching than the previous idea as influence can be a bit easier to measure.

For this topic, you could look into any prizes they won, their connections with important people and their positions or roles. If they’re a historical figure, you may also want to look into their legacy and how they’re remembered, for example if there’s a museum.

Like with the previous topic idea, there are so many different people that you could talk about in your presentation with this idea. For artists, you may want to talk about Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci or even Andy Warhol. Whereas for writers you may want to talk about Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens or even Khaled Hosseini.

26. Do celebrities get paid too much?

The record amounts that celebrities, especially footballers get can often seem ridiculous. The question that you need to answer in your presentation is whether this is justified and if there should be a limit to how much they make.

This topic can be a great idea as you can use particular celebrities as case studies. This allows you to have a basis for your argument but also to be able to research more easily.

27. Is an influencer a real job?

If you’re interested in social media, you’ve probably come across a few influencers. Influencers are generally seen as not having a real job but is this true?

This topic can be a great idea as you first have to define what a real job actually is. Similarly, to other options, you’ll need to create your own criteria and use this as a basis for your presentation. In this, you can show that you have good presentation skills as you have to be selective to make your ideas and your information fit into this structure.

28. Is gaming good for you?

If you enjoy gaming, you’ve probably been told about how bad it is for you and its dangers. However, with your presentation, you could try to present an upside to gaming. Despite this, you will still need to consider both sides of the argument and also consider the cons.

Once again, being able to show the different sides of the argument can show off your ability to present ideas . Also, as you need to come to a judgment, you will need to evaluate, which is also quite a high level skill.

What attributes make a GCSE English Language speaking exam idea good?

While everyone will have their own opinions on what makes a “good” GCSE English Language speaking exam topic, there are a few key principles that actually make one “good”. First of all, as mentioned above, your GCSE English speaking exam topic needs to allow you to meet the aims and requirements of the assessment itself.

These requirements are as follows:

• Students need to demonstrate their presentation skills in a formal setting.
• Students need to listen and respond appropriately to spoken language.
• Students need to use Standard English effectively in their presentations.

For more information about the assessment objectives of the GCSE English Language speaking assessment, check out this page on the AQA website.

In the above list, all the topic ideas allow you to meet these requirements and so they can be considered as “good”. However, you may have many more ideas for your GCSE English Language speaking presentation, which may still allow you to meet these requirements and so they can be “good” also.

Also, your presentation idea will need to be approved by your teacher. Due to this, the basis of a good idea is one that will get approved by your teacher easily.

Does your GCSE English Language speaking exam idea affect your mark?

First things first, you won’t actually get a mark for your GCSE English spoken language endorsement. This is because you are assessed based on a “competency based” criteria and so you are only sorted into a grade rather than actually being given a mark also. For more information about this, check out this guide by AQA.

While you won’t automatically get a higher grade due to the topic you choose, it could have some impact. This is because the criteria for each grade puts emphasis on the ideas, information and feelings you are presenting.

For a Pass, this would be a straightforward idea, feeling or information. For a Merit, this would be a challenging idea, feeling or information. For a Distinction, this would be a sophisticated idea, feeling or information.

If you choose a more complex and thought-provoking topic, it can make it easier to fit into the Distinction-level criteria of presenting a “sophisticated” idea, feeling or information. Therefore, the topic you choose can have some bearing on the grade you get.

However, it is ultimately down to how you present. This is because if you still present “sophisticated” ideas and information, despite having a very simple topic, you will still be able to reach the Distinction level criteria and vice versa.

Also, there are other criteria for what grade you get other than just to do with how you present the ideas and information. These include how you organise and structure your presentation as well as your ability to listen and to respond.

To learn more about these criteria, please refer to this guide by Pearson Edexcel.

If you would like to find out more about how the English speaking exam effects your overall GCSE English grade check out this Think Student article.

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How to make a great presentation

Stressed about an upcoming presentation? These talks are full of helpful tips on how to get up in front of an audience and make a lasting impression.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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Scared for Your Oral Presentation in English? Follow This 6-step Example

When you stand up for an oral presentation, you want to feel like a rockstar .

Confident. Cool. Ready to blow the audience away.

That is the ideal situation, anyways.

In real life, most people—even native English speakers—feel totally the opposite before an oral presentation.

Nervous. Self-conscious. Scared the audience will fall asleep.

Most of us have been there. Every student and professional, at some point, will have to do an oral presentation . Of course that includes English language learners. In fact, oral presentations might happen more often in an English class because they are a good way for teachers to assess your speaking and writing skills.

