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How To Speech Topics

Here's a list of 100 "how to" speech topics on which you can base your demonstration speech. If you're new to writing this type of speech, then I have some great tips here to help you get started.

10 Web-Related Topics

build mobile websites
rank in Google's search engine
design a Wordpress blog
unzip a .zip file
take a ".xml" file and make it a feed
optimize website graphics
use an FTP program to upload files to the web
open a Facebook account
get set up on Twitter
sell stuff on eBay

10 How To Speech Topics on Technology

download from iTunes
send text messages
program a GPS tracker
install more memory into a laptop
properly clean a computer screen and accessories
transfer music from an iPhone to a PC
choose the best computer
program a TV remote controller
unlock your Wii console

10 Topics on Health

lose weight safely
increase your metabolism
lift weights properly
keep your heart healthy
get rid of lice
get rid of acne
keep your teeth healthy
quit smoking
improve your eyesight
exercise your brain

10 How To Speech Topics on Pets

teach your parrot to talk
teach your dog to play dead
saddle a horse
set up an aquarium
breed animals to sell
bathe a cat without getting scratched
introduce new pets to older pets in your household
choose the right pet for you
control the pets on Sims 2
get rid of fleas and ticks

10 Topics on Fashion

make your eyes look bigger with makeup
tie a hair bow
get rid of static cling in hair and clothes
shop for clothes on a budget
curl hair with a curling iron
apply false eyelashes
pick clothes that make you look 10 pounds lighter
care for dry, brittle hair or nails
remove stains from fabric
clean a suede or leather jacket

10 How To Speech Topics on Gardening

design a desert garden
create a raised bed garden
grow bigger tomatoes
compost when you live in an apartment
attract butterflies to a garden
attract hummingbirds to a garden
grow an indoor herb garden
repel and kill garden pests
develop humane animal traps
control mole damage

10 Topics on Jobs

never work again
get a job after being fired
write a resume
write a cover letter
ask for a raise
make money on the internet
work as a virtual assistant
deal with office politics
search for a job online
add my resume to online job sites

10 How To Speech Topics on Education

develop a photographic memory ace your PSAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc. become valedictorian apply for college financing get an online degree avoid problems with homeschooling get a GED write a speech deal with bullying decorate school books

10 Topics on Holidays

put on makeup to look like a zombie for Halloween
make fake vampire teeth
carve a scary pumpkin
create a Christmas tree out of wire hangers
make a pop-up Christmas card
build a gingerbread house
make a Thanksgiving turkey out of lunch bags
make firework fuses
decorate a cake like a flag
decorate Easter eggs

10 How To Speech Topics on Sports/Recreation

do a 360 flip on a skateboard
improve your golf swing
knot a climbing rope
tighten wheels on rollerblades
put together a wakeboard
repair a bicycle shifter
arm wrestle someone more muscular than you
play ping-pong like a pro
choose the best paintball gun
put a spin on a baseball

Phew! There you go, 100 how to speech topics for you to choose. Hopefully, they'll give you some ideas so you can come up with a hundred more!

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100 Demonstration Speech Topic Ideas

100 demonstration speech topic ideas to help you prepare for your next public speaking assignment. These how-to topics are fun to talk about and cover a huge range of activities - you're bound to find one to work with!

Choosing Topics for a Process Speech

Eight essential steps for choosing topics for a process speech. How to prevent choosing the wrong idea.

10 Brilliant Ideas for a Process Speech: A Comprehensive Guide

This guide explores ideas for a process speech including topic suggestions and tips to help deliver a process speech presentation.

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Great funny speeches

5 keys to writing & delivering humorous speeches.

By: Susan Dugdale | Last modified: 01-04-2023

Many of us long to give a great funny speech.

We imagine ourselves being oh, so witty. In our minds, we tell jokes effortlessly. We see our audience beam appreciatively, and hear them roar and snort with laughter in the places they're meant to. Of course the applause as we finish triumphantly is thunderous.

Sadly though, we really don't know how, or where to start to write, or deliver one.

If that's you, this is your page!

Image: vintage jester. Text: How to find the right kind of funny for speeches.

5 keys to writing & delivering great funny speeches

1. understanding the purpose of your speech.

Is the primary goal of your speech to be funny or is it to impart knowledge with humor?

Unless you are a stand-up comedian, the main purpose of your speech is probably to give your message in an entertaining way, which will include humor.

This means that you will use humor as a tool to help you communicate, to carry your message to the audience. It is not the main focus of your speech but an enjoyable addition.

The more integrated the humor is with your speech subject, the more effective it will be.

Getting clear on your primary goal will help you decide how you plan, write and deliver your speech.

2. Understanding humor

Humor comes in many shapes and sizes from small smirks to full blown belly laughs. To use it effectively it helps to have an understanding of its varieties. This enables you to choose what will suit your audience, your speech topic, and the occasion.

Types of verbal humor and word play

Visit my page types of verbal humor and word play for definitions and examples of puns, irony, hyperbole, innuendo, spoonerisms and more. Much more!

Verbal humor is deliciously silly stuff. Like this wonderful double malapropism that's kept me chortling for umpteen years. It was in a student's essay. (Thank you Tina.)

"The statue of Liberace and the Star Strangled Banger"

Sometimes marking is glorious!

Physical humor

My page on physical humor will give you an introduction to using gesture or body language as an aid to laughter.

You'll find explanations and exercises to help you explore using your body to express yourself.

Finding the confidence to play with physical humor, to allow yourself to experiment, will reward you enormously. Because, as I say in the introduction to the page:

"Physical humor has an immediacy that by passes language completely and goes straight to the funny center. It transcends age groups, gender and culture."

It's the language everybody understands.

Verbal and physical humor are the core elements you'll bring together when crafting your speech.

3. Integrating humor

Image: label. Text: How to use humor effectively

What works, what doesn't, and why?

We know adding humor to our presentations makes them more effective and more memorable but sometimes the more we try, the worse it gets. The jokes fall excruciatingly flat.

You can avoid that pain by reading how to use humor effectively .

Those great funny speeches you admire bring more than a knowledge of the basic "ha-ha, hee-hee" building blocks together.

4. Storytelling & characterization

Image: label. Text: How to use humorous stories in speeches

How to use humorous stories or anecdotes in speeches. There's three pages to browse. All of them will deepen your understanding.

- story telling in speeches - choosing & shaping a story. What story fits your speech purpose, your audience and your content?

- story telling set-ups Having a great funny story to tell is good. Having a great introduction or set-up to it, is even better. Find out how do that well.

- characterization techniques enable you to become the characters in your story. Your stories are so much richer for it.

5. Rehearsal/practice = great funny speeches

Image: label. Text: Practice, practice, and then do it some more.

Having prepared your speech, you're ready for rehearsal.

Practice, and then more practice, will hone and refine your speech. You'll find out what works, what doesn't, where you need to edit and why.

Truly, I'm not exaggerating when I say that practice can make all the difference between being splendiferously successful and disappointment.

Read my story about giving a humorous speech . That ought to convince you! This was a lesson straight from the "should-have-known-better department".

The tips you need for rehearsing are below.

how to rehearse - a step by step guide to get the best out of the time you spend practicing.
vocal variety - how to use your voice effectively This page also has ongoing links information and exercises for using pauses, varying the rate of speech, how to speak clearly and more - all of which are needed for humor.

Other resources for preparing great funny speeches

* Videoed speeches from Toastmaster's Humorous Speaking Contests Among other things like content, structure, choice of vocabulary, use of voice, they're good for seeing how gesture and movement helps tell the story.

(What I find really interesting about these is how personal preference plays into which I think are great funny speeches, and which I don't. I can see and hear competency and confidence. That's a base level requirement. However, beyond that individual sensibilities take over. ☺)

* Tony Audrieth's The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking . This is an in-depth exploration of the aspects that combine to successfully deliver a funny speech. You'll find examples of humor types, notes of delivery and practice as well as suggested sources for quotes and jokes. I think it's superb - an immensely valuable resource.

* A useful collection of fun speech topics - good for starters if you're stuck.

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6 Ways to Guarantee Laughs During Your Next Speech

We’ve all been there. The spotlight is on you, you’ve set up the perfect joke, you nail the punchline, and… crickets .

It’s never fun to feel like your humor isn’t reading as funny to the audience. That’s why I’m here to teach you my six greatest tips and tricks on how to make a speech funny, or your (metaphorical) money back.

See Related: Best MC Jokes For A Conference

#1: Tell Relatable Stories

If there’s one thing we learned from Seinfeld , it’s that the everyday is funny . Use this to your advantage in your speech!

Audiences laugh when they see their own experience reflected onstage. Add relatable humor to your speech with these ideas:

Turn Frustration Into Comedy

What got on your nerves this morning? It was something. I know it was. You know it was. We all know it was.

And you know what? I bet it was funny and would be great for your master of ceremonies speech .

Let me guess…

Did your family member turn on a bright light while you were still asleep? Speech material.

Did one of your friends cut you off on the way to work, causing your chai latte to spill on your brand-new pants? Speech material.

Were you (yet again) not Caller #5 and didn’t win your radio station’s giveaway for tickets to John Mayer’s Sob Rock Tour? (I’m terribly sorry – but speech material.)

These sorts of situations may get on your nerves in the moment, but I promise that, when transformed into a joke told with the right spirit, they will be funny and make the audience laugh.

The main idea when writing your funny speech is to shift your own perspective from frustrated to amused.

#2: Use Your Physicality to Communicate

Humor isn’t just about the words you say. A major part of making a good joke and creating a funny speech is using your body language to tell the story.

What do I mean? Well , think about your favorite comedians .

From Ali Wong to John Mulaney, comedians each have their own way of using their bodies to add humor to the funny stories they tell. It’s like a secret, other skill that is so ingrained in their performances, you may not notice it at first.

Every great comic uses gestures and physicality to deliver their material and engage audiences.

Act as characters

In your speech, maybe you’re telling a funny anecdote about a parent-teacher conference you had with your son’s kindergarten teacher. Instead of just speaking about the event, make people laugh by playing it out for the audience!

Go ahead, embody the teacher and her proper, stiff posture. Show guests how utterly ridiculous it looked when you sat down in a tiny chair made to fit a five year-old because the teacher didn’t have an adult-sized chair for you to use.

I can hear the laughter already!

No need to overdo it

Remember, your shifts in body language don’t need to be hyperbolic. During speeches, even the slightest, most intentional changes will go a long way in helping the audience understand your story audibly and visually.

#3: Deliver Originality

Humorous speeches are based in truth . The best way to ground your speeches in truth is to use your own material!

This may seem simple, but it cannot be overstated: if you’ve heard the joke before, I promise your audience has too.

Personalize Your Funny Speech to the Event

It can be tough to create a humorous message that will pull lots of laughter out of your audience! But with practice, I promise you’ll become a pro – just like a regular ol’ event emcee .

The best way to stay funny, original, and on-task is to remember the primary goal of the event :

What is the goal of the event?

Is it to help new students feel comfortable at a large university? To raise money for a local grassroots nonprofit?

Once you understand what the client hopes to achieve through these events (and, therefore, your speeches), you can begin adding humor that focuses on those particular subjects.

Here’s an example :

If I’m making a humorous speech with the goal of exciting the crowd before a 5K Fun Run begins, I might make a self-deprecating joke about the utter irony of putting the words “fun” and “run” next to each other – lighthearted, relatable for many, and sure to ease some runners’ nerves when they hear it.

Got Writer’s Block?

It happens to the best of us!

Here are some writing prompts to get your creativity, word play, and humor flowing:

Write about something that made you laugh out loud recently.
Write about the silliest message you’ve ever received over phone, text, or email.
Write about the most memorable slip-up you’ve ever made in public.
Write about a few people who make you laugh – what about them is so funny to you?
If you are the punch line, write the joke.

Bonus: What Does An Event Host Do?

#4: Structure Your Jokes

Look, not everything can be funny to everyone (and if you discover the magical meme that is the exception to that rule, please send it to me ASAP).

However, you can do yourself a favor by structuring your comedy with intentionality.

Not Sure How to Structure Your Jokes?

Here are the main categories into which most jokes fall:

We touched on the main points of anecdotal jokes at the beginning – they just involve telling a funny story from your own life!

An incident while baking holiday cookies ? A mix-up that surprised you while picking your child up from school? The sound of a squeaking chair at a very inopportune moment?

As the speaker, your humorous stories are all fair game!

You guessed it – one-liners are jokes told in just one sentence. Deliver one-liners smartly and you will have the room in stitches.

Observational

I mentioned Seinfeld earlier – that show is a classic example of observational humor! Observational jokes comment on the absurdity of everyday experiences and are great to add to your speeches.

A recent example of observational humor in television would be Abbott Elementary . Each episode tells a story about the everyday joys and frustrations that can come with working at a public elementary school in Philadelphia – and finds a way to create humor and heart in every moment.

Topical humor pokes fun at current events, be it the news, celebrity culture, or the latest Tik Tok trend. A dash of topical humor, when used appropriately, can grab your audience’s attention and be an asset to your funny speech.

However, you must stay aware of the client’s needs. If they prefer that politics and pop culture stay out of your presentation for fear of rubbing an audience member the wrong way, you must respect this. In fact, it can be safer to stay away from topical humor unless you know you have the right audience for it.

Self-Deprecating

Self-deprecating jokes are all about finding humor in your own flaws. It’s great to be able to laugh at yourself, but be careful not to use so much self-deprecating humor that it makes your audience feel uncomfortable.

#5: Tone Is Your Friend

In the same vein as physicality, your voice is an incredibly effective tool for making folks laugh.

What Do I Mean?

Say you’re telling an anecdotal joke about your niece’s sixth birthday party. Sure, you could use your everyday intonation to “play” the various roles at the party. But…

Wouldn’t it be funnier to give each character a distinct intonation?

Your six year-old niece’s high-pitched, bell-like voice. Your brother’s gruff, Midwestern tone. The angelic, sing-song-y sound of the actor playing a Disney princess to entertain the kids.

Each character in the story is another opportunity for creativity, and for laughs.

Let’s Take a Tip from Actors

Even when you’re not playing a character other than yourself, your voice is still an incredibly useful instrument. Why?

Your voice is the audience’s guide.

Softness versus loudness. Lightning-quick speech versus indulgent slowness. Serious versus playful.

Whenever you speak, you make a million little choices . Be intentional about those, because your audience is (quite literally) taking your cue!

Convey Confidence

Delivery is everything. If a speaker or corporate emcee can deliver your presentation with a strong sense of confidence, the audience will feel safe to let loose and laugh. But this takes practice!

I feel disappointed when a speaker exudes insecurity. Try your best to put yourself in the audience’s shoes – wouldn’t you prefer to watch someone with great command of the room and confidence in their presentation?

I know I would!

#6: Bring People Together

Your audience is full of different people – many of whom you don’t know, and who will find different things humorous. Here are some tips for making everyone feel comfortable and ready to laugh:

Speak to Universal Experiences

It is important to do your absolute best not to ostracize anyone in the audience. Your client has hired you to help everyone feel comfortable. So, what is the best way to go about doing this in a diverse society?

When writing your speech, focus on humor that is a testament to the human experience , so that most people will relate to it. Adults, kids, everyone!

I don’t mean to be vague – the opposite, in fact. Specificity is funny.

Here are some examples:

There are certain human experiences with which every single person can identify:

Talk about a time when you felt embarrassed as a teenager .
Make a joke about an insecurity you had growing up, and still have to this day.
Surprise the audience with a weird dream you had recently.
Keep guests laughing with anecdotes about lessons you’ve learned the hard way.

Balance Listening and Speaking

Okay, okay, I know you’re giving a speech – that sort of implies that you’re talking. But listening is an equally important factor in your delivery of a hilarious speech.

It can be scary, but practice including pauses in your speech. Depending on the joke, the audience may need a few seconds to digest it before they begin laughing. Sometimes, your silence is the most entertaining part – if allowed, the audience will often fill that silence with laughter.

And, Scene!

As I’ve said before, humor is subjective – that will always be the case.

If you haven’t been getting the laughs you’ve hoped for, please talk kindly to yourself. Creating a humorous speech that appeals to many people takes lots of practice – you will get there!

Keep Reading: How To Host A Networking Event

Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings , special events , gala celebrations , and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com . For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram , Facebook , Pinterest , LinkedIn , and YouTube .

Recent Blog Posts:

Adam Christing, America’s Most Popular Corporate Emcee And Clean Comedian, Appears On The WOW Factor Podcast

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The importance of force majeure clauses when corporate hosting, 5 stage presence tips from a master of ceremonies.

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15 Ideas To Make A Speech Unique, Memorable & Inspiring

Are you often called to speak in front of others ? If yes, then the art of making your speech unique, memorable, and inspiring is something you should be able to do with little or no effort.

So, for this reason, your goal for every speech should be to ensure that your speech leaves your audience inspired, hopeful, and enlightened.

Well, in case creating a mind-captivating speech has been a challenge for you, here are 15 ideas for making your next speech unique, memorable, and inspiring.

Understanding the class and group of your target audience is the first step towards making your speech unique and memorable.

To be a great speaker, you must possess a great tact that will help you to understand that your speech is partially about yourself and wholly about your audience as well as the occasion that gives rise to your speech.

With a good understanding of whom your audience is, you will be able to use the right jargon, acronyms, illustrations, examples, and possibly ask questions that will help you to address issues relating to your audience in your speech.

Sadly, humans are among the various creatures with a very short attention span. So, while delivering a speech, one of your core responsibilities is to ensure that you grab and hook your audience’s attention before they tune out.

In doing this, you may have to engage strategies such as telling a story, bringing in some humorous lines, asking questions, or even keeping them in suspense with some rhetoric .

Another great idea to help your speech resonate in the minds of your audience is being open, real, and authentic during your speech.

By this, your audience will be able to relate better with you, especially when you look relaxed without giving the impression that you are delivering a speech that you have thoroughly rehearsed.

One of the most recent unique, powerful and inspiring speeches to be found on Youtube now is that of the 2016 Harvard Graduate, Donovan Livingston, where he WOW’ed the audience and still impresses many people to this day. Watch it below:

Top among the core qualities of great speakers is the ability to deliver speeches that are understandable, straightforward, and reproducible.

Always avoid too many facts, figures, and charts because these may complicate your speech and even get your audience confused at the end.

However, it becomes bad and unprofessional when that occurs more often in a speech, and that might lead to loss of focus, which may affect the quality of your delivery.

