Speaking Circles were created and