Why would a teacher of
English attend a toastmasters club? You speak good English and you are awesome
in English. Do a class and help poor children. These were the words I heard
when I told one of my friends that I would like to attend a toastmasters club.
In order to find a club near my town, I googled and found the mobile phone
number of one of the current members, phoned him and requested him to furnish
me further details. He generously helped me and I got in. I attended Negombo
Toastmasters Club with some kind of trepidation, as I had no previous experience
public speaking.
My friends were wrong.
They were very wrong. I was warmly welcomed and very well received. Some
members inquired what I did for a living and even my ins and outs.
I am a very good
observer in anything I do and initially I observed members doing their speeches
and playing club roles intently. I took part in nothing but believe me, I
learnt many things fast and was relaxed. It was the time for me to consider
whether to continue my presence at the club or not. The president asked me if I
could be a member or not. I replied her in the affirmative. Immediately, the
initial membership fee was made and I got prepared for the Ice Breaker. I
recollected the journey of my life until the present time and prepared my
speech.
I delivered it. It was
well evaluated. It is the start of a new life. It is a life I live in. It is
life that I cherish. Speeches keep me changing as I can share my ideas with my
fellow toastmasters. I love sharing ideas because we can change the world in
small but powerful ways. Life is all about sharing and caring. If we do not
share and care, life ends for helping one another is valued by many.
Toastmasters International, for example, is an organization that promotes
mutual support, peer evaluation with constructive feedback and helping people
to grow and grooming them to be leaders.
I grow steadily. I
consider feedback as positive and constructive criticism to mould me into a
fine public speaker. I speak English as a second language and imagine the
benefits of being a better speaker in this communication driven economy and the
world. Toastmasters International not only enhances our public speaking but
also leadership skills. My time is very valuable and I take part in each and
every opportunity that comes on my way. The desire to be a public speaker is
overwhelming in me and I joined a second club. It is awesome. I joined Free
Trade Zone Toastmasters Club and both clubs are enjoyable and supportive. Four meetings
a month, four times exposure and what I do like joining two clubs is I have
made new friends from many walks of life and vocations. I do understand that I
have joined a truly valuable organization and I have no hesitation in
recommending a toastmasters club to anyone.
Speaking good English
does not mean that we are better public speakers. If we want to refine the
English we speak, we must learn the art of public speaking. An interesting
thing of note is that the ambience in the two clubs is very much like ‘feel
free’, ‘you are home’ and ‘make yourself comfortable’.
Joining Toastmasters
International and becoming a member is life time investment. If we want to be
successful public speakers and leaders, we should live in speech craft. I
achieved my first award, the Competent Communicator Award (CC). I was happy the
day I finished all the ten speeches. The audience gave me a standing ovation. What
is next? Yes. Advanced manuals will definitely refine and groom me to be a
better leader and a public speaker. I am ready to taste and learn more.
Susil Manchanayaka, Consultant in English
Diploma in English
B. A. in English
Post Graduate Diploma in Education
Diploma in Journalism
Certificate in Training and Human Resources Development
Diploma in English
B. A. in English
Post Graduate Diploma in Education
Diploma in Journalism
Certificate in Training and Human Resources Development
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIndeed , public speaking is a very important skill both language teachers and learners should master. However , due to the limitations prevalent in the school education system , students hardly get an opportunity gain practice in public speaking skills within the school. Becoming a very confident presenter is vital for any language teacher since the students naturally imitate their teachers. This innovative idea of coming up with a blog focusing on public speaking itself is amazing! Undoubtedly, this will be a valuable resource for all language teachers and learners.
Good Luck!
Sudarma Gamage
(A Teacher of English)
Yes. What you said is correct. We may try and help our students. I hope that if we try hard, we can come up with some ideas to help them. School children can form a Gavel Club so once they are eighteen, they can join a Toastmasters Club. These clubs give members improve their public speaking and leadership skills.
DeleteThose who are good at public speaking (speech craft) will have increased recognition wherever they go.People with good communication skills are very much the sought after lot. They have advantages over their non proficient counterparts. Why do not we think of some suitable ways and means of involving children? Public speaking pays one rich dividends.
Nice work Susil. I am so grateful to you for promoting Toastmasters with your experience. Hope to be a frequent visitor of your blog. All the very best!
ReplyDeleteYes. Thank you Veena. I just began this blog so that many of us can contribute to a worthier cause. All should contribute to this type of blogs.
DeletePlease visit the blog whenever you have time and just drop a post. In future, I am posting many articles on different areas of public speaking. These articles will be of immense interest to many so that they can be effective public speakers. As I mentioned somewhere else, if you are into public speaking, you will also be a better leader and a respected speaker. Toastmasters should not be confined to making speeches and doing leadership roles only, they can be contributors to the improvement of knowledge of other people so that being a toastmaster will be worthwhile.
All of TM community can make use of this blog to express their views so that this will be fora for opinion. Keep visiting the blog. You can write a post, a very lengthy one should you like doing so.
Which English to Speak in a Toastmasters Club
DeleteAt present, when English is one of the main languages in the world, it is difficult to understand that this is a relatively recent thing – that in Shakespeare´s time, for example, only a few million people in Europe spoke English and that it was unknown to the rest of the world.
English has become a world language because of its establishment as a mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the world. This exporting of English began in the 17th century, with the first settlements in North America. Above all, it is the great growth of population in the USA that has given the English language present standing in the world. At present, for instance, the major language in the Toastmasters International is English.
People who speak English are usually categorised into one of three groups.
those who have learned it as their native language
those who have learned it as a second language in a society that is mainly bilingual
those who are forced to use it for a practical use (administrative, professional, educational)
One person in seven of the world´s population belongs to one of these three groups.
75 % of the world´s mail and 60 % of the world´s telephone calls are in English. That is why English has become a language of international communication.
I happened to visit another club in my area. I attended it on one Thursday evening and was overjoyed. Why I was overjoyed is due to many reasons and these reasons will be disclosed as I proceed. I was warmly welcomed and some of my friends saw me and were overjoyed. I never thought that they would be there.
ReplyDeleteThe club's atmosphere was welcoming, everyone smiled with me, I was introduced, they were introduced and I was in the company of 20 or odd new faces. What a remarkable encounter? I played the role of the General Evaluator and the Grammarian. The club is a newly formed club but their enthusiasm was excellent.
In Toastmasters International clubs, you meet people of various walks of life, they represent various ethnic backgrounds, they belong to various social classes and bring in sources of inspiration.
Toastmasters are dynamic, they attend clubs with a purpose, they want to improve their skills in public speaking and leadership skills and indirectly, they build networks of professionals. I have a friend who repeatedly says that he enjoys attending clubs as it purifies his blood. It is another reason for joining the Toastmasters International for that friend.
Your potential to improve your English will also be higher, as you meet people with different proficiency levels. English is usually (in Sri Lanka) the language of communication and in addition to being a public speaker, you will improve your English Language skills. The role of the Grammarian at clubs will help you brush up your English.
Attend club meetings regularly, bring in a guest, help him fit in, enjoy life with him or her.
Club members are usually supportive, you may have access to a mentor, you can network, you can contribute to each other's progress. Toastmasters International is an organization that helps people sharpen untapped human potential. You are a storehouse of human potential, there is a huge amount of untapped human potential in you, average human beings utilize only 1.3 percent of their potential, the rest lies untapped. Why not improve yours? Why do you let it lie untapped? Join a club and help others help you. You will soon realize how important it is if you are a member of a public speaking club.