PATRICK Burns’ thick Irish accent used to mean his lessons to students in Australia were often lost-in-translation, despite their delivery in English.
“People were telling me I spoke too fast,” he said.
But signing up to Jimboomba Toastmasters Club five years ago changed all that.
While Mr Burns said he once avoided addressing crowds, instruction on enunciation and speech timing has allowed him to seize every opportunity to make his voice heard.
The Flagstone man will travel to Chinchilla in the coming weeks to compete at the Toastmaster’s District Conference following his humourous speech win at the Eastern Division Conference earlier this month.
His seven minute speech, which had the crowd in fits of laughter, recounted arduous shopping trips out with his then 10-year-old daughter Lauren.
While he delivered the speech from memory, Mr Burns said its execution was something he had practiced.
Jimboomba Toastmasters Club is held Johanna Street’s Dorrington House.
For more, visit jimboomba.toastmastersclubs.org.
