Public Speaking Topics

Ten-minute presentations:

1. Accidents
2. Advertising
3. Airplanes
4. Animals and Pets
5. Body Language
6. Books and Reading
7. Business
8. Cars and Driving
9. Children
10. Cities
11. Colours
12. Computers
13. Conflict
14. Countries
15. Creativity
16. Crime
17. Culture
18. Dangers
19. Diets
20. Disabilities and Handicaps
21. Disaster
22. Dogs and Cats
23. Dreams
24. Earthquakes
25. Education
26. English Study
27. Environment and Pollution
28. Eye Contact
29. Facebook
30. Family
31. Fears
32. Food and Eating
33. Free Time and Hobbies
34. Friends
35. Fruits and Vegetables
36. Future
37. Generation Gap
38. Gifts
39. Goals
40. Happiness
41. Health
42. Hobbies
43. Home
44. Humor
45. Internet
46. Inventions
47. Job Interview
48. Jobs and Occupations
49. Languages
50. Learning a Foreign Language
51. Money and Shopping
52. Movies
53. Dreams, Daydreams and Nightmares
54. Photography
55. Plagiarism
56. Plans
57. Poverty
58. Procrastination
59. Restaurants and Eating Out
60. School and College
61. Science and Technology
62. Self-employment
63. Sleep
64. Social Networking
65. Stereotypes

More topics:

http://iteslj.org/questions 

http://www.eslconversationquestions.com/english-conversation-questions/topics 

Listening Test Preparation

To improve your listening skills, you should spend at least 2 hours per day listening. 

ESL Lab:
www.esl-lab.com 

Listen a Minute:
www.listenAminute.com 

Breaking News:
www.breakingnewsenglish.com 

Spotlight English:
www.spotlightenglish.com 

Learning English VOA:
www.learningenglish.voanews.com 

Ello English:
www.elllo.org/english 

English Restart:
www.englishrestart.com 

Demonstration Speech Outline

The Demonstration Speech Outline includes the following components:


Name: ..............................  ID: ..................  Date: ............. Signature: ...........

Introduction:

1. Explain why it is important
2. Give a brief overview of the entire process (explain what you are going to demonstrate)
3. Mention all necessary tools and materials
4. Mention all the steps (step-by-step process)

Demonstration speech process:
Go through the steps, one-by-one (describe, explain and show)

Summarize briefly and give your conclusions

Allow time for questions and answers

Improving Listening Skills

Dear Student,

1. If you missed the class in the first week of the semester when we all watched the video lecture Improving Listening Skills, please watch it at your own time. The duration of the lecture is 50 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9LBUf1NzU0

2. Please visit Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab website. Pay special attention to the medium and difficult listening quizzes. To improve your listening skills, you should spend at least 30 minutes per day on listening:
http://www.esl-lab.com

3. If you have not registered for this blog, you can do it now. Type your e-mail address in the box on the left side of this web page, click Submit, then type in the letters that will appear and click Submit once more. Then check your e-mail, open the message and click on the long link (in the message). If you have any problems regarding registration, please let me know when we meet in class. 

PS: 
There is a useful link How to Speak Confidently in Public 
http://m.wikihow.com/Speak-Confidently-in-Public

Please open the above link and study the material. It will help you to overcome public speaking fear.

Listening Test

To prepare for the Listening Test 2, go to 

www.esl-lab.com 

Online Dictionary

There is an excellent online dictionary and encyclopedia. Meanings of words are explained in English. You can also find examples. In addition, you can listen to pronunciation of words in British and American English:

www.thefreedictionary.com

Home Assignment

Listening Exercises


Dear Student,

Please listen to the conversations and do the multiple choice exercises that are given below. Click on the following links:

Breakfast Recipes and a Small Surprise!
http://www.esl-lab.com/breakfastrecipes/breakfastrecipesrd1.htm

A Healthy Lifestyle
http://www.esl-lab.com/health/healrd1.htm

Airline Safety
http://www.esl-lab.com/airline/airlinerd1.htm

A Student Credit Card 
http://www.esl-lab.com/credit/creditcardrd1.htm

72-Hour Emergency Kit
http://www.esl-lab.com/emergencykit/emergencykitrd1.htm

ABCs of Money Matters: Debt Consolidation
http://www.esl-lab.com/expense/expenserd1.htm

A University Degree
http://www.esl-lab.com/universitydegree/universitydegreerd1.htm

Driving Road Test
http://www.esl-lab.com/drive/driverd1.htm

Friendly Dental Care
http://www.esl-lab.com/dental/dentalrd1.htm

Movie Reviews: DVDs and Videos
http://www.esl-lab.com/review/review.htm 

Topic - About Myself

Dear Student,

You will have to prepare a course outline and to prepare to speak about yourself in front of the class. You have to print two copies of your outline: one for yourself (you will be able to use it while you speak) and one for me (I will keep it in my file). If you still do not understand how to prepare a good speech outline, study an example below. I hope it will help you to focus your thoughts on the topic and deliver your speech in the best possible way. 

Here is an example of a good Speech Outline:

Name: ..................................................                  Signature: ...........................

ID: ..........................................                                    Major: .................................

Section: ........................                                                  Date: ...................................

About Myself

1.  My story: One day, ...…………………………………………………….............

2. Today, I will talk about... ……………………………………………..................

3. My hometown and my family:

A. My hometown is ................

1. Geography of my hometown: where it is located and why I love it so much

B. My family..................

1. My father and my mother: what they do

2. My sisters: what they do (study /work, how old they are)

3. My brothers: what they do (study /work, how old they are)

4. My school and my hobbies:

A. My school is one of the...

1. Primary school: I liked...................... and I did not like....................

2. Secondary school: I liked... and I did not like in school ........., and why.....

B. My hobbies and interests

1. Watching movies, photography, painting, travelling, sewing and reading

2. Why do I like ...................................................... so much? (Explain why)

5. My college................... I decided to study here because............................

A. I like the college and I learn English because… and I do not like because…

1. My major is about ..........................................................

2. The courses that I study - like - do not like / why?

3. College teachers (talk a little about them...)

B. English language

1. My English language strengths: ......................................................

2. My English language weaknesses: ......................................................

3. Why I need English: ..........................................................................

6. In conclusion, I would like to ......................................................................

A. I am a person who likes…............. .  I do not like….......... because…..........

B. My future plans: (1) ............................ (2)............................ (3).................. .

C. Thank you. Do you have any questions?

Introduction to the Course

Dear Student,

This course focuses on the use of spoken English in academic and professional contexts. It will help you to improve your face-to-face communication and public speaking skills.

Course Content

1. Understanding verbal and non-verbal communication
2. Note taking strategies in lectures and seminars
3. Face-to-face communication: developing interview skills
4. Classroom presentations: impromptu speeches, demonstration speeches, informative speeches, and persuasion speeches
5. Designing effective outlines of speeches and PowerPoint presentations

Course Objectives

1. Develop verbal and non-verbal public presentation skills which are needed in academic environment by practicing methods and techniques used in the following forms of oral discourse: impromptu speech, demonstration speech, informative speech, and persuasion speech
2. Develop library and Internet research skills to select a topic and prepare an effective public speech
3. Learn how to prepare a public speech outline and give an effective public speech
4. Develop critical listening skills
5. Design effective PowerPoint presentations
6. Develop face-to-face-communication skills and learn how to work effectively in small groups.

Course Outcomes 

1. Use English effectively in verbal and non-verbal communication; understand the main ideas in extended formal speech, including complex lines of argument, when the topic is reasonably familiar. 
2. Extract information from a clearly structured mini-lecture and record sufficient details. 
3. Take an active part in face-to-face semi-formal discussions and problem-solving activities, being able to present his or her views clearly in accurate English with few hesitations, and to handle turn-taking conventions smoothly. The required level is about CEFR B2+. 
4. Give a clear, systematically developed presentation, highlighting significant points and supporting detail. Handle questions from an audience in a professional manner. 
5. Prepare effective public speeches and use language with a high level of clarity and fluency.
6. Take part in an interview as either interviewer or interviewee, following up ideas and spontaneous questions as well as more structured ones.