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60 body language speech topics
Toastmasters body language speech topics
60 vocal variety and body language suggestions
By: Susan Dugdale | Last modified: 05-27-2022
The fifth of the seven Level Two: Learning Your Style projects in Toastmasters International is "Effective Body Language". Its main goal is to help a speaker become more aware
of, and to effectively use, the power of body language.
Obviously
some speech topics have more potential than others when it comes to
deciding what you’ll talk about to fulfil the project’s purpose.
What are they? And how do you choose the right one?
What's on this page
What makes a good body language topic?
Body language is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as the conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which
attitudes and feelings are communicated.
Therefore the very
best speech topic you could choose is one that you are genuinely and sincerely interested in, even passionately so. The more feeling you
have, the easier it will be to work on drawing out, refining, and
amplifying your body language to enhance the delivery of your
speech.
(Please note: These topics also suit the third project of Level One: Mastering Fundamentals: An Introduction to Vocal Variety and Body Language. Body language and vocal variety work side by side. To be effective, each must complement the other.)
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Choose a personal story for the project
Personal stories work well. We can all recall events that are
indelibly etched in our minds. We will always remember the sight, the
sounds, maybe a smell, the feelings wrapping them around, who was
there, the words that were spoken... The before and, the after.
Because what we’re
sharing is meaningful to us, the gestures, the body language, we use
as we retell the story will be natural: without conscious orchestration. This makes the delivery authentic and effective. Our words and our actions are in harmony.
Once upon a time time...
The majority of these story ideas belong to our youth.
- How I
learned to ride a bike
- My first day at
school
- Family
celebrations: birthdays, Christmas or its equivalent...
- The arrival of
a baby sister or brother and what it meant
- Sibling
rivalry: the good, the bad and the ugly
- My favorite
childhood foods
- Things I
learned I could get away with as a child
- The object
(toy, book, piece of clothing or sports gear...) I most valued and
why
- My idol or hero as a child or young person
- How I first learned
about death
- My first
friendship
- My favorite
childhood fantasy
- The imaginary
monsters that waited in the shadows to get me
- Who, and what,
I wanted to become when I grew up
- My favorite
hobby or sport as a young person
- The place I
felt safest as a child
- My favorite
places to visit as a young person
- The rooms,
streets... I remember most clearly
- When I was a
child I always wondered about..., or was puzzled by...?
- My earliest
memories
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Story suggestions from our grown up adult lives
Firsts are often frequently and vividly remembered experiences that could
be become the basis of a speech.
- My first job
interview
- My first job
- My first date
- The first car I
owned
- My first
driving lesson
- My first
Toastmaster’s speech – the story of getting ready to give, and
giving, my Ice Breaker
- My first
international travel
- The first time
I realized I was completely out of my depth
- The first time
I felt really proud of myself
- The first time
I knew I was liked/loved for being exactly who I was
- The first time
I saw my new-born child
- My first real
home
- The first time
I realized I was different in some way from the people around me
- The first time
I went to hospital
- The first time
I heard...{name of band playing, name of person speaking, singing,
laughing, crying, shouting, or name of instrument: guitar, piano,
drums, saxophone... etc.} I knew that...
- The first time
I was completely lost for words
- The first time
I questioned the rights and wrongs of a situation
- The first time
I felt betrayed by someone I had looked up to
- The first time
I was publicly acknowledged for doing something well
- The first time
I realized how fortunate or lucky I was to be me
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Lessons from life
Slices of personal truth served with a side of humor and
grace on a bed of well seasoned story telling skills! ☺
Use your own experiences to show as well as tell what you have
learned.
- How I recovered
from knowing I was not the most physically beautiful person in the room
- What I’ve
learned through years of people watching
- How the body
language for friendliness is universal – eg. a smile goes a long
way
- The truth
behind power posing: how to, why to and when to
- How I learned
to recognize fear in myself, and challenge it
- Body language
gestures that do not translate well across cultures and cause misunderstandings
- How to tell
when your child is lying and what to do about it
- How becoming
aware of our habitual unconscious gestures and what they
convey is empowering
- The most
powerful words I know: Yes, no, mother, father, love, money...
- My most
embarrassing experience
- How to tell who
is the most well-regarded or influential person in a group
- The top
tell-tale signs of anger that would be helpful for people to
recognize before it was too late
- What does a
feeling look like? Learning to read and communicate with non-verbal
people
- Does fake it
until you make it really work?
- How I learned I
was not good at pretending to be someone I’m not
- How I learned I
was going to recover from having my heart broken despite the pain
- How our
habitual body language, (how we walk, stand, sit, use our faces...),
impacts on our mental and physical health
- How seeing
yourself giving a presentation on video is challenging but really
helpful
- That the best
things in life truly are free
- The one that
got away: the job, relationship, fish...
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Toastmasters vocal variety and body language projects
*In 2021 Toastmasters altered several Pathway projects. An introduction to vocal variety and body language became the third project of four in Level One: Mastering Fundamentals.
In Level Two: Learning Your Style, the project 'Effective Body Language' deepens the foundation work done in Level One, while vocal variety is revisited in Level Three: Increasing Knowledge.
Prior to the introduction of Pathways working with body language was the fifth project of ten required for the Competent Communicator award. It was called: Your Body Speaks.
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Further body language and vocal variety resources
Onsite resources
- 125 examples of narrative speech topics - more great prompts to help you find the perfect personal story to share
- The vocal aspects of speech delivery - 9 features of effective speech delivery (which includes vocal variety)
- Why is eye contact important? Information about eye contact with activities for teaching and practicing it
- Characterization techniques for effective storytelling in speeches: exercises to develop compelling body language and voice
- Teach yourself body language: becoming aware of and working with our habitual unconscious body language and gestures to increase the effectiveness of our speech delivery
Offsite resources
- An Introduction to Vocal Variety and Body Language: Level One: Mastering Fundamentals, Toastmasters International, pdf
- Effective Body Language: Level Two: Learning Your Style, Toastmasters International, pdf
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