Public speaking classes in San Diego

Practice instead of instruction

There's no teacher at the front of the room. You give speeches, take on roles like running the meeting or timing it, and get feedback from the room every time. You pick your own topics and work at your own pace.

Liberty is a small club, which matters more than it sounds. Almost everyone who comes gets a speaking or evaluation role at almost every meeting, so you're on your feet far more often than you would be in a classroom.

What it costs

Visiting is free, as often as you like. If you join, it's a one-time $25 new member fee plus $72 every six months. That works out at about the price of a cup of coffee a week.

What a Thursday evening looks like

Meetings run from 7:00–8:30 PM. There are prepared speeches, a round of impromptu questions called Table Topics, and evaluations where members tell each other what worked and what to try next. The full agenda is on the meetings page.

As a guest, you'll be introduced at the start, you can answer a Table Topics question if you want to, and you'll be asked for your thoughts at the end. All of it is optional.

When a class is the better choice

If you have a keynote in three weeks and you need to be ready, a course or a one-to-one coach will get you there faster. A club works differently. It's for getting steadily better over months, with regular practice and people who hear you speak often enough to tell you what's changed.

Plenty of people do both.

Where we meet

St. Paul's Conference Center, 2557 Third Avenue, in Bankers Hill near Hillcrest and Balboa Park. Thursdays, 7:00–8:30 PM. No RSVP needed. Guests are welcome at any meeting.

Reading about a Toastmasters club only tells you so much. Come to a meeting, watch how it works, and decide afterwards.