20 Speaking Practice Topics & Exercises
Pick a situation, speak for one or two minutes, then review one thing you want to improve. Each exercise includes guiding questions, an example opening, and a practical drill. You can practise alone or adapt it for a partner.
20 exercises to try
Introduce yourself in one minute
Introduce yourself to someone joining your class or team. Choose two details that help them continue the conversation.
Try this exercise →Everyday conversation · BeginnerDescribe a place without naming it
Picture a familiar place and describe it so a listener can imagine being there. Save its name until the end.
Try this exercise →Everyday conversation · BeginnerRecommend a book, film, or podcast
Recommend something you enjoyed to someone whose time is limited. Explain who it is for without giving away the ending.
Try this exercise →Everyday conversation · BeginnerExplain how you learned a skill
Describe a skill you learned through practice. Focus on the steps another beginner could follow.
Try this exercise →Everyday conversation · IntermediateA choice that changed your day
Tell a short story about a choice that affected the rest of your day. It can be ordinary rather than dramatic.
Try this exercise →Interviews · BeginnerPractise “Tell me about yourself”
Answer an interviewer asking about your background. Select experiences relevant to a role you actually want rather than reciting every date on your CV.
Try this exercise →Interviews · IntermediateDescribe a time you worked in a team
Choose a genuine team experience and explain your part. Give credit to others while making your own actions clear.
Try this exercise →Interviews · IntermediateTalk about a mistake and what changed
Describe a real, appropriate mistake from work or study. Explain the response and a specific change you made afterward.
Try this exercise →Interviews · BeginnerExplain a strength with evidence
Pick one strength relevant to a role and demonstrate it through a short example. Avoid giving a list of unsupported qualities.
Try this exercise →Interviews · IntermediateAsk a useful interview question
Practise the moment an interviewer asks whether you have questions. Choose something you need to understand about the work.
Try this exercise →Presentations · IntermediateExplain a complex idea simply
Explain an idea from your work or studies to someone outside that field. Assume interest, but no specialist vocabulary.
Try this exercise →Presentations · BeginnerOpen a presentation with a clear purpose
Open a short presentation about a topic you know. Tell the audience what they will understand or be able to do by the end.
Try this exercise →Presentations · AdvancedPresent a proposal and its trade-off
Recommend a change to a team, class, or community group. Explain both the expected benefit and what it would cost or make harder.
Try this exercise →Presentations · AdvancedAnswer a question you cannot fully resolve
Imagine a listener asks a detailed question during a presentation. Practise answering what you know and being honest about what needs checking.
Try this exercise →Presentations · IntermediateClose a presentation with one next step
Finish a short talk by helping the audience remember one idea and decide what to do with it.
Try this exercise →Workplace · BeginnerGive a useful project update
Update a colleague on a project without recounting everything you did. Include progress, a blocker, and the decision or help you need.
Try this exercise →Workplace · IntermediateDisagree without losing the conversation
Practise disagreeing with a proposal while showing that you understand its purpose. Focus on the idea rather than the person.
Try this exercise →Workplace · BeginnerAsk for help with a clear request
Ask a colleague or tutor for help after trying to solve a problem. Give enough context to make the request easy to respond to.
Try this exercise →Discussion · AdvancedDebate where a team should work
Discuss remote, office, or mixed working arrangements. Choose a position but explain when another approach might work better.
Try this exercise →Discussion · IntermediateDiscuss a habit worth trying
Suggest a small habit and explore whether it would suit another person. Invite their experience rather than delivering a motivational speech.
Try this exercise →Levels describe the exercise’s complexity, not a certified language level. These website exercises are separate from the app’s daily content.