Tag: public speaking education

Toastmasters Speechcraft: Hone Your Speaking Skills

January 13th, 2023
Do you have a job interview coming up? A presentation at work? A toast at a wedding?

Whether or not you have an impending speaking engagement, you can benefit from improving your communication skills. That’s exactly what Toastmasters Speechcraft is designed to do—and you don’t have to belong to Toastmasters to take advantage of it.

Continue reading to learn how Speechcraft works—and how it can work for you.

What Is Toastmasters Speechcraft?

Speechcraft is Toastmasters’s education program for non-members. It’s a condensed version the Toastmasters experience that members enjoy through their clubs, learning programs, and contests.

Toastmasters Speechcraft trains people in public speaking basics. These skills can help them prepare and practice for an upcoming speaking opportunity or simply enhance their life and career.

The Speechcraft coordinator buys the program for $50 and invests their time, so they might charge a fee to attend.

How Does Toastmasters Speechcraft Work?

An experienced Toastmasters member serves as the Speechcraft coordinator. They recruit up to five people (called “Speechcrafters”) and train them with materials provided by Toastmasters. They provide this training in four, six, or eight sessions—with each session lasting one to two hours. Speechcraft might or might not be part of a club meeting.

Toastmasters Speechcraft comprises two parts:
- Directed learning—This happens in person and in a group setting. It’s presented by someone (often a Toastmasters member) with extensive public speaking experience.
- Individual learning—This is interactive digital content delivered through Base Camp, Toastmasters’s online education platform.
Speechcraft Projects

Each Speechcrafter completes several projects:
- Choose a Topic—This helps the Speechcrafter find the sweet spot between what they want to say and what their audience needs and expects to hear.
- Prepare to Present—During this project, the Speechcrafter writes and practices a speech. Yoodli, a partner of Toastmasters, provides a free tool to practice a speech. You receive immediate, judgment-free, AI-powered feedback on your word choices, filler words, body language, and more. Here’s a screenshot from the app (you can sign up at http://www.yoodli.ai):
- Giving and Receiving Feedback—Toastmasters is big on evaluation and feedback because these elements are essential to learning and growth. With this project, the Speechcrafter learns about receiving and giving feedback.
- Know Your Purpose—To be a truly successful communicator, you must identify and effectively share a purposeful message. This project helps Speechcrafters develop that skill.
- Body Language—It’s one thing to be aware of your body language, and this project helps you not only be aware but become skilled in your understanding and use of body language and its role in speech delivery.
- How to Evaluate—The Speechcrafter evaluates a speech using Toastmasters materials and then shares feedback based on their evaluation.
- Vocal Variety—You already know that a monotone delivery isn’t awesome, but there’s more to learn about vocal variety. Through this project, the Speechcrafter learns how to use their voice and presence more effectively.
- Powerful Words—A speech involves body language, voice, and—of course—words. The Speechcrafter learns to choose the right words and put them in the right order to help their audience understand, believe, and act.
Recognition

Speechcrafters earn badges by delivering speeches, and they receive a certificate upon completion of the program. If they join Toastmasters, the badges for delivered speeches count as credit in Pathways, the Toastmaters education program.

Toastmasters Speechcraft coordinators can earn credit toward a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award.

Toastmasters Speechcraft for You and Your Team

It should be easy to see how Toastmasters Speechcraft can benefit you as an individual. It’s also worth considering how teams can take advantage of this valuable training together. It’s likely that you serve on a team or lead a team that could improve their communication skills. Each Speechcraft bundle serves up to five people, but multiple bundles can be combined into one event. So, Toastmasters can accommodate your team of eight, 10, or 19.

Find a Toastmasters club near you to see if they’re offering a Speechcraft event. If they don’t have one on the calendar, ask them to put one together for you or your team!
Toastmasters International Pathways Toward Success

January 12th, 2023
Would you like to receive to receive individual and customizable training in motivational strategies? What about effective coaching? Engaging humor?

These are just three of the paths the make up Toastmasters International Pathways, the organization’s educational program for members. Through this program, you can develop career-enhancing skills in public speaking, communication, and leadership.

Continue reading for an overview of Pathways.

What Is Toastmasters International Pathways?

Toastmasters International Pathways is an interactive, customizable learning experience for Toastmasters members. Pathways teaches more than 300 competencies in the broad skills of public speaking, communication, and leadership.