Consequently, it then becomes very easy for listeners to quickly forget about you as well as your speech if you are a speaker who lacks confidence during a speech.

A typical illustration to describe a failed speech is by not creating adequate time to prepare your speech and then ending up improvising your speech. Contrary to this, if you prepare adequately with some sessions of rehearsals on the content of your speech, you will be to envisage and anticipate possible questions that your audience may ask, either during or after your speech.

Going straight to the major points of your speech and nailing each point and then moving on to the next point until you finally wrap up your speech is a good way to keep your audience alive and inspired about your speech.

Remember, no one will ever complain if your speech is short and concise instead of a long and boring sermon.

However, irrespective of how visuals can boost the effective transmission of your idea across to your audience, you should apply moderation, and only use visuals that helps to buttress your points where text may seem too lengthy.

Take for instance, if you are a chef, and you are giving a speech about the causes of alopecia, especially in a situation where you have never worked as a trichologist all your life. It will be very easy for your audience to doubt what you are saying to them about alopecia.

And if this is the case, your audience will have no option but to passively absorb your speech, and after which, they forget what you have spoken almost immediately.

Frankly speaking, the easiest way to have your listeners remember the content of your speech for a long time with ripples of inspiration is by activating your audience as much as possible.

A typical example to illustrate this is when delivering a motivational speech to a group of an audience about self-discipline in the form of a monologue.

Here’s a FREE eBook with 6 Proven Ways to Engage your Audience

Failure to organize your speech with a coherent structure is a cheat sheet to a speech that will end up as a ramble.

To avoid this pitfall, it is, therefore, very important to organize your speech into a well-defined structure so that your points will flow, and the entire speech will go as though there is a road map guiding it.

A seamless transition between the major points in your speech a great way to make your speech unique, memorable, and inspiring.

To achieve this, you will need to use appropriate linking words such as; “in addition to the first point”, “more so”, “going forward” or even “now that we have taken a critical look at the major challenges, let’s us focus on some possible solutions.”

With some transitory words and phrases such as these, you will be sure that your audience doesn’t lose track of the previous points in an attempt to take in news points or ideas.

Just like other handy ideas shared so far, when you leverage on concepts that your audience can easily understand, you create an avenue for an inspiring and memorable moment among your listeners.

Although this may not always come very easy to do, when you can spot a common ground between your audience and yourself, it then becomes very easy to transform even a weird and complex argument into a speech that can easily be understood by your listeners.

A very simple analogy to explain this is using illustrations about music notes and terms to explain your ideas and points to an audience with little or no music background.

To avoid making your speech boring and time-wasting for your audience, avoid burying your head in the script and reading out every line in it.

Ideally, the best way to give a speech without having your audience burned out, even when you are practically reading the whole content, is to ensure that you have some of your key points and major ideas offhand.

Sadly, many listeners are not too good at remembering a piece of information once heard. For this reason, a brief repetition from the speaker can boost the level of remembrance of the major points by the audience.

In most cases, expert speakers think that a speech should be delivered starting from a preview (where a brief outline of the main ideas is given), the main message in detail, and a review (a recap of the main points of the speech).

Ending a speech with a powerful and relevant quote that keeps resonating in the minds of the audience is a good way to end a speech in a grand style. Similarly, even in addition to a quote, a speech should as a matter of necessity end with a call-to-action that keeps the listeners on their toes about implementing the major ideas and points that are contained in the speech a speaker has just shared.

With a persuasive call-to-action, the audience will try their hardest to ensure that they memorize the content of a speech since there are still some actions to be taken even after the speech has been delivered.

In such instance, if as the speaker, you finish your speech without a powerful quote about voluntary service or a call to action for members of your audience to volunteer themselves to the cause of your speech, it will end up as a total waste of time since the content of the speech has not been put to practice.

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”

will make the perfect quote to usher in a call-to-action that will help your audience to subscribe to the content of your speech.

Craig Ballantyne. 10 Ways to Make Your Speeches more Powerful, Persuasive, and Profitable .

Add Enthusiasm to a Boring Presentation Using These 5 Tips

Enthusiasm and Energy is the absolute, most-important skill in public speaking. If you take only one piece of advice about public speaking, make sure that it is this pearl of wisdom.

If you focus on this one simple thing, the number of times you say “uhm” won’t matter. In addition, if you focus on this one thing, your gestures and not knowing what to do with your hands won’t matter. If you focus on this one thing, then the occasional loss of train of thought won’t matter. In fact, if you focus on this one simple thing, you can break just about every rule that public speakers are supposed to abide by, and you will still win over your audience.

Enthusiasm and Energy Make a Boring Speech More Interesting.

This one simple rule has transformed countless mediocre speakers into good speakers, scores of good speakers into great speakers, and numerous great speakers into world-class speakers.

This simple rule that can make or break a speaker is… ENTHUSIASM.

Delivering a Boring Speech Is a Choice. However, Enthusiasm Is Also a Choice.

That’s right, if you have a little excitement in your talk and a spring in your step, people pay attention. Your audience will have just about as much excitement about your talk as you do, and no more. So, if you want to win over your audience, add a sparkle of enthusiasm.

One of my mentors told me that there are two rules to live by in the world of professional speakers. She said, “Rule number one is to never speak on a topic that you yourself are not enthusiastic about. Rule number two is that if you ever violate rule number one, fake it ’til you make it.”

Frank Bettger in his book How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling said it a different way. He said, “If you act enthusiastic, then you’ll be enthusiastic.”

I like to explain it a little differently. In my experience, there is no such thing as a boring topic. There are only boring speakers. So, no matter what you are speaking about, your audience will never be more excited about it than you are.

Nervousness Can Actually Be Perceived as Enthusiasm.

For those of us who get nervous in front of groups, it’s even easier. When we are nervous, we often cut out preambles and get right to the point. (We want to get it over with.) In addition, our rate of speech typically speeds up. We also tend to move around a lot more. In many cases, we may move our hands around more than normal. Well, when we are excited about something, we do the exact same things.

Years ago, when I was a sales manager, I was often amazed at the number of times that a brand new salesperson without a lot of product knowledge and absolutely no experience could close sale after sale while my more seasoned people were struggling. The more times I went on sales calls with these new people, the more I started to notice a pattern. New salespeople are often nervous. So when they walk into an office on a sales call, they tend to cut right to the chase. They also generally talk faster because they are afraid they’ll forget something. They have a tough time sitting still because of the nervousness, so they move around a lot.

I noticed that these symptoms of nervousness worked to the advantage of these new salespeople. Their customers perceive the salespeople as being extremely enthusiastic about what they were selling. I would imagine that these potential buyers were saying things to themselves like, “If this person believes so much in this product, it must be good.”

We as speakers can also use our nervousness to our advantage. When we turn that pent up nervousness into energy and enthusiasm, our audience can’t help but be energized as well.

Five Turnkey Ways to Add Enthusiasm and Energy to Any Presentation

There are about five key things that a speaker can physically do at any time to insert energy into his or her presentation.

Speed Up : Many people think that speaking fast is bad, but in reality, a person who speaks quickly is inserting energy and enthusiasm into his or her presentation. Walk faster, talk faster, and move faster.
Increase Your Volume : Speak up just a little louder than normal, and you’ll get noticed. If you have a naturally quiet temperament, then you might need to stretch yourself to increase your volume.
Move More : Move your feet more and gesture more to increase your energy. Most of us speak with our hands when we talk with someone one-on-one. Do the same thing in front of a group.
Gesture Bigger : The bigger the room is, the more exaggerated your gestures will need to be. Small gestures portray timidity and shyness. Big gestures portray confidence and competence. Bigger gestures add enthusiasm.
Change your Tone or Emphasis : When you come to a word or concept that is important, punch out the information with power. Place emphasis on important words. Place less emphasis or pause on concepts when appropriate.

Act Enthusiastic And You’ll Be Enthusiastic

If you do any of these five things in your speech, you will be perceived as an above-average speaker. If you do all five of these things, your audience will LOVE YOU! Your enthusiasm as the speaker is what makes you exceptional. That is if your energy level is high! Act enthusiastic when you speak, and you will be enthusiastic.

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12 public speaking tips to make your speech more impactful.

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There are few more impactful ways to grow and enhance your personal brand than a public speaking engagement. Whether it's a small seminar, conference panel or even a TED Talk, sharing your expertise with a live audience is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader and expand your influence in your industry.

Newbie public speakers often feel nervous or under pressure before a big speech -- what if the audience gets bored or doesn't connect with your material? With the right strategies, you can ensure that your presentation is not only engaging and interesting but memorable for your listeners. We asked a panel of Forbes Agency Council members for their best public speaking advice. Their best answers are below.

Members of the Forbes Agency Council offer their best tips.

1. Offer A Tangible Take-Home Resource

Often times, even the best information -- while amazing when you first hear it -- can be like a firehose, which makes the advice difficult to implement. Offer a resource guide that the audience can take with them that includes key takeaways and great examples of how they can implement it the very next day. - Giovanni Sanguily , TRIdigital Marketing

2. Know Your Expertise And Be Specific

It’s important to be very clear on your top three areas of expertise and interest. Keep it to three because it’s enough to be interesting and few enough to be memorable. The more specific, the better. Avoid clichés like “I’m a good collaborator.” Instead, highlight a personal value, like “I am a natural teacher and I love working with teams to teach them and help implement new concepts.” - Jennifer Laible , Antenna

3 . Create Sticky Sentences With Adequate Pauses

It's important to incorporate sticky sentences that are not only memorable but help point to your topic. People don't typically remember paragraphs but powerful sentences with adequate pauses. This allows for listeners to receive and reflect upon what was said. Share your sentence, pause, and then share it again. Share these multiple times throughout your presentation. - Bryan Citrin, Chiropractic Advertising

4. Build In Audience Participation

Encourage participation from your audience. Allowing time for Q&As gives you time to get to know your audience and what they are expecting to hear about. If you talk about what your audience wants to hear about, it will be more meaningful to them, and they will be more likely to remember what you said. - Solomon Thimothy , OneIMS

5. Provide Your Contact Information

Share contact information at the end of a talk. It's a very simple way to let the audience feel that they have a direct connection to you, even if they don't take you up on the outreach. You can't talk about personal brand without the word "personal." Giving out your contact info is such a simple way to get personal. - Brett Farmiloe , Markitors

6. Incorporate Humor

The audience needs to be ready to hear your message for the engagement to be successful. Humor humanizes the speaker, transcends all barriers and helps to grab the audience's attention so that they are open to receiving your message. - Lisa Allocca , Red Javelin Communications

7. Don’t Bury The Lede

The best thing you can be is useful to your audience and not make them work for it. They won’t remember all you say, but if they retain what’s most important, they’ll leave seeing you as a valuable resource and thought leader. That means clearly identifying takeaways, such as including key points at the end of each section or concluding with a checklist to help them activate a new approach. - Howard Breindel , DeSantis Breindel

8. Limit Text And Make It Visual Instead

Your audience is not sitting in a conference or seminar to read. They want to listen and be entertained. If you do use visual aids (PowerPoint or Keynote, for example), make sure to keep it visual. Limit the text to less than 10 words per page. Use a visual that will back up your story and help explain your concept. Keep it clean, easy to scan and meaningful to what you are saying. - Korena Keys , KeyMedia Solutions

9. Do A Meet And Greet Before Your Presentation

Before my talks, I get to know my audience. Not only do I conduct advance research to understand who will be attending, but prior to taking the stage I also meet and greet several people. Then, while presenting, I look for friendly faces and personalize the content based on the knowledge shared in advance. I encourage my fellow executives to give meet and greets a try. - Dave Wendland , Hamacher Resource Group

10. Focus On Emotional Engagement

When engaging in public speaking, remember that your audience is full of real people. Your job is not only to communicate unique ideas and educate the audience but to also entertain them and heighten their interest. Evoke an emotional response in your audience, move their hearts and engage their minds. It's through emotional engagement that you capture their attention and become memorable. - Tom Shapiro , Stratabeat

11. Be Vulnerable And Share Your Fears And Failures

Memorability is the name of the game in both personal branding and public speaking. There is nothing quite like being real -- open, transparent, vulnerable -- to capture the attention and hearts of an audience. "Corporate" speak and "rah-rah success" speak are expected. What's not expected yet extremely memorable are the fears, flounders and failures that every executive has to share. - Beth Noymer Levine , SmartMouth Communications

12. Be Human

People are less likely to remember precisely what you tell them, and more likely to remember how you make them feel. Allow for candid moments. Provide the impression of being "off script." It's better. - Rick Kupchella , The Informed Engagement Network (i.e. network)

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How to Make Your Speeches Exciting

Let's continue the topic of becoming a more memorable speaker that I previously discussed here , here , here , and here .

Among the things I said was, the moment you strop trying to be a memorable public speaker is the moment you're able to become one . I also discussed knowing clearly what you want to share, ways to turn your passion into a powerful speech, externalizing physically what's inside you (like actors do), and "just" having a conversation with your audience.

If you speak with this level of control, you'll connect with and inspire listeners! Learn more in my new book , now available , Speak for Leadership .

Dr. Gary Genard's book on leadership presence, Speak for Leadership.

Make Your Speeches Exciting and Rewarding

Now let’s go one step further—by making your speeches exciting.

First, let’s discuss an essential component of the learning experience for anyone listening to a speech. It’s really an amplifier in terms of how your speech is received (and how you are perceived). It’s dopamine .

Want to know more about how to connect with audiences? Download my Free resource , "Great Speaking? It's About Performance Over Content."

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter released in the brain when you experience a reward of some kind. If you discover something new and interesting, dopamine is released. Similarly, if you’re setting out on an adventure (as an exceptional speaker will get audience members to feel), again, dopamine is present. Thrill-seekers, gamblers, and those addicted to chemical substances crave this strong stimulus-and-reward response.

So do learners —provided that they perceive what they’re being taught as new and exciting. Those experiences then become “sticky” and therefore memorable. And conversely, where dopamine levels remain low, the experience is eminently forgettable. As neuroscientist Martha Burns tells us, “the more motivated and interested we are in an activity the more dopamine is released and the better we remember it.” She recommends the acronym NEAR to understand this response: N ew, E xciting, a nd R ewarding. 6

Here's great news: you can learn how to develop this type of strong relationship with audiences! Learn how in my Free Guide , "6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking."

Now think about this in terms of public speaking. A major reason most presentations are forgettable is because the speaker plays it safe. He or she may think, “Presentations are always done this way in my industry, and so I’m going to go along.” Basically, these speakers are hoping to get through their talk with their skin intact. Doesn’t sound like a new, exciting or rewarding approach, does it?

Hey, Wanna Have Some Fun ?

Of course, just as with financial investments, your tolerance for risk plays a part in terms of how far you as speaker are willing to go in terms of newness and creating excitement. But at least think about how you might do things differently!

For instance, do you know how to use PowerPoint effectively? Most presenters don't. Find out how in my Free cheat sheet , "5 Rules for Succeeding With PowerPoint."

If a slide deck is used in every presentation in your department, what would happen if you didn’t use one in yours? Or vice versa. Other questions to ask yourself: “What would my talk be like if it were shorter than the norm, or conversely, more comprehensive?” “Would some discussion between me and the audience be productive?” “What might happen if this became a team presentation rather than just me speaking?” “What if I invited an audience member on stage for a demonstration?”

Any of these approaches—or others you might come up with on your own—may seem like a new path forward to an audience. And that, as they say, is a good thing!

And of course, to make a presentation more exciting and rewarding, always base your approach as closely as possible on the needs of the group. Remember, your goal is always to help listeners be better off for having listened to you. The best way to be memorable isn’t to be considered a smooth talker. It is to improve your listeners’ lives in some small or big way.

And have fun! To see how being excited yourself can help make you compelling to watch, catch Hans Rosling or Benjamin Zander in their passionate TED talks.

6 Martha Burns, “Dopamine and Learning: What the Brain’s Reward Center Can Teach Educators,” Scientific Learning, September 18, 2012. https://www.scilearn.com/blog dopamine-learning-what-brain%E2%80%99s-reward-center-can-teach-educators.

The above article is excerpted from my new book, Speak for Leadership . Click here or below to learn more and to get your copy !

The manual for speaking as a leader, Dr. Gary Genard's book Speak for Leadership.

You should follow me on Twitter here .

Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking training and overcoming speaking fear. His company, Boston-based The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching and corporate group training worldwide. In 2021 for the eighth consecutive year, Gary has been ranked by Global Gurus as One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals . He is the author of the Amazon Best-Seller How to Give a Speech . His second book, Fearless Speaking , was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." His handbook for presenting in videoconferences, Speaking Virtually offers strategies and tools for developing virtual presence in online meetings. Contact Gary here.

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10 Secrets of Making Every Presentation Fun, Engaging, and Enjoyable

Not a lot of people are good at public speaking. You could even say that virtually everyone needs to get some practice, and preferably good guidance, before they can learn to stay calm when facing a room full of people. Having all eyes on you is an uncomfortable experience and it takes time to get used to. However, even if you can manage to control your stage fright and stay focused, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your presentation won’t put people to sleep. This is usually the case with long presentations on a very dull subject, with the presenter speaking in a monotone voice and dimming the lights to play a PowerPoint presentation.

You have to work hard to develop the right skills

If you want to be remembered and actually get people engaged, you need to make your presentation fun and enjoyable, without coming off as corny or desperate to please. I know, it doesn’t sound that easy at all! A good presentation during a promotional event or given to an important client can be a game changer for your business, so it is easy to get stressed out and fail to perform all that well. Luckily, giving an interesting lecture is something that can be practiced and perfected. There is plenty of advice out there on the topic, but let’s look at the most important aspects of giving a memorable and fun presentation.

1. Make your presentation short and sweet

With very long, meandering speeches you tend to lose the audience pretty early on, and from then on out it’s just a test of endurance for the few bravest listeners. Not only will people’s attention start to drop rapidly after sitting and listening to you talk for 30 minutes, but you also risk watering down your core ideas and leaving your audience with little in the way of key phrases and important bits of information to take away from the whole ordeal. Famous speakers throughout history have known the importance of condensing the information by using well thought out sentences and short phrases loaded with meaning.

JFK’s famous: ”It’s not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” expresses so much in very few words and gets the audience thinking. Ancient Spartans, for example were famous for their quick, dry wit, often demolishing their opponent’s argument with a single word or phrase . You’ll want to channel that ancient spirit and be as concise as possible when preparing your presentation.

