Toastmaster (appliances) Puns

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm a quiet introvert raised by parents with this extreme negativity towards me. It's always not enough, and I actually believed I'll amount to nothing. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Not that I'm weird or something, I'm super nice and get along with people. I'm just quiet. In class even if I had a great answer, before I raise my hand, my body would tremor due to the anxiety, and before I noticed, the prof called someone else. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to improve my social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc. Not to become an extrovert, but to function better in society as an introvert.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you are the quiet brainy type

As someone who is quite reserved, I was curious for ways of self improvement so I decided to check out a local Toastmasters group (a non-profit organisation who help with public speaking, communications and building confidence) on a Zoom call last night. I was just expecting to observe to see how meetings went and what was involved.

They started off with impromptu speeches where a member is selected to speak 'off-the-cuff' for up to 2 minutes to answer a specific question - related to the general topic of pets, which was selected for that evening. I was picked as the third speaker and was given a difficult moral question to talk about (Is an animal's life worth less than a human being?)

I was so nervous - I was tempted to just drop off the call. But I took a deep breath, thought on my feet and managed to string together a coherent-ish answer. I felt relieved after I did it and I received really good feedback, considering it was a difficult topic. I was even voted as the best speaker for that section! What a little confidence boost - happy I managed to push myself and give it a go. I just wanted to share somewhere :)

I would be very interested to know what fellow toastmasters’ feelings are on the ‘Toastmasters Promise’. By way of introduction I’m UK based and have been involved with TM for over a decade, albeit in a somewhat on and off again relationship. Despite this extended period of engagement with TM I had never heard of the ‘Promise’ until a few months after I had joined a new club in 2019 and it was the time for the new committee to be chosen. While the UK is overly focussed on tradition, in my experience, it doesn’t seem to have as warmly embraced the concept of pledges and promises as our cousins from across the pond. Therefore, my immediate response was that it was cringey and a little cult-like. I wryly rolled my eyes at some more Toastmasters quirkiness (not for the first or last time) and moved on.

However, as the years passed and the pandemic struck I’ve felt the tone shift from quirky but ignorable affirmation to desperately flailing bludgeon. I’ve seen numbers drop and engagement slip at most clubs and TM events as a direct result of the fatigue induced by the pandemic, and I imagine I’m not alone in this. Rather than acknowledging the issues and taking this inevitable hit the response I’ve frequently observed in the UK has been one of beating remaining members/officers with the ‘Promise’ as if it’s a sacred contract and demanding they do better at meeting their ‘responsibilities’.

While I can see the value of the promise as an affirmation and soft guide to expectations I’m vehemently opposed to this emerging use as immutable contract and whip. While I’m not going to deny that I signed up to the ‘Promise’ (somewhat hidden, as it was, in the small print) one of my take-aways from years working in contracting was that ‘If you subsequently have to reiterate the details of a contract the underlying relationship is most likely soured beyond saving’. In dragging out the ‘Promise’ in this way I can’t help but feel that much needed goodwill is being squandered.

All this said I’ll happily acknowledge that I’m a time worn cynic who is hardwired to be sceptical of ‘joiner’ mindsets and would welcome alternative viewpoints and experiences.

TL;DR – Toastmasters Promise: useful or awful?

I'm sure Toastmasters is a great program, but I grow weary of people immediately telling me it's a "solution" to my introversion. I do public speaking, acting, and performing for a living and am very comfortable with it. Social situations draining my energy has little to my ability to speak in front of a crowd. And I am also not looking to be "cured" either...

Looking to improve my public speaking, so I wanted to ask if there are any toastmaster groups that you guys recommend that are still active and do online sessions.

I’ve been stuttering since I was five. I’m nearly forty now and in a career where I have to sometimes give speeches, which for me, is mortifying. Recently I got put on the spot to speak in front of a large group and of course, I stuttered, stammered, my voice felt like it had gotten stuck at one point and in all, it was embarrassing. My stuttering has always given me low self esteem, like I cant even communicate effectively. Truthfully this is why I come across as very introverted and quiet in person. Even though I have things to say, I cant say it. :(

But enough with the sad talk. I’m thinking of trying toastmasters. Maybe by having to speak in front of a crowd, more often, would help? Has anyone tried it?

I recently graduated with BS in accounting. I was in masters program for accounting so i could pursue CPA, but decided the extra debt for grad school was too heavy a burden. I am now in a finance role after I pass Series 7. Do you think my undergrad combined with a CFA could make up for no masters or MBA for my future opportunities in this industry? I really do not want to take on more debt again.

Also, I am signing up for Toastmasters in hopes of improving my presentation and confidence. Would like to be a leader or manager someday possibly. Do finance companies care about this and think highly of those who pursue something like this? Appreciate any insights

Hello! I'm based in Asia timezone and wondering if there's any online-only Toastmasters groups I can hop into on a weekly basis.

I can’t speak in front of others, like a group of people whom i am not familiar with. I have poor people skills, I can feel the anxious fluid replacing my blood.. Happens even when i need to ask a question..