The name “Pathways” derives from the 11 learning paths you can choose from (see more on this below). The program is available in several languages, and Toastmasters is continually adding more.

The primary way to access Pathways is through an online platform called Base Camp, which includes videos, quizzes, interactive activities, feedback, and recognition. If you don’t have online access, a limited version of Pathways is available in print for a $25 fee unless you print it yourself.

The cost of your first path is covered by your membership fee. Each additional path costs $20.

Toastmasters Pathways Paths

Toastmasters International Pathways has 11 paths to choose from. You can complete as many as you want over time. Click on a path for details.
If you’re not sure which path (or paths) to choose, Base Camp includes an online assessment that recommends three paths that match your skills, interests, and goals.

Each path comprises five levels:
- Level 1—Mastering Fundamentals
- Level 2—Learning Your Style
- Level 3—Increasing Knowledge
- Level 4—Building Skills
- Level 5—Demonstrating Expertise
In each path, Level 1 (Mastering Fundamentals) comprises these projects:
- Ice Breaker
- Writing a Speech With Purpose
- Introduction to Vocal Variety and Body Language
- Evaluation and Feedback
The required projects in Levels 2 through 5 are unique to each path. In Level 3, you choose two elective projects. In Levels 4 and 5, you choose one elective project in each level.

Toastmasters Ice Breaker Speech

Let’s take a look at the Toastmasters Ice Breaker speech, since it’s how each pathway begins. Chances are, you’re familiar with the concept of an ice breaker—an activity that aims to help people know each other better and connect with each other. You’ve probably participated in an ice breaker a few times!

Toastmasters International sees the value in these connections, so they’ve coupled up the ice breaker concept with their focus—public speaking—to create the Toastmasters Ice Breaker speech.

The Ice Breaker speech is the first project in the first level of each path in the Toastmasters Pathways learning experience—whether you’re on the Effective Coaching path, the Engaging Humor path, or any of the 11 paths.

When someone delivers a Toastmasters Ice Breaker speech during a club meeting, they tell a story about themselves that introduces them to other club members. They might do this when they’re new to the club or later on when they want to share something about themselves that they haven’t talked about before.

You can experience an Ice Breaker speech firsthand by visiting a Toastmasters club meeting. If you’re not a member, you may attend as a guest. Clubs meet in person and/or online.

A Sample Journey Through Pathways

Next, let’s take a look at a sample journey to get a better idea of how Toastmasters International Pathways works.

Kirsten is a teacher. She wants to improve her presentation skills and the connection she has with her students. She chooses the Presentation Mastery path.

In Level 1 (Mastering Fundamentals), she learns about writing a speech with purpose, vocal variety, and body language.

In Level 2 (Learning Your Style), Kirsten gets further training related to body language and gets a handle on her own communication style. She also gets an introduction to Toastmasters mentoring, which is a Level 2 project in each path.

In Level 3 (Increasing Knowledge), Kirsten receives instruction related to persuasive speaking. From a list of 14 elective projects, she chooses two: Connect With Storytelling and Using Descriptive Language.

In Level 4 (Building Skills), she learns how to manage a difficult audience. From a list of seven elective projects, she chooses one: Question-and-Answer Session.

In Level 5 (Demonstrating Expertise), Kirsten chooses one elective project—High-Performance Leadership—from a list of five. Drawing on all that she’s learned, she delivers an extended speech that she’s prepared and practiced using the free AI-powered speech coach from Yoodli, a Toastmasters partner. With Yoodli, she gets private, personalized and judgement free feedback on her public speaking. She can track her filler words, eye contact, pacing, word choice, body language, and much else!

Progress, Completion, & Recognition

Each club has a Base Camp manager who tracks your progress.

When you complete a level, you receive recognition in the form of a digital badge and certificate. When you complete a path, you’re recognized as “Proficient” in that expertise.

Upon completion of Level 3, 4, or 5, you may ask Toastmasters to send a letter to your employer to notify them of your achievement.

If you complete two learning paths, you’ve met one of the requirements to become a Distinguished Toastmaster.

Wrapping Up

The skills you can develop through Toastmasters International Pathways will set you apart—and put you ahead—in the workplace and job market. Toastmasters is more than clubs, and Pathways is another big reason why becoming a Toastmaster is worth it.