2. Open up with a good ice breaker

At the beginning, you are new to the audience. There is no rapport, no trust and the atmosphere is fairly neutral. Even if some of the people there know you personally, the concept of you as an authority on a particular matter giving a speech will be foreign to them. The best way to encourage a warm and friendly atmosphere is to get some kind of emotional response out of the audience right at the beginning. It doesn’t matter what emotion it is, you just need to connect with them on a more personal level. It can be shock, curiosity, laughter, knowing smirks, nervousness – whatever gets them out of that initial feeling of indifference. There are different kinds of effective ice-breakers, but generally speaking, the most successful ones utilize one of these tactics:

Tugging on their heart strings
Dropping a bombastic statement
Telling an interesting and relevant anecdote
Using a metaphor or drawing comparisons

You can make a small, self-deprecating comment, stir the presentation one way and then suddenly surprise the audience, use sarcasm, open up with a short childhood story that taught you a lesson, quote a famous person and elaborate on it from personal experience, use an inspirational anecdote or hit them with a bit of nostalgia. Just remember to keep it short and move on once you’ve gotten a reaction.

3. Keep things simple and to the point

Once you’re done warming up the crowd you can ease them into the core concepts and important ideas that you will be presenting. Keep the same presentation style thoughout. If you’ve started off a bit ironic, using dry wit, you can’t just jump into a boring monologue. If you’ve started off with a bang, telling a couple of great little jokes and getting the crowd riled up, you have to keep them happy by throwing in little jokes here and there and being generally positive and energetic during the presentation. You need a certain structure that you won’t deviate too far from at any point. A good game plan consists of several important points that need to be addressed efficiently. This means moving on from one point to another in a logical manner, coming to a sound conclusion and making sure to accentuate the key information.

4. Use a healthy dose of humor

Some of the best speeches and presentations in the world, which have been heard and viewed by millions, all feature plenty of humor . No matter the subject, a great speaker will use natural charisma, humor and beautiful language to convey their points and get the crowd excited about what they are saying. A great example of building rapport with the audience through the use of humor is Barrack Obama talking about the government building Iron Man.

It is silly and fun, and absolutely not something that you would expect from a man in a position of power speaking in such a serious setting – and it’s exactly why it works. The more serious the situation and the bigger the accent on proper social behavior, the harder your jokes will hit.

5. Try to tell a story instead of ranting

Some people can do all of the above things right and still manage to turn their short and fun little presentation into a chaotic mess of information. You don’t want your speech to look like you just threw a bunch of information in a blender in no particular order. To avoid rambling, create a strong structure. Start with the ice breaker, introduce the core concepts and your goals briefly, elaborate on the various points in a bit more detail, draw logical conclusions and leave your audience with a clear takeaway message. You want to flow naturally from one part to the next like you are telling a big story chapter by chapter.

6. Practice your delivery

Standing in front of the mirror and practicing a speech or presentation is a technique as old as mirrors – well, come to think of it, as old as human speech, since you can see yourself reflected in any clear and calm body of water – and that means that it is tried and true. The theory is incredibly simple, yet the real problem is actually putting in the effort day in and day out. Work on your posture, your tone of voice, accent, pauses between sentences and facial expressions. The most important thing is to talk slowly and loudly enough to be heard and understood clearly. Many famous speakers, such as Demosthenes and King George VI , overcame speech impediments through hard work.

7. Move around and use your hands

Although you won’t instill confidence in your project if you are very jittery, moving around erratically, not knowing what to do with your hands and making fast movements, standing dead still can be just as bad. You shouldn’t be afraid to use your arms and hands when talking as it makes you seem more passionate and confident. The same goes for moving around and taking up some space. However, try to make slower, calculated and deliberate movements. You want your movements to seem powerful, yet effortless. You can achieve this through practice.

8. Engage the audience by making them relate

Sometimes you will lose the audience somewhat in techno-babble, numbers, graphs and abstract ideas. At that point it is important to reel them back in using some good, old-fashioned storytelling. Make comparisons to events from everyday life that most people are more than familiar with. By making things look simple, not only will you help your audience get a better understanding of the subject by enabling them to visualize the information more clearly, you will also draw a connection between you. After all, you are all just regular people with similar experience, you just happen to be performing different roles at the moment.

9. Use funny images in your slides

Although slides are not really necessary at all times, if you do need them to make your point and present your information more effectively, it’s best to liven them up. They say that facts aren’t always black and white, and your presentation should reflect this. Add a bit of color, make the information stand out and use an interesting animation to switch from slide to slide. You can use the slides to add some more humor, both in terms of the text and the images. An image that is used to elicit a positive response needs to be funny within the context of what you are discussing. For example, if you are discussing the topic of authority, an image of Eric Cartman from South Park in a police uniform, demanding that you respect his “authoritah,” is a nice way to have a bit of fun and lighten things up.

10. End on a more serious note

When all is said and done you will want the audience to remember the core concepts and keep thinking about what you have said after the presentation is over. This is why you should let things naturally calm down and end with an important idea, quote or even a question. Plant a seed in their mind and make them think. Let us turn to Patrick Henry for a great way to end a speech: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

As you can see, there is quite a bit to learn when it comes to giving a good presentation, one that is both memorable and fun. Be sure to work on your skills tirelessly and follow in the footsteps of great orators.

Featured photo credit: Austin Distel via unsplash.com

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9 Tips to Make Your Speech Memorable

The art of creating a memorable speech is something that is often sought after, but rarely achieved. Frustratingly, many people assume that truly memorable speeches are reserved for those with an elusive “born with it” skill set.

In reality, nobody is born with the skills for public speaking, but you can develop them with hard work. A memorable speech is within your grasp. With that in mind, let’s review nine tips that will make your speech memorable for your audience.

1. Organize your speech into segments.

Consider your speech as a book for a moment. A typical book is split into chapters and parts that create a cohesive whole but can stand on their own. Applying the same logic to your speech will make it easier for you to deliver important takeaways and keep the audience focused on what you are saying.

Segmented speeches are far more memorable and easier to keep in mind after they have been delivered. The reason for this is that each segment can be recalled independently, and converge to form the overall message. An unorganized speech with no rhythm or discernible sections will easily be forgotten.

To be forgettable : Deliver a speech about a medical condition and its effects on a human body with all your points jumbled together.

To be memorable : Deliver a speech about a medical condition and its effects on a human body with distinct segments for each effect that support each other.

2. Include concrete details.

People crave concrete information, such as facts, numbers, statistics, and photographs. Without concrete details, speeches quickly become overly abstract and hard to connect with. Concrete information in your speech helps you ensure that your points are remembered long-term.

To be forgettable : Present a company’s future forecast solely in abstract terms.

To be memorable : Present a company’s future forecast by highlighting their lineup of new products with relevant market data.

3. Use words understood by your audience.

To deliver a memorable speech, you must analyze your audience. In particular, consider the education level and vocabulary of your audience before writing your speech. As well, consider whether your audience includes people who are not fluent in your speaking language. Use terminology that everyone will understand, and avoid technical jargon that they won’t. A single confusing word or phrase at a critical point can make your meaning incomprehensible to your audience.

To be forgettable : Give a speech using renewable energy technical language to an audience of elementary school children.

To be memorable : Give a speech using renewable energy technical language to an audience of energy industry professionals.

4. Leverage concepts understood by your audience.

Similar to the previous point, leveraging commonly understood concepts can result in exciting and memorable speeches. It isn’t always easy, but when you find common ground between you and your audience, you can make even the most complex arguments understandable and memorable. On the other hand, if you reference concepts that the audience doesn’t understand, or assume knowledge that they don’t have, you’re in trouble; your audience will not be able to follow your arguments, and they will forget your words as soon as you’ve spoken them.

To be forgettable : Use analogies based on graphic design concepts for an audience with no knowledge of graphic design.

To be memorable : Use analogies based on graphic design concepts for an audience of graphic design professionals.

5. Interact with the audience.

People rarely sit and listen to monologues without dozing off, especially if the subject matter is not intrinsically exciting. Rather than expecting your audience to passively absorb information, ask them questions about the points you are making and invite interaction by offering small rewards or incentives for doing so. Activate your audience as much as possible if you want them to remember your message for a long time.

To be forgettable : Deliver a motivational speech about self-discipline as a monologue.

To be memorable : Deliver a motivational speech about self-discipline, following each point with interactive triggers for the audience to share related personal anecdotes.

6. Include personal stories.

Some people don’t like to share their personal stories and experiences with strangers. However, a well-crafted story is one of the best catalysts for speech memorability. Sift through your memories and find relatable, heartwarming, or funny moments that are relevant to the point you are making. Personal stories invite the audience to empathize and place themselves in your speech and situation. People are far more likely to remember your small personal story and trace it back to the point of your speech than vice versa.

To be forgettable : Speak about your career as a vegan nutritionist with no stories.

To be memorable : Speak about your career as a vegan nutritionist, and tell your story about growing up in a family of omnivores.

7. Add a catchphrase.

Pop culture catchphrases can help you deliver a more distinct and memorable speech with virtually any topic. The secret to selecting the right catchphrase depends on what its role would be in your speech. You can use it to announce a break in your thought process, establish a connection with the audience, or simply make your points more digestible. Catchphrases can be added to your speech in a number of ways: as titles of your PowerPoint slides, as punch lines, or any other time to add a surprise element. Catchphrases can transform even the most serious topics into enjoyable ones. Just don’t overdo it; one is probably enough for most presentations.

To be forgettable : Speak about a topic related to modern literature.

To be memorable : Speak about a topic related to modern literature, and include a literature catchphrase that everyone in your audience will recognize (e.g. “Here’s Johnny!” from Stephen King’s The Shining ).

8. Practice thoroughly and deliver confidently.

Stumbling on your speech delivery might come off as quirky and relatable – the first time it happens. However, if you continue stumbling, it’s hard to recover. A speaker who lacks confidence as they deliver will likely be forgotten quickly.

Instead, prepare your speech by reciting it over and over. Although it is better to speak without notes, don’t be afraid to bring cards or notes. Talking in a fluent and understandable manner without abrupt pauses constitutes a successful speech delivery.

To be forgettable : Don’t prepare. Improvise your speech.

To be memorable : Prepare adequately. Rehearse your speech content and anticipate questions that might come from the audience.

9. End with a quote and a call-to-action.

A speech that lacks finality and conclusiveness is likely to be received as sloppy and entirely forgettable. An effective ending to a speech can ensure long-term memorability and audience action in accordance with your message.

Be forgettable : Deliver a speech about volunteerism and end by quietly thanking the audience.

Be memorable : Deliver a speech about volunteerism and end by quoting Muhammad Ali (“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”) and encouraging your audience with a call-to-action (“Pay your rent. Volunteer!”).

It’s Your Turn…

Delivering a great speech is about self-confidence and carefully crafting your speech using techniques like those above. You can be memorable in your next opportunity to speak, and every opportunity after that.

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I look forward to every Six Minutes article. They are always filled with practical useful advice, with great examples that we can put into our speeches.

Thank you for sharing Elisa. I loved the tips, especially adding a catchphrase which I believe it’s something that can stay for a long time in the minds of the audience. I would add Be Authentic, be yourself to the list. There are many who still try to emulate what they watch on TED talks, or from their teachers and coaches, and forget to really be themselves…which unfortunately the audience picks up, and can be the very reason why they forget you. After all, even after you’ve finished your speech, they haven’t met you.

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7 Ways to Make Speech Exercises More Fun!

Calling all therapists! This week, our post outlines 7 ways to pump-up the "fun" in your therapy sessions.

It’s true what they say - time does fly when you are having fun. That also can be said about speech therapy. Have you ever noticed how lengthy a session can be when you are strictly working on repetitive articulation drills? On the other hand, maybe a session has sped by when you’ve really hooked your student onto a game or activity. My favorite moments are when our speech therapy session is over my student asks me, “So are we going to do speech today?”

You don’t need to change up your entire intervention style to increase your student’s attention and engagement during speech; but you can incorporate some “fun” into some of the tasks/activities you already have up your sleeve. We’ve outlined some of our favorite ways to sprinkle some “fun” into your speech sessions without requiring you to spend too much extra time preparing for them.

1. The Speech Restaurant:

“Order” the speech sounds while playing restaurant or store.

a. Give the student menu “options” that are target speech sounds or words. For example, there can be a menu or cards with the target sound(s). You may also say, “would you like a /sh/ or /s/ today.

b. Change it up and have the student be the server/cashier and take your order as you model proper sound production.

2. Scavenger Hunt:

Do a scavenger hunt looking for the target sound(s). Getting up and moving is an easy way to keep your students alert and engaged. Once the target sound is found, encourage the child to say it.

a. It can be pre-planned, where you hide cards or objects with the target sound(s) around the work area.

b. It can also be more spontaneous, where you search for objects or words with the target sound(s) around the work area.

3. Let’s Kick It:

If they’re a sports person - pick a favorite sport and have them work on sounds while playing, if space/equipment allows.

a. Soccer - say target sound, then kick ball into net, or dribble to a certain spot, stop, say the target sound, then continue dribbling.

b. Basketball - the student can shoot a hoop for each target sound said.

c. Playing catch - take turns tossing the ball back and forth, saying each target sound for each toss

4. Sing it!

For the musically inclined, make up a song or adapt a song with the target sounds.

a. Old MacDonald had a /f/

b. Sing BINGO, but with target sounds instead of the letters B, I, N, G, O

5. Reward time:

Give your students an opportunity to earn rewards for the work they have done. Vary based on their skills/task endurance. For example, some students may need a reward after 3 exercises completed, but may be able to work up to 10 or more exercises completed.

a. They can be tangible (e.g. a sticker) or a reward of time (e.g. 5 minute break to play with the dollhouse).

b. They may not understand the clinical benefit of the exercise they are doing (though, it is important to explain if they do); but students like to know they aren't working for nothing.

c. People love to “earn” rewards, and it is a great carryover strategy for other areas in life (think: allowance and chores at home).

6. Hands on:

Incorporate something tangible (when applicable) into therapy exercises. This will likely increase your student’s attention because you are incorporating different motor processes. These can serve as “breaks” from completing speech exercises, or be a part of the exercises.

a. Coloring page - Provide an assortment of target sound(s) written/illustrated on a piece of paper. When they color over that sound, they have to say it.

b. Puzzle - Each piece has a target sound written on it, and when it’s placed together, they say the corresponding sound.

7. Read a book:

There are many books that are great for eliciting different target sounds. Check out some of our favorites for sounds in the initial position:

/b/ - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

/ch/ - Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

/d/ - No, David! By David Shannon

/f/ - The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

/g/ - Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

/h/ - Hop on Pop by Dr. Suess

/j/ - Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

/k/ - Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

/l/ - Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

/m/ - Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

/p/ - If You Give a Pig a Pancake - Laura Joffee Numeroff

/r/ - My Red Rowboat by Dana Meachen Rau

/s/ - Silly Sally by Audrey Wood

/sh/ - Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw

/t/ - Ten Apples on Top by Dr. Suess

/w/ - Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller

We hope this list sparks some fresh ideas for your therapy sessions! Remember - aim for progress not perfection, e.g. they are working on these sounds, and cannot be expected to say each sound perfectly as you begin intervention. And don’t forget to provide frequent positive reinforcement! This can be verbal praise, high fives, fist bump, or whatever they seem to respond well to.

Happy therapy!

How to Write Play Skills Goals [with goal bank]

Types of Figurative Language

Early Intervention and Speech Therapy: What to Expect

Core Word Books for AAC

Cognition and Speech Therapy: Addressing Cognitive-Communicative Deficits

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18 Ways to Make Your Presentation More Interactive

November 10, 2017 - Dom Barnard

It can be difficult to hold your audience’s attention for the entire presentation. According to a Prezi study , half of the respondents said they did something other than listen during a co-worker’s presentation, including:

Sending a text message (28%)
Checking emails (27%)
Falling asleep (17%)

An interactive presentation is much more likely to keep your audience’s attention and build rapport with them, and there are a few simple ways to achieve this, from live polling to asking questions throughout.

This article explores several different effective strategies for making the audience feel fully involved in your presentation and keeping your audience’s eyes away from their smartphones.

Why involve your audience?

Listening to a presentation for any length of time can be a difficult process. If you don’t involve the audience, they’ll start to play with their phones, talk to colleagues and generally lose track of what you are saying. Once this happens and you start seeing that the audience would rather be somewhere else, you’ll start feeling anxious and might try to speed up the presentation.

Engage your audience with your presentation

To engage a large audience fully, the presentation needs to be energetic, purposeful and staged, as if it is a direct conversation between both you and your audience. That way, they’ll absorb your ideas and insights and they’ll have learnt something in an enjoyable way.

1. Plan from the audience’s perspective

Before you start writing your presentation , think about these points:

What are the most interesting parts in my topic?
How much will the audience know about my topic? What level do I target it at?
Which members of the audience will most likely be disinterested?
How can I help them learn and understand my topic?
What is the size of the audience?

You can do this by researching the event or conference, investigating other speakers at the event and even contacting the organisers to find out more about the demographic.

By asking these questions about your audience and identifying answers, you are starting to think about your audience’s interests and needs. Remember, the aim is to give the impression that your presentation has been planned according to your audience’s specific interests.

2. Use an easy-to-follow structure

When building your presentation, focus on giving it a structure which people can easily follow. Start by introducing the core concepts and goals, then elaborate on the various points in a bit more detail, draw logical conclusions and leave your audience with a clear takeaway message. You want to flow naturally from one part to the next like you are telling a big story chapter by chapter.

3. Get the audience immediately involved

You audience will come to your presentation in a range of different moods. Try using a simple ice-breaker to re-energise them and get them focussed on your presentation.

For example, ask people to stand up and introduce themselves to their neighbours, or have them identify two or three questions they would like to hear addressed during your presentation. By starting with an ice-breaker, you show your audience that your talk will be interactive and require their participation.

Ask the audience questions at the beginning of your speech

4. Ask the audience questions during your presentation

The audience’s attention drops to zero after just 10-15 minutes of your presentation. To get their attention back, take a break from your presentation from time to time and interact with your audience. Ask for their questions and answer them during your presentation. This will help clear up any confusion the audience might have.

When planning your presentation, identify opportunities in your material for your audience to ask questions. If you’re not comfortable breaking the flow of your presentation, mention that you’ll be taking questions at the end so the audience can prepare some questions.

Asking rhetorical questions as you move through your presentation involves your audience by stimulating their own thought processes. This technique also helps move between sections of your presentation as it establishes a clear transition from one point to another.