This article will provide a six-step example of how to ace your oral presentation in English . We will provide key English phrases, tips and practice techniques you can use for any presentation you have coming up.

Soon you will be presenting in English with the confidence of a rockstar !

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

Follow This Example to Rock Your Oral Presentation in English

Every country has different cultural standards for communication. However, there is a general consensus in English-speaking colleges and universities about what makes a good oral presentation.

Below, we will show you how to write a presentation in English that your listeners will love. Then we will show you the English speaking skills and body language you need to present it effectively.

1. Introducing a Presentation in English

Having a strong introduction is extremely important because it sets the tone for the rest of the presentation .   If the audience is not interested in your presentation right away, they probably will not pay attention to the rest of it.

To get everyone’s interest, try using attention-grabbing language . If your introduction is engrossing enough, the audience will not care if you have an accent or mispronounce a few words. They will want to learn more about your topic because you did such a great job of making them interested.

Here are some example ideas and phrases you can use in your own presentation introductions:

• Start with a story or personal anecdote , so the audience will be able to relate to your presentation.

“When I was a child…”

• Mention a startling fact or statistic.

“Did you know the U.S. is the only country that…”

• Have the audience imagine something or describe a vivid scene to them.

“Imagine you are sitting on the beach…”

• Show an interesting picture or video on your presentation screen.
• Introducing yourself can also help make the audience more comfortable. It does not have to be anything fancy.

“My name is John and I am…”

“I became interested in this topic because…”

2. Supporting Your Claims with Evidence

If you have written an essay in English , you have probably had to do some research to provide statistics and other facts to support your thesis (the main point or argument of your essay). Just like those essays, many oral presentations will require you to persuade someone or inform them about a topic.

Your presentation will need background information and evidence . To persuade someone, you will need convincing evidence. No one will be persuaded if you simply say, “We need to stop global warming because it is bad.”

At the same time, it may be hard to express your thoughts or argument if English is not your first language. That is why doing research and finding credible sources is extra important.

Using information and quoting from sources can make your presentation much stronger. (Of course, always remember to cite your research properly so you do not plagiarize !) If you are not sure how to go about researching or where to look for evidence, the University of North Carolina’s Writing Center provides some excellent examples here .

After you have done research, add a section or a slide that specifically gives facts or evidence for your topic . This should be somewhere in the middle of the presentation, after your introduction but before your conclusion or closing thoughts (basically like the body paragraphs in an essay). This will help keep your ideas logical and make it a really effective presentation.

3. Incorporating Persuasive Language

Specific evidence is crucial for a persuasive argument. But to truly impact your audience, you need to speak persuasively, too .

Need some vocabulary that will catch everyone’s attention? According to Buffer , the five most persuasive words in the English language are surprisingly simple:

• Free (this one is less relevant to oral presentations, since it is used in the context of persuading people to get a product)

Using these words in your introduction and throughout your presentation will help keep the audience engaged.

For example, if giving a persuasive speech, speaking directly to the audience will have a better effect:

“To help lessen the effects of global warming, the planet needs you .”

4. Using Logical Flow and Transitions

As an English learner, was there ever a conversation that you could not follow because you had no idea what was going on? A language barrier often causes this confusion. However, even if your English is fluent, this can also happen when ideas or information are presented in an order that does not make sense.

This applies to presentations as well. If the sequence is illogical, the audience may become confused. It is important to have a clear sequence of thoughts or events. A distinct beginning, middle and end with logical sequences is needed for your audience to follow along.

As an English language learner, you may not be familiar with certain transitional words or phrases. Below are some example English words and phrases to use as you transition through your oral presentation.

General transitions that show sequence:

• First…
• Next…
• Then…
• In addition/additionally…

When you are nearing the end of your presentation, it is important to let the audience know you are going to finish soon. Abruptly ending the presentation may confuse the audience. Or, the presentation may not seem as effective. Just like with introductions and transitions, there are certain phrases that you can use to bring your presentation to a close.

Phrases to conclude your presentation:

• To conclude/In conclusion…
• To sum everything up…
• Finally…

5. Speaking Clearly and Confidently

You may be self-conscious about your ability to speak clearly if you are not fluent in English or if you have an accent. But let us be honest. Many people do not have long attention spans (the length of time someone can focus on one thing), so you will need to keep their attention during your presentation. And to do this, you will have to  enunciate (speak clearly, loudly and confidently).

