Education Manuals:

Basic Program

The Toastmasters program is not a college, trade school, or other formal course in public speaking. There are no instructors, professors, or classrooms. No one's work is graded and no tests are administered.

In Toastmasters, members learn by studying the manuals, practicing, and helping one another. Learning takes place in the Club environment. Club meetings are workshops where you study and practice communication and leadership skills with others who are there for the same reason as you. You learn by doing and by watching fellow Club members.

During Club meetings you will build "quick thinking" skills as you give one- to two-minute speeches on general subjects during table topics. You'll introduce speakers, conduct meetings, and perform other roles that will give you plenty of practice in a variety of communication experiences, but your greatest learning will come from preparing and presenting speeches based on the projects in this manual.

Most of your talks will be only five to seven minutes. This will give you enough time to develop your topic while still keeping Club meetings a reasonable length, but the principles you learn in a five-to seven minute speech apply to a 40-minute formal address or a two-minute impromptu speech. You'll learn to speak with confidence, clarity, persuasiveness, and enthusiasm.

You will receive verbal and written feedback from an evaluator on every speech you present. The evaluator provides a personal opinion of your talk, pointing out its strengths and offering suggestions for improving your next speech. Evaluations have one purpose: to help you become a more effective speaker. Eventually, as you gain more experience, you will evaluate the speeches of others.

The manual teaches you the basics of public speaking. Once you have finished it, you can begin refining and enhancing your basic skills in the Advanced Communication and Leadership Program.