If you’re comfortable with taking questions throughout your presentation, use a tools such as Slido , which allows your audience to ask questions anonymously at any time, so even shy people can participate in the discussion.

Example of what can go wrong with audience interaction

Audience interaction:

Watch how the presenter tries but initially fails to get the audience to interact with the presentation. Notice how he encourages them to get involved and eventually they do join in.

5. Use storytelling to make it more memorable

Since our early ancestors, stories have always been a huge part of human culture and civilisation. Storytelling is the most universal way to captivate your audience’s attention, no matter where they are from or what they do for a living.

Stories are much more engaging and memorable than lists of facts and figures, but you wouldn’t think so looking at the majority of presentations (particularly academic ones).

People automatically tune in when you start telling your story because they want to know what happens next. A popular storytelling technique is when you present the status quo and then reveal an improved path to that end goal.

Think of your presentation as one arching narrative. As we mentioned earlier, give it the proper structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Introduce conflict and provide a powerful resolution that reinforces your key messages.

6. Use non-linear presentation software

Instead of flipping through slide after slide, you can show the relationships between your ideas and give your audience the “big picture” view of your topic. Try letting your audience drive the presentation by laying out all of your main points, and then let them choose which topics they want to go to. Your audience will get a truly custom presentation based on their interests, which they will appreciate and more easily remember.

Prezi example of non-linear presentations

Prezi, shown above, is a popular non-linear presentation tool.

7. Add in a short video

Billions of hours of YouTube are consumed each month and advertisers have identified videos as having a high retention rate for users. However very few presentations ever use videos to engage with their audience.

Find a short video clip that reinforces your story or explains a concept better than words can. You can either embed the video directly into your presentation software or include a link to an external website. Just make sure you test your method on the day of the presentation and have a backup on a USB just in case you need it.

8. Invite people onto the stage

If you’re preparing a particularly long presentation, consider having other people to come on stage and talk for a bit. This will help you narrate the story and make the whole presentation more interactive.

Steve Jobs never pulled off the entire presentation by himself; he always invited several speakers, including designers, partners, and other executives, to help him introduce their latest product. Of course, this technique should always be arranged with your colleagues in advance.

9. Poll the audience

Polls are similar to quizzes in that they engage the audience during the presentation. Polls encourage participants to think not only about your questions but also about their answers. Moreover, live polls help create mental breaks, so your audience can regain attention and stay focused throughout your presentation.

By including everyone in answering the question, you also create a group experience that leaves the audience feeling like they all have been part your presentation.

Slido example of a live poll during a presentation

10. Use (appropriate) humour

Some of the best speeches and presentations in the world feature plenty of humour. No matter the subject, a great speaker will use natural charisma, humour and language to convey their points and get the crowd excited about what they are saying.

A great example of building rapport with the audience through the use of humour is Barrack Obama talking about the government building Iron Man.

Another example is when Morgan Spurlock offers individuals the opportunity to buy the rights to name his TED talk—which he refers to again at the end, where he reveals the title. He peppers the entire presentation with humorous commentary that nonetheless supports his point.

Create relevant jokes or find a way to bring out the humour in your subject, and your audience will be much more engaged and more likely to remember your words.

11. Practice your delivery, again and again

Practicing is the most important part of delivering an interactive presentation. You’ll need to practice where to use live quizzes, when to accept questions, which points to emphasise with body language and many more. There are several options for practicing:

Practice Presentation Skills

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In front of a mirror – great for seeing and improving your body language, however it can be distracting to what you are saying.
To friends or colleagues – a useful way to get feedback on your presentation, try and action the feedback straight away to improve on it. You can also give the person some key areas to focus their feedback on if you believe you are weaker in those areas.
Virtual reality – practice in realistic public speaking environments , whether it be in a virtual conference room or boardroom. Receive feedback on your speech with voice analysis technology.

With all three of these, you’ll want to work on your tone of voice, accent, pauses between sentences and facial expressions. The most important thing is to talk slowly and loudly enough to be heard and understood clearly.

A list of the best presentation skills courses you can practice with:

Presentation Skills Training Courses

12. Try and relate to the audience

Make comparisons to events from everyday life that most people are more than familiar with. By making things look simple, not only will you help your audience get a better understanding of the subject by enabling them to visualize the information more clearly, you will also draw a connection between you.

After all, you are all just regular people with similar experience, you just happen to be performing different roles at the moment.

13. Strong body language (position, posture and gesture)

Non-verbal communication plays a large part in how we construct meaning, so it makes sense to consider how to use it in your presentation. You can make things more interesting for your audience by using your body language to enhance what you’re saying.

Body language goes beyond reinforcing your messaging – it’s useful from a biological standpoint. As discussed in her body language TED talk , Amy Cuddy’s research found that using ‘assertive’ body language released testosterone and reduced cortisol in both men and women, thereby increasing confidence and decreasing stress.

An effective presenter pays close attention to the physical relationship with her/his audience. If you stand hidden behind an overhead projector or stand too far away from your audience, they will not develop a bond with you and this will limit the effectiveness of your presentation.

Your posture will also dictate levels of audience involvement. If you’re too relaxed and sit slumped in a chair to deliver your talk, the audience might drift away. Find a comfortable but purposeful position in relation to your audience and adopt an upright sitting or standing posture that allows for movement and gesture.

Audiences respond well to the physical energy and enthusiasm being conveyed by a presenter, and thus the use of clear and controlled gestures will greatly enhance your presentation. Gestures that are open and reach out to your audience serve to extend your presentation to them and thus help them feel more involved.

Examples of good body language:

Use hand gestures when delivering key points
Use calm, deliberate movements when highlighting certain information
Keep arms and legs uncrossed

14. Maintain eye contact with all sections of the audience

Making eye contact is one of the most powerful techniques for involving your audience. If used well, eye contact can serve to make your address much more personal and thus more effective. If eye contact is avoided, the presenter can appear to be nervous and unconvincing.

It is important to share eye contact with all members of a small audience or all sections of a large audience. Avoid making eye contact with just the people you know, taking particular care not to deliver your entire presentation to the person who’s assessing your work. Remember that you will need to involve the whole audience if you are to make an effective presentation.

If you are nervous, eye contact can be very difficult to establish and maintain. Remember that some eye contact is better than none and that you should try to build your confidence over time.

15. Use live quizzes to better understand your audience

Live quizzes are a great way to understanding your audience better get them engaging with the material.

For example, if you’re giving a presentation on autonomous vehicles, you could ask questions such as:

When do you think autonomous vehicles will become mainstream?
Are you concerned by safety issues?
If someone is injured or killed by the car, who is to blame?

These will surely create some interesting results which you, as the presenter, can talk about and discuss.

16. Use physical props if possible

You don’t need to be giving a product demo to use props during your presentation. Props are a great way to help the audience visually picture what you are talking about. While talking through your presentation, you can refer to the prop at certain points to highlight your point or make it clear to the audience.

Kenny Nguyen does this will in his TEDx talk on ‘The Art of Saying No’. He refers to the “sword of yes” and “shield of no.” Naturally he picks up a sword and shield from the table to help demonstrate his points.

Another great example is when Jill Bolte Taylor brings a real human brain on stage during her TED talk to explain to what happened to her when she had a stroke. She touched the audience with this demonstration and left the audience in complete awe.

Using a brain as a physical prop during a presentation

17. Extend your usual vocal range

Your tone of voice, your volume, and other vocal aspects affect how people listen and hear your message.

Julian Treasure’s TED talk on ‘How to speak so that people want to listen’ is all about this, and at the end offers several tips ‘in our toolbox’ for how to master the use of voice, from changing your speaking pace to speaking in a different pitch.

Get feedback from a friend or colleague to see what works best for you.

18. Use language and literary techniques

Your use of language has a huge influence on the way you engage your audience. It’s important to use language your audience understands and is familiar with.

Avoid using language that is too formal or informal, too technical or too simplistic depending upon the nature of your talk and the knowledge base of your audience. Pitching your presentation at the right level can be a challenge but it is very effective for making the audience feel involved.

There are various literary techniques you can use, such as the Power or Three, to give greater impact to your message.

Involving your audience is essential to making an impact. Your presentation should pull them in, get their attention and stimulate their thoughts and understanding. This can be done in a number of ways.

The way that you plan your presentation will be critical in terms of using language and ideas that your audience will understand. You must also ensure that there is sufficient time for questions and discussion. The way that you deliver your presentation should create a bond with your audience.

Your use of eye contact, body language, spoken words and energy should communicate effectively and enthusiastically with all areas of the room, thus ensuring that the audience receives positive messages about you and your material.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

“How To” Speech Topics, Ideas & Examples

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Want to speak in front of an audience but are terrified of freezing or being boring? I know the feeling. If you’ve ever had to give a “how-to” speech, you know that it can be incredibly intimidating. It also entails coming up with how-to speech ideas and creative examples.

After all, how will they finish listening if the audience isn’t hooked by what you’re saying right away? To help ease your worries (and inspire those ideas!), here’s everything you need on “how-to” speeches: topics, samples & potential pitfalls — so read ahead!

Writing a How-to Speech

The speaker needs to consider several important factors when preparing to give a how-to speech. The how-to speech should identify the problem that needs to be resolved, explain how the problem can be fixed with a step-by-step approach, and list any potential obstacles the audience may face.

It is also important for speakers to choose how-to speech topics that are of interest or relevance to their target audience. This will ensure maximum engagement and retention throughout the speech.

How-to Speech Ideas That Are Funny

When it comes to funny “how-to” speeches, the possibilities are endless! Whether talking about how to make a perfect paper airplane or how to be the life of the party, humor can enhance your presentation and help keep your audience engaged.

Try using puns, silly props, or even anecdotes that provide insight into the process while still making people laugh. The goal is to not only impart valuable knowledge but also entertain your listener.

With some creativity, you can develop a humorous speech that achieves a comedic effect and explains its topic.

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Interesting How-to Topics

When asked to present a speech, many people immediately search for the most interesting ideas for a how-to speech. From tidying up after the biggest mess to baking a delicious cake, speeches about how to do something can be informative and entertaining.

While it may seem challenging to come up with fresh ideas, an infinite number of topics could be used. Some great suggestions include teaching viewers how to create a simple budget plan , explaining plant-based diets and their benefits, explaining how to instruct others effectively, or even how to ace an interview.

No matter what topic you go with, remember that the important thing is to be passionate and provide audiences with detailed instructions. When done correctly, choosing an interesting “how-to” topic for your speech will surely have your audience applauding in no time!

Choosing a Demonstration Speech Topic

Choosing a demonstration speech topic may seem daunting, but it can be simple and enjoyable with the right guidance. Identifying the topics appropriate for a demonstration speech is the first step in navigating this process.

Demonstration topics should be grounded in facts and provide pertinent knowledge about your expertise or interest. They should also focus on something that can be demonstrated in a tangible way, such as making a craft or performing an experiment.

Your Interests

Choosing engaging good how-to speech topics based on one’s interests can be daunting yet rewarding. Taking the time to reflect on potential topics and thinking carefully about what topics truly interest you is fundamental to assembling a captivating presentation.

As such, it is paramount to begin by reflecting upon your hobbies and leisure activity ideas that you find most intriguing, as well as any activities or tasks you feel passionate about sharing with others.

Additionally, curating ideas from other media sources, such as newspaper articles or magazines, helps provide further insight into new and novel subjects or angles that can motivate your research process.

Only through this deliberate effort to understand our interests and apply them creatively towards developing a worthwhile “how-to” speech topic can we find the contentment of presenting a presentation with which listeners will engage.

Who the Speech Is For

Choosing a “how-to” speech topic is critical in delivering an effective presentation. When selecting your topic, it’s important to keep the audience in mind.

Decide who your speech is for and make sure it is relevant to their interests. Select something specific that can benefit them or be beneficial in a general sense. Choose something the audience wants to learn about and that you are comfortable presenting. This will ensure your presentation skills are on display, as well as your knowledge about the topic.

Ensure your topic has enough depth for you to use additional research as support. This will strengthen the content of your presentation and demonstrate personal effort.

Ultimately, with careful consideration of who your speech is addressed to, you can craft a “how-to” topic that adds value both for yourself and your audience.

The Setting of the Speech

Choosing a “how-to” speech topic based on the setting of the speech is an important step in preparing for an effective presentation.

It is essential to consider the purpose of the speech, the audience’s interests and needs, and any limitations or restrictions that may be present to construct an appropriate topic and choose relevant information to include.

Anticipating questions or topics of interest related to the audience is helpful when selecting a relevant topic.

The Time You’ve Got to Prepare the Speech

Deciding on a “how-to” speech topic can be daunting. But the task becomes much more manageable, considering how much time you have to prepare for the presentation. Start by narrowing down the possibilities based on how much time you have.

If you have more time to prepare, opt for something more challenging. If you have only a short amount of time, choose a simpler topic.

Once you have determined the complexity level and estimated preparation time, consider your interests to find a topic that is both engaging to yourself and hopefully your audience.

As with any speech or presentation, researching and practicing before the actual event will greatly benefit your delivery and engagement with your audience.

Although finalizing a speech topic for a “how-to” presentation can be stressful, understanding constraints and utilizing interests will help make this process easier.

The Time You’ve Got to Give the Speech

When selecting a “how-to” speech topic, the amount of time you have to give the presentation should be considered. It is wise to carefully analyze the time frame constraints of the assignment and assess which topics can be thoroughly explored in the allocated duration.

Attempting to cover too much material within a limited timeframe may lead to rushed communication and limit your opportunity to expand on the subject matter. Instead, select a focus that allows space for further discussion but remains concise enough to explore properly within your allotted time.

It is also advantageous to choose a topic that naturally interests you. This will heighten enthusiasm and engagement throughout your presentation, thus helping create an impactful delivery. Doing so will ensure you stay on track and avoid exceeding the assigned timeframe.

The Guidelines for Assessment

When choosing a “how-to” speech topic, it is important to ensure that the topic meets all of the guidelines for assessment. It is a good idea to consider current and relevant topics, informative, interesting, and new, demonstrating the speaker’s understanding of their subject matter.

Choosing a topic with an appropriate difficulty level can help ensure that your speech will be comprehensive and engaging for your audience.

Demonstrative Speech Topics

Selecting topics for speeches comes down to choosing something you both know and can present effectively. As you brainstorm possible show-and-tell ideas, narrow the topics until you arrive at one that is interesting to you and your audience and fulfills all criteria needed for an effective demonstration presentation.

Once you’ve chosen a successful topic, preparing the speech will become much simpler, allowing you to demonstrate confidently and successfully.

Here are some easy demonstrative speech ideas for how-to.

Animals/Pets

Giving a speech to educate an audience about how to care for animals/pets can be an enriching experience.

It is important to research and thoroughly understand the topic to provide the audience with accurate and applicable information. This will entail researching different animal species and their specific characteristics, needs, and behaviors.

Moreover, ample time must be allocated for preparation so all aspects of proper pet-keeping can be explained clearly and confidently.

Topics ideas could range from a persuasive speech on how to pick the best breed to an informative speech on pet health.

Gardens/Yards

Talking about creating and maintaining a garden or a yard requires proper preparation to ensure that the information relayed is accurate and beneficial. Researching various gardening elements beforehand will provide a strong base for discerning audiences to build on.

Be sure to present topics such as plant selection, design ideas, pest prevention, watering methods, and other environmental factors in an organized fashion that is easy for your listeners to follow.

Offering clear instructions throughout the speech with examples showing the steps in action can help ensure that your audience walks away feeling confident about their newly acquired knowledge.

Topics could cover how to identify poisonous plants, how to get rid of garden pests, how to make an indoor herb garden, and even how to make garden art.

To give an effective “how-to” speech about crafts, the speaker should start by introducing themselves and properly framing the topic. They should provide a brief overview of what the audience will learn in their presentation and then begin with the most basic information, slowly building up to more complex concepts.

Crafting often has visual aid speech topics. At every stage of presenting, visuals should be provided for illustration. Visuals could range from diagrams or step-by-step photographs showing how a craft is made to video or actual physical models.

Once all of this information has been presented, the speaker should summarize the key points covered and allow time for questions from the audience before concluding their presentation.

Games/Sports

Giving a “how-to” speech about games/sports is an excellent way to share knowledge and teach important concepts. It requires the speaker to do comprehensive research and prepare in advance.

To give an effective “how-to” speech, start by introducing the game/sport accurately and make sure to tailor the presentation for your specific audience. Additionally, focus on one topic at a time, explain each step with vivid examples, and use visuals like charts or diagrams if possible.

Once you have covered all steps necessary for playing the game/sport, end the speech concisely and provide resources that can be used after the presentation.

Topics here could range from how to perfect your golf swing to even how to teach basketball.

Food And More

Delivering a successful “how-to” speech about food and drinks requires careful preparation. First, it is important to do research on the topic so that you have an understanding of the background information.

Once this has been accomplished, the next step should be to focus on a specific field within the topic and craft your presentation around this selected focus. Be sure to collect illustrations, charts, or photographs relevant to your chosen material, as these visual elements can make all the difference in bringing your words to life.

How to Structure a How-to Speech

Structuring a “how-to” speech can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Firstly, you should brainstorm the steps needed to accomplish your desired outcome with as much detail as possible. Secondly, organize the steps in chronological order.

This will give the rhythm of your speech a natural flow. Then, begin by introducing yourself and the topic by providing background information on why it is important.

Following completion of the step-by-step instructions, summarize what was just explained and explain why it matters in general terms. Finally, address any foreseeable issues and offer solutions to avoid them.

How-to Speech Template

A “how-to” speech template is an effective method to prepare a speech. This is especially useful when speaking on topics that may be largely unfamiliar to the audience, as it provides a straightforward structure for organizing the material.

The basic format of this type of speech involves:

Introducing the topic.
Describing the purpose and benefits of knowing more about it.
Decomposing the subject matter into easily digestible sections.
Concluding with a summary and reflection on what has been covered.

Additionally, including visual aids and personal anecdotes can further add interest and clarity to speeches, helping ensure everyone remains engaged throughout the presentation. Use this blank demonstration speech outline to craft your own any time!

To Sum It Up

Giving a great how-to speech is mostly about choosing the right topic. As how-to speeches often require visuals such as PowerPoint slides and handouts, these should be reviewed pre-speech to guarantee smooth delivery during the presentation itself. Speaking confidently and clearly while allowing time for questions and feedback is also essential in delivering an effective how-to speech.

