The President of Big Red Toastmasters (at Cornell University)
provides sponsorship to
the FDY Public Speaking Program
by
Itır Beğen Yılmaz
The FDY Public Speaking Program is proud to announce that the President of the Big Red Toastmasters has provided sponsorship to Toastmasters for 4 SU members. The FDY Public Speaking Program Learner Assistant Bengisu Yıldırım, Public Speaking Program 2019 student, and Wevoi Public Speaking National Finalist Uğurhan Altınbaş, and our student Arda Dinç were awarded sponsorships provided by private donors. Moreover, all the participants of the Public Speaking Program, as well as the SL Director Jacqueline Einer, and the SL Program Coordinator Pınar Gündüz are invited as guests to any meeting. Since June 2022, the FDY Public Speaking Program instructors and students have collaborated with the members of the Big Red Toastmasters (at Cornell University) on zoom. We have met the President of the Big Red Toastmasters Chris Lastovicka, Immediate Past President Denise Ward, VP Education Bonna Davidson, VP Membership Karen Weiss, VP Public Relations Bonna Davidson, Secretary Denise Ward, Treasurer Karen Weiss, Sergeant-At-Arms Joyce Kabui and other members.
How it began:
The School of Languages Director, Jacqueline Einer, and I wanted to find a way for School of Languages students to continue a focus on public speaking once they leave the preparatory program and move on to their faculty classes. To do this we wanted to encourage our Public Speaking Program students to become familiar with a Toastmasters International club. As a member of the Bosphorus Toastmasters club, I contacted my alma mater Cornell University and found the Big Red Toastmasters.
The President of the Big Red Toastmasters Chris Lastovicka and I had a meeting and shared our common passion for public speaking. I focused on our objectives to encourage students to join Toastmasters but we lacked sponsorship. The President of Big Red Toastmasters Chris Lastovicka generously offered to provide sponsorships which are privately funded by donors and agreed to host our students as guests.
The FDY Public Speaking Program in collaboration with the Big Red Toastmasters:
Below, you may see the agenda and the summary of the zoom meetings:
● Toastmaster welcomes guests and members
● The members of the Big Red Toastmasters and our students Arda Biçer, Melike Ceyda Gür, Alper Tüysüz, Onur Can Aksoy, Bengisu Yıldırım and Uğurhan Altınbaş introduce themselves
● Toastmaster Introduces Roles
-Timer
-Ah-Counter
-Wordmaster/Grammarian
● Toastmasters Introduces the Speaker
● Ice Breaker (Time: 4-6 min) **Allow 2 min for attendees to offer feedback to the speaker
● Table Topics-Lead group in table topics (1-2 min) Our students; Arda Biçer, Melike Ceyda Gür, Alper Tüysüz, Onur Can Aksoy, Bengisu Yıldırım and Uğurhan Altınbaş give impromptu speeches
● Evaluator of Speaker (2-3 min)
● Reports
● Timer
● Ah-Counter
● Wordmaster/Grammarian
● Questions and Announcements
● Welcome to New Members
● New Officer Induction
● Meeting Adjourns
Conclusion:
Our students are lucky to be immersed in a real-life experience where voicing their ideas, commenting on topics, focusing on body language, and addressing the target audience are highly valued. Our students also get the opportunity to add respected international business and corporate professionals to their networks. I believe that the key to learner autonomy and learner awareness can be enhanced through intrinsic motivation. Thanks to Big Red Toastmasters, students’ extrinsic motivation metamorphasized into a more intrinsic motivation. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to Big Red Toastmasters.
