Tag Archives: speaking

Speaking Skills Workshop Update

“Speaking Skills Workshop Update”

All the places are filled. We have closed the registration for the Speaking Skills Workshop.

Thank you for your support!

You are welcome to visit our next normal chapter meeting which will be held on 26 April 2008.

It’s free of charge.

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Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Date:
26 April 2008 (Sat)
Time: 2.30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Venue: Kowloon Club Conference Room – 93 Toa Payoh Central, #05-02, Toa Payoh Central Community Building, Singapore 319194.
——- 
 

Yetti
Club President 2007-2008
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: https://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

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Speaking Skills Workshop

“Speaking Skills Workshop”

If you are one of the regular visitors of our blog, you should have by now known a bit more about public speaking and the Toastmasters movement. You may have already benefited from the free tips on speaking skills we provide in the blog here and there.

Do you feel the urge to try them out yet have the concern about not knowing how to start?

We have some good news for you – Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club is going to organize a Speaking Skills Workshop in April.

Course Dates: 17 April, 24 April, 8 May and 15 May 2008
Time:  7:30 pm – 10 pm
Venue: Kowloon Club, #05-02 Toa Payoh Central Community Building
Organizer: Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Fee: $110 for a 4-Day Course
Enquiry: Call Edward at 9173-7803

The workshop consists of 4 two-and-half-hour sessions spanning from April to May. During the workshop, you will learn some bolts and nuts of public speaking.

  • You will learn how to draft your speech like a pro.
  • You will learn how to answer in a professional way questions thrown to you by surprise.
  • You will learn how to evaluate a speech.

Above all, you will learn how to overcome the fear of speaking in front of an audience.What’s more, you will get a bonus of Toastmasters International membership for 6 months which is worth US$47. No gimmick – This is the amount we have to remit to Toastmasters International World Headquarters in USA when you sign up for the course.

Remember, a person will not learn how to swim unless he plunges into the water. To overcome the fear of public speaking, you cannot just sit on the couch and hope that the skills you have learned from our website will somehow work one day!

Take action – Sign up for the speaking skills workshop NOW!!!

Update:  All the places are filled. We have closed the registration for the Speaking Skills Workshop. Thank you for your support.

Looking forward to meeting you at the first session of the workshop on 17th April.
Yetti
Club President 2007-2008
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: https://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

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Results of 2008 KSTMC International Speech and Table Topic Contests

Dear Club Members and Friends,

Thanks for your participating in our club contests, either being an appointment holder or as a contestant!

I would like to say to a Big Thank You again to our Chief Judge DG Michael Wee, DTM.

Here are the results for 2008 KSTMC International Speech & Table Topics Contest which was held on 23 Feb 2008:

International Speech Contest

Champion : Edward Ma
1st Runner up: Yetti Chiu

Table Topic Contest:

Champion : Edward Ma
1st Runner up: Yetti Chiu
2nd Runner up: Raymond Yuen
Congratulations to all the winners!

Edward will represent our club to take part in the coming Area U4 Contests.

Combined Area U2 & Area U4 International Speech & Table Topics Contests 2008
12 April 08 (Sat)
1.30pm – 5.30pm
Whampoa C.C, Mini-Theatre
Free Admission

You can view the photos taken at our club contests at
https://public-speaking-singapore.com/photo.html

Cheers !
Yetti
Club President 2007-2008
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: https://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

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How to Use Notes When Speaking In Public

“Public Speaking Tips – How to Use Notes When Speaking In Public”

Is it okay to use notes when speaking in public? Sure, as long as you don’t misuse them. The following article will show you the 5 Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to using notes in public speaking.

Enjoy!

If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).

Yetti
Club President 2007-2008
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

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Public Speaking Do’s & Don’ts – How to Use Notes When Speaking In Public
By Nancy Tierney

Public speaking experts can become public speaking snobs when it comes to the question of using notes when speaking. The super snobs will tell you to never use them, that they are sign of weakness and lack of skill, that they disconnect you from your audience, that they make you boring and dull.

But this is not necessarily true. You can use notes in such a way that allow you greater skill, confidence and effectiveness. Notes can free you up to take risks, be conversational, and have a little more spontaneous fun because you know you can always refer to your notes if you need to get back on track.

If you use notes, use them well.

5 DON’TS:

Don’t read your notes!
There is nothing more boring than someone reading their speech. Don’t stick your face in your notes and read them. You should know your speech well enough that you only need to glance at your notes once in a while to prompt you to the next point, story or interaction.

Don’t fiddle with your note cards or paper.

Don’t hold your notes in your hands, fiddle with them or fling them about like a feather boa. Not only is this distracting, but it tends to distance you from your audience. You don’t want any object between you and your audience, whether it be your notes or a lectern.

Don’t apologize.

If you need to refer to your notes, don’t apologize. Don’t say, “I’m sorry, I need to look at my notes.” Why are you apologizing? You’re not doing anything wrong.

Don’t try to hide it.