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25+ Informative Speech Topics To Engage Your Audience

The Speaker Lab
September 1, 2024

A well-chosen topic is key. Not only does it hook your audience from the start, but it also ensures they’ll remember what you said long after. With so many possibilities, however, where do you even begin? Picking a speech topic can be difficult, but if you’re looking for informative speech topics , look no further. We’ve compiled a list of informative speech topics spanning a wide range of categories, from technology and social media to psychology and mental health. Each one has been chosen carefully so that your audience will learn loads while staying entertained. Whether you’re passionate about green living or sports, there’s a topic out there that’ll catch your attention and spark conversations.

What is an Informative Speech?

The main goal of an informative speech is to educate your audience about a specific subject. Accordingly, you want to present the information in a way that’s easy to understand and remember. Depending on your topic and goal, you can choose to speak on objects, processes, events, or concepts. Whatever type of informative speech you choose, just make sure it aligns with your audience’s interests and needs.

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Key Elements of an Informative Speech

To deliver an effective informative speech, there are a few key elements to keep in mind:

Choose a clear, specific topic
Conduct thorough research using credible sources
Organize your speech in a logical, easy-to-follow structure
Use engaging language and delivery techniques
Conclude with a strong summary of your main points

By incorporating these elements into your speech writing process, you’ll be well on your way to delivering an informative and memorable speech.

How to Choose an Informative Speech Topic

Now that you know the basics of informative speeches, it’s time to choose your topic. But with so many options out there, where do you even begin? Don’t stress—we’ve got some tips to help you narrow down your choices and find the perfect informative speech topic.

Brainstorming Ideas

The first step in choosing a topic is to brainstorm potential ideas. Think about your interests, hobbies, and areas of expertise. What topics do you find fascinating? What do you want to learn more about? Jot down any and all ideas that come to mind, no matter how silly or far-fetched they may seem. After all, you never know what might spark inspiration for a great speech topic.

Narrowing Down Your Options

Once you have a list of potential topics, it’s time to start narrowing them down. Consider factors like the length of your speech, your audience’s interests and background knowledge, and the amount of research required for each topic.

Try to choose a topic that’s specific enough to cover in depth, but not so narrow that you’ll struggle to find enough information. And don’t be afraid to think outside the box—sometimes the most unique and creative informative speech topics are the most engaging.

Considering Your Audience

Your audience should always be at the forefront of your mind when choosing a speech topic. What do they want to learn about? What will capture their attention and keep them engaged? Consider factors like age, background, and interests when selecting your topic. You want to choose something that will resonate with your audience and leave them feeling informed and inspired.

Researching Your Topic

Once you’ve settled on a topic, it’s time to start researching. Look for credible sources like academic journals, reputable news outlets, and expert interviews to gather information and statistics. As you research, take notes and organize your findings into an outline. This will help you structure your speech and ensure you cover all the key points. Remember, the more knowledgeable you are about your topic, the more confident and engaging you’ll be when delivering your speech. So don’t skimp on the research phase.

Informative Speech Topics About Education

Education is a topic that affects us all, making it a great choice for an informative speech. Whether you’re passionate about bilingual education, curious about the pros and cons of online classes, or interested in the importance of physical education, there are plenty of angles to explore.

Some potential education-related informative speech topics include:

The history of education in America
The benefits and challenges of homeschooling
The role of technology in modern education
The importance of early childhood education
The debate over standardized testing in schools

No matter which topic you choose, make sure to back up your points with research and statistics. And don’t be afraid to share your own experiences and opinions. After all, an informative speech is a great opportunity to educate and inspire your audience.

Psychology and Mental Health Informative Speech Topics

When it comes to informative speech topics about psychology and mental health, there’s no shortage of fascinating subjects to explore. From the inner workings of the human mind to the impact of mental well-being on our daily lives, this field offers a wealth of insights and discoveries. For instance, did you know that regular exercise can have a profound effect on our psychological well-being ? Studies have shown that physical activity can help reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, while also boosting self-esteem and cognitive function. If topics like these interest you, then you may consider giving an informative speech on psychology and mental health.

The Mind-Body Connection

The mind-body connection is another topic that’s ripe for exploration in an informative speech. Our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs can have a powerful impact on our physical health, and vice versa. For example, chronic stress has been linked to a range of health problems, from heart disease to digestive issues. Meanwhile, embracing activities such as mindfulness or meditating brings with it perks aplenty. Bettering our brains alongside our bodies is only the start.

Of course, no discussion of psychology would be complete without delving into the complexities of human behavior. When you look at the way we build friendships or decide what’s next, there’s always something new and exciting to talk about. Wondering what to discuss? We’ve got a handful of killer suggestions ready for your upcoming presentation.

The psychology of persuasion
The impact of birth order on personality
The science of habit formation
The role of empathy in social interactions

Informative Speech Topics on Social Issues and Human Rights

Social issues and human rights are another rich source of informative speech topics. Not only are they relevant, but these topics are also great at keeping your audience hooked.

One topic that’s been in the spotlight in recent years is the impact of social media on our lives. While platforms like Facebook and Twitter have undoubtedly brought people together in new ways, they’ve also raised concerns about privacy, addiction, and the spread of misinformation. An informative speech on this topic might explore the pros and cons of social media use, as well as strategies for using these platforms in a healthy and responsible way.

Another pressing social issue is the ongoing fight for human rights around the world. Countries around the world have countless stories of courage and resilience just waiting to be told. So if you’re wondering what to discuss, take a look at these suggestions.

The history of the civil rights movement
The impact of gender discrimination on women’s lives
The challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers
The role of activism in promoting social change

Technology and Social Media Informative Speech Topics

Technology and social media are transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. As a result, these topics offer endless possibilities for informative speeches that educate and inspire.

One recent technological development has been the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). From self-driving cars to personalized medicine, AI is poised to revolutionize nearly every aspect of our lives. If you chose to do an informative speech on AI, you could weigh the good against the bad—what amazing things AI can do for us and where it might trip us up.

Diving into another area, let’s talk about social media. In addition to the impact of social media on our personal lives, there’s also the question of how these platforms are shaping our political discourse and our society as a whole. Wondering what to discuss? We’ve got a handful of killer suggestions ready for your upcoming presentation.

The role of social media in political campaigns
The impact of online echo chambers on public opinion
The ethics of social media data collection and use
The potential for social media to promote social change

Environmental and Sustainability Informative Speech Topics

Environmental issues and sustainability are some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today. From climate change to plastic pollution, you’re never out of options for stirring speeches.

Climate change is, of course, a particularly urgent environmental topic. The scientific consensus is clear: By living the way we currently do, we’re pushing our planet’s temperature higher alarmingly quick, putting everything and everyone at risk. An informative speech on this topic might explore the causes and effects of climate change, as well as the steps we can take to mitigate its impact.

Other potential informative speech topics related to the environment and sustainability might include:

The benefits of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power
The impact of deforestation on biodiversity and climate change
The problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways
The role of sustainable agriculture in feeding a growing population

No matter which topic you choose, an informative speech on psychology, social issues, technology, or the environment has the power to educate, inspire, and motivate your audience to take action. Dive into topics deeply and share what you find to spark change one reader at a time.

Unique and Creative Informative Speech Topics

Looking for a speech topic that’s a little out of the ordinary? Something that will really make your audience sit up and take notice? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Choosing a unique or creative topic is a surefire way to make your informative speech memorable. It’s a chance to showcase your personality and interests while still delivering valuable information. In addition, it’s just more fun to research and write about something a little offbeat. Below are a few creative ideas to get you going.

Unusual holidays and festivals around the world
The history and science behind a common food item (like chocolate or coffee)
How a popular board game or toy is made
The life and accomplishments of a little-known historical figure
The psychology of optical illusions and how they trick our brains

The key is to find a topic that piques your curiosity and hasn’t been done to death. Dig deep into your hobbies, passions, and areas of expertise. Chances are, there’s a fascinating informative speech topic hiding in there somewhere. In fact, some of the best informative speeches are the ones that take a familiar topic and approach it from a completely new angle. For example, instead of giving a generic speech about the importance of recycling, you could focus on the surprising ways recycled materials are used in fashion or art.

The possibilities are endless. With a little creativity and research, you can craft a truly unique informative speech that will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

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Tips for Delivering an Engaging Informative Speech

You’ve chosen the perfect informative speech topic, done your research, and written a great speech outline . Now comes the hard part: actually delivering the speech in front of an audience. Don’t worry, though, because we have your back.

Giving a great speech is all about preparation and practice. The more comfortable you are with your material, the more confident and engaging you’ll be on stage. Here are a few tips to help you deliver an informative speech that will keep your audience hooked from beginning to end.

Organizing Your Speech

The structure of your speech is just as important as the content itself. A well-organized informative speech has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start with an attention-grabbing introduction that previews your main points. Use the body of your speech to dive deeper into each point, using examples and stories to illustrate your ideas. Finally, wrap things up with a memorable conclusion that reinforces your key takeaways.

Using Visual Aids

Visual aids like slides, charts, or props can be a great way to enhance your informative speech and make complex topics more accessible. Just be sure to use them sparingly and strategically. Too many visuals can be distracting, so choose ones that really drive home your main points. And always have a backup plan in case of technical difficulties.

Connecting with Your Audience

At the end of the day, the goal of any informative speech is to educate and engage your audience. To do that, you need to find ways to make your topic relatable and relevant to their lives. Use examples and anecdotes that resonate with their experiences. Make eye contact, smile, and use gestures to convey your enthusiasm for the subject. And don’t be afraid to inject a little humor or personality into your delivery.

Practicing and Refining Your Delivery

The old saying “practice makes perfect” definitely applies to public speaking . The more you rehearse your informative speech, the more natural and polished your delivery will become. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself on video, or grab a friend to be your audience. Pay attention to your pacing, clarity, and body language . And don’t forget to time yourself to make sure you’re staying within the allotted time limit.

Remember, delivering a great informative speech is a skill that anyone can learn with a little practice and preparation. So take a deep breath, trust in your abilities, and go out there and crush it.

FAQs About Informative Speech Topics

What are the 5 useful topics of an informative speech.

Consider technology trends, mental health awareness, climate change impacts, historical events analysis, and modern educational methods for engaging speeches.

What is a good informative speech?

A good one dives deep into facts and insights without trying to sway opinions. It’s clear, precise, and keeps listeners hooked.

What is an appropriate topic for an informative speech about a concept?

The evolution of artificial intelligence presents a rich ground to explore concepts ranging from ethics to its societal impact.

Which topic is best for speech?

Pick something you’re passionate about. If it sparks your interest, chances are high it’ll engage your audience too.

To truly master an informative speech, you have to get excited about your chosen subject. Spend ample time researching every nook and cranny then wrap it up by enthralling everyone through compelling narratives peppered with interesting tidbits. Use the informative speech topics we’ve shared with you and you’re all set to create a presentation that not only shares knowledge but also keeps your audience hooked and leaves them thinking.

So, whether you’re a student, professional speaker, or simply looking to enhance your public speaking skills, embrace the power of informative speeches. Choose a topic that ignites your curiosity, and watch as your words inspire and educate others.

Last Updated: August 28, 2024

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10 Hilarious and Engaging Funny Speech Topics for Your Next Presentation

Crafting a presentation that sticks in the minds of your audience can be quite the challenge, right? Believe me, I know the struggle all too well. However, after pouring over more than 510 funny speech topics , I stumbled upon a comedy goldmine that’s sure to captivate any crowd .

This article is your ticket to selecting side-splitting and memorable topics guaranteed to keep your audience hooked. Brace yourself for an entertaining ride filled with laughter !

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Choosing funny speech topics keeps your audience interested , builds trust, and reduces tension . It makes complex ideas easier to understand and the presentation more memorable.
Relatable content connects directly with your audience. For high school or university settings, consider common experiences like navigating social media or balancing school and personal life.
Practice delivering your speech with effective timing and body language . Record yourself to improve delivery, use pauses for emphasis, and vary your tone to keep listeners engaged.
Personal stories make speeches engaging. Share amusing anecdotes from your own life to connect with the audience and make them laugh.
Understand who you are speaking to. Choose topics that match the interests of beginners in public speaking as well as seasoned audiences looking for humor in presentations.

Why Use Funny Speech Topics?

Using funny speech topics keeps your audience entertained and reduces tension, making your presentation more engaging. It also builds trust and creates relatable content for your listeners to connect with.

Keeps audience interested

Choosing funny speech topics is a smart move to keep your audience glued to your presentation. Humor breaks the ice and pulls listeners in, making them eager for what comes next. I learned the hard way that dry, dull topics lose audiences fast.

But when I threw in jokes or picked amusing speech topics, people perked up. They laughed, engaged more , and even asked questions after my talks.

One thing’s clear: everyone loves to laugh . It makes complex ideas easier to grasp and messages more memorable . During my Toastmasters days , I saw firsthand how laughter could transform an average presentation into a standout one.

Now, with over 510 hilarious and engaging funny speech topics available, choosing content that tickles everyone’s funny bone is easier than ever. This approach not only captivates attention but also turns potentially snooze-worthy sessions into lively discussions.

Builds trust

Using humor in speeches can build trust by creating a more relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere . This allows the audience to see your authentic personality , making them feel connected and comfortable with you as a speaker.

Funny speech topics also demonstrate that you are confident and capable of engaging people beyond just delivering information.

Humor in speeches builds trust by creating an enjoyable atmosphere and demonstrating confidence in engaging audiences authentically through lighthearted content .

Reduces tension

By incorporating humor into your speech, you can lighten the atmosphere and make the audience feel more relaxed. This can help to alleviate any nervousness or tension that may be present in the room.

Using funny speech topics allows you to connect with your audience on a more personal level, making it easier for them to engage with your presentation .

Incorporating lighthearted content into your speech helps to reduce tension and anxiety among your listeners, creating a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. It also demonstrates your ability to connect with others through humor , making you appear relatable and approachable as a speaker.

Relatable content

Relatable content in your speech topics can connect directly with your audience , making them feel understood and engaged. When choosing funny speech topics for high school or university settings, consider common experiences that students can relate to, such as navigating social media pressures or the challenges of balancing school and personal life .

For presentations in corporate settings, incorporating humorous anecdotes about everyday office scenarios can make your speech more relatable and enjoyable. Remember to tap into universal experiences and observations that will resonate with your audience, creating a shared sense of humor.

When crafting impromptu or short speeches, think about relatable content that everyone can identify with quickly. Imparting amusing perspectives on daily occurrences like commuting mishaps or funny family dynamics will captivate the audience’s attention from the start.

Fun Speech Topics for Various Settings

Fun speech topics for different situations can make your presentation more enjoyable and engaging. Explore the best humorous speech ideas to captivate your audience’s attention.

High school

High school can be nerve-wracking, but funny speech topics can make it fun. Choose light-hearted subjects students can relate to. Topics such as “Why Homework Should Be Banned” or “The Unwritten Rules of High School Cafeteria” work well.

Keep it relatable and enjoyable for your classmates.

Encourage participation: engage with the audience by involving them in your stories. Use humor and anecdotes that everyone can connect with. This will ensure a lively and entertaining presentation, setting you up for success in front of your peers.

When it comes to addressing a university audience , using humorous speech topics can be a great way to captivate the attention of students and professors alike. Entertaining presentation topics tailored towards college settings include light-hearted and amusing subjects that resonate with the academic environment .

It’s not merely about delivering information but also about keeping everyone engaged through humor. 510 funny speech topics designed for educational settings are available, making it easier for speakers to choose an appropriate and enjoyable subject for their presentations.

With tips on how to select a fun topic and deliver it effectively, crafting an entertaining university presentation becomes less daunting.

Presentations

When it comes to presentations, using funny speech topics can keep your audience engaged and entertained. Whether it’s a high school project or a corporate presentation, incorporating humor can make your speech more relatable and enjoyable.

Myassignmenthelp.com offers over 400 funny presentation topics for you to choose from, ensuring that you can add lightheartedness to any speaking engagement . Remember, understanding your audience and practicing the delivery of jokes or anecdotes is crucial in making your humorous presentation effective.

Argumentative

When crafting an argumentative funny speech, it’s important to pick a topic that sparks debate and generates laughter. A good humorous argument needs to be light-hearted yet thought-provoking , inviting the audience to see things from a different perspective while enjoying the humor.

Some fun ideas for argumentative speeches could include debating whether cats or dogs make better pets, or if pizza should be considered a breakfast food. Choosing these kinds of topics can lead to lively discussions and keep your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

Now let’s move on to “ Persuasive ” speech topics.

When crafting a persuasive speech , remember to choose a topic that resonates with your audience and appeals to their emotions. Incorporate humor and light-hearted elements in your speech to keep the audience engaged.

Share relatable anecdotes or real-life examples to support your points, making it easier for your listeners to connect with your message.

Use body language and vocal intonation effectively to emphasize key points and create an impactful delivery. Additionally, maintain eye contact with the audience and exude confidence while delivering your speech.

Practice beforehand to ensure a smooth flow of ideas and an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression on your listeners.

Impromptu speech topics can be challenging, but they’re essential for building confidence and adaptability. They help you think on your feet and communicate effectively in unexpected situations .

These impromptu speeches are usually short, lasting 1-3 minutes or up to 7-10 minutes if given a little more time. Think of everyday scenarios, such as describing the contents of your bag or talking about your favorite hobby.

These quick-witted speeches require spontaneity and creativity to keep the audience engaged.

Remember that impromptu speeches are spontaneous opportunities to showcase your speaking skills without any prior preparation. Whether it’s at school, work, or other public settings, being able to respond confidently and humorously is an invaluable skill that will make you stand out as a speaker .

Short speeches (1-3 minutes, 4-6 minutes, 7-10 minutes)

Crafting short speeches requires focused content to engage audiences quickly. Here are some engaging and amusing topics for your next presentation, tailored according to the length of your speech:

1-3 minutes :
How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee
The Benefits of Laughter in Daily Life
Hilarious Dating Disasters : Lessons Learned
4-6 minutes :
Embracing Failure : Turning Setbacks into Success
The Art of Storytelling : Captivating Your Audience
Mastering the Art of Sarcasm : A Survival Guide
7-10 minutes :
Overcoming Stage Fright : Embracing the Spotlight
The Power of Positivity : Changing Your Mindset, Changing Your Life
Unleashing Creativity : Finding Inspiration in Everyday Moments

Tips for Choosing and Writing a Hilarious Speech

Understand your audience before writing.

Incorporate personal experiences and funny anecdotes or jokes.

