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What should my speech be about?

I have to make a persuasive speech for English. What should I do it about? Everyone else is doing environmental issues, so I don't want to do that, but I have absolutely no idea what to do. I'm supposed to be aiming for a distinction.

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Reply 1

mero22

Original post by Tasty Apple

Leaving or staying in the EU

Reply 2

PersonInProgress

Original post by Tasty Apple

It would probably help if you do it on something you are passionate about so say you hit a mental block and can't remember what you rehearsed, you would always have your own knowledge to fall back on. So what are you passionate about?

Reply 3

chemistrynerd13

How about an argument about whether fast food should be banned? That would be a good controversial one and would allow you to put in plenty of techniques including hyperbole and a shocking statement.

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Reply 4

Mrs.Grey

Original post by Tasty Apple

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=persuasive+speeches+for+english&rlz=1C1TEUA_enGB622GB622&oq=persuasive+speeches+for+english&aqs=chrome..69i57.5284j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Reply 5

TeenPolyglot

Original post by chemistrynerd13

Any arguments about food are quite clichéd.

I did mine about whether Classical Languages such as Latin and Ancient Greek should be taught in state schools or not- a topic which I'm highly passionate about.

Reply 6

34908seikj

Original post by TeenPolyglot

Yes they really should integrate more lessons on classical languages into schools.

Reply 7

Anonymous20000

Original post by Tasty Apple

I did a speech for my english gcse last year and i spoke about the education system and why its bad, i did this because everyone can relate to it. I said about how our generation lives a life of anxiety and depression, i said that were learning the wrong things so for example "we shoukd be learning .... However instead i know about the quadratic equation" then i said that school isnt about learning its about memory blah blah blah, i said about the hours we spend in school, and i said how exams dont test us on knowledge and why exams are bad. I got an A*

Reply 8

chemistrynerd13

Original post by TeenPolyglot

I guess so... I'm not going to lie, I did mine about pollution and got full marks. Most people did about a sport ( our question was a free choice so you could talk about something you enjoy or an issue you feel strongly about)

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Reply 9

TeenPolyglot

Original post by 34908seikj

Yes they really should integrate more lessons on classical languages into schools.

They should! Even if it was just once a week, and an option for GCSE, classical languages are the best way to get a good understanding of how to communicate effectively.

And, GCSE Latin allowed me to get an A in an AS Level English Language paper, with just a list of all the studies and theories I had to know before- I would not be able to do that had I not studied Latin.

Plus, languages have really gone downhill in education and classical language teachers seem to be the only decent type of language teacher these days...

(Coming from someone who wants to be a teacher in French and Latin!)

Reply 10

ArMy07

We had to do something like this - I chose to write about whether the NHS should be privatised or not - its an iconoclast view therefore good to write about - i got an a* for writing about this :smile:

Reply 11

Martins1

For my speaking and listening I did about why the current way of dealing with terrorism isn't working and what we could do to genuinely stop it - I got full marks.

Some other interesting ones:
Philosophical questions - god's existence, the mind and the body etc. if you are into that.
Why our political system is bad, and what it should be.
Why our justice system is bad and what that should be (pretty much this works for any governmental system, like NHS and education system).
How to stop pretty much any world problem, like poverty/global warming/crime/obesity pandemic etc.
Learning/education types.
What is addiction?

Reply 12

Tasty Apple

I don't want to offend anybody by saying something that's personal to them, and they diasgree with. I once did a speech on euthanasia, and someone had a family member who wanted to commit suicide. I don't want to make anyone angry with me.

Original post by MainlyMathsHelp

Cooking and music mostly, but I fail to see how I could make it persuasive.

Reply 13

Big white

Original post by Tasty Apple

Whatever you feel you're an expert about. That way you rely less on notes and more on your actual knowledge.
Maybe some current affairs in your school which you don't like and would like to change??

Reply 14

Arvin Bhambra

Original post by Tasty Apple

persuade people to like a specific music genre

Reply 15

$Avatar for Defraction$

Defraction

Original post by Tasty Apple

My English teacher told us to not base our persuasive speech on controversial issues(like Islam vs the West, terrorism) and issues that are broad(discrimination- so many forms, even racism there is so much to talk about).

She suggested for us to do it about our favourite TV show or about football(issues in the football world).

2 boys in my class based their persuasive speech on football and they got A's(these boys got 28/30)

1 boy in my class based his persuasive speech on Prison Break and also got an A(with those boys, he also got 28/30)

Reply 16

Martins1

Original post by Tasty Apple

I can understand why that may be upsetting for you, but speeches about euthanasia are important, and often its people who want to commit suicide/euthanasia who will be most positively affected by these speeches.
You say cooking and music, so these are some ideas I can think of:
How cooking/music has changed over time.
The importance/effect of cooking/music.
Whether swearing/rude words/incitement to hatred should be allowed in songs/music?
What determines music taste?

Original post by Defraction

You can do controversial topics, you just have to be sensitive and present your case carefully- they are the hardest to do, but often the most interesting and best. Broad issues are bad if you talk about the issue in broad terms, but if you hone in on specific areas, it is fine.
My teacher specficially told us not to do it about our favorite TV show or football because often these speeches lack depth or content which shows complex understanding and is not a discussion or debate at all - it often ends up as a summary of their favorite team/show or just telling people how much they love a certain football player.

Reply 17

tamil fever

This is my ideas:
-Chances of World War 3?....by the way I did this

Reply 18

Lightning_xo

- mobile phones shgould be banned in schools
- Unhealthy food banned in schools
- No benefits from governemnt (housing, child, elderly)
- NHS shouldnt waste money on people who bring illensses on them selves (ie smokers, alchoholics)
- Abortion should be banned
- voting for age lowered to 16
- Tougher immigration laws
- Animal cruelty
- Why watching movies are beneficals

This idea is good as you would genrally be motivated to do it:
- do a speech about your favourite book/movie persuading people to read/watch it#

GOOD LUCK! :smile:

Reply 19

Martins1

Original post by Lightning_xo

These ideas are really good - if you look up "debate topics" online, you can get loads of inspiration for speeches.
One thing I would say is not to do your favourite book/movie. Although you will be empassioned, interested and motivated, its extremely hard to get good marks by doing this because naturally people tend to tell you what happened or why it was good rather than presenting a complex and perceptive topic, as is required by GCSE. Its not impossible, but its harder than debate topics and conroversial topics due to its very nature. Its better to find a debate topic which you find interesting and research it.