Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Toastmasters

I've been thinking about joining my local Toastmasters club in to help improve my public speaking abilities.  Anyone belong to Toastmasters or not belong Toastmasters for a specific reason?  I'd love to hear your thoughts; feel free to leave me a comment or send me and e-mail.

3 comments:

Rajiv Perera said...

I think it works. I do know a couple of folk that have benefitted from joining Toastmasters. I was a memeber once -- need to back in to it. All the best.

Anonymous said...

I've just done my first speech and I gotta say I'm impressed. You learn a little bit at a time, get excellent, timely, respectful feedback, in a supportive environment. I'm thrilled so far.

Clarke Ching
clarke dot ching at gmail dot com

yuvakuran said...

Toastmaster Seniors of Ankara

http://www.toastmasters.org

Today was an extraordinary day for us, for senior Toastmaster members of Ankara. We had our first monthly business lunch in Goksu Restaurant in Ankara city center, after a long period of interruption.

I was an active member of toastmasters group in Ankara. We were a group of highly qualified, highly educated professionals at middle age between university degree to senior managers at about retirement threshold, even after. I received my CTM degree in Toastmasters after completing my 10 programmed public speeches. What is CTM?, so go to above ref. web page again,

Toastmasters group is a group of highly intellectual men and women, from all parts of the world, from all disciplines, business person, academicians, who are in need of perfecting their public speaking capabilities, There are three Toastmasters clubs in Turkey. Ankara group meets in Turkish American Association, Cinnah caddesi every Tuesday at 1900 hours. Almost half of the members are expatriates. Izmir and Adana Toastmasters are closed to public attendance since they are formed by American personnel in Turkey.

In many international business cities you can find Toastmasters clubs. These are not necessary in posh clubs, sometimes in reasonable pubs in London, although there are Toastmaster meetings in exclusive clubs in The City, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Moscow and in the US Senate. In Washington DC, you will find many TM clubs. I have attended one Toastmasters in a reasonable pub in Hammersmith in London twice. I also attended two different Toastmasters club meetings in Virginia.

In Japan, Hongkong, Singapore, it is too difficult to join one of those Toastmaster groups. They are too exclusive, very expensive, very distinct. If you want to find TM clubs in the world, then go to "Yahoo" or "Google", type "Toastmasters" and surf in many individual TM clubs in the world.

These clubs are generally open to public, unless otherwise it is clearly stated. Guests are not supposed to speak unless they really wish to stand up and speak. For members they should speak impromptu in table topics and programmed in the second half.

Toastmasters club is the place where you spend two hours with your friends, to improve your public speaking capability, to share your life experiences.

I hope to continue our monthly business lunches in future.