I enjoy my job, generally speaking. Much of my time is spent listening to students speaking about the things that matter to them. In all, I’ve sat through thousands of student speeches.
If I’m lucky, the
speeches are interesting and intriguing. Unfortunately, that’s not always the
case. I’ve noticed this particularly when it comes to informative speech
topics.
Too many
informative speech topics are redundant, unspecified, insignificant, or
irrelevant to most of the audience members. I have strong feelings about this
as someone who’s had to listen to countless hours of these speeches.
A poor
informative speech topic wastes everybody’s time. I’ve singled out three in
particular that keep coming up in my classes. Each of these demonstrate common pitfalls
when it comes to selecting an informative speech topic.
I’ll try to
explain why each topic doesn’t work
well in addition to providing some alternative suggestions. Here are my three least desirable informative speech topics:
Undesirable topic #1: Stress, the effects of
stress, why stress is harmful, how to reduce stress, etc.
Why you
should avoid this: Most people in the 21st century know that stress is bad
and that we should manage stress better. You’re probably not going to break new
ground if you decide to go with this topic.
Alternative
topic ideas:
Transcendental meditation, nutritional supplements for stress relief, mental
benefits of being in nature, aromatherapy, or hiking for stress relief. These topics are more specific and nuanced than the previous topics.
Undesirable topic #2:
Sleep, the importance of getting enough sleep, dreaming, etc.
Why you
should avoid this: We already know that sleep is important and that we should all aim
for 7-8 hours of sleep. Tell us something we don’t know!
Alternative
topic ideas:
Lucid dreaming, dangers of sleep apnea, healthy sleep habits, or common sleep disorders. Again, these are more specific and targeted topics.
Undesirable topic #3: Hybrid cars, electric
cars, and self-driving cars.
Why you
should avoid this: These topics are just too common. The audience has already heard
plenty about hybrid cars and the like. Also, hybrid, electric, and even self-driving cars just
aren’t as newsworthy as they once were.
Alternative
topic ideas:
Space tourism, drone technology, high speed railways, or advances in dashboard technology.
What kind of informative speech topic should you
choose?
Pick something
fresh, exciting and new. Focus on what's currently emerging. Maybe there's something not a lot of people know about. Perhaps you can find a new angle on a common subject. Get as narrow and specific as you can while retaining substance.
In any case, find something unique and different rather than the same old informative speech topics. Search through popular
journals like Popular Mechanics, Scientific American, or National Geographic for ideas. Please don’t resort to googling “informative speech topics”. I’ve probably
heard all those before; and so has your professor.
Above all, avoid cliché topics such as the ones in this post. Hopefully these reminders help you in the development of your
next speech.
Good luck finding a suitable informative speech topic!