Do not expect this to just happen on the day of your presentation. You will need to practice ahead of time . Here is how:

Pay attention to how your lips, mouth and tongue move.

Practice saying different sounds and words over and over in front of the mirror, or have a friend watch you. What shapes does your mouth make? When does your tongue raise or flick? How can you change those movements to make each word sound clearer?

Listen to others speak English so you know how it should sound.

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Record yourself when you practice your presentation.

This will help you get a better sense of how your mouth moves or how you pronounce words. You will also see what kind of mistakes you made and will be able to correct them.

Practice speaking slowly.

Along with enunciation, it is important to practice speaking slowly . Nerves can make us rush through things, but the audience may not understand you if you speak too quickly. Try reading your presentation for a couple minutes a day to get used to speaking slowing.

6. Making Eye Contact

In American society, it is important to keep eye contact. It is considered rude to not look someone in the eyes when you are speaking with them. Avoiding eye contact (even if it is unintentional or out of embarrassment) might frustrate your audience.

Therefore, when giving your oral presentation, you will want to try to make eye contact with your audience, especially if you are in the U.S. The audience will not feel appreciated if you stare down at your note cards or at the presentation screen. They may become bored. Or, they may think you are not confident in your work—and if you are not confident, they will not be, either!

Here is an example of a speaker  demonstrating eye contact during an English presentation . Notice how he is careful to make eye contact with all audience members, looking left, right and forward throughout the presentation.

Following the tips in this article will help make your oral presentation great. Who knows, maybe your teacher or professor will use it as an example for other students!

As an added bonus, all of the skills needed for a good oral presentation are needed in everyday English. Speaking clearly, making eye contact and having a logical flow of ideas will help you communicate better with others when you are speaking with them in English. In addition, knowing how to write an introduction, use attention-grabbing language and provide evidence will help you in English classes. You will be able to get a great grade on your presentation and improve your overall communication skills.

And One More Thing...

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Each lesson in Trinity's ESOL Activities for Integration includes clear objectives, comprehensive teaching notes, handouts and exam tips where relevant.

Sample Speaking & Listening examiner plans

These sample Speaking & Listening examiner plans are suitable for teachers and students to familiarise themselves with the format of ESOL Skills for Life Speaking & Listening exams.

• ESOL Skills for Life Speaking & Listening - Level 1 - Examiner Plan

Additional resources

Download some  Tips for preparing learners for the Speaking and Listening exam

Sample prompts

Practice activities suitable for this level:

• Level 1 - Speaking and Listening -  Sample prompts

Level 1 ESOL Skills for Life videos ESOL Skills for Life - Level 1 - Conversation sample videos from December 2020 Watch the sample videos and read the rationales to see how these candidates were marked:  Zain -  Level 1 assessment rationale These videos are suitable for teachers and students and show the format of the test. They are not intended to show model exam performance. ESOL Skills for Life - Level 1 - Conversation sample videos These videos are suitable for teachers and students and show the format of the test. They are not intended to show model exam performance. Please note that videos marked ‘from December 2020’ reflect the current exam format. Older videos may however, still be useful for preparation and practice. Syeda -  Level 1 assessment rationale Abdullah - Level 1 assessment rationale Mahmuda - Level 1 assessment rationale Serkelem - Level 1 assessment rationale   Important Candidates will select an appropriate visual prompt from the online bank of photographs provided by Trinity. During the exam, they will inform the examiner which picture they have chosen, and the examiner will display it. ESOL Skills for Life - Level 1 - Group discussion sample videos from December 2020 ESOL Skills for Life - Level 1 - Group discussion sample videos These videos are suitable for teachers and students and show the format of the test. They are not intended to show model exam performance. Please note that videos marked ‘from December 2020’ reflect the current exam format. Older videos may however, still be useful for preparation and practice.

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Teaching Speaking and Listening: 6 Speaking and Listening Activities and Strategies

Do you take time to focus on teaching speaking and listening skills? A lot of lessons and activities often focus on literature, reading, spelling, and writing. Sometimes the speaking and listening skills get lumped into lessons, or we realize we’ve really been lax on the speaking skills the first time we have students give a presentation.

However, students need to have dedicated opportunities to practice speaking and listening. Read on for activities you can incorporate into your classroom.

6 Strategies for Teaching Speaking and Listening

Create anchor charts.