Dale Carnegie states in his book, Public Speaking for Success, that if you have to use your notes, be sure your audience doesn’t see you doing it. That’s just nuts. Don’t insult your audience by pretending not to look while you’re looking. You never want to hide from your audience. It makes you appear untrustworthy.

5 DO’s:

Make your notes user-friendly

Make sure your notes are easy for you to read and use. Use one sheet of paper that holds the outline of your speech with bullet points and short phrases. Just enough to remind you of what you want to say. Make the font huge so it’s easy for you to see.

Keep them in one place.

Place you notes on a table or lectern and leave them there! If you need to refer to them, walk over, glance at them, and then continue with your speech.

Know your speech.

Know your speech well enough that you could present it without notes. Your notes should only be used as a prompt, not a crutch, just in case you need a little memory jog.

Be real and deliberate.

If you’re going to look at your notes, do so confidently and deliberately. Don’t try to sneak a look or pretend it’s not happening. Walk over to those notes with confidence and take a good look.

Stay connected.

If you need to look at your notes, stop speaking, take a glance, then look up and be with your audience before you start speaking again. Never speak into your notes. It cuts off the connection between you and your audience. Take a glance and then be sure your eyes are with them before you launch into your next point.

Sometimes, just knowing you have notes available offers you enough extra security that you end up never having to use them. So, bring those notes along, use them well, and have a blast.

If you’d like more tips on how to be a confident speaker, sign up for my free monthly e-zine, Becoming Fearless here: http://www.unconditionalconfidence.com .

You can also get the 3 Secrets to engaging your audience any time you are speaking on the Engage Your Audience CD.

Nancy Tierney teaches entrepreneurs how to speak in public with confidence, ease and their own kind of charisma. You can discover how to be completely confident any time you are expressing yourself in any way by going to: http://www.unconditionalconfidence.com .

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Tierney
http://EzineArticles.com/?Public-Speaking-Dos-and-Donts—How-to-Use-Notes-When-Speaking-In-Public&id=605479

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Speaking Well – Projecting Our Vocal & Verbal Image

The following is an article contributed by Richard Sng, DTM.

If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).

Guests are welcome to visit us!
It’s free of charge and there is no obligation that you have to join our club.

Just come, relax and see what toastmasters are all about!

Yetti
Club President 2007-2008
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: https://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

———

Speaking Well – Projecting Our Vocal & Verbal Image

The Visual Image
We take great care, if not, great pains, to dress well, to look presentable and well-groomed.
We are conscious about our dressing and our grooming; our clothes, hair care, skincare ………….
We walk, we dine and we socialise with grace and charm.
We engage an image consultant, spending hundreds, if not, thousands of dollars to project a visual image.
We work hard to keep up with the latest trends in fashion and grooming.
We look like a million dollars !

We can blow the image we have worked so hard to create, with the Giorgio Armani suit
or the Calvin Klein dress, the moment we open our mouth to speak.
That is, when we mispronounce or otherwise misuse words.
Our value and credibility drop tremendously.
Just as bad, while our wardrobe and looks may be in fashion, our vocabulary,
the way and manner we speak may simply be out of date.

The Vocal & Verbal Image
We have an image problem; our vocal and verbal image.
Wouldn’t you want, not only to look great, but also to sound pleasant and to sound right ?
Do we take pride in our spoken language ?
Do we sound lifeless, listless, lethargic and lazy ?

Posers for YOU to Ponder
Do you speak sloppily and slovenly ?
Do you get understood or misunderstood ?
Is there clarity and coherence when you speak ?
How well do you vocalise and verbalise yourself ?
Have you ever given any thought to your vocal and verbal image ?
Are you embarrassed by the way, the manner and style you speak ?
Do you get misunderstood through poor pronunciation and enunciation ?

“ We can be MISUNDERSTOOD through MISCOMMUNICATION
and MISCOMMUNICATION can cause MISUNDERSTANDING. ” : Richard Sng

Speaking Clearly
Do you think speaking clearly is important ?
It is not just about audibility, but also the IDEA? of pronunciation,
that is, intonation, diction, enunciation and articulation.
It is also about the importance of clarity and coherence.
Do we show the quality of expressing our ideas and thoughts in a clear way ?
Is what we say easily heard, pure and distinct, easily understood and free from doubt or difficulty ?

Speaking Correctly
Do you think speaking correctly is equally important ?
It is not just about grammatically correct English,
but also the choice of words, word usage and sentence construction.
Is it free from clichés, redundancies and ambiguity ?

Speaking Creatively
Do you think speaking creatively is just as important ?
Preferably, especially if you wish to impress and impress upon the audience
of your poise, polish and professionalism in the usage of the language.

The Web of Speaking
We may be speaking socially or casually, having a conversation.
We may be delivering a speech, making a presentation of just speaking before a group.
When we speak clearly, correctly and creatively, we are sure to speak confidently.
( Three small ‘c’s < seas > make a great ‘C’ < sea > . )

“The ability to communicate clearly, correctly and confidently is critical and crucial. ” : Richard Sng

We are judged, not by just what we say, but also by the way we say it, and the way we speak.
Nobody is too old to change the way he/she speaks.
It is all a question of mindset, our attitude and our outlook.

