Wednesday, April 9, 2008

My first speech at Toastmasters!

A month ago, I decided to attend Toastmasters at Applied Materials.
Hmm... Toastmasters...is it some kind of cooking class?! No !.... Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that helps people
become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience and also to improve their communication and leadership skills. It has nearly 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 92 countries.
It is exactly what I need, especially since English is not my first language, I need to feel more comfortable doing presentations in English, which is fundamental in today's world and in my work.

Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. You even have a person that counts for the number of "Ah" you pronounce, no kidding !
There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
After being a guest for almost a month, I decided to take a membership and deliver my first speech which is "
The Ice Breaker". It is a prepared speech you have to deliver in 4 to 6 minutes to introduce yourself to the other members and give them some information about your background, interests and ambitions. For my first speech, I was very happy with all the positive feedback I got. And even if I was nervous, it was not showing at all to the other members. Let's see how it goes for my second speech.
If you are interested by Toastmasters at Applied Materials, we meet every Wednesday between 12:00 - 1:00 PM at the following location:
Applied Materials Central Campus
2861 Scott Boulevard
Chardonnay Conference Room, Building 19
Santa Clara, CA, 95050, United States


This club (Club #: 5015, Dist #: 04) was established in december 1982 and is open to all, no need to be an employee. So, see you there !

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