Looking to improve your speaking and leadership skills? Ignite your career? Win that job interview?
You’ve come to the right place. Since 1924, more than 4 million people around the world have benefited from membership in toastmasters. Through our member clubs, people can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change. Today Toastmasters is a world leader and now has more than 260,000 members around the globe. Before joining, you may be curious to learn a little more about the what, why and how of this organization. Here are some answers to get you started.
What is Toastmasters?
A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly, biweekly or monthly. The average meeting lasts 60 – 90 minutes.
There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This friendly feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and also develop skills related to timekeeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure.
Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.
Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and working in the Competent Leadership manual. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don't lecture our members about leadership skills; we give them responsibilities and mentoring to help. Then we ask them to lead.
Why should I join?
The Toastmasters International program offers many benefits that help people in all walks of life. You will:
Increase your self-confidence
Be a better speaker
Be a better leader
Communicate more effectively
Be a better listener
Improve your presentation skills
Ignite your career
Hone your skills of persuasion
Reach your professional and personal goals
The Toastmasters International program offers many terrific features. It is:
Inexpensive
Interactive
Convenient
Friendly
Supportive
Vientiane Toastmasters Club, the first and only public speaking club in Laos. Since 22nd May 2010.
What is a “Toastmasters Club?”
A Toastmasters Club is a speech and communications club where members work to improve their oral presentation skills in English. Delivering speeches and giving evaluations are the two major components of Toastmasters meetings. Our activities are designed to enhance these two areas of oral communication, while having fun!
Why should I join Vientiane Toastmasters Club?
We provide a nurturing environment in which to improve presentation skills. You will gain added confidence in making both your prepared presentations and short impromptu speeches and learn how to give constructive evaluations.
What kind of people are in Vientiane Toastmasters Club?
Our current membership includes company employees, educators, public servants, housewives, university students, and foreign residents. We are proud of our diversity!
What else can I learn from Toastmasters ?
You will learn more than just communication skills in Toastmasters club. You will build leadership skills by serving as a club officer, formulating and implementing plans to help club meeting. You may also complete the leadership program within the club, and receive the leadership certificate from Toastmasters International.
What series of communication skills can I learn from ?
We provide basic and advanced communication training for speaking situations you may encounter elsewhere, such as: the entertaining speaker, special occasion speech, humorously speaking, persuasive speaking, technical presentations, communication on television, storytelling, and so on.
What did the present member think about this club ?
I simply can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon in a constructive way! Nothing presents a more exciting challenge than learning to master my communication and leadership skills using English language with amazing people from all around the city ! (Bounheng, active member of Vientiane Toastmasters club).
Will there be a heavy time commitment?
Not at all! We are flexible in scheduling, and members ‘self-assign’ themselves on the calendar. You can progress through the various certificate programs on your own schedule.
The club sounds interesting. Can I visit meetings as a guest before I decide to join?
We encourage guests to attend our meetings, and you can attend meetings as a guest as many times as you want. Once you become a member, you are eligible to make speeches and to participate in table topic and evaluation sessions.
Find out when and where we meet:
Vientiane Toastmasters Club:
Every Sunday, 16:00-18:00 Khopchaideu Restaurant-bar, Conference room (3F), Vientiane, Laos.
E-mail: bounhengs2005[at]yahoo.co.jp Tel : 020-55400099.
http://www.toastmasters.org/
http://vientiane-toastmasters.blogspot.com/
We look forward to seeing you soon !