09 What speech projects are there for me to work on? (Toastmasters International)
Description
This article is from the Toastmasters International FAQ, by Joel Furr DTM jfurr@danger.com with numerous contributions by others.
09 What speech projects are there for me to work on? (Toastmasters International)
In the basic ("Communication and Leadership" manual), there
are ten speech projects:
1. Icebreaker - 4 to 6 minutes - getting over nervousness by
introducing yourself to the club.
2. Be In Earnest - 5 to 7 minutes - continue to get over
nervousness by speaking about something you believe
deeply in.
3. Organize Your Speech - 5 to 7 minutes - work on giving a
well-organized speech.
4. Show What You Mean - 5 to 7 minutes - not a "Show and Tell"
speech, this project calls on you to work with gestures
and body language during your speech. Unfortunately,
many members somehow confuse the issue and show up with
a bag full of props that they use in a "Show and Tell"
style speech. Don't do that.
5. Vocal Variety - 5 to 7 minutes - work on rate of delivery,
volume, speed, pitch, emphasis, etc.
6. Work with Words - 5 to 7 minutes - work on proper word
choice, avoiding jargon and generalizations, etc.
7. Apply Your Skills - 5 to 7 minutes - go back and practice
everything you've learned up to this point.
8. Be Persuasive - 6 to 8 minutes - give a persuasive speech
on a controversial issue.
9. Speak With Knowledge - 7 minutes, plus or minus 30 seconds
- research an issue, write a speech, and then *read* that
speech to the audience (as opposed to using notecards or
notes or whatever you used for the previous eight
speeches)... and have it well-rehearsed, so it doesn't
run long or end too soon.
10. Inspire Your Audience - 8 to 10 minutes - The final speech
in the manual calls on you to move and inspire your
audience in a well-presented and well-prepared speech.
As you can see, all ten projects above are wide-open for you
to choose whatever topic you like. Even if you pick a
controversial subject, most Toastmasters audiences will
evaluate you on how well you presented your subject, not on
whether they agreed with you or not.
For further information about the speaking program, see the
"Educational Advancement FAQ."
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