Understand the audience

When crafting a speech, it’s crucial to understand the audience’s interests and preferences . For public speaking beginners, it’s essential to choose engaging and relatable topics that resonate with their experiences and humor.

Public speaking novices often appreciate light-hearted and amusing subjects that can help ease any nervousness or tension. Engaging presentation topics for beginners should be easy to comprehend, entertaining, and relevant to their everyday lives.

By keeping the audience in mind, speakers can tailor their content to ensure maximum engagement and enjoyment from the listeners.

Understanding your audience helps create a connection through shared experiences or common interests . For those new to public speaking, choosing funny speech topics that align with the audience’s sensibilities is key to capturing their attention.

Use personal experiences

During my time in graduate school, I had to give a presentation on a lighthearted topic. I chose to talk about the struggles of learning how to swim as an adult and incorporated some humorous incidents from my own experience.

Sharing personal stories not only made the audience laugh but also helped me feel more connected with them. Using personal experiences can make your speech relatable and engaging for the audience .

When crafting a funny speech, think about a moment from your life that can be turned into an amusing anecdote or story . It could be something embarrassing, challenging, or simply hilarious that you are comfortable sharing with others.

Incorporate funny anecdotes or jokes

When crafting a speech, sprinkling in some funny anecdotes or jokes can keep your audience engaged and entertained. I often mix in personal experiences or humorous stories to add flavor to my presentations.

For example, when discussing the importance of staying confident during public speaking, I once shared a lighthearted anecdote about the time I accidentally called my teacher “mom” in front of the entire class – it had everyone laughing and made them feel more at ease.

Remembering to keep it relatable and light-hearted is essential for all speakers looking to make their speech memorable.

Funny anecdotes not only alleviate tension but also create an environment where everyone feels included . They help connect with different types of audiences, whether they are high school students or corporate professionals.

Practice delivery and timing

When practicing your speech, record yourself and listen back to improve delivery. Use pauses effectively for emphasis and timing. Vary your tone to keep the audience engaged. Rehearse in front of a friend for feedback on pacing and humor delivery .

Now let’s explore some fun speech topics for different settings.

Additional Resources

Looking for more resources to level up your speaking skills? Check out our wealth of commemorative speech topics, fun essay ideas, and funny informative speech options. Need guidance on keeping any speech entertaining and engaging? Our FAQ section will provide all the info you need!

372 commemorative speech topics

Crafting a compelling speech is essential to keep the audience engaged and amused. To help you with this, here are 372 commemorative speech topics for your consideration:

How to honor and commemorate historical figures
Celebrating achievements of influential leaders
Paying tribute to revolutionary inventions and discoveries
Commemorating significant events in history
Remembering and honoring war heroes and veterans
Celebrating the impact of cultural icons
Commemorating milestones in science and technology
Honoring contributions of literary legends
Recognizing humanitarian efforts and philanthropic individuals
Memorializing important moments in sports history

And many more topics encompassing various aspects of commemoration for you to explore!

406 fun essay topics

When selecting fun essay topics , consider the interests and humor of your audience. Here are some exciting and amusing ideas to consider:

The impact of pet shaming on animal behavior
How to survive a zombie apocalypse using only office supplies
The life lessons learned from talking to animals
The challenges of being a superhero in a normal world
A day in the life of a talking parrot
Why cats make better roommates than dogs
The benefits of having a personal cloud that rains candy
How aliens would react to human social media trends
The secret lives of inanimate objects at home
Explaining complex adult problems to children

Now, let’s explore how these fun topics can be adapted for different types of presentations!

420 funny speech topics

Are you ready for some fun speech topics? Here are 420 hilarious and engaging ideas to keep your audience entertained and amused:

Awkward first date experiences
The most embarrassing moments in my life
How to survive a zombie apocalypse
If animals could talk, what would they say?
The art of procrastination : A beginner’s guide
Ridiculous fashion trends throughout history
An ode to bad hair days
The science of why we love cheesy jokes
Why cats are secretly plotting to take over the world
Life advice from a five-year-old

And many more await you for your next presentation or public speaking engagement!

Tips for making any speech fun

Engage your audience by infusing humor into your speech.

Use relatable content to connect with the audience.
Incorporate funny anecdotes or jokes to lighten the mood and keep everyone entertained.
Practice delivery and timing to ensure your comedic elements land well.
Understand your audience’s sense of humor and tailor your speech accordingly.
Share personal experiences that can bring a smile to your listeners’ faces.

Now, let’s explore how you can turn any speech into an engaging and amusing experience for your audience.

FAQ on funny informative speech topics

Thinking of incorporating humor into your next speech? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about using funny informative speech topics:

How do I choose the right funny topic for my speech?

When selecting a funny informative speech topic, consider your audience and the occasion. Choose a subject that you find humorous and that resonates with your audience.

Should I incorporate personal experiences into my funny speech?

Yes, sharing personal anecdotes or experiences can make your speech more relatable and engaging for your audience.

What if I’m not naturally funny?

You don’t have to be a professional comedian. Simply finding light-hearted and amusing subjects to discuss can help infuse humor into your presentation.

How can I ensure that my humor is appropriate for my audience?

Understanding your audience’s preferences and cultural sensitivities will help you gauge what type of humor will be well-received.

Is it okay to use visual aids or props for added humor in my speech?

Absolutely! Visual aids, props, or even short video clips can add an extra layer of entertainment to your presentation.

What if my humorous material falls flat?

Not every joke will hit the mark, but acknowledging the moment with grace and moving on is key to keeping the audience engaged and entertained.

Can I use funny informative speech topics in serious settings, such as at work or during formal presentations?

Certainly! Appropriately timed humor can break tension and captivate your audience, making it suitable even for serious settings.

Are there resources available for finding more funny informative speech topics?

Yes! There are numerous online resources offering collections of hilarious and engaging speech topics designed to entertain various audiences.

How can I practice delivering funny speeches effectively?

Rehearse your timing, delivery, and punchlines while seeking feedback from friends or colleagues before presenting in front of a live audience.

Are there any tips for overcoming stage fright when delivering humorous speeches?

Embracing nervousness as part of the experience and trusting in your preparation can help alleviate stage fright when delivering a comical presentation.

Ryan Nelson is the founder of Speak2Impress, a platform dedicated to helping individuals master the art of public speaking. Despite having a crippling fear of public speaking for many years, Ryan overcame his anxiety through diligent practice and active participation in Toastmasters. Now residing in New York City, he is passionate about sharing his journey and techniques to empower others to speak with confidence and clarity.

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14 Tips On How To Improve Speaking Skills (Speak Like A Pro!)

If you feel nervous or flustered when it’s your time to talk, use these actionable practices to be more articulate and well-spoken in the workplace and beyond.

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Whether you’re chatting with coworkers at lunch, having an important conversation with your boss, or giving a big presentation, speaking with confidence and charisma can transform your daily life.

Research shows that communication skills are strong predictors of your success in the workplace and relationships . Yet, so many people still struggle with verbally expressing themselves. Excellent speakers benefit from:

Improved communication
Getting their ideas heard
Earning more respect
Being interrupted less
Having more loyal and deep connections
Not being underestimated or overlooked

If you are hesitating or flustered when it’s your turn to talk, here are 14 actionable tips for improving your speaking skills.

Watch our video below to learn powerful presentation skills in person, on video, and in meetings:

How to Improve Speaking Skills at Work and Beyond: 14 Action-Packed Tips

Most kids learn to talk around 1 to 2 years old, but learning to express yourself verbally is a lifelong learning experience. You can excel in your career and get what you want by mastering the art of talking.

Many tools are available to improve your speech, whether you’re a native speaker or an English learner. Here are the top 14 science-backed ways to speak better:

#1 Stay in your zone of genius (only talk about what you know)

You may notice that the most professional-sounding people tend to stay in their zone of genius when speaking publicly. You won’t hear Oprah pretending she’s an expert in electric cars. Nor will you hear Elon Musk advising about spirituality and personal development.

They both stay in their realms of expertise, which naturally makes them sound confident when they speak. They’re not faking it— they know what they’re talking about!

If you struggle to speak with conviction, you may inadvertently talk about topics you don’t know much about. Instead, focus on your zone of genius.

Your zone of genius is the mental space where your skills and interests converge .

It includes the subjects, facts, and stories you know the most about. These things are easy for you to talk about with others because you’re knowledgeable and passionate about them.

Avoid talking off the cuff about topics you’re not familiar with. Not only does this make you sound uninformed or untrustworthy, but it can send off the message that you are a “know-it-all.”

Masterful conversationalists are usually not afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Similarly, a public speaker won’t add random facts or opinions that they can’t back up with authentic knowledge on the topic.

Pro tip: Not a master in your subject? No worries! Most people have limited knowledge in a particular field. Try learning from the Three Book Rule, which states that if you read 3 books on a specific topic (for example, tennis), you’ll be more knowledgeable than 99% of the population.

#2 Read books or articles out loud

Reading is one of the most underrated tools for becoming a great speaker. It can make you sound more articulate and smooth in your speech. Plus, you learn new vocabulary and better comprehend the book in the process.

Unlike conversations or spoken speeches, written text tends to have a better structure for learning, as authors and editors have worked together to keep the text free of grammatical errors or awkward sentences. Reading books aloud helps you learn to speak more smoothly in day-to-day conversations.

Repeat this exercise at least once per week (or every night before bed if you’re determined):

Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
Choose a book you enjoy, flip to a random page, or continue reading where you left off.
Read the page out loud from start to end.
Take note of words you had trouble pronouncing or sentences that sounded awkward out loud. Notice how fast or slow you read and the tone of your voice. Depending on the character’s speaking, you can also practice changing your voice if you’re reading fiction. This can help you practice vocal variety.
Look up the pronunciation of specific words if needed.
Now read the page or passage out loud again. Change your performance based on what you noticed in the first round. Emphasize important points with a shift in volume or inflection (highness or lowness of your voice)
Optionally, use voice memos on your phone to record yourself reading.
Listen back to your recordings and find places where your inflection, cadence (the rhythm of speech), and volume change. Do these align with the overall message of the piece?

If you feel unsure about reading aloud, try listening to audiobook samples to hear how different speakers recite written words. You can also use a free resource like Librivox to listen to free audiobooks.

#3 Use tongue twisters to practice enunciation

Mumbling speech can make it challenging to understand what you’re saying. When people mumble, it sends the message that they don’t want to be heard or feel embarrassed by their speech. On the other hand, people who enunciate their words are seen as more intelligent.

Eloquent speaking is undoubtedly an art, but it starts with the simple act of training your mouth to move in a certain way. Those silly tongue twisters from your childhood can be surprisingly useful. Repeating related sounds can improve your English speaking skills and articulation of specific words.

Repeat these 10 times each or until you can say them over and over without fumbling:

Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather.
Sally sells shells by the seashore.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York.
I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.

Use tongue twisters regularly and as a vocal warm-up before you do a lot of talking.

Bonus Tip: Learn the Art of Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally.

Watch our video below to learn the 7 steps to overcome stage fright and beat performance anxiety:

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

How to make a first impression with an audience
How to have stage presence
Powerful body language
How to speak with a commanding voice
What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign-up for our course…

Master Your People Skills

Create a Memorable Presence
Communicate with Confidence
Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

#4 Talk to yourself

One of the easiest ways to step into your power as a speaker is to start talking to yourself. People often dismiss those who talk to themselves as crazy when, in reality, talking to yourself is entirely normal.

Scientists have found that talking to yourself is beneficial for enhancing your performance in sports, finding things you lost, and solving problems. A practice called mirror meditation combines neuroscience and self-reflection to overcome insecurities like physical appearance and public speaking.

You can use self-talk with or without a mirror to achieve two primary goals:

Build your confidence : Psychologists say that talking to yourself in a mirror can help externalize your inner dialogue and sort through your thoughts. Speaking positive things to your reflection is a form of positive affirmation. For example, you can calm your nerves before talking to someone important by telling your reflection, “You’ve got this! You are well-spoken, eloquent, and powerful with your words. You’re going to rock this conversation. I love you.” You don’t necessarily have to say these things out loud, but you want to signal to your mind that you are your number one fan (and you should be!).
Rehearse before big moments (and sort through your thoughts) : For example, you can rehearse what you’ll say to your boss while you’re driving in the car on your way to work. Don’t worry about acting looking weird—nobody will be able to hear you. Use verbal recitation to gather your thoughts, so you can repeat the key points you want to discuss in the meeting. Similarly, before a big speech, you may want to walk around your room and go over a speech script in your head or out loud.

Both methods can work synergistically to improve your speaking skills drastically. But the most important thing to remember about self-talk is: Avoid talking to yourself negatively whenever possible , especially before a critical communication event like a meeting, presentation, or important lunch.

Listen to your internal voice and avoid internal statements like:

“You sound stupid.”
“I am horrible at public speaking.”
“Your voice sounds embarrassing.”
“You idiot, get it out already.”

Replacing negative self-talk takes practice. Replace critical self-talk with positive affirmations ( here are 120 great ones ) and learn more about silencing your inner critic so you can feel more confident in your speech.

#5 Learn from the best (& mimic them)

Humans are psychologically programmed to mimic each other. Mirror neurons are primal “monkey see, monkey do” parts of our brain that imitate the actions we see in other people. They explain why babies naturally smile when you smile or why you can learn to swim by watching others move in the water.

Recent research has also revealed how these neurons are critical for learning language and communicating with others. You can even “hack” your mirror neurons to help you become a better speaker. Think about the best speakers you know and try a few of these simple practices to pick up on their best qualities:

Watch a video of your favorite speaker three times in a row. Notice their tone of voice, stature, and vocal quirks. Learn a few sentences from the speech and try to re-enact them in a mirror. For example, if you want to mimic the conversational yet profound tone of Denzel Washington, watch this video of his speech at a graduation:

Pretend you’re an actor and recite lines from a movie character you like. You can find specific scenes from movies on YouTube. Analyze how the script structure impacts your feelings about that character’s confidence and self-expression.
Listen to a podcast of someone you admire and repeat things they say out loud. Podcasters are great speakers because they only have their voice to capture your attention. For example, Rob Dial of The Mindset Mentor is authentic, empowering, and energizing podcaster who speaks directly to the audience’s needs.

Pro Tip : Speech mimicry helps you learn to speak more confidently in public or on stage, but remember to stay true to your unique qualities. You don’t want to copy other people’s words, or you will be inauthentic. Instead, take note of the specific qualities you want to adopt—such as a deeper voice, a slower pace of speaking, or a particular type of vocabulary—and integrate these into your existing communication style.

#6 Always remember your MVP

An MVP isn’t just the star of a sports team. It’s the Most Valuable Point you need to make in any communication setting. If everything else you say was forgotten, what is one sentence that gets your point across?

Before you go into a meeting with your team, give a speech, or check in with your boss, think about your MVP. For example,

I’m going into this check-in with my boss to ask for a raise of X dollars.
I want to sit down with my significant other tonight and resolve our miscommunication about X.
My main goal for today’s work lunch is to get to know 3 new things about each of my colleagues.
The key purpose of this article is to help people improve their speaking skills in various settings.

Regardless of the communication setting, an MVP gives purpose to your words.

Bonus: If you want to sound really convincing, practice turning your MVP into a specific sentence or two. Something like:

“My performance in the past 6 months has doubled the company’s revenue, and, as a result, I believe I deserve a higher raise.”
“There was a miscommunication earlier, but after some deep thinking, I realize it was my fault, and I am truly sorry.”

Having a concrete sentence or two memorized can help deliver your speech powerfully and convincingly.

#7 Sound more confident by speaking louder and lower

Speaking isn’t only about what you say but how you say it. A 2017 Yale study found that the sound of your voice is what makes people:

Believe what you’re saying
Feel certain emotions

Think about it: How do you feel when you hear someone using filler words like “um” or “like” in every sentence? What about someone who talks softly? Or someone who raises their voice at the end of a statement to make it sound like a question?

You probably won’t perceive them as confident in what they’re saying. You may even be less likely to do business with them, believe their story, or give them what they’re asking for.

There are three keys to sounding more confident when you talk:

Speak louder (but don’t yell) : When you feel nervous, you may naturally talk more softly. But this can create a negative feedback loop that makes you sound (and feel) less confident. Instead, make your voice sound stronger by speaking at a moderate volume that you adjust based on the room and audience size.
Speak lower : Research shows that people who speak louder and lower are perceived as more dominant and authoritative. This is particularly important for women who talk in soft, high tones. You don’t need to change your natural voice completely; instead, practice speaking in the lower end of your range.
Talk at a moderately fast pace : If you speak too slowly, you could sound boring. People who drone on in a monotone don’t tend to keep our attention for long. On the other hand, if you speak too fast, you could sound annoying or difficult to understand. Studies have found that people who talk at a moderately fast pace (about 195 words per minute) seem more intelligent, persuasive, and attractive. Measure your voice with a Metronome app for Android or iOS and try to land in the 110-160 word per minute range.

Remember that your optimal vocal volume and pitch may change depending on your audience. Learn more tips about How to Speak with Confidence and Sound Better .

Watch our video below to learn how to sound confident on the phone with 5 simple steps:

#8 Prepare your voice

Have you noticed your voice sounds groggy in the morning or strained after singing too loud on the drive to work? It’s not the best vocal state for negotiating a business deal or asking for a raise.

Vocal care isn’t just for singers or public speakers. Proper preparation ensures your voice doesn’t crack when it comes time to speak up in a meeting. To sound better when talking, remember to:

Use deep breathing : Shallow chest breathing can make you sound more jittery or nervous when talking. Deep belly breathing exercises can help improve your oxygen levels while simultaneously calming your body.
Exhale first : When it comes time to speak, most people breathe and start their sentences with an inhale. Instead, remember to exhale first. Blow out a strong breath just before you start talking.
Stay hydrated : Your voice is directly affected by your level of hydration. Research even finds that hydrated voices sound better . If you are about to speak for an extended period in a speech or meeting, drink plenty of water in the hours leading up to the event.
Use our 5 vocal warm-ups in our article and video below:

5 Vocal Warm-Ups Before Meetings, Speeches and Presentations

#9 Start and end with the best points

The serial-position effect explains why people remember the first and last things you say the most clearly. Whether talking to your coworkers about a project or giving a big pitch to a client, you should emphasize the best points at the beginning and the end.

This is particularly important for presentations, but you can apply it to daily conversations. When preparing to speak, the first thing to do is brainstorm all your key points and ideas. It helps to jot them down on flashcards or digital slides. Arrange them so that the juiciest or most essential points come first. Then, reiterate them at the end as well.

