Throughout the group’s long history in the Eastern Province, expatriate and Saudi professionals have been the mainstays of the club rosters, but now younger Saudis are joining and competing to hone their English skills.
Hassan Al-Takrooni, a 20-year-old welding apprentice at Jubail Technical Institute, was the youngest participant at the conference and the only student. Nevertheless, he took first place in the Humorous Speech category. “Hard work does pay,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t listen to my mentors and put a lot of effort in learning and mastering English.”
Another young Saudi, Mohammed Al-Zawad, an engineer, took first place in the International Prepared Speech category. Al-Zawad’s topic was “Destructive Criticism,” the pun obviously intended.
“There are so many young Saudis who are very talented; they are No. 1 in their respective fields, but when you ask them to give a presentation they fumble,” Division L Governor Khaled A. Matlagaitu told Arab News. “Unless and until you know how to present your projects you will not be able to go ahead. Toastmasters provides that unique opportunity for them to understand the dynamics of good communication. This is like a training ground for young Saudis.”
The veteran Toastmaster who is also general manager of the Saudi-European Petrochemical Co. (Ibn Zahr) wants more young people to get involved with the club.
“I encourage young Saudis to join these clubs to understand the nuances of the English language and to speak correct, grammatical English,” said Matlagaitu. “I am in a leadership position, and Toastmasters helped me to communicate better and to present my ideas in a clear and concise way. I know of many talented Saudis who have brilliant ideas, but they know not how to present them.”
Conference Chair Jagadeesan Kumar described the event successful. “The conference provide great food for thought for all attendees … it provided an experience worth cherishing for a long time,” he said.
According to Jamal Zaheer, chairman of public relations and media committee, “Evaluation” and “Impromptu” speaking contests were won by engineer Suresh Kumar and schoolteacher Anis Fatima. “With their victories, these Toastmasters are going to represent Division L at the upcoming District Conference to be held in Jordan,” he added.
