The blog
Public speaking, explained.
Practical guides and speech-topic banks for students aged 11 to 19, written by coaches who compete and win. Pick a theme and start reading.
Writing your speech
From a blank page to a finished speech: structure, hooks, persuasion, and strong closings.
Ethos, pathos, and logos: the three ways to persuade
What ethos, pathos, and logos mean, with clear student examples of each, and how to use all three together to build a speech that actually persuades.
Rhetorical questions: how to use them in a speech
What a rhetorical question is, with plenty of examples, and how to use one to open a speech, drive a point home, or move an audience, without overusing it.
How to start a speech: 12 attention grabbers that work
Twelve ways to start a speech and grab an audience in the first ten seconds, from a bold statement to a story to a rhetorical question, each with an example and when to use it.
How to write a speech outline (with a free template)
A step-by-step guide to writing a speech outline, with a reusable template and a worked example, so you plan the speech before you write a single full sentence.
How to write a speech, step by step
How to write a speech from a blank page: find your one message, hook the audience, build two or three points, and close with impact. A step-by-step guide for students.
How to end a speech so it sticks
How to end a speech so the last line stays with the audience: the closing techniques that work, the ones that fall flat, and examples of each.
How to write a persuasive speech
How to write a persuasive speech that changes minds: choosing a clear claim, building reasons with evidence, answering the other side, and the delivery that makes it land. With a short worked example.
How to structure a speech: a simple framework any student can use
The reliable way to structure any speech: a hook, a clear map, two or three points built the same way, and a close that lands. With a worked example from blank page to finished outline.
Delivery & skills
How you say it: presence, pace, impromptu speaking, and cutting the filler words.
Presentation skills for students: how to nail a class presentation
Presentation skills for students: how to structure a class presentation, use slides that help instead of distract, calm your nerves, and deliver with confidence at school and beyond.
How to stop saying um, uh, and like
Why we say filler words like um, uh, and like, and a set of practical drills to replace them with confident pauses, so your speaking sounds clear and in control.
Extemporaneous speaking, explained
What extemporaneous speaking is, how it differs from impromptu and memorized speaking, and a repeatable method for preparing and delivering an extemp speech with confidence.
How to memorize a speech without going blank
A reliable way to memorize a speech without reciting it word for word: chunking, the memory-palace method, spaced practice, and what to do if your mind goes blank on the day.
Public speaking tips that actually work
Fifteen public speaking tips that actually work, grouped by what to do before, during, and after a speech. Practical and specific, drawn from how real speakers train.
Impromptu speaking: how to think on your feet
A repeatable method for speaking well with almost no preparation: how to buy a moment, pick a line, and use the PREP structure to sound organized on any prompt.
Confidence & nerves
Turning stage fright into something you can use, one speech at a time.
Speech topics
Hundreds of categorized topics for persuasive, informative, impromptu, and just-for-fun speeches.
Persuasive speech topics for students, by theme
Over 120 persuasive speech topics for students, grouped by theme (technology, school, health, environment, society, sport, media, money), plus how to pick one you can actually win the room with.
Debate topics for students, from easy to advanced
A big, organized bank of debate topics for students: easy warm-ups, school and technology motions, ethics, and advanced resolutions, with a note on what makes a good, debatable topic.
Informative speech topics for students
More than 110 informative speech topics for students, sorted by subject, plus how to choose a topic you can teach clearly in the time you have.
Conversation topics and questions to get anyone talking
150 conversation topics and questions, from easy icebreakers to deeper prompts, useful for building the everyday confidence that public speaking is built on.
Demonstration speech ideas: 100+ "how-to" topics
Over 100 demonstration speech ideas ("how-to" topics) students can actually show step by step, grouped by category, with tips for picking one that fits your time limit.
Impromptu speech topics and prompts for practice
More than 120 impromptu speech topics and prompts, from light and funny to serious, plus a simple method for turning any prompt into a one-minute speech.
Funny speech topics that are actually funny
Over 120 funny speech topics for students, grouped from light and silly to clever, plus how to be funny in a speech without trying too hard.
TED talk topics: ideas for a talk worth giving
Sixty-plus TED-style talk topics and ideas for students, grouped by theme, plus what makes an idea worth spreading and how to shape it into a talk.
For a specific occasion
Graduation, student council, and other moments that need the right words.
How to write a graduation speech (with examples)
How to write a graduation speech people remember: structure, a couple of annotated examples, and the small delivery habits that keep a big moment from going flat.
Valedictorian speech: examples and how to write yours
Annotated valedictorian speech examples plus a step-by-step guide to writing your own: finding a theme, telling the right story, and closing on a line that lands.
How to write a student council speech that wins
How to write a student council speech that actually wins votes: a simple structure, a memorable opening, real and specific promises, and a short sample speech to model.
Interviews
Getting ready for the high-stakes conversation.
Reading is a start. Speaking is the skill.
These guides teach the ideas. Our classes are where a student practices them out loud, every week, with a coach who gives real feedback.