For example, if you’re selling your marketing services to a client, the very first lines of the presentation may emphasize why your agency’s package is the best one available. This is sort of like a thesis. You might start with: “Top Level Agency is a one-stop shop for your marketing needs because we do all web design and digital production in-house (no freelancers or contractors!), offer 24-hour emergency technical support, and monthly payment plans.”

Then, you can introduce yourself, explain the package offerings, and dig into more details. At the end of the presentation, repeat the key benefits they’ll get from working with your company.

People remember the beginning and the end ! Avoiding burying your important points in the middle! Many people tell stories chronologically and accidentally bore their audience with background stories and foundational info that leaves a bad first impression.

Pro Tip: Practice your opening and closing line the most. If you have these, you know you will start and end on a high.

#10 Master the art of presentations with 4 quick tips

From job interviews to congratulatory speeches to workplace meeting presentations, speaking in front of a group of people is a life skill that we all must practice at some point. It’s how you sell yourself, your ideas, or your products and services. Yet over 30% of Americans list public speaking (glossophobia) as one of their biggest fears. Fortunately, overcoming glossophobia can be as simple as preparation and practice.

Here are four quick tips to transform your presentation skills:

Start with a hook : First impressions are everything! A sparkling one-liner, a fascinating story, or an intriguing question are the easiest ways to capture your audience’s attention before you dig into the details. Notice how Vanessa Van Edwards’ Tedx Talk starts with a funny phrase about her awkwardness:

Cut out excess info : A short presentation packed with information is far better than a long, boring drone full of fluff. Cut down your speech to the basics so that everything supports your main point. Avoid irrelevant facts or boring anecdotes.
Don’t just talk : The most captivating presentations use multiple modalities. Instead of just standing and talking, an engaging presenter will layer on the graphics, charts, videos, and visual demonstrations.
Pretend you’re a performer : In his book, Steal the Show , actor, and coach Michael Port says the quickest way to boost your confidence is to simply act like you’re giving a performance and you don’t have any stage fright. Transform your negative inner talk to something positive by tricking your mind into thinking you’re capable and confident in your speaking skills.

Pro Tip : If you are planning for a big presentation and fear losing the audience’s attention, consider making your presentation more interactive by inviting the audience to participate. You can use non-awkward icebreakers , “raise your hand” questions or a social media poll on a related topic.

Some presenters even invite an audience member to the stage for role-playing or a mini-case study. For example, in a meeting presentation about how you plan to improve upselling techniques in your stores, you may invite a coworker to act out a customer-salesperson scenario.

Want more tips? Take your presentations to the next level with these 10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills .

#11 Use meaningful hand gestures

People who “talk with their hands” are naturally more magnetic. Studies show that gestures increase the value of spoken words by up to 60%! But you don’t just want to flail your hands around without purpose. Our analysis of the top TED Talks of all time found that there are specific movements that portray confidence.

These 7 powerful hand gestures include:

Show the number : Any time you mention a number, use your fingers to add a visual element of that amount.
Increase or decrease : Spread your hands closer or farther away to demonstrate the intensity of a conversation point. For example, if you say, “this is a small problem,” you may close your hands together to show a small space.
Feel it in the heart : When discussing something emotional, gesture toward your heart or chest region. You may naturally put your hand over your heart when you say, “this means so much to me.”
Guide your explanations : Use your hands to give a visual guide to a complex explanation. For example, suppose you’re discussing two opposing viewpoints. In that case, you might gesture to the right for Point 1 and to the left for Point 2.
Bring things together : When you discuss the convergence of points or groups, bring your palms together in the center to demonstrate these two things merging.
Emblems : Cultural hand motions like thumbs up, A-OK, or pointing with an open hand can be used to highlight specific talking points.
You-me-we : Bring people into what you’re saying by gesturing towards them, yourself, and then between you.

Watch this video with Vanessa Van Edwards to see how each gesture works:

Here are another 60 Hand Gestures You Should Be Using and Their Meaning .

#12 Learn to decode body language (and use it to your advantage)

Have you ever wished you could tell what people are thinking? Decoding body language is an underrated social superpower. If you understand how to tell if your boss is being confrontational or your colleague is withholding information from you, you can have a major communication advantage.

You’ve probably heard the statistic that 65 to 90% of communication is nonverbal. Unspoken cues often give us more insights into people than what they say out loud. Some of the most notable body language cues to look for include:

Lip pursing : People may be subconsciously holding something back. If you accidentally purse your lips during a speech, it may make you seem to withhold something from the audience.
Raised eyebrows: When someone is guilty, they might subtly raise their eyebrows to show fear. On the other hand, eyebrow raises can also indicate amusement or surprise. Take notice of your eyebrows while talking in the mirror and use them to emphasize your points.
Touch : A light touch on the arm can be a thoughtful way to get someone’s attention or help. Combined with speaking in a soft or friendly tone, this can help you appear more kind and more compassionate.
Firm handshake : A nice firm handshake can portray you as confident but not domineering. Deliver your handshakes with a well-rehearsed introduction like “I’m Joe. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Laughing : In awkward situations, subordinates might laugh to appease the person in power, while superiors may refrain from laughing to uphold their status. As you speak, notice when you awkwardly laugh out of nervousness versus when you laugh because something is actually funny.
Sitting versus standing : A sitting person is physically lower than a standing person, making them potentially seem inferior or easier to reprimand. You almost always want to be standing when you are giving a speech or a presentation. On the other hand, sitting while having a tough conversation with your significant other can help create a level playing field for open-hearted discussion.

Note how you use body language as you talk to others daily. There are so many ways you can combine speaking skills with a specific position or nonverbal cue to portray more confidence, kindness, or influence. Learn more about understanding Body Language In the Workplace: 15 Cues You Must Know .

#13 Work on pronunciation with this app

Whether you are a native English speaker or learning the English language, countless words in the dictionary aren’t pronounced the way they are spelled. But proper pronunciation can make you sound more knowledgeable and well-spoken.

The most commonly mispronounced words include:

Desert vs. Dessert
Comfortable

Do you think you’re guilty of mispronunciations? Use the free app, Say It ( Android ) ( iOS ) to check your speech. Oxford University Press developed it to help practice sounds, words, and sentence pronunciation.

Pro Tip : If you accidentally mispronounce a word in conversation or a presentation, don’t be afraid to correct yourself. It happens to everybody, and there is no shame in saying “excuse me” and repeating it. If you have an accent, embrace it! As long as people understand your words, pronunciation shouldn’t be an argument of tomAYto versus tomAHto.

#14 Improve your listening skills

Paradoxically, the best speakers tend to be the best listeners. After all, communication is a two-way street. Listening is one of the most valuable social skills because it helps you:

Understand other people
Make deeper connections
Demonstrate that you’re interested in what others have to say
Avoid dominating a conversation
Learn how to speak better

Listening is particularly important if you feel shy or socially awkward . Next time you’re having a conversation, practice active listening with:

Loud listening : When someone else is speaking, strategically use sounds like “oh,” “ah,” or “wow” to show you are engaged.
Eye contact : Avoid using your phone or diverting eye contact when someone is talking. Instead, casually hold their gaze for 3-5 seconds to show that you care. But don’t be overbearing with eye contact , or you might appear weird.
Asking questions : Show that you were paying attention to another person’s story or presentation by asking questions about what was said. Just be sure you don’t interrupt them or cut anyone off while inquiring.
Wait for your turn to talk : A great conversationalist’s most obvious skill is knowing when to talk. Your decision to speak while someone else is still talking could send the message that you think your opinion is more important than theirs. Politely wait your turn and even leave a few seconds of pause after someone else finishes their thoughts.

Stuttering and Language Processing Resources:

Do you struggle with stuttering or other language processing issues? You definitely can get help! Here are some great resources to check out:

The Stuttering Foundation
Find a Speech Therapist

Key Takeaways: Speak Better with Planning and Practicing

Nobody is born a masterful speaker, but the most charismatic people have cracked some communication code. Fortunately, the secrets to their verbal success are accessible to everyone. Start speaking better with these simple practices:

Talk louder, lower, and at a moderate pace : If you find yourself speaking soft and slow, it can help to increase the volume, lower the tone, and speed up the rate of your words. This will help you sound and feel more confident while talking.
Mimic speakers you admire : Find people you want to sound like and listen to them regularly. Identify the characteristics you want to mimic, like their cheeriness, articulation, or authority. Learn lines from their videos and recite them as you watch.
Read out loud : Written words tend to be more edited than spoken ones. Practice reading your favorite books out loud so you can
Master pronunciation and enunciation : Avoid mispronunciations and mumbling. Instead, use the internet to learn how to pronounce words you’re unsure about and train your mouth to enunciate specific words with tongue twister exercises.
Use hand gestures: Your hands are among the most underrated tools for speaking. Use them to your advantage by emphasizing essential points.

Whether you’re talking to an audience of 2 or 2,000, public speaking can catapult you to higher levels of self-development and professional success. To take your speaking skills to the next level, learn these 15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips to Be a Master Speaker .

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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series, Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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10 Ways to Make Speech Therapy Practice Fun

Practicing speech therapy activities at home, and using communication-building techniques during everyday interactions with your child, is one of the best ways to improve their speech and language development. This isn't just my firsthand experience as a speech-language pathologist--it's backed by a mountain of research .

But sometimes it can feel overwhelming to think about fitting in practice and motivating kids to participate. I get it! Speech practice is definitely a lot of work for kiddos, but there are plenty of ways to make it fun.

Read on for some tips and tricks to keep your child motivated to practice their speech. Every child has their own unique learning style. Once you find what works best for your kiddo, you’ll see how quickly speech practice can go from something they tolerate, to something they actually look forward to.

1. Get up and get moving

A simple way to introduce some excitement into speech therapy practice is to pair it with movement activities. Did you know that some children learn best when they're physically moving around? Movement stimulates the brain, and a little exercise is never a bad thing! If you think this is true for your child, try some of these activities while you practice:

Play hide and seek

Go on a scavenger hunt

Play Simon Says

Create an obstacle course

Toss a ball back and forth

2. Try out new crafts

Similar to movement activities, some children pay attention best while they're participating in a creative, hands-on activity. Crafts are the perfect example!

Crafts are particularly well-suited for practicing articulation , or speech sounds. We'll use the /s/ sound for this example.

Pick a craft for your child to make that's centered on the /s/ sound. You could make a s nake out of a paper plate and let your child color it, practicing the hissing “sssssss” sound while they work. Sock puppets, coloring books, gingerbread houses, and Play-Doh are other great examples, but any craft will work as long as it helps your child target their specific speech sounds.

Crafts are also a great way to incorporate receptive language skills . You can easily have your child follow single or multistep directions. Give directions for each step of the craft and see how well you child responds. For example, "First, roll the Play-Doh into a ball, then stretch it out to make a snake!" Hopefully they'll be having so much fun they won’t even realize they’re working.

3. Turn on the music

Music is a wonderful way to target speech goals--especially when it comes to early language!

For toddlers and early communicators, sing songs or nursery rhymes together. Pause occasionally as you sing to give your child opportunities to fill in the blank.

You can even practice having your child imitate your gestures with songs that involve playing with their hands. These are songs like “Wheels On The Bus” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Imitating hand motions is a skill that can help your child increase their motor movements and expressive language abilities, which includes how well they use language to communicate their needs, wants, and desires.

4. Take practice outside

Getting outside is the perfect way to lift everyone’s mood and have fun practicing together! You can easily incorporate some speech practice while you go on a walk together, play on the swing, or spend a few hours at the playground.

Let’s use the example of swinging. This is a great way to help your child expand the length of their phrases during speech, moving from saying single words to using multi-word phrases.

When your child swings towards you, hold the swing for a second and see if your child will request that you continue pushing them. They may say “swing,” “more,” or “go.” Model what your child said in a phrase that is one word longer than what they offered. For example, if they say, “Swing!” then model, “More swing!” or "Swing please." Wait expectantly and see if they imitate your longer phrase. After their request, immediately reward them by pushing them on the swing!

5. Pick relatable topics

When working with your child, take a "child-led" approach. In other words, try to choose target words and questions that center around their natural interests. For example, if your child really loves dinosaurs, pick discussion topics or target words focused on their favorite prehistoric creature.

It will be much easier for your child to engage in something that they enjoy talking about--so use this to your advantage. This is also a great strategy to use when choosing books to read together.

6. Play games

Your house is probably stacked with games your child already enjoys playing, like Candyland, puzzles, or word searches. The trick here is to incorporate speech practice into their favorite game in a way that feels natural.

Here's a simple example: Let your child first pick out a game they love. Then, before each of their turns, have them practice pronouncing a target word (or any other speech-related task). When playtime is purposeful and structured, it keeps children motivated and rewards them for their efforts.

7. Make it a competition

You can also use games and other forms of competition to level up practice! This can be something simple like, “Whoever wins this game gets to pick dessert tonight!” or “If you win this game, you get to skip one chore this week.” They'll be sure to take you up on the challenge!

8. Use reward charts

Some children benefit from little rewards over time that lead to an even bigger prize. For example, you could try some version of a sticker chart. Every time your child practices their speech homework for at least 15 minutes, they get to put a sticker on their chart. Once your child fills up the weekly or monthly chart (whatever is fitting), they receive a previously agreed upon reward.

These rewards can be things like picking a toy out at the store, a trip to the park, or a visit to the ice cream parlor. Just find what’s most encouraging for your child.

9. Let your child be the “teacher”

Take it from me: Kids love this activity! Flip the roles and let your child be the one to ask you speech questions for a change. Many kiddos think it's exhilarating to be in the "driver's seat" and do the quizzing themselves.

Let’s pretend that you're practicing the /th/ sound with your child. You can try letting your child present target words to you, like "throw," "think," or "thunder." As you play along, make sure to pronounce some words correctly, and others incorrectly. Have your child listen attentively so they can identify your mistakes and then promptly correct them for you. This serves as practice for them. Even though your child is playing the teacher, they’re really doing the work!

10. Set aside special toys

Find some special toys you already have at home and designate these as “speech” toys. Only bring them out when it's time for your child to practice. The toys will feel a little “newer” and more special than toys they play with daily. This will help your child look forward to speech practice!

I hope these tips help you and your child get in a new groove that keeps practice exciting! The bottom line is simply to play together and have fun. Take away any pressure you may feel to get things exactly right, and just enjoy spending time together. Progress will come naturally when everyone is relaxed and having a blast!

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How to Make Speech Therapy More Fun

October 16, 2019

When your child needs speech therapy to help them improve their communication, making sure they’re having fun during sessions is important! Why? Because kids learn best when they’re excited about what they’re doing. Teaching correct pronunciation of sounds takes a lot of repetition. And repetition can trend towards boring. This article discusses ways that speech-language pathologists help kids have fun during speech therapy.

Make Speech Therapy Fun Through Success!

One of the most important steps in the process of articulation therapy is teaching the correct motor plan for the sound. Learning the correct movements is not only critical to being able to make the sound correctly, but it’s also important for having more fun in speech therapy! This is because the therapist can use your child’s success to help them stay motivated.

How does this work? The SLP determines what level of difficulty is the right level of challenge for the child. Ideally, we want kids practicing somewhere in the realm of being correct 50 to 75% of the time. If they can’t make the sound at all, this means the therapist starts by teaching them the mouth movements needed for success. By keeping them successful, there’s always something to reinforce. Once the child starts to be able to imitate the movements for the sound, then the therapist has them repeat that movement many times to help them build motor memory. By always working at a good challenge level, speech therapy is more fun for clients because they feel challenged and accomplished.

Make Speech Therapy Fun with Energy!

Fun naturally follows from success because we all like to be good at things! A good rule of thumb is that if the therapist isn’t having fun, the child probably isn’t either. The therapist should help you learn how to celebrate the small successes the child is making as they’re working to figure out how to make this new sound. Sometimes, acknowledging the hard work goes a long way. Tell them you appreciate how hard they’re trying. You therapist will use a reinforcement schedule that makes sense for your child’s age, temperament, activity level, and so forth. For example, early on, they may choose a response-token reinforcement plan where the child gets praise or a sticker for every production. Over time, you may reduce the frequency of the token to every five or ten productions. Speech therapy is more fun for clients when kids know what expectations are, and we can use reward systems and positive reinforcement and praise to help keep them motivated.

Make Speech Therapy Fun with Games!

Speech therapy for articulation and speech sound disorders needs to improve the motor plan for the sound in error. Because this is highly repetitive, it may seem like it’s got to be boring. However, keeping kids engaged wit turns at games during practice keeps them motivated to keep trying. The more correct repetitions they get in, the more likely they are to make faster progress. Head over to our games page to learn about how Verboso’s technology works for speech sound disorders.

Miccio, A. W., & Elbert, M. (1996). Enhancing stimulability: A treatment program. Journal of Communication Disorders , 29 (4), 335-351.

Rvachew, S., Rafaat, S., & Martin, M. (1999). Stimulability, speech perception skills, and the treatment of phonological disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 8 (1), 33-43.

Shriberg, L. D., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1982). Phonological disorders II: A conceptual framework for management. Journal of speech and Hearing Disorders , 47 (3), 242-256.

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The Seven Best Ways to Make a Speech Longer

Hrideep barot.

Speech Topics , Workplace Communication

Giving a speech can seem like an ordeal, especially if you don’t know ways to keep it engaging and comprehensive, covering everything and not going off track. Whether it is a school or university speech, a corporate meeting speech, or an event-based speech – you might be required to speak for approx. 5-7 minutes. If that seems like a task to you, here are some insightful ways that will help you make your speech longer and let those minutes sweep by!

Some practical and resourceful ways to prolong your speech can be classified in two ways: one in terms of content that is through voiceful delivery, sharing resources and videos, providing additional examples that support your content, and second in terms of interaction which involves exchanging stories, including question and answer rounds as well as fun segments such as quizzes, polls, and other relevant activities.

However, even before you put these techniques into practice, it’s essential to be focused and specific on the research because “content is the key.” If you aren’t well-versed with the content you provide, you may not be able to use these methods as you will lack materials in the first place. Thus, even before looking for additional ways to support your speech, ensure that the primary content is in place.

1. Practice Voice Modulation to Make Your Speech Longer

The importance of voice modulation is not hidden. If you have ever come across someone who speaks so fast that one cannot grasp a single meaning out of the speech and someone who speaks so slow that one has slipped into daydreaming, then you are undoubtedly aware of how essential voice modulation is and its benefits.

