Whether you're preparing for Cambridge B1 Preliminary, B2 First, DELE, DELF, Goethe-Zertifikat, or any other B1/B2 exam, certain speaking topics appear with remarkable consistency. Examiners draw from a predictable pool of themes because these topics test the functional language skills expected at each level.
This guide covers the core topic categories you'll encounter, with specific sub-topics and the language functions you should be able to perform for each.
Understanding B1 vs. B2 Topic Expectations
Before diving into topics, it's important to understand how B1 and B2 differ in what's expected:
B1 speakers should:
- Describe experiences and events
- Give reasons and explanations for opinions
- Handle most travel and daily life situations
- Discuss familiar topics like work, school, hobbies
B2 speakers should:
- Present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects
- Explain viewpoints with advantages and disadvantages
- Interact fluently enough for regular interaction with native speakers
- Discuss abstract or cultural topics with reasonable precision
The same topic might appear at both levels, but B2 requires more depth, nuance, and the ability to discuss implications and consequences.
Category 1: Personal Life and Relationships
Topics to Prepare
- Family structure and relationships
- Friendships (making friends, maintaining friendships, conflicts)
- Romantic relationships and dating culture
- Life stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood)
- Living arrangements (with family, alone, with roommates)
- Work-life balance
- Daily routines and how they've changed
B1 Focus
Be ready to describe your family, talk about a close friend, explain your daily routine, and discuss what you like to do with family or friends.
Sample task: "Describe your best friend and explain why you get along well."
B2 Focus
Discuss how relationships have changed in modern society, analyze the pros and cons of different living arrangements, or explain how technology has affected friendships.
Sample task: "Some people say social media has made friendships more superficial. What's your view?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Relationship vocabulary (acquaintance, close friend, get along with, fall out with)
- Describing personality traits
- Discussing frequency and routines
- Comparing past and present (used to, would, present perfect)
Category 2: Education and Learning
Topics to Prepare
- School systems and experiences
- University and higher education
- Learning styles and preferences
- Traditional vs. online education
- Language learning experiences
- Skills for the future
- Lifelong learning
B1 Focus
Describe your educational background, explain what subjects you enjoyed, discuss how you prefer to learn.
Sample task: "Tell me about your experience learning English. What has helped you most?"
B2 Focus
Compare education systems, discuss whether university education is necessary for success, analyze how technology is changing learning.
Sample task: "Some people argue that practical skills are more valuable than academic qualifications. To what extent do you agree?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Educational vocabulary (curriculum, degree, vocational training, qualification)
- Comparing and contrasting systems
- Discussing hypothetical situations (If I had studied..., I wish I had...)
- Expressing degrees of certainty and opinion
Category 3: Work and Career
Topics to Prepare
- Job descriptions and responsibilities
- Career aspirations and choices
- Work environment (office, remote, hybrid)
- Job satisfaction factors
- Unemployment and job searching
- Work-life balance
- Entrepreneurship vs. employment
- Future of work (automation, AI, gig economy)
B1 Focus
Describe your job or ideal job, explain why you chose your career path, discuss what makes a good workplace.
Sample task: "What job would you like to have in the future? Why?"
B2 Focus
Discuss whether remote work is beneficial or harmful, analyze what factors contribute to job satisfaction, explore how automation might change employment.
Sample task: "How do you think the job market will change in the next 20 years?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Professional vocabulary for your field
- Describing responsibilities and achievements
- Discussing trends and predictions
- Conditional structures for hypotheticals
For more on workplace speaking scenarios, see Conversation Rehearsal Practice.
Category 4: Health and Lifestyle
Topics to Prepare
- Exercise and fitness
- Diet and nutrition
- Mental health and stress
- Sleep habits
- Healthcare systems
- Alternative medicine
- Work-related health issues
- Lifestyle changes
B1 Focus
Describe your health habits, explain how you stay fit, discuss a time you were ill and what happened.
Sample task: "What do you do to stay healthy?"
B2 Focus
Discuss healthcare system challenges, analyze why mental health issues are increasing, explore the relationship between lifestyle and health outcomes.
Sample task: "Some people believe the government should do more to promote healthy lifestyles. What measures could be effective?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Health and body vocabulary
- Giving advice and recommendations
- Discussing causes and effects
- Presenting arguments for and against
Category 5: Technology and Media
Topics to Prepare
- Social media use and effects
- Smartphones and screen time
- Privacy and data concerns
- Technology in daily life
- News consumption habits
- Traditional vs. digital media
- Technology and relationships
- Future technologies
B1 Focus
Describe how you use technology, explain your favorite apps or websites, discuss how technology has changed communication.
