The following is an interesting video for anyone who is looking for feedback for the purpose of improving their communication skills. It stresses on the fact that (1) getting feedback does not equate to a personal attack, and (2) you need to be in the proper environment so that you can be in the right space and the right frame of mind to accept and receive feedback. Toastmasters is exactly this sort of environment.

Would you like to find out more about how Toastmasters can help you receive (and give) constructive feedback to help you become a more competent communicator and leader? Feel free to come visit us.

Here is the programme for the Toastmasters meeting of May 16, 2023.

The internet is filled with videos explaining how to improve one’s pubic speaking skills, so it’s quite easy to get lost with all the advice being given.

Here is a professional speaker, Vinh Giang, who provides useful tips that we feel are quite relevant, all presented in a light-hearted manner:

Naturally, it’s nice to not only learn how to improve your skills, but also to practice them. This is exactly what we get to do at our Toastmasters meetings. Basically a safe environment where we can practice our public speaking techniques and not be afraid of failure, but instead look forward to learning what we already do well, and what we can improve thanks to the feedback and encouragement of other Toastmasters members.

Are you interested in seeing how Toastmasters can help you communicate in public in a more effective manner? Feel free to come visit us!

Here is the programme for the meeting of April 4, 2023.

Special workshop by Italo Magni!
November 30, 2021 at 6:45 PM

L’Espace Canal
4020 St-Ambroise, suite 140
Montréal H4C 2C7
Métro : Place St-Henri

Tickets: https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/oas211130001

Come attend a special workshop presented by Italo Magni, twice finalist at the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking.

This workshop is open to everyone, Toastmasters members as well as non-Toastmasters members.

Cost 15$ (covers our cost for renting the room.
Includes a non-alcoholic beverage as well as crudités.)

To purchase tickets: https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/oas211130001

(Please remember your vaccine passport.)

A message from our Toastmasters 2020 Conference Chair:

Dear Members of District 61,

Following our 2020 District 61 Annual Conference, we are delighted to invite you to Beyond the Conference, for a series of 10 Workshops. These insightful workshops will help you learn, grow & lead… at Toastmasters and beyond – starting 2020-05-12!

These workshops will be in English or French and held online via Zoom. The Zoom link for this Toastmasters District 61 event is https://tinyurl.com/ya4cwaza

We look forward to seeing you online!

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(Attendance is free of charge.
Click for a larger version of the schedule.)

Invité à l’émission Parasol et gobelets de Radio-Canada, le journaliste et animateur Jean-Luc Mongrain partage quelques trucs pour ceux qui craignent de prendre la parole en public.

Il croit que les Québécois en général ont peur de la prise de parole.  Si c’est en effet votre cas, Toastmasters pourrait vous aider à vaincre cette peur.

Aimeriez-vous en savoir plus? Venez nous visiter.

Voici le programme Toastmasters pour la réunion du 4 juin 2019.

At the St-Lawrence Toastmasters club in Montreal, we like to have a theme for every meeting.  This will generally be the revolving theme when we hold the Table Topics session for example.

Since the theme for our upcoming meeting will be Persuasion, we thought of sharing the following speech:

Know your worth, and then ask for it | Casey Brown

What is interesting is that the speaker gives, in a persuasive manner, advice on how to persuade clients to adopt a point of view.

She does this by storytelling and by presenting simple slides that sum up important points to remember.  Here is an excerpt: “Make it about the other party. Focus on serving and adding value, and it won’t feel like bragging. What do you love about what you do? What excites you about the work that you do? If you connect with that, communicating your value will come naturally.”

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Would you like to find out how to give more persuasive speeches? Come visit our Montreal Toastmasters club.

Here is the programme for the meeting of May 28, 2019.

As Toastmasters, some of the things that we’ll find fascinating is how eloquently politicians can speak in public.  Regardless of our own political convictions, it can always be interesting to see what tools and techniques are used in a speech to make it more enjoyable to listen to.

Here, for example, is a speech by Pete Buttigieg, one of the USA presidential candidates for 2020. As mayor of South Bend, Indiana, he gave this speech at a TEDx Talk in early 2015.

Some of the techniques used in his speech include:

• Starting the speech using a story to connect with the audience immediately.
• Using the rule of three, as explained here. (Try to count the number of times that Pete uses this technique.)
• Using slides effectively: lots of photos, practically no text to read, one slide for one idea  (as opposed to many ideas on one single slide), etc.
• Good use of pauses between ideas.

What other techniques have you noticed him using?

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Are you interested in learning about techniques that can help you prepare more effective speeches? Come visit the St-Lawrence Toastmasters Club in Montreal.

Here is the programme for the meeting of May 14, 2019.

Un des buts des Toastmasters est de nous permettre d’apprendre à donner des discours bien structurés, inspirants, et même émouvants. 

Voici un exemple d’un discours qui semble accomplir ces trois objectifs (le lien s’ouvrira dans une nouvelle fenêtre) :

Le poignant discours de Virginie (Le Grand Oral)

« Je suis devenue avocate parce qu’on m’a dit que c’était impossible. ».  Virginie Delalande, a ému le jury du “Grand oral”, un concours d’éloquence présenté à la chaîne de France 2, en racontant son parcours d’avocate atteinte de surdité.

"Je vous parle avec une voix. Cette voix, qui peut-être vous dérange, vous met mal à l’aise, c’est une voix que moi-même je n’ai jamais entendue. C’est le fruit de 20 ans de travail. 20 ans d’orthophonie, trois fois par semaine", a-t-elle expliqué de manière sensible pour commencer son discours.

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Aimeriez-vous apprende à donner des discours plus inspirants? Venez visiter le club d’art oratoire à Montréal St-Lawrence Toastmasters.

Voici le programme pour la réunion Toastmasters du 7 mai 2019.

Our club (St-Lawrence Toastmasters Montreal) is part of Toastmasters District 61, which support all clubs within the district in achieving excellence. One of the recent great ideas they have put in place is to provide webinars as a powerful training option.

Here is a recording of one of their English webinars published a couple of months ago :

Webinar – Secret Sauce of Evaluation – Todd Gatien

Many members, new and old, find evaluations daunting because they lack structure and feel they have nothing to offer the speaker. This is not true.
This webinar focuses on how to deliver well-designed evaluations to help the speaker, the audience, and the evaluator to grow in confidence.

You can find more webinars available on Toastmasters District 61’s YouTube channel.

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Come visit us to see how we do evaluations at our club.

Here is the programme for the meeting of April 30, where we will have a speech extravaganza (i.e. 5 prepared speeches instead of the customary 3 speeches of a regular meeting). You will therefore have the chance to see at least 5 evaluations (as well as a general evaluation of the meeting).

“You’re scheduled to give a speech in a week or two. You’re sitting at your computer, staring nervously at a blank screen. Countless questions swirl around in your mind: How should I start? How do I get the audience’s attention? Should I use humor? Do I need an outline? How do I conclude?

As a Toastmaster, you have access to resources galore. Each speech project has its own templates and guidelines. You also have mentors to help you over hurdles. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a quick, handy guide to all the basics? A one-stop shop that concisely covers the fundamentals of how to write an effective speech—Speechwriting 101, condensed into a few magazine pages?”

You can read more in the October 2018 issue of Toastmaster magazine, a monthly magazine available to all members.

If you want a friendly and safe environment in Montreal where you can practice giving a speech, then Toastmasters meetings are a perfect medium.  Come visit the St-Lawrence Toastmasters Club in Montreal to find out more.

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Here is the programme for the meeting of October 23, 2018.