How it works

We are still open and operating via Zoom! and will update on return to face to face shortly. For the Zoom call join details, please email us at enquiries@ipswichspeakersclub.org.uk

Instructions and Guidance on how the Club runs, what training material is available and all sorts of advice to help you on your way.

So, you came to this website because you want to improve your speaking skils. Or maybe like so many you'd like to be rid of the debilitating nerves and discomfort that plague us whenever we have to get up and speak in front of people

If you are amongst the latter you may like to visit the section on Overcoming Fear first

This website provides summaries and insights into not only the core materials provided in the guide but also provides more detail, examples and often up to date thinking from influences such as NLP. The material available in the guide is tried and tested over many years but you may still find other examples that are more appropriate to your needs or style here. You will also find video links to instructional resources or examples of good (or bad) speaking.

Once you join the club you will be presented with 'The Speakers Guide' (See the Speakers Guide Tab). The first part of the guide covers the basic building blocks of speaking and communicating in public. There are 9 assignments each of which will give you insight into techniques that you will find invaluable foundations. Clients tend to work through the assignments in sequence but you should certainly read ahead and get a grasp of the basics. Speakers Club is so successful because clients practice and get regular feedback in a safe and supportive environment. Once you are ready you will be able to move on to another assignment, but if you still need a little more practice and development you'll be asked to repeat an assignment. This is to ensure that clients are clear about each particular aspect before moving. Confidence is based on a sound understanding and not false or insincere feedback.

Learning

� framework of educational development.

� So now to the training programme itself. Learning to speak is similar to learning to drive or ride a bike. Remember what it felt like at the start? Trying to do too many new things at once - it doesn't feel comfortable. You have to give too much concentration and attention to each task to really cope with all of them at once. But gradually they become more automatic until eventually they become completely natural and subconscious. Well the same is true of speaking. There are some additional distractions when we are speaking of course - the voices or gremlins trying to put us off which can make speaking feel more like a driving test than a pootle round the county lanes,

Certificate of achievement

� The association is aimed at all levels of speakers from those with a natural ability to the majority of us who need practice and tuition to help us on what is a difficult task, even when the audience is small. Memebers are encouraged to work through the ten assignments and on completion of these to an acceptable standard, the member will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement. Whilst this is not a professionally recognised qualification or accreditation it will assure you of a very sound level of speaking competence. Members who wish to stretch their abilities further can complete a number of advanced assignments and go on to receive the Advanced Certificate of Achievement.

Preparing a Speech

� The basis of any speech is in its preparation. The amount of preparation will depend on your level of experience, how well you know the material and they type of content. Initially chose a subject you know well that flows easily from one section to another. Preparation is required on how you will delvier the material, for example, whether any audio visual aids are required. Use of multimedia technologies such as MicrosSoft� PowerPoint and Prezi are very common and we have a separate section dedicated to effective use of these media. (How NOT to do Death by Bullet Point).

The effectiveness of any speech will depend on the preparation you put into the speech itself and into your delivery on the day. Read more on Preparing a Speech.

You'll need to deliver a speech for each of the above assignments reaching a certain level of ability before moving on.

OK � so those are really the basics, now all you need to do is put it all together, simple right? Of course not. Learning to speak and communication more effectively and confidently is like learning anything new. We go through four phases until we fully grasp each skill. Acquiring skills of course comes with regular practice and feedback and eventually our brains mould themselves to the task in hand so that we can function almost self consciously and then attend to other things. What initially felt like juggling or spinning plates becomes much more comfortable. You might want to consider leaning to juggle too, great fun once you have the hang of it. Then try rehearsing your speech whilst juggling. Once you've mastered that then speaking on its own becomes a doddle.

Of course there are different speaking challenges but you will become more able to draw on the skills acquired from the assignments and use them to best advantage. Practice is still key at this point until you reach increasing levels of confidence. You may have initially taken days or weeks to put together a speech at the start of the guide. As you progress you will find that it takes you less and less time and that a lot of what you did before becomes more automatic and less conscious. This in itself reduces the perception that speaking is costly and painful process.

Practice

- Sadly there is no silver bullet for learning to speak. It does take practice. But like anyone who has applied themselves to learning a musical instrument, practice reaps benefit. The brain is an incredibly plastic organ capable of adapting and reacting. Regular practice of the right sort will affect a strong and enduring change in ability and behaviour. One of the exercises we use at Speakers Club is the Topics Session. No preparation is required for topics. The chairman will give you a topic to talk about, usually with some kind of theme to give you some ideas to start with. Topics can feel like being thrown in at the deep end at first so it's important just to have a go and build up a little each time. It's great experience for thinking on your feet which is what happens in real life all the time. The topics leader will be sensitive to your level of experience and to what he knows about you. We have all sorts of tips and techniques to make sure that you never feel lost for words and will soon be delivering 2 minute topics with no trouble at all. We often find it difficult to shut speakers up after their allotted two minutes !

Topics

� Sadly there is no silver bullet for learning to speak. It does take practice. But like anyone who has applied themselves to learning a musical instrument, practice reaps benefit. The brain is an incredibly plastic organ capable of adapting and reacting. Regular practice of the right sort will affect a strong and enduring change in ability and behaviour. One of the exercises we use at Speakers Club is the Topics Session. No preparation is required for topics. The chairman will give you a topic to talk about, usually with some kind of theme to give you some ideas to start with. Topics can feel like being thrown in at the deep end at first so it's important just to have a go and build up a little each time. It's great experience for thinking on your feet which is what happens in real life all the time. The topics leader will be sensitive to your level of experience and to what he knows about you. We have all sorts of tips and techniques to make sure that you never feel lost for words and will soon be delivering 2 minute topics with no trouble at all. We often find it difficult to shut speakers up after their allotted two minutes !

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