FAQ

Please download the application form, fill it in and send it to the president. After we have forwarded your registration to Toastmasters International and received your bank transfer, we will send you your personal access data to www.toastmasters.org.

It costs 60 € half-yearly, plus a one-time admission fee of 30 €.

The club does not expect anything in particular from you. It is OK not to say anything, or you just jump in as you like. You are invited to participate and to learn in whichever way it suits you.

It’s up to you. It is useful to participate in two meetings a month, each meeting lasting two hours. The preparation for a speech can take a little longer, each person has their own pace. Initially preparation usually takes longer but with practice, you become quite proficient.
For those who are interested there are many other opportunities like, for example, visiting other clubs, becoming a board member, organising theme evenings etc.

If you do not want to continue, you simply do not transfer the next bi-annual fee due. Then you are no longer a member. A written notice is not necessary.

• Say what you want to say during meetings
• Being able to think about the content of what you are saying, not about feeling anxious when you speak
• Spice up you conversation
  
• Keep your English alive
• Become more fluent in English
• Feel more confident when speaking English
  
• Make connections around the world
• Show your global spirit when becoming a Toastmasters member
• Be able to drop-in at any club in the world and connect to a global community
  
• Learn how to facilitate a formal meeting
• Make your C.V more interesting
• How to use Robert’s Rule of Order
  
• Finding people you share a hobby with
• Explore your own potential
• Having fun

You only need a laptop or a PC with camera and speakers. We use Zoom for our meetings. Please contact us for sending you the access link by e-mail; you don’t have to buy a Zoom account.

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and has a desire to improve their speaking skills can join us. The club language is English.

You have more than a basic knowledge of the language, but are not yet able to communicate exclusively in English? Perfect! This corresponds to B1 level. The B1 level could be described as an advanced beginner’s level. You are not sure? Visit us and we’ll find out together!

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Colorado, USA, the organization’s membership exceeds 364.000 in more than 16.200 clubs in 145 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders. https://www.toastmasters.org

Toastmasters is for anyone who…

• wants to improve speaking skills
• doesn’t feel comfortable speaking in public
• perhaps doesn’t have a particular rhetorical need but is interested in the experience of belonging to an international organisation
• would like to experience fun evenings in good company
• wants to improve their English skills for personal or business use
• would like to improve their leadership skills, either for private or commercial reasons
• wants to learn to listen
• is interested in giving meaningful feedback to others and learning how to integrate constructive feedback into their own process
• wants to know how to come to the point in their communication
• would like to learn to ‘read’ their audience and deal with difficult people in an audience
• has a desire to practice good time management

Club meetings are scheduled for two hours and have a fixed setting, including a break. The toastmaster of the evening leads through the meeting and calls the agenda. The agenda contains among other points: the word of the day, table topic speeches and prepared speeches. In the end there is an evaluation of the proceedings and speeches.

There are different types of speeches:

International speeches (=prepared speeches):
Contestants present a five- to seven- minute speech on any subject they choose.

Table topics:
An impromptu speech, all contestants are assigned the same topic, told to them when they are introduced by the contest chair.

Evaluations speeches:
Contestants observe a five-to seven-minute test speech and then present a two-to three-minute evaluation of the test speech.

Humorous speeches:
Contestants present a humorous speech that must be thematic in nature (opening, body, and close), not a monologue (series of one-liners).

Prepared speeches: see speech projects. In contests: 5-7 min
Table topics: 1-2 min
Evaluation speeches: 2-3 min

For details see the following PDF