Check out our article at The Elk Grove Citizen, written by Ramona and Chris Scarborough. Thank you for featuring The Speaking Machine!

Overcoming Your Fear With Toastmasters

ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) – Do you suffer from glossophobia? If you do, you are not alone. Many people list their worst fear as speaking in public.

The solution for this anxiety-producing phobia can be found right here in Elk Grove. Since 1988, The Speaking Machine Toastmasters Club has helped nervous individuals become more confident while standing in front of an audience.

That’s one of the reasons Jocelyn Wong and Monette Stevens recently joined.

“Toastmasters has been a confidence-builder for me,” Stevens said at the Sept. 24 meeting. “Now, I’m aware of word whiskers, like ‘ah’ and ‘um.’ I am trying to remove them from my speech. This alone makes me sound more confident.”

Wong agreed.

“Meeting new people in an informal setting gives me more self-assurance as well as speaking formally on the program,” Wong said.

Parvinder Kaur, also a newer member, concurred.

“I was born in India and though I speak English, Toastmasters has helped me to understand common English idioms. I’ve learned to add interesting attention-getting details to my speeches.”

Myls Mylvaganam, Toastmasters’ vice-president of membership, said, “Since I joined Toastmasters, I feel more confident giving presentations at work conferences.”

Seasoned members are still learning by attending meetings.

Donna Lewis, a member for 12 years, said, “Toastmasters has brought me out of my shell and greatly enhanced my leadership abilities.”

Earl Carrington has been with the organization for seven years.

“I love the intergenerational interactions and opinions,” Carrington said. “I especially enjoy the Table Topics portion of the meeting. It’s fun and helps me think on my feet.”

For the full article, you can read it here:

https://www.egcitizen.com/2024/10/03/508045/overcoming-your-fear-with-toastmasters