Introducing Toastmasters: The Birth of a Gwangju Club
Written by Yun-hee Seol.
“Everywhere and anywhere, in whatever field you work, there are two fundamental skills that are required for you to be successful: communication and leadership,” says Dong-Wan Lim. Currently a 2019–2020 Toastmasters area director and a member of the District 93 Executive Committee, Lim joined his first Toastmasters club in Canada 15 years ago. He first wanted to improve his English communication skills, but he soon found himself benefitting in other areas and with new opportunities. This article aims to introduce Toastmasters and its new Gwangju club to readers with the help of Lim, who was kind enough to provide his input on the organization.
What is Toastmasters International?
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization that teaches interpersonal skills such as communication, management, and leadership. In order to aid people to become better public speakers, Toastmasters provides its members with educational programs and holds highly experimental and dynamic meetings to develop interpersonal skills. The organization now exceeds 358,000 members and has 16,700 clubs across 143 countries. When asked about how Toastmasters has affected him, Lim said, “I thought it was an amazing club. Before, my English was really dry, but then I started becoming more comfortable speaking and saw a big difference in myself in many aspects.”
As there are many different Toastmasters clubs conducting meetings in multiple languages in Korea, Lim also emphasized that Toastmasters is not “just about language learning or English.” Native Korean speakers are also expected to attend meetings in Korea in order to improve their own communication or leadership skills.
Story of Personal Growth
After one year with Toastmasters in Canada, Lim returned to South Korea where he continued his membership. He joined a club called South River Toastmasters (SRTM), one of the oldest and most popular charter clubs in South Korea. Then he put his improved public skills to the test by participating in a nationwide English speech contest. He was fortunate to win two first-place prizes, one awarded by the Korea Herald then one by the Joongang Ilbo. Of these successes, Lim said, “I consider my personal growth as one of the very many success stories out there, so the program definitely works.”
In 2004, Lim started his first Toastmasters club called Sinchon Toastmasters (SCTM), located in Seoul. After serving as president for two terms, work and family life took over, and he stopped attending meetings. SCTM continues to hold club meetings today. “Even though I couldn’t always attend meetings due to work or family life, I never stopped being a member and worked on my educational manuals,” Lim recalls.
Lifelong Learning
Toastmasters members can expect to receive many educational materials such as speech manuals and monthly magazines. Members pay a minimal fee, but Lim believes the benefits are endless. About six years into his membership, he finished his communications track by completing 40 different manuals and projects. He then continued his education by starting the leadership track, which encourages members to take officer roles in clubs or area districts. “Somehow, I got a new opportunity to serve as area director, and now I find myself with an opportunity to start a new Toastmasters club in Gwangju,” says Lim.
Once Lim finishes his leadership track, he will receive the final certificate of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). Focused on self-improvement, he emphasized the endless number of educational programs and manuals offered: “There are some Korean Toastmasters members who have completed multiple DTMs. So they continue to learn more and more. It’s a lifelong journey.”
The Beginning of Gwangju Toastmasters
Today, Lim hopes to benefit others with the program. “This is definitely the most efficient educational program that I would recommend for those interested in developing their communication and leadership skills,” he says. Starting in November 2019, Gwangju Toastmasters will hold its meetings every Friday in English at the Gwangju International Center.
The Gwangju News would like to thank Lim for sharing his personal growth and Toastmasters journey.
For more information about Toastmasters International go to https://www.toastmasters.org/about/all-about-toastmasters.
The Author
Seol Yun-hee recently returned to South Korea after studying abroad in the United States. She is enjoying connecting with her Korean culture and is exploring her passion for writing.