International speeches should be original speeches of 5-7 minutes. They can be given on any subject, and can be serious, funny, or inspirational. The International Speech Contest is held at the Club, Area, Division, District, and International level, and as it goes all the way to the International level, it is the most important of all the Toastmaster contests, and where the World Champion of Public Speaking is decided! In order to be a contestant in this contest, a Toastmaster must have completed at least 6 speeches from the Competent Communicator or Pathways Program.
Check out past World Championship winners of International Speech Contests:
- 2020 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Mike Carr
- 2019 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Aaron Beverley
- 2018 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Ramona J. Smith
- 2017 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Manoj Vasudevan
- 2016 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren Tay Wen Jei
- 2015 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Mohammed Qahtani
- 2014 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi
- 2013 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Presiyan Vesilev (only learned to speak English a few years before he won)
Running an International Speech Contest is an exciting and rewarding experience. Here are the resources you need to run the contest:
GATM Speech Contest Kit
Workplan —
Developed by GATM members, the GATM Speech Contest Workplan includes the following:
- Schedule
- Participant Roster – Contestants, Judges, Volunteers
- Forms Received List
- Speaker Order Ballots
GATM Contest Emails —
Developed by GATM members, the GATM emails document includes sample emails to be sent to:
- Participants – Recruiting
- Contestants
- Timers
- Sergeant At Arms
- Judges
- Ballot Counters
GATM Contest Scripts —
Developed by GATM members, the GATM International Speech Contest Scripts include the:
- Contest Chair’s Script
- Chief Judge’s Script (coming soon)
GATM Agenda / Program —
Developed by GATM members, the GATM Speech Contest Agenda is the program for the night. One program covers both the International and Evaluation contests because they are typically held on the same night.
TMI International Speech Contest Kit – Rules and Forms
Many of the resources for the contest can be found in the members area (login required) of the Toastmasters International site.
The International Speech Contest Kit – from Toastmasters International includes the following:
- Speech Contest Rulebooks
- Speech Contestant Profile
- Speakers Certification of Eligibility and Originality
- Judge’s Certification of Eligibility and Code of Ethics
- Judge’s Guides and Ballots
- Tiebreaking Judge’s Guides and Ballot
- Time Record Sheets and Instructions
- Counters’ Tally Sheets
- Results Form
- Notification of Contest Winner
- Speech Contest Certificates