Kia ora! Do you want to develop confidence in public speaking? Would you like to take part in an enjoyable social group? Consider joining Toastmasters. It’s a great investment you can make for yourself.
Newlands Toastmasters is a friendly group of people looking to improve our public speaking, and we always welcome visitors. We can give you the skills to be confident at public speaking. You can look more impressive when speaking at work, weddings and funerals. Toastmasters also helps you to develop the communication skills you need to become a successful leader.
Newlands has an excellent mentor programme which supports members as they develop. Each new member is paired with an experienced Toastmaster for as long as necessary to get advice on giving speeches and other roles within Toastmasters.
We are a multicultural club which includes native English speakers and migrants. We can help with your language skills – vocabulary, pronunciation and accuracy.
Toastmasters works because we all have the chance to practise our speaking and leadership skills. Everything we do is evaluated by another member. We receive feedback on what we’re doing well and what needs improving. We are all helping one another.
Benefits of Toastmasters
Speak with confidence
Work
We can give you the skills to be good at public speaking, speak with confidence at work, and achieve the
promotion to become a leader. If you are seeking a new job then the nervousness at a job interview is the
same feeling you get before doing a speech – we can help you with that
Private
Speak with confidence at weddings and other social events. Speak confidently in front of the people who
matter the most in life: your family. You will have the ability to contribute at clubs and other social
gatherings and be a respected member of the community
Learn valuable skills
Develop your confidence
Once you realise you can succeed and speak well, your nervousness will diminish. You will gain confidence to speak fluently, effectively and without notes.
Use gestures and body language effectively
When we speak, we use hand gestures, facial expressions, and movement to emphasise or support what we are saying. You will learn how to do this effectively. Also, good eye contact with the audience is important, so you will develop this area too.
Learn how to write a speech
A well-written speech has three parts: an Introduction which sets out the key ideas and purpose of the speech and draws in the audience; a Body which provides the details, examples and evidence; and a Conclusion which sums up what you have said or draws conclusions from it. Toastmasters will help you write effective speeches.
Excel at impromptu speaking
Most of the speaking we do in our everyday lives or work isn’t prepared. You may be asked about what you have been working on, and have to put your ideas together on the spot. At Toastmasters meetings we have impromptu speaking (“Table topics”) in which members have two minutes to present a mini-speech which clearly states facts or expresses their ideas. Toastmasters learn a great deal from this part of the meetings.
Get to Know people
Networking
You will meet people from a range of backgrounds but you will all have something in common – everyone wants to develop their speaking and leadership skills.
Fun
Above all, Toastmasters meeting are fun. They are not lessons and they are certainly not boring. You will hear about others’ lives and experiences and be inspired by their stories.
Understanding comes through communication, and through understanding we find the way to peace
Dr Ralph C. Smedley – Founder of Toastmasters
My Story
Yan Ren
Public speaking sounds daunting, that’s why I have always been avoiding it even though I know it’s a very useful skill. After starting a new job which is going to require me to speak confidently and be able to articulate my ideas on the spot, I realised that’s a skill I will have to learn and be good at.
I joined Newlands Toastmaster at the beginning of 2022. On my first session, I felt very welcome and comfortable and even did my first Table Topic at the same evening! That wasn’t bad at all! I had great fun at the same time I have learnt some useful skills through the evaluation of the other speakers.
To me, Toastmaster is about learning public speaking skills while have fun. The best way to learn something is through a structured learning path and able to absorb and digest the valuable feedback along the way with each milestone, and Toastmaster does exactly that and many more.
Yes, public speaking can be daunting, we all have to start somewhere in order to get to somewhere and Toastmaster is a safe environment for you to start practicing public speaking!
Rissa Ota
I joined Toastmasters when I was looking for a useful hobby. Looking back, along with physical exercise it is the best hobby I started!
Not soon after I joined, I was assigned to give the 1st speech. It was a petrifying experience. Forgotten words. No pauses, except when I forgot the words! More filler words than words. No vocal variety. No movement on the stage.
I persevered despite of all the nervousness. After a while I could see that Toastmasters helped me in overcoming shyness, fear of public speaking and practicing leadership skills. Even my daily communication became better. Another realisation was that, since then, finally I have friends in my neighbourhood! Meeting people I know in bus stops gave me a feeling of belonging to Newlands.
The Toastmasters meetings are also very enjoyable social events. We laugh often as we exchange new and old topics and with different point of views. I always finish the meetings with a smile in my face.
Until I joined, I had no idea I needed it and how much Toastmasters can help in someone’s life. It gave me much more confidence in my daily life and odd presentations that I give at work.
Marty Pilott
Often, people join Toastmasters because they are terrified of public speaking. However, they are not the only people who join or benefit from Toastmasters. I actually enjoy public speaking – so why would I join Toastmasters, and why have I continued for 16 years?
I can give two reasons. Firstly, Toastmasters is fun. You have an entertaining evening where you might give a speech or hear other people speak in various ways.
Even if you’re good at something, that doesn’t mean you have nothing to learn. That’s my second reason. Every speech you give is evaluated, and other Toastmasters have often given me some useful tips about my speaking skills. As a result I’m a better speaker than when I started.
In addition, you can pick up skills which you might not think of when you first join. For example, you have to evaluate other speakers. How do you do that? Then there are the “table topics” – impromptu speaking where you can develop your ability to craft an effective mini-speech.
I think the most important opportunity for me has been to improve my listening. You’ve got to listen well to evaluate, but it’s also a courtesy to all the other speakers and pay attention to what they are saying and how they are presenting it.
I would recommend Toastmasters to anyone thinking about their communication or leadership skills – it will do you a lot of good!