Advantages of Using Voice Modulation

Voice modulation and regulation have numerous advantages. Some of the most important ones include:

Firstly, it keeps the audience hooked to your speech. For example, when a theatre artist or an actor performs a monologue, you will see that their delivery will include high tones, focusing on the critical and low and medium on the not so essential and passerby information. Additionally, thanks to their voice modulation, there is a very high chance that you even vividly remember what they might have said.
Secondly, pauses help emphasize the key pointers. Not only does voice modulation include alternating between tones but also taking pauses. When you pause, mainly after an important message, you give time for comprehension and allow your message to sink in with the audience.

The pointers mentioned above have been evident across many famous speeches for a long time. For example: In the very famous “I Have a Dream” Speech by Martin Luther King, you will find that the phrase “I Have a Dream” has been emphasized by using a higher tone compared to the surrounding content. Similarly, effective pauses have been made throughout the speech after conveying important messages where the audience is seen pondering over the content just delivered to them.

So, to elongate your speech, it is essential to practice voice modulation, as changing your tone, pace, and pausing will not only buy you time but will also simultaneously reap fruitful outcomes such as impacting your audience and giving them time to think over what you just said.

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (quotesgram)

2. Lengthen Your Speech by Engaging with Your Audience

Talking for 5 minutes on a stretch can seem burdensome; in the sense that there is a chance that questions like “what will I say for so long,” “how can I talk for 5 minutes? That’s too much!”, “What am I even going to say?” are popping up in your head. But here’s the secret – you don’t need to deliver a monologue for the entire time if you include multiple engagement segments with the listeners.

Ways to Engage With the Audience

You can interact and engage with the audience by including sections such as:-

Questions and Answer Rounds – Here, you can ask questions to the audience related to the previously delivered content. This will make the environment interactive and help you infer if they have grasped the message you want to provide. For example, consider that you are delivering a speech on the topic “Investment Strategies You Can Follow.” After sharing ways you can invest; you can include a quick Q and A segment asking the audience strategies you shared, the more/ less risky ones, etc.
Sharing a Story – This can often entail asking people in the audience to share their personal experiences or give their viewpoints about the topic. Taking the same example of “Investment Strategies You Can Follow ,” you can, at certain intervals, ask the audience their experience with any of the strategies, if they have had a positive or negative experience, and any tips to add to the same.

Benefits of Engaging With the Audience

Including multiple conversational segments makes the audience feel like their views matter, and they tend to concentrate, grasp, and interact to their best capability.
Additionally, interacting with the audience is an insightful way to gain non-verbal feedback. It will help you understand if the audience can make sense of the information you are delivering.

Thus, engaging with the audience is a constructive way to make your speech longer and gain subtle feedback.

Engage With The Audience To Lengthen Your Speech

3 . Lengthen Your Speech by Showing Videos

Another method that you can include in your speech delivery to make it longer than usual is by showing videos and other visuals like presentations to the audience. You will benefit from a few minutes to spare when your viewers engage in such visuals and gain some simultaneous benefits.

Benefits of Including a Visual Stimuli

The impact of visual learning is way higher than verbal. One can keep explaining and elaborating on a very expertized topic, still find that their audience isn’t much engaged since they don’t have any visuals to look at. However, learning and understanding are increased when both modes are combined. To continue with the same example of “Investment Strategies,” ; along with your speech, you can prepare a presentation highlighting key strategies and testimonials of people who have benefited from the same. Moreover, you can find some informational videos on YouTube and other platforms that can supplement your content, and you will be good to present!

Thus, if you wish to elongate your speech to meet the allotted time, you can always show videos on relevant topics and keep a presentation covering pointers or examples that the audience can see!

“Content is the king, but design is the queen.” Anonymous (Pinterest)

4. Include Examples to Lengthen Your Speech

If you were to follow a traditional outline and give an introduction, a few pointers, advantages, disadvantages, and then the conclusion, there is a chance you might be left with some time in hand before your fixed time is up. However, one way to make your mundane framework a little more comprehensive is by including relevant examples.

Why Is It Essential To Include Examples

Supplementing your theoretical content with some helpful examples has some hidden benefits –

Firstly, Examples help better understand the extensive content more straightforwardly. If you were to talk about “Environmental Awareness,” you can include examples of the Chipko Movement in India or the Contemporary Environmental Movement in Europe to set the context of how environmental awareness has been done through history.
Secondly, you can also link examples to the previously mentioned interaction with the audience by asking relevant examples from their end and making the session more engaging and interactive!

Similarly, if I were to state the subtopics and give a brief explanation in this article, there are likely some unfilled gaps of understanding still left open. However, if not noticed, I am trying to include relevant examples such as “Investment Strategies” and “Environmental Awareness” mentioned above to help you better understand the theoretical information provided.

Hence, if you wish to communicate the information thoroughly, try to include relevant examples wherever possible so that passive listeners easily understand it! And I’m sure 2 minutes will sweep by!

5. Incorporate Fun Segments to Lengthen Your Speech

You are more likely to enjoy a speech or a talk if it’s engaging rather than monotonous. Having to hear some continuously for a considerable period is a task, and to deliver one – is a more strenuous one. So, to make it less challenging and more interactive and fun – it’s advisable to include collaborating segments to your speech.

Some Creative Ways to Make Fun Segments

These sections can take the form of anything – ideas as mentioned earlier, such as conversing with the audience or showing videos; however, you can choose to be more creative by including:

Polls: wherein you can put up a question and ask the audience to vote and choose a particular option. For example, “ Shares vs. Property,” which is a more risky investment? ” can be an example of a poll question.
Games: This can be a more informal way, such as giving a picture, finding an object, solving a riddle, etc. For example, Word Puzzles of investment strategies can be a fun and light game to play.
Quizzes : This can include a series of questions similar to polls but having more options and elaborative than the former. One such question could be – “What is the best way to learn about investment – books/news/media/none.”

Comprising your speech with such segments will also help you understand if the audience is grasping the content and take up a few minutes of your otherwise speaking time.

Resources You Can Use While Making Your Segments

There are some helpful websites that you can use to make quizzes, polls, and games such as: –

Slido – https://www.sli.do/
Mentimeter – https://www.mentimeter.com/
Kahoot – https://kahoot.it/
Padlet – https://padlet.com/

These websites are user-friendly and have been used by people worldwide to supplement their presentations, talks, and lectures. So, go ahead and use these tools smartly to make your speech not only unique but also secretly longer!

Include Fun Segments to Lengthen Your Speech

6. Share Resources Towards the End

A very subtle way to lengthen your speech without seeming repetitive or dragging is to share some helpful resources on your topic towards the end.

How Does Sharing Resources Help?

Sharing resources and additional information has its pros. Mainly, it portrays the idea that you wish to help the audience gain more insight on the said topic and lets you gain some opinions and views from the audience. So, when you research and prepare the content for your delivery in the first place, you can save some resources in the form of articles, papers, videos, movies, books, and NGOs (whichever applies to your respective topic), which you can then provide in the form of presentations, pamphlets or even verbally.

For example: in this very article, I have tried my best to provide you resources through videos, website links, and examples. Similarly, if you were to talk about “Investment Strategies,” you can provide website links, news and journal articles, video suggestions, courses, and books that will assist them in understanding the concept at a deeper level.

Sharing helpful resources can take up approximately 2-3 minutes, often aiding in lengthening your speech helpfully and effectively.

Repeat The Main Pointers To Lengthen Your Speech

7. Reiterate The Main Points to Lengthen Your Speech

Another way that you can make your speech longer yet more impactful is by repeating the main themes and points you want to convey to the audience. You can do so by paraphrasing and focusing on the tone and pauses through voice modulation.

For example, if “a happy mind is a key to a happy heart” is the message that I wish to convey, I can directly say this statement once at the start and once at the end. Other times, if I want to communicate the same idea subtly, I can include phrases like – “a happy heart often depends on a happy mind” or “happiness of mind and heart are linked.”

So, I essentially wish to convey that by summarizing the essential pointers and phrasing the content, you can elongate your speech and gain the benefit of creating a substantial impact on the audience.

As we approach the end of the article, I have tried my best to provide resources that answer your question and subtly help you gain some benefits. One can also include some not so helpful ways, but if you were to take up some tools, it might as well be beneficial! We hope that this article has been helpful to you! Happy Speeching!

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

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Speech Time Fun: Speech and Language Activities

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Hi! I am Hallie Sherman, M.S. CCC-SLP and I worked with older speech students for over 15 years in the public schools. I realized early on in my career the importance of using materials that were at my students’ reading levels and incorporating their interests in order to keep them engaged and making progress. That is why I started creating resources to help other SLPs save time and energy so they can spend more time doing what they love…making a difference with their students.

I believe that by having a deep understanding of WHY we are working on specific goals, we can plan with clarity and confidence. I also believe that with motivating resources that are easily adaptable to meet any goal, we can plan with less materials and see more results.

I am here to help you see that you can too plan confidently and in minutes, see student progress, AND have more time for YOU!

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Best Anchoring Script for Teacher’s Day 2024 for School Performance

Anchoring script for teachers’ day in school: get here the best, funny, and engaging anchoring script ideas for teachers’ day assemblies in school. know what questions can be asked from teachers and students during the activities to make it more touching..

Best Anchoring Script for Teachers’ Day: India celebrates September 5 as Teacher’s Day to mark the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a prominent Indian philosopher, statesman, and the 2nd President of India. This day is special for the student-teacher bond. On this day, students recognise the efforts of their teachers and organise activities to make them feel happy and special. The day starts with a special assembly for Teachers’ Day that includes speeches, poems, and activities for teachers to participate in. Check out the anchoring script ideas for Teachers’ Day celebrations here. Get here engaging questions to ask from teachers and students during the Teachers’ Day activities.

How to Make the Best Anchoring Script?

Anchoring Script For Teacher’s Day 2024 in School

Good morning, respected teachers, dear students, and esteemed guests! A very warm welcome to our Teachers’ Day celebration. Today is a special day where we gather to express our heartfelt gratitude to our teachers, who guide us, inspire us, and shape our future. That’s right! Teachers are like candles—they light our path and help us grow in knowledge and wisdom. We have a lot of exciting performances and activities planned today, all dedicated to our beloved teachers. So, let’s begin this celebration with a positive start. To start our day, let’s seek blessings from the Almighty. I request everyone to join their hands and close their eyes for a prayer. [Lead the prayer or invite someone to recite it.] Thank you for the beautiful prayer. Now, let’s welcome our principal [Principal’s Name] to say a few words on this special occasion. [Principal gives the welcome speech.] Thank you, [Principal’s Name], for those inspiring words. Your guidance is always a beacon of light for all of us. And now, let’s get ready for some fun! We have prepared some wonderful performances to show how much we appreciate our teachers. First up, we have a group of students who have prepared a dance performance. Please welcome them with a big round of applause! [Introducing the dance performance.] That was an amazing performance! I’m sure our teachers enjoyed it. Next, we have a melodious song dedicated to our teachers, sung by [Student’s Name]. Let’s listen and feel the love and respect we have for our teachers. [Introduce the song.] Wow! That was such a touching song. Music truly has the power to express our deepest feelings. Now, we have some students who want to share their thoughts about their favourite teachers. Let’s welcome [Student’s Name] to share their experience. [Introduce the student for the speech.] Thank you, [Student’s Name], for those lovely words. I’m sure your teacher must be so proud of you. Let’s hear from another student, [Student’s Name], who also wants to share their story. [Introduce the next student.] To add more fun to our celebration, we’ve planned a few games for our teachers. We invite [Teacher’s Name] and [Teacher’s Name] to join us on stage for a quick game of [Game Name]. Let’s see how well our teachers can do! [Describe the game and lead the activity.] That was so much fun! It’s great to see our teachers enjoying themselves and showing us their playful side. Now, it’s time to honour our teachers. We have a small token of appreciation for all your hard work and dedication. We would like to invite [Teacher’s Name] on stage to receive a special gift from our students. [Invite teachers one by one and present them with gifts.] As we come to the end of our celebration, we would like to thank everyone who made this event possible. A big thank you to our teachers for everything you do, to our students for your wonderful performances, and to everyone who helped organize this event. Yes, thank you all! Let’s remember that Teachers’ Day is not just about celebrating today but about respecting and appreciating our teachers every day. We hope you enjoyed the program. Have a wonderful day ahead!

Good morning, everyone! A very happy Teachers’ Day to all our amazing teachers! Welcome to XYZ School’s special celebration. Today is the day we celebrate the superheroes of our school—our teachers! Yes, you heard that right—superheroes! They may not wear capes, but they definitely have superpowers. Who else can explain algebra and keep a straight face while we all look confused? That’s true! And who else can survive a whole day of teaching us with a smile on their face? They deserve more than just one day of appreciation! But before we get carried away with our jokes, let’s start this celebration with a prayer. It’s always good to have a little divine help when you’re trying to make your teachers laugh. [Lead the prayer or invite someone to recite it.] Now that we’re all feeling blessed and ready, let’s welcome our principal, [Principal’s Name], to say a few words. Just a heads-up, Principal Sir/Ma'am, we’re all ears, but if you start talking about homework, we might just pretend we didn’t hear you! [Principal gives the welcome speech.] Thank you, [Principal’s Name]! We promise to do our homework… at least some of the time. Alright, let’s get the fun started! First up, we have a group of students who have prepared a dance performance that’s guaranteed to make you smile. We’ve been practicing so hard that even the floor is tired of our dance moves. Please give them a big round of applause! [Introduce the dance performance.] That was fantastic! If dancing was a subject, I think we all just got an A+… except maybe [Student’s Name], who still needs to work on their rhythm. Just kidding, you were great! Next, we have a comedy skit that shows what happens when students think they know more than their teachers. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t end well for the students! Get ready to laugh out loud. [Introduce the skit.] That skit was hilarious! It’s a good reminder that our teachers always know best, especially when it comes to catching us with last-minute excuses. Now, let’s hear from some of our fellow students who want to share their funniest experiences with their teachers. First up, we have [Student’s Name]. [Introduce the student for the speech.] Thank you, [Student’s Name], for that funny story. I think we can all relate to forgetting our homework… and then trying to come up with a creative excuse! Let’s hear from another student, [Student’s Name], who has a funny memory to share. [Introduce the next student.] To keep the fun going, we’ve planned a game that’s sure to bring out the competitive side of our teachers. We invite [Teacher’s Name] and [Teacher’s Name] to join us on stage for a quick game of “Guess the Student’s Excuse!” Let’s see if our teachers can guess the excuses we come up with for not doing our homework. [Describe the game and lead the activity.] That was so much fun! I think we just found out that our teachers have heard every excuse in the book! Now, it’s time to honour our teachers. We may joke around a lot, but we truly appreciate everything you do for us. We have a small token of appreciation for each of you. Please come on stage to receive your gifts. [Invite teachers one by one and present them with gifts.] As we come to the end of our celebration, we want to thank everyone who made this day possible. A big thank you to our teachers for putting up with our jokes and for being the best role models we could ask for. Yes, thank you to all the students, teachers, and organisers who helped make today so much fun. And remember, teachers, if you ever need a good laugh, just think about some of the excuses we’ve given you! Have a wonderful Teachers’ Day, everyone! And remember, the homework excuse generator is officially retired—until tomorrow!

Questions You Can Add To Anchoring Script on Teachers’ Day

1. for teachers:.

"Can you share one memorable experience from your teaching journey that has stayed with you over the years?"
"What inspired you to become a teacher, and what keeps you motivated every day?"
"If you could give one piece of advice to your students, what would it be?"

2. For Students:

"Can you describe a moment when a teacher helped you overcome a challenge?"
"Which teacher has had the biggest impact on your life, and why?"
"What is one lesson from a teacher that you will never forget?"

3. General Questions:

"What do you think makes a teacher great?"
"If you were a teacher for a day, how would you teach your favourite subject?"
"What is the most fun activity you have done in class with your teacher?"

4. For a Fun Segment:

"If you had to give your teacher a fun award, what would it be?" (e.g., “Best Storyteller” or “Most Likely to Crack Jokes”)
"What is one funny or unexpected thing a teacher has said or done in class?"
"If your teacher were a superhero, what would their superpower be?"

These questions can add a personal and interactive touch to the event, encouraging both teachers and students to share their experiences and thoughts.

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Who is Teachers' Day celebrated in honour of? + Teachers' Day is celebrated in honour of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a prominent Indian philosopher, statesman, and former President of India.
How can I celebrate Teachers' Day? + You can express your gratitude to your teachers through cards, gifts, or heartfelt messages. Schools often organise special events and programs to honour their teachers.
What are some ways to make Teachers' Day memorable? + You can organise a surprise party for your teacher, write a poem or song, or simply spend quality time with them.
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Trump Reposts Crude Sexual Remark About Harris on Truth Social

Though the former president has a history of making crass insults about opponents, the reposts signal his willingness to continue to shatter longstanding political norms.

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Former President Donald J. Trump framed by American flags.

By Michael Gold

Aug. 28, 2024

Former President Donald J. Trump used his social-media website on Wednesday to amplify a crude remark about Vice President Kamala Harris that suggested Ms. Harris traded sexual favors to help her political career.

The post, by another user on Truth Social, was an image of Ms. Harris and Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump’s opponent in 2016. The text read: “Funny how blowjobs impacted both their careers differently…”

The remark was a reference to Mrs. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, and the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and a right-wing contention that Ms. Harris’s romantic relationship with Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco whom she dated in the mid-1990s while he was speaker of the California State Assembly, fueled her political rise.

Mr. Trump’s repost was the second time in 10 days that the former president shared content from his personal account making sexually oriented attacks on Ms. Harris. Though he has a history of making crass insults about his opponents, the reposts signal Mr. Trump’s willingness to continue to shatter longstanding norms of political speech.

The image Mr. Trump shared on Wednesday morning was another user’s screenshot of a post on X, and it was a reply to an unrelated video clip Mr. Trump had posted on Tuesday night.

Mr. Trump reposted the image as part of a series of 30 reposts he made on Truth Social between 8:02 and 8:32 a.m. on Wednesday, including several posts with references to the QAnon conspiracy theory movement and its slogan. Mr. Trump also reposted photos that called for the prosecution or imprisoning of top Democrats and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The former president has vowed to direct federal prosecutors to investigate his political enemies if elected.

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Best Anchoring Script for Teacher's Day 2024 for School Performance
Anchor 1: To add more fun to our celebration, we've planned a few games for our teachers. We invite [Teacher's Name] and [Teacher's Name] to join us on stage for a quick game of [Game Name].
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