As the title suggests. I'm the best man for my brothers wedding in April and will have to make a lengthy speech. I've somehow managed to evade public speaking for most of my adult life and my career doesn't require it at all. In case somebody says "Breathe, they're on your side etc", yes you are totally right but this fear is an irrational one and I will simply run out of the place and not attend the wedding if I don't do something about it now.

Although it would be tempting to self medicate with a few pints beforehand to settle the nerves, I'm very much an alcoholic in recovery so it probably wouldn't be worth losing my partner / ruining my life for. Gonna try and attack it the old fashioned way.

So, any of you have any experience in Toastmasters or any courses that can help over come the fear of public speaking?

Hey fellow Torontonians,

My Toastmasters club is having a virtual open house tomorrow at 6 PM, you’re welcome to come check it out for yourself, DM me for details and a meeting link :)

Our members are young professionals, and the vibe is really chill and laid back, we have a common goal of improving our public speaking skills for work, school, or our social lives.

We’ll eventually head back into in person meetings soon but right now we meet online.

Let me know if you have questions!

I've only been going to Toastmasters for a couple of months but each time I've attended, I have found that someone has shared some words of wisdom that I have been able to utilise in my speaking.

I am curious as to whether anyone can share tips that they have been given by fellow toastmasters?

The best advice I received was when I had just narrowly missed the minute mark during the table topics section and the evaluator said to me afterwards, "You don't have to answer the question straight away". I had of course answered the question immediately and then stumbled my way through a few more sentences before running out of steam. It is a piece of advice that seems so obvious to me now but it instantly improved my speaking both at Toastmasters and out in general conversation, making it easier to speak for longer and with less effort.

I thought it might be a good opportunity to improve my soft skills but I don't know anyone that has joined and in the meeting I am currently sitting in on, I'm not very impressed. What is your experience with Toastmasters? Has it improved your sales?

Hi Wellington. I’m thinking about joining Toastmasters, preferably at the Beehive end of town. Time of the day doesn’t worry me too much. There are a pile of clubs though so was wondering if anyone has any insight into them?

For some context, I’m late 40s, middle management with passable speaking skills looking to lift my game.

i'm so socially awkward it is embarassing. i have been looking ways to improve my confidence. came across toastmasters and liked the idea and eventually found out they have their meet ups in Lahore Gulberg too. just wondering if it's worth it? if you have tried it, how has it helped you?? TIA

If you have ever been a judge at a contest then you know how it is.

The chief judge explains the process but also advises judges to not score the first speaker so highly, in case they think subsequent speakers are better.

What this means is that if you are first you have zero chance of going through.

Every contest I have watched/participated in/judged the speaker that is last to speak or second last have always gone through. Which makes sense, they have the best chance. But this doesn't mean they were the best speaker on the day or showcased the most skill. Being drawn a middle speaking slot may have some chance of going through but being one of the first to speak has zero chance.

It's a shame that it works out this way.

Kalian ada yg pernah join klub toastmasters? Kalo ada, boleh bagi pengalamannya :). Aku pengen join klub ini, karena ngerasa kemampuan ngomongku bener2 buruk, sering banget kalo ngomong terlalu cepet sampe beberapa huruf jadi ga kebaca, entah ini masalah psikologis atau gimana. Memang ku akui, artikulasi ku tidaklah begitu jelas, faktor ini barangkali makin memperburuk keadaan tersebut. Kalian ada sarankah biar kemampuan berbicara ku lebih baik lagi?

Thanks

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm a quiet introvert raised by parents with this extreme negativity towards me. It's always not enough, and I actually believed I'll amount to nothing. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Not that I'm weird or something, I'm super nice and get along with people. I'm just quiet. In class even if I had a great answer, before I raise my hand, my body would tremor due to the anxiety, and before I noticed, the prof called someone else. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to improve my social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc. Not to become an extrovert, but to function better in society as an introvert.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here!

I'm an introvert raised by parents with poor communication skills. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Sometimes I don't know how to deal with people or find the right words to say. In class even if I have a great answer, I would just sit there and my body would tremor due to the anxiety. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in every single group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace.

I've always been trying things to improve social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and are thought-provoking. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'd love these:

• "Tell us what a reverse vampire is like?"
• "If your goal is to make a first date awkward, what do you do or say?"
• "At a press conference, you as a politician being asked to explain why she pulled out of a climate deal"
• "Would you prefer to know when you will die or how you will die?"

I find myself way more confident making small ta

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here!

I'm an introvert raised by parents with poor communication skills. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Sometimes I don't know how to deal with people or find the right words to say. In class even if I have a great answer, I would just sit there and my body would tremor due to the anxiety. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in every single group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace.

I've always been trying things to improve social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and are thought-provoking. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'd love these:

• "Tell us what a reverse vampire is like?"
• "If your goal is to make a first date awkward, what do you do or say?"
• "At a press conference, you as a politician being asked to explain why she pulled out of a climate deal"
• "Would you prefer to know when you will die or how you will die?"