You can have varying anchor charts to help in all parts of the discussion, such as paraphrasing what someone says for understanding, asking for a rephrasing, honoring revisions, building upon a previous statement, and asking for reasoning. You can do this by giving students sentence frames to refer to.

Teach Active Listening

First, I never assume students know the skills I want them to use. Even if they “should” know or were expected to glean the information in the previous year. It may not be a long, dedicated lesson, but it’s important to assess where students are at for all skills. This includes listening.

I like to have a discussion with students about listening, and what it looks like. This might be a bellringer where they come to write what shows you’re listening. Or I might have a student volunteer to show the class what a terrible listener looks like. Some of my outgoing students really love to ham it up.

Basically, I want my students to show me they know what active listening looks like. For me, that includes having their phones put away, making eye contact, asking follow-up questions, not interrupting, and being able to paraphrase what was said. We also might include mirror emotions, and not shifting conversations to whatever you want to talk about. It’s not just about teaching active listening for lectures and presentations, but for all types of conversation.

Plan More Listening Activities

Rather than reading an article to introduce a topic to your students, listen to one. The more students practice listening, the better. Use sites like Listenwise.com and NPR to find audio that matches your content area. As students listen, they can take notes, make sketch notes, or just listen. In my classroom, I like to model listening twice. On the second listen, students will always pick up more information.

Practice Disagreeing

Students are not always going to agree or see eye-to-eye, and that is essential for fostering healthy classroom discussions. I think it is important to teach students that they do not always have to agree, but they need to be respectful. Teaching students how to disagree with one another respectfully is important. One way to prepare for disagreements is to have a discussion early on and give students the proper etiquette for disagreeing in a conversation.

You also might consider having students practice with light-hearted topics. This way, students have already had practice disagreeing in conversation before they are heated or react emotionally to another topic. Create a list of topics like whether the toilet paper roll gets put over or under, if dogs or cats are better pets, crunchy vs. smooth peanut butter, etc. It can bring a lot of laughs and eases the tension of practicing disagreeing by removing the emotional drive that often can spring up when students are confronted with differing views.

Set Student Goals

As a class or individually, give students clear direction on the particular skills they need to develop. If you notice your class has an issue with interrupting each other, create a hand signal or a reward for decreasing interruptions. Individual students might have speaking goals, such as decreasing their “fillers” when giving a presentation, or making more eye contact. Giving students one or two goals makes improvement more manageable.

Play Listening Games

Another fun listening activity to try is an escape room. I have a listening skills test prep escape room that is hands-on, engaging, and fun. It requires students to listen to an audio file and solve specific tasks relating to the audio file.

What have been your favorite activities for teaching speaking and listening skills? Do you have designated lessons you incorporate to help students strengthen their skills? Don’t forget to share your ideas and tips here in the comments!

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Specifications that use this resource:

• GCSE English Language 8700

Non-exam assessment guide: Spoken language endorsement

GCSE English Language has an endorsed component covering spoken language.

This endorsement is reported as a separate grade (Pass, Merit, Distinction or Not Classified) and will not contribute to the result of the GCSE English Language qualification.

You can find out more about the spoken language endorsement using the links below.

• Notes and guidance: non-exam assessment . Guidance for teachers, exploring how to approach the endorsement from planning to assessment with practical suggestions for supporting student attainment.
• Spoken Language endorsement for GCSE English Language . This outline is from all the awarding bodies.
• Inter-board standardising videos . These are located on Centre Services in the ‘Resources’ section. You can use our search tool to find them by selecting ‘Assessment material’ as the category and ‘Standardisation’ as the resource type. They have been produced in collaboration with all awarding bodies. It's very important that you view the standardising material and commentaries before embarking on the spoken language assessments. There are 12 videos available and they cover awards of Distinction, Merit and Pass. They can be used as a departmental Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity. The material also shows examples of the type of presentations that are suitable.
• Instructions for conducting and recording audio-visual evidence . Use these instructions to plan how and when you will record the sample of presentations that you will submit to us. We strongly recommend that from the outset you save recordings using the labelling system referred to in this document.
• Student record form . It's important that you keep all your own internal records. You may use this form for each student if you wish. You may also create your own version of this form, though this would only be for your own records. You do not need to submit any supporting paperwork to us.
• JCQ Instructions for conducting non-examination assessments
• Arrangements for learners with communication issues and/or hearing needs

Document URL https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/gcse/english-language-8700/assess/non-exam-assessment-guide-spoken-language-endorsement

Last updated 31 Oct 2023