How Toastmasters Changes My Mistakes In The Past
I failed many times in speech contests, so this is the story
When I was in secondary and senior high school, my school sent me to a speech contest. I always failed. I didn’t know why I failed. Every day I practised and memorized my speech content and my English teacher also reviewed it. I picked good topics and I thought that I could answer every question from the judges very well. Whatelse, the speech contest winner delivered a simple topic such as how they change their mindset in language learning and so on.
I chose a difficult topic like how I could participate in a language course and told about my dream to spread my love for language learning. I wanted to contribute on a large scale, that’s why my speech contest was really serious.
The Moment I Found The Light
Last year on September 2022, I joined in Eagle Toastmasters Club and learned about vocal variety, speech type, and presentation. Now I know why I failed in speech contests in the past.
Now, I want to bring you to my childhood memory. I used to participate in storytelling contests since I was in elementary school. Perhaps, because I love reading and writing, my teachers saw my potential and asked me to join in some competitions. I became the winner of the Indonesian Storytelling competition. The contest system was like this, I would read 10–20 pages of a story then I should retell it verbally and write it on paper.
One day, my English teacher challenged me to participate in an English Storytelling Contest. “Reffi, do you want to tell a story in English? I want to challenge you.”
“Sure, I’ll try. Sounds fun,” I answered.
My English teacher, Ms. Agustin, rewrote a fairytale titled ‘The Legend of Rainbow” that I chose and loved so much. She recorded her voice on a Walkman and lent me her Walkman to be memorized every day. Fortunately, I became the second winner in Sidoarjo.
Remembering my memories of the storytelling contest that I won, my failures in a speech contest, and learning in Toastmasters, finally gives me the answer. I can make a good speech or storytelling when I feel it in my heart, not only about the grande and serious topic.
At first, I thought that to be a good speaker in a speech contest, I should behave seriously and bring a serious subject like what my Indonesian first President did. Mr Soekarno, my first president, was well-known as the best orator. I was nervous and anxious when I delivered my speech. It was different when I acted in my storytelling contests. In a speech, I wanted to be perfect and not to be clumsy.
And I learned it more after I joined Toastmasters. Storytelling is the key to capturing the audience’s attention and making it last inside their heart. My English teacher said to me. “Use vocal variety and various gestures. You should feel the words as your mine. This is your story.”
“How if I become nervous on the stage?” I asked.
And she answered. “Remember the storyline then speak as you want.”
I analyzed what I did wrong in my previous speech contest when I was in high school. Yeah, I was too stiff and my speech content was too broad. I couldn’t touch the audience’s heart and I just tried to write a speech content as good as possible while forgetting to make it become my own story. I couldn’t make a relatable story to the audience.
Finding My Communication Type
My communication style is initiating. I practised my style through every speech and fixed the mistakes from the evaluator’s feedback. It helps me to be comfortable and surprisingly, my writing students also love it.
And it’s better to deliver a speech that is related to my own experience or tell other people’s stories with my heart. I should become the main character when I deliver my speech although I tell about other’s success, for instance.
I’m far from perfect, but I’m sure I can improve my communication style better in Eagle Toastmasters.