“ When we talk we give ourselves away.
We reveal our true character in a picture which is more true and
realistic than anything an artist can do for us. “ : Dr Ralph C. Smedley

Article contributed by Richard Sng :

Richard is a Language Coach and a Vocal & Verbal Image Consultant/Trainer.
(m) 976 22 951 sngrichard@yahoo.com

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Toastmasters…. Toastmasters….What is Toastmasters?

Do you know what is toastmasters?

I am a toastmaster. Actually I am proud to be a toastmaster.
I am really glad that I have joined our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club.

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club holds regular chapter meetings where members gather to improve their public speaking and communication skills.

Guests are welcome to visit us!
It’s free of charge and there is no obligation that you have to join our club.

Just come, relax and see what toastmasters are all about!

Read through the below article if you don’t know what is toastmasters. : )

“If you wish to grow and achieve…to feel confident in public communication or leadership roles…to interact with other individuals who have the same objectives – Toastmasters is your answer…”

—————-
What is Toastmasters?
By Fran Watson

Toastmasters…. Toastmasters….What is Toastmasters?

Is it a bunch of guys in stuffed shirts & suits standing around and pontificating about people? Is it a secret society where everyone looks furtively from side to side before giving the secret handshake? Is it a cooking class where everyone brings in their breadmaker and makes the latest recipe and then toasts it to see how it tastes? Or is it a bunch of guys drinking in a bar?. – “Here’s to Joe, what a schmoe, so grab your beer, let’s give a cheer — to Joe”.

Toastmasters is an international, not-for-profit organization designed to help people become more confident in public speaking.

Why would anyone want to go to Toastmasters? What do you do there? What kind of things do you learn? Do you have to talk all the time? Why would I go? I’m afraid to go there – what if someone asks me to get up and speak? I can’t do that – what would I say?

The most common reason given for joining Toastmasters is to conquer shyness, stage fright or fear of public speaking. Some members have said they couldn’t enter a room without worrying about talking to people.

There are many courses designed to help people develop their speaking skills. Most of which cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and may require you to travel long distances to the training location. Toastmasters cost is less than $100. per year and training takes place in a supportive atmosphere at local club meetings.

People progress at their own pace through a professionally prepared program. There are manuals that offer a step-by-step approach to speech organization and presentation, covering topics such as: Speaking With Sincerity, Organizing Your Speech, Vocal Variety, Working With Words, and Using Props to Add Impact.

Did you know that success in your occupation is directly related to how well you can speak? Research shows that people who can express themselves effectively advance further and faster in their careers than those who have difficulty speaking. Toastmasters provides the tools you can use to improve your performance in a variety of situations.

Club meetings include opportunities to practice spontaneous thinking and speaking with an activity known as Table Topics. It is fun and participants are often very creative in their responses to their topic. But Toastmasters is not just about speaking. It is also about listening.

At the end of each meeting the person who is appointed Quiz Master quizzes the group about things that have been said during the meeting. As the “Ah” counter, you will listen for filler words such as um, and, er, or lengthy pauses during a speech. The Evaluator listens carefully for strengths and weaknesses of the speeches or the meeting. Listening is a large part of Toastmasters.

Observing also plays a part in Toastmasters. If you are not the person speaking, you have the opportunity to observe how a speech is given, how props might be used, or the effective use of gestures. You can observe the audience’s reaction to the speaker and the connection between them. All these observations will help you when it is time for you to give your first speech.

Toastmasters membership offers:

* Unlimited opportunities for personal and occupational advancement based on improved abilities and expanded experience.

* Experience in leadership development through training and club involvement.

* Increased confidence, the ability to organize thoughts logically and present self-assuredly,

* The opportunity to develop a better understanding of human relations.

* Opportunity to assist others to develop their communication and leadership abilities as you develop your own

* The chance to share your Toastmasters experience by telling others about the program and inviting them to join.

Over the past few years, I heard a lot about Toastmasters. I went to the website to check it out and contacted the local club. I decided that it was something I needed to do. Recognizing that to learn is to risk, I joined and started right away on my first speech -my Icebreaker. My goal was to achieve my CTM – Competent Toastmaster within the year and I did my final speech in June 2003. Although I had experience presenting in workshops, giving a speech was a frightening task for me.

I was able to make it through with the support and encouragement of my mentor and the other members of the Pembroke Club. They listened as I spoke and made suggestions on how to improve, not only what I was saying, but how I was saying it. I gained confidence with each speech. Recognizing how much I have benefited over the past year, I can only wonder what my life would have been like if I had started sooner.

I would like to leave you with this thought…”If you wish to grow and achieve…to feel confident in public communication or leadership roles…to interact with other individuals who have the same objectives – Toastmasters is your answer.

Fran Watson is a Career Counsellor and a Toastmaster (ATM-B). For more information on Toastmasters, you can go to her webpage http://www.franwatson.ca

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fran_Watson
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Toastmasters?&id=539

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