Sample task: "How has the internet changed the way people communicate?"
B2 Focus
Analyze social media's impact on society, discuss privacy concerns and data protection, explore whether technology makes us more or less connected.
Sample task: "What are the main advantages and disadvantages of social media for young people?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Technology vocabulary (app, platform, algorithm, data)
- Discussing advantages and disadvantages
- Speculating about the future
- Expressing concern and proposing solutions
Category 6: Environment and Society
Topics to Prepare
- Environmental problems (pollution, climate change, waste)
- Sustainable practices (recycling, renewable energy)
- Urban vs. rural living
- Transportation choices
- Consumer behavior
- Social responsibility
- Global vs. local issues
B1 Focus
Describe environmental problems you know about, explain what you do to help the environment, discuss transportation in your city.
Sample task: "What can ordinary people do to help protect the environment?"
B2 Focus
Analyze why environmental action is difficult, discuss individual vs. government responsibility, explore how cities can become more sustainable.
Sample task: "Some people believe that individuals can't make a real difference to environmental problems—only governments can. What's your opinion?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Environmental vocabulary (emissions, carbon footprint, biodiversity)
- Cause and effect language
- Discussing responsibility and obligation
- Proposing and evaluating solutions
Category 7: Travel and Culture
Topics to Prepare
- Travel experiences and preferences
- Tourism's impact (positive and negative)
- Cultural differences
- Traditions and customs
- Food and cuisine
- National identity
- Living abroad
- Globalization
B1 Focus
Describe a trip you've taken, explain your travel preferences, discuss customs in your country.
Sample task: "Tell me about a memorable trip you've taken."
B2 Focus
Analyze tourism's effects on local communities, discuss how cultures are becoming more similar, explore challenges of living in another country.
Sample task: "How has tourism changed your country or region? Is this mostly positive or negative?"
Key Language to Prepare
- Travel and tourism vocabulary
- Narrating past events
- Comparing cultures without stereotyping
- Discussing change over time
Category 8: Entertainment and Leisure
Topics to Prepare
- Hobbies and interests
- Sports (playing and watching)
- Music, film, and television
- Reading habits
- Gaming and digital entertainment
- Live events and performances
- How leisure time has changed
- Celebrity culture
B1 Focus
Describe your hobbies, explain why you enjoy certain activities, discuss your favorite film or book.
Sample task: "What do you enjoy doing in your free time?"
B2 Focus
Analyze how streaming has changed entertainment, discuss whether violent video games affect behavior, explore why celebrity culture is so prominent.
Sample task: "How has the way people consume entertainment changed in recent years?"
How to Prepare Systematically
Step 1: Create Topic Vocabularies
For each category, build a vocabulary list of 30-50 key words and phrases. Focus on:
- Nouns (the key concepts)
- Verbs (what happens or what people do)
- Adjectives (for describing and evaluating)
- Useful phrases and collocations
Step 2: Prepare Personal Examples
Examiners often ask about your own experiences. For each topic, prepare:
- A relevant personal story or example
- Your opinion with 2-3 supporting reasons
- A question you could ask about the topic
Step 3: Practice Both Monologue and Dialogue
B1/B2 exams typically include both:
- Extended turns where you speak for 1-2 minutes
- Interactive discussion with a partner or examiner
Practice both formats regularly.
Step 4: Learn Useful Phrases for Each Function
At B2 especially, you need phrases for:
- Introducing opinions ("From my point of view...", "I tend to think that...")
- Contrasting ("On the other hand...", "Having said that...")
- Giving examples ("Take X for instance...", "A case in point is...")
- Concluding ("All things considered...", "On balance...")
For more detail on speaking test structure, see CEFR Speaking Descriptors Explained.
The Night Before
Don't try to cram new vocabulary. Instead:
- Review your prepared examples for major topics
- Practice speaking about 2-3 topics out loud
- Get a good night's sleep
The topics above cover 90%+ of what you'll encounter. Prepare them thoroughly, and you'll walk into your exam with confidence.
See also:
- CEFR Speaking Descriptors Explained - What examiners expect at each level
- Conversation Rehearsal Practice - How to practice speaking effectively