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oastmasters
oastmasters

‘Toastmasters, a club for students
to become a master of making
toast?’ That’s what I thought
when I first heard the name
‘Toastmasters’.
Pooi To provides various speaking
opportunities to Pooi To girls, and Toastmasters (TM) is a club
for students from all forms to showcase their speaking skills. As The experience of Toastmasters is like a roller
a form 5 student who has been participating in Toastmasters for coaster ride. The members welcomed me very
2 years, I can confidently tell everyone that after joining I have cordially and they made me feel special. When I
gained so much more than I expected, not only in my English picked a topic, and had to deliver an impromptu
speaking skills but also communication skills.
speech for 2 mins, my ability to choose words,
At each meeting participants are appointed different roles. For present, deliver under pressure and think under
instance, a timer, a counter, a grammarian, etc. We have to pressure really mattered.
cooperate with each other so that the meeting can run smoothly.
Toastmasters helped me to get over the fear
Every year, TM will hold a speaking contest. It is divided into two of standing on a stage and talking to people.
sections, the impromptu speech and the prepared speech. Both The experience helped me to overcome it in a
times I have participated I was assigned to participate in the
impromptu speech part. I remember the theme of my first contest friendly and comforting environment. In one
was “FAIR”. After I received the topic, my brain was entirely blank. case, I forgot the speech midway and left it
I couldn’t think of anything, so I started my speech with “Good without a conclusion, but I only heard applause.
morning everyone, I am Kelly. Today I would like to......” During Everyone in the room claps. This helped to
that short period of time, I thought of something from when I was motivate me and remove that fear I talked
in Form 2. As I remember, my history teacher, Miss Chan, taught about. The members of toastmaster were good
us about different social classes in Ancient Egypt. The idea was listeners. They paid attention to what I said,
totally unacceptable since they were very unfair, so I used it as and asked me some questions from the speech.
an example to define ‘fair’ and point out the lack of fairness in Similarly, I got to witness a couple speeches, and
society. Luckily, I got first runner up in the contest. when someone delivered a humorous speech, I
In my case, it helped me to improve my one minute response skills died laughing.
that will come up in the HKDSE speaking examination. If anyone I enjoyed representing Toastmasters very much.
wants to improve their speaking skills, no doubt Toastmasters is The experience motivated me, and as I became
the best choice! more confident I started to stammer less.
I hope to see some new members join Toastmasters, especially
our Form One and Form Two sisters.
Coco Li 3A
Kelly Chan 5B

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