Informational Speech Topics

What are you going to teach about?

You need to inform your audience about something. But about what? Use these informational speech topics to get some ideas. Warning: informational speeches are often boring. Use these topics and advice on the rest of this website to set your speech apart from the crowd.

• Food. Where did a particular dish come from? What's special about it? Does it have any 'special healing properties' or any other myths attached to it? Make your listener's mouths water.
• History of ____________. Replace the blank with something that your audience members have in common with each other. If you're speaking to a school class, speak of the history of the school (be certain to include myths, peculiarities, and little-known facts to keep it interesting.)
• Psychology. Most people are interested in why they think the way they do. And there's some pretty... interesting... psychological theories out there.
• Evolution of ____________. Replace the blank with something that has changed over time. If you can demonstrate the changes, even better (think the "Evolution of Dance" youtube video).
• Making money. Everybody wants money. Inform your audience of ways they can get it.
• Body language. Very engaging, body language informational speeches always catch the eye (pardon the pun). Point out things people do but aren't often aware of - for example, when a person is remembering something, they'll generally look up and to the right (from your perspective; up and to the left from their's).
• Relationships. We may or may not be in one, but what do we actually know about them?
• Secrets. People love to learn secrets. Talk about when they're used.
• Propaganda. Let people know how they're being manipulated.
• Advertising. How do companies convince people to buy things?

Each of these informational speech topics has the potential to be interesting and engaging. But in the end, you must be interested to really make them work!