Hi everyone,

Newport Speakers Club invites you to join our club. Do you fit the bill? That is, do you:

*  Already have an interest in speaking?

*  Feel too shy to put forward your points of view?

*  Have to speak at a function, i.e, make a wedding speech?

*  Want to improve your personal confidence and communication skills?

*  Need to speak at some social or business occasion?

*  Feel panic if you are asked to speak out loud?

*  Have to face that daunting job interview?

*  Just feel that you'd like to try it?

If the answer to any of these is 'YES' then why not come along and visit us?

The Club is open to everyone. It is a mutual self-help organisation where groups of people come together to help support each other to gain confidence and learn a valuable life skill while having some fun.

Anyone who comes along and hopes to learn how to be an effective speaker and help others to be an effective speaker will be delighted with the outcome.

That person will be given the opportunity, the support, the knowledge and the feedback in a relaxed friendly environment which is the most efficient way to become an effective speaker.

Our system works because there is no substitute for experience gained by having a go, gaining feedback and absorbing experience by watching and listening to others.

We use a ten-stage programme which provides a framework for the educational development of members.

The programme gives advice on how to improve skills in public speaking from the earliest stage through to advanced performance. This programme has been proven to work over many years but is totally flexible and means that new members are able to move at a pace they find most suitable.

Our programme covers the various skills covered by the followiing assignments:

Foundation

•F1 Starting your journey – your first speech, introducing yourself to the club.

•F2 Constructiing a speech – master the art of arranging what you want to say in a logical and consistent manner

•F3 Speaking with conviction. Learn to speak with sincerity, conviction and persuasiveness, so it's clear that you mean what you say.

•F4 Use of Gestures – learn to use your hands, face and whole body to improve your effectiveness as a speaker

•F5 Use Your Voice – develop good voice modulation. The voice is a speakers most powerful weapon

Advanced

•A1 Vocabulary and Word Pictures – emphasise your message by careful choice of vocabulary and word pictures

•A2 Storytelling and narrative – learn to be creative and imaginative by sharing experiences and events through words, sounds and visual images. Terry Pratchet, a master storyteller, said "imagination, not intelligenge, made us human".

•A3 Using Humour – helps you to explore different types of humour, allowing you to develop a style that fits your character

•A4 Developing Audience Rapport – what all speakers are aiming to achieve

•A5 “The Showpiece” - this completes a speaker's basic training, demonstrating all the skills that have been developed along the way

You will also have the opportunity to learn the skills involved in chairing a meeting and impromptu speaking.

This is what happens on a typical night:

Speeches - These are 6-8 minute speeches that people have prepared, which are evaluated with helpful tips to encourage us correct our faults. 

Topics session of 2-3 minute speeches that we have to make up on the spot. One of our members picks the topics for the evening for those who feel ready to attempt it. These can be really fun because they're off the cuff, and it gives us practice at thinking on our feet!

By joining you will take the first step on a great journey

Few skills will impact on your life as positively as learning to speak in public.

How can I join?

Why not come along to one of our meetings, at 19.15 for 19.30 start on 1st Wednesday of every month and the 3rd Wednesday of every month except the summer months of June, July and August.

Or contact the members shown on the contacts page

Or just turn up at one of our meetings. You'll be made very welcome to sit, listen or take part.

Just check our program, shown on the home page, and we hope to see you soon!!!