I find myself way more confident making small ta

I'm so happy about my progress in terms of my confidence in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm an introvert raised by parents with ridiculous negativity. No matter what I achieve is not enough. I don't blame them for it, they have their limitations, but that's the environment I grew up in. I have this negative, self-destructive mindset, believing I'm dumb, always comparing myself to others and feeling like a piece of crap, firmly believing I'll amount to nothing and will die before 35. Confidence is something I never had. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid in the corner of the room and find it frustrating to interact with others. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to be more confident, improve my social skills, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'd

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm a quiet introvert raised by parents with this extreme negativity towards me. It's always not enough, and I actually believed I'll amount to nothing. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Not that I'm weird or something, I'm super nice and get along with people. I'm just quiet. In class even if I had a great answer, before I raise my hand, my body would tremor due to the anxiety, and before I noticed, the prof called someone else. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to improve my social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc. Not to become an extrovert, but to function better in society as an introvert.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you are the quiet brainy type, yo

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm a quiet introvert raised by parents with poor communication skills and this extreme negativity towards me. It's always not enough, and I actually believed I'll amount to nothing. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Not that I'm weird or something, I'm super nice and get along with people. I'm just quiet. In class even if I had a great answer, before I raise my hand, my body would tremor due to the anxiety, and before I noticed, the prof called someone else. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to improve my social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc. Not to become an extrovert, but to function better in society as an introvert.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm a quiet introvert raised by parents with this extreme negativity towards me. It's always not enough, and I actually believed I'll amount to nothing. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Not that I'm weird or something, I'm super nice and get along with people. I'm just quiet. In class even if I had a great answer, before I raise my hand, my body would tremor due to the anxiety, and before I noticed, the prof called someone else. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to improve my social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc. Not to become an extrovert, but to function better in society as an introvert.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you are the quiet brainy type, yo

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here!

I'm an introvert raised by parents with poor communication skills. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Sometimes I don't know how to deal with people or find the right words to say. In class even if I have a great answer, I would just sit there and my body would tremor due to the anxiety. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in every single group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the work space.

I've always been trying things to improve social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking prompts. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'd love these:

• "Tell us what a reverse vampire is like?"
• "If your goal is to make a first date awkward, what do you do or say?"
• "At a press conference, you as a politician being asked to explain why she pulled out of a climate deal"
• "Would you prefer to know when you will die or how you will die?"

I find myself way more confident making sma

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months, I wanna share my experience here:

I'm a quiet introvert raised by parents with this extreme negativity towards me. It's always not enough, and I actually believed I'll amount to nothing. I've always been a lonely and quiet kid growing up and find it frustrating to interact with others. Not that I'm weird or something, I'm super nice and get along with people. I'm just quiet. In class even if I had a great answer, before I raise my hand, my body would tremor due to the anxiety, and before I noticed, the prof called someone else. Guess who's been asked "Hey why are you so quiet?" in EVERY SINGLE group project?

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace, which seems to be built for extroverts. Talking to people in the workplace eats away like 80% of my energy.

Despite all these, I've always been trying things to improve my social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc. Not to become an extrovert, but to function better in society as an introvert.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them have really interesting and thought-provoking ones. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'

I'm so happy about my progress in the past 6 months in terms of English speaking, I wanna share my experience here!

English is my second language, I started learning in middle school. Also, I'm an introvert raised by parents with poor communication skills. I've always been trying different things to improve my English speaking skills, social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. They have a curriculum, and I'm lucky to have a very supportive mentor there. I've experienced a lot of growth in my English speaking and confidence.

The downside of it shows even more when I entered the workspace.

I've always been trying things to improve social skills, be more confident, be more comfortable speaking in front of people. Books, workshops, coaches, etc.

I tried Toastmasters and liked the experience. I've experienced a lot of growth there. However, there are three things I don't like about Toastmasters.

1. Low ROI of my time. If I decide to deliver a speech, I'd carve out a lot of time to prepare for it; if I'm not going to deliver a speech, my air time at the event is just a couple of minutes.
2. Skills less applicable in real life. In life and at work, I need to use way more small talk and quick thinking than Tony Robbins-style motivational public speaking.
3. Archaic formalities. How many of you say "meeting is adjourned" in real life?

After getting some advice, I started to do short (mostly one-minute impromptu speaking practise) impromptu speaking practises.

Here's why I think this is great:

• Impromptu, because you don't need to prepare before coming to these events or do these practise, and it's a great skill to have in real life.
• One minute, it's not that challenging compared to a 5-7 min speech. Some 30 second ones are too short. One min is perfect and easy to find time to practise.

I don't like the typical Toastmaster-style dry prompts ("Who do you look up to? ", "When was the last time you tried something new?"). I tried some groups and resources that provide more interesting prompts. Some of them are really interesting and thought-provoking. If you are the quiet brainy type, you'd love these:

• "Tell us what a reverse vampire is like?"
• "If your goal is to make a first date awkward, what do you do or say?"
• "At a press conference, you as a politician being asked to explain why she pulled out of a climate deal"
• "Would you prefer to