Since the theme of our next Toastmasters meeting will be “Teachers”, we felt it might be fun to post the following TED Talk. (We actually wrote a post about it a few years ago, but it continues to inspire us, just like many teachers do!) 

This is a wonderful talk given by Sir Ken Robinson at a TED annual conference (TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design):

How schools kill creativity
“Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity“.

The duration of the presentation is about 20 minutes, which at first may seem long but is well worth it, especially for Toastmasters looking to be inspired by what an inspirational speech can do.  Sir Ken gives such a remarkable talk that after the first few seconds you can’t help but be absorbed by his speech.

This talk has so many points that can inspire a Toastmaster: a great beginning and end, humour, story-telling, excellent choice of words, clear organization, great persuasion.  All this communicated in a most effective manner.  Enjoy!

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Are you interested in knowing more about how Toastmasters can help you prepare your own inspiring speeches?  Come visit our club located in Montreal!

Here is the programme for the Toastmasters meeting of January 27, 2015.

Do you sometimes get nervous preparing a speech, afraid that you will forget what you need to say?

Do you sometimes actually forget some of the things you wanted to say during your speech?

Do you sometimes wish there was an easy and effective way to remember the key points of your speech?

Here is an interesting video giving some tips and hacks on helping to remember your presentation before you give a speech.

This video podcast is from The School of Greatness, where founder Lewis Howe interviews Jim Kwik, a renowned memory coach and learning expert.

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Are you interested in finding out how you can improve your public-speaking skills?  Come visit St-Lawrence Toastmasters Montreal!

Here is the Toastmasters programme for the meeting of January 20, 2015.

Chers amis et membres Toastmasters,

Veuillez noter que nous sommes présentement en relâche pour le temps de Fêtes.

Nous serons de retour à nos activités régulières dès le mardi 13 janvier 2015.

D’ici-là, voici une petite vidéo créative de Noël :

Der Lauf Der Dinge X-Mas Card from Bas Manders on Vimeo.

Dear Toastmasters members and friends,

Please note that we are currently taking a break for the 2014 Holiday season.

We’ll be back in full swing starting Tuesday January 13, 2015.

Until then, enjoy the following emotionally heart-warming video:

(OK, so apart from the fact that it’s an ad for Sainsbury’s – “Christmas is for sharing”, the story is presented in a way that engages the viewer in a sentimental manner.  This is the kind of emotion that we also learn to try to bring out in some speeches at Toastmasters…)

The educational program of Toastmaster is comprised of 10 modules structured to improve your speaking abilities.

The correct use of words is especially important when crafting your speech. Module number 4 “How to Say It” focuses precisely on that topic.  Using the right words is an important component in the credibility of your speech. The following article will help you avoiding common English words: 

40 Incorrectly Used Words That Can Make You Look Dumb

Don’t hesitate to apply it for your next speech! 

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Don’t hesitate to join us at our Toastmasters meeting in Montreal this Tuesday. Here is the programme for the evening of December 9, 2014.

Vous souhaitez vous exprimer plus aisément en public? 

Toastmasters est l’environnement idéal pour vous exercer et développer vos talents d’orateurs à votre rythme! 

Pour en savoir plus, n’hésitez pas à visiter notre club Toastmasters à Montréal.

Voici le programme Toastmasters de la soirée du 25 novembre 2014.

The upcoming Toastmasters meeting will be in the form of a special debate night.

As described in a post by the Lagoon Toastmasters Club in the UAE:

“Debating is an art which provides an outstanding opportunity to develop the three basic abilities of the Toastmasters “Better Thinking, Listening and Speaking” motto.

In this regard debaters must listen to the opposing arguments, learn to think very quickly, and express ideas in an attractive convincing manner which, in part at least, forms the basis of an impromptu speech.”

“A debate is a friendly, enjoyable and beneficial argument between two teams – a stimulating battle of wits – which should entertain the audience.

A speakers matter, manner and method is important and they will be judged by what they say, how effectively they say it and how well their speeches are organised and inter-related.

A good speech is one which has excellent arguments and examples relevant to the team case and rebutting the points put forward by the other side.”

Here are some pointers that the participants will be following.

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Feel free to come join our Toastmasters meeting in Montreal for this interesting activity.  Here is the programme for the evening of November 18, 2014.

The title of your presentation, your teachings, your call-to-action and your visual support are some of the key elements to get right in order to build a compelling presentation. 

Dan Martell, a Canadian entrepreneur and speaker, shared his recipe for creating great speeches in 15 minutes. Here are some key takeaways we can all apply at Toastmasters: 

• Title of your talk
  Struggling to find a great title? Try searching online magazine covers related to your topic. For instance, if your presentation is about photography, try googling “photography magazine cover“.

• Teachings
  One of the best ways of  teaching something is by telling a story.
  
  First, open your story with a powerful statistic or example that can reinforce your point. For instance, for a talk on Human Resources: “People don’t quit their companies. They quit their boss.” 
  
  Then, share an experience of yours related to your point. The more vulnerable the story, the more universal the appeal. 
  
  Finally, don’t forget to end your story with a resolution or explain how the lesson learned can help your audience achieve or avoid a similar fate in the future.

• The smart way to build slides
  When creating slides, less is better. You should aim to have as few slides as possible, and for each slide, as less content as possible. A relevant and powerful image could be enough. If you want, you can also add a short but significant text.
  For instance:
  

To get all the details, we strongly encourage you to read the complete blog post: How to Create a Great Presentation in Just 15 Minutes

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(Also, if you are want more advice on preparing good slides, check out the video of a Toastmasters workshop entitled “Deliver More Effective Powerpoint Presentations”.)

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If you would like to put those techniques to practice, don’t hesitate to visit us at St. Lawrence Toastmasters in Montreal.

Here is the programme for the Toastmasters meeting of  November 4.

Have you ever wished to connect more with your audience or to be more persuasive when you speak? 

In this TED Talk, Julian Treasure explains how to talk with more empathy and how you can use your voice to create emotion.

This is a perfect reminder to refer to when preparing your Toastmasters Project 6 “Vocal Variety”. 

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Here is the programme for the Toastmasters meeting of October 28.

Élargissez votre zone de confort en améliorant vos capacités d’orateur et de leader grâce à Toastmasters.

À chaque mardi, vous pouvez visiter notre club Toastmasters à Montréal gratuitement.

Voici le programme Toastmasters de la soirée du 21 octobre 2014.