How to Choose a Theme for Speech

Choosing a topic for a speech is too much for you? You run into trouble with too many topics, but there are a few tactics that can help you narrow down your choices. To choose the right topic, you need to consider your own knowledge and interests as well as your audience. If you want to choose a speech topic that everyone will applaud, follow this guide.

Table of Contents

Consider Your Goals

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Consider the event. The fact that you speak is the deciding factor in choosing a topic. The topic of speech will depend on the venue of the event, whether the atmosphere is fun, formal or professional. Here are a few ways to choose event-based speech topics: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

If it is a formal occasion such as a funeral or memorial service, the content of the speech should be serious and relevant to the occasion.
If it’s a fun occasion like a graduation party, then it’s time to tell funny stories that make people happy, not about the passion of getting rich or anything like that.
If it is a celebration like a wedding, the content of the speech can be light humour, a little serious mixed with sentiment.
If this is a professional occasion, you need to prepare a professional topic, such as web design, and don’t just focus on personal experience.

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Consider your purpose. If your purpose is related to a specific occasion, and it is the achievement you want to achieve through the speech. The purpose can be to inform, persuade or simply entertain people. Speeches can cover many purposes, but it is important to understand the most common ones: ^{[2] X Research Sources}

To notify. To inform your audience, you provide facts or facts about a familiar topic that make the audience see it in a different light, or to learn about a completely new topic.
To convince. To convince your audience, you need rhetoric, metaphors, and convincing evidence from experts to show people that they should take action, such as voting, to recycle more. Or spend more time participating in volunteer activities for the community.
For fun. To keep your audience entertained, you need to tell personal stories, funny anecdotes, show your wit and keep people happy, even if you want to convey a serious message. .
To celebrate. If it’s a memorial speech for someone or an event, you need to show people the importance of the character and the event to get people’s attention.

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Avoid inappropriate topics. If you want to choose a topic that aligns with your goals but is still relevant to the event, you need to screen the topic before you start brainstorming. This will help you avoid situations that offend or bore your audience with your speech. Here are a few things you should consider before making a list of topics:

Don’t choose topics that are too complicated that you can’t convey to your audience. If you choose something that is too complicated and cannot be explained in a short period of time, or cannot be expressed in words but requires charts and graphs, you will bore your listeners.
Do not choose a topic that is too simple that the listener can understand in the first 1-2 minutes. If the topic you choose is too basic, you will only say a few sentences over and over in your speech, which also makes the audience feel bored. You want your audience to stay focused and curious about what you’re about to say.
Don’t choose controversial topics. Unless there is a convention, avoid choosing controversial topics like abortion or arms control. Of course, if your goal is to convince your audience to accept their opinions on these issues, you can choose them, but it’s possible that a lot of people aren’t interested in these topics in the first place.
Don’t choose a topic that doesn’t match the listener’s mood. If it’s a celebration, don’t choose a dry speech about electricity; If it’s a professional occasion, don’t talk about your love for your mother.

Consider the Audience

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Consider audience insights. If you want to connect with your audience, you need to understand their understanding before choosing a topic. If you are speaking to a group of aspiring writers, you are free to consult other authors for literary terms; If you are speaking to people who do not know much about literature, do not use ambiguous terms.

If you are speaking in front of a group of people who know your topic well, you don’t need to waste time explaining its basic aspects.

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Consider the education level of your audience. If you are speaking at a press conference of young professionals, you may use complex terms and constructive words; if you are speaking to high school students, you may need to modify your language accordingly. with you.

You don’t want to lose your audience simply by picking a topic that’s beyond their reach, or conveying information in a fundamental way as if you’re underestimating them.

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Consider the needs and tastes of your audience. What does the audience want to know, what do they like to learn? Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and make a list of things the audience cares about; Young audiences will have completely different interests than adult audiences.

Imagine yourself as one of the audience. If they are teenagers, focus on their age. Try to choose topics from their point of view. If you feel bored or overwhelmed, it’s not the right choice.

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Consider audience demographics. Knowing your audience’s age, gender, and race can help you choose a topic. If most of the audience is over 65, you shouldn’t discuss recent fashion trends on the catwalk at all; if the audience is under 20, don’t talk about pension savings.

If there is a larger male audience than female, you’re better off choosing a male or bisexual theme.
Knowing their race also helps you choose a theme. If the audience is of a variety of races then topics about race relations or diversity may appeal to them, but if you talk about married life or racism towards an unrelated race to the audience sitting below, they probably won’t care.
You should consider where your audience is coming from. A correct theme will probably attract audiences from Hanoi more than Ho Chi Minh and vice versa.

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Consider your relationship with your audience. If you give speeches to friends and family, you can say things more personally than when you give a speech in front of strangers. When speaking in front of employees, the tone is also different when speaking to superiors. Adjust the tone and content of your speech accordingly.

Consider Your Knowledge and Interests

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Choose a topic you love. If you choose a topic you like, your audience can see and feel your passion, too. This will help you get more excited about expressing your opinion and getting the message across.

If the topic is limited and you can’t choose a topic you like, then at least choose something that interests you, it will be easier to prepare and you will feel happy when you speak. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Choose a topic within your reach. If you speak before a conference of experts, of course choose a topic that you know in the palm of your hand, then you will give an excellent speech. Even if you don’t speak on a major or complex topic, it’s still a good idea to choose something you understand well, like a sport you enjoy or the neighborhood you live in. You can make a list of things you know well: your family, career, politics, gardening, pets, or travel.

You don’t need to know everything about the topic to give a good speech. You just need to choose a topic you understand, and then you can learn more about it.
If you pick a topic you understand but still need further study, make sure it’s easy to research. If the topic is rather vague, it will be difficult to find more information.

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Choose topics related to your interests. Be it literature, movies, sports, foreign languages or gender relations. Whatever it is, you can choose topics to talk about in those areas, for example “football”. Make a list of your best friend’s hobbies and choose what to talk about. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You will see a big coincidence between the list of things you like and know.

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Choose something trendy. If the topic is constantly on the news, you can choose it to speak on. It could be a controversial topic like gay marriage or arms control, and if appropriate, you can speak up about it and offer your personal opinion.

Read local and national news, listen to the radio, and watch the news to find out people’s opinions and public reaction to the event.
You can choose topics related to the area you live in. If there is controversy over the new public school policy in your neighborhood, you can take this opportunity to talk about it.
You can choose topics related to your audience. If you speak in high school, you might talk about the post-graduation period, and maybe talk about more recent news in the news.

Advice

A useful resource is “how-to guides and lists of ideas of Speech Topics Help”.
A great resource for public speaking is Toastmasters International. There are many clubs in the world and for a small amount of money you can develop your presentation skills in a friendly and rewarding environment.

Steps

Consider Your Goals

Consider the Audience

Consider Your Knowledge and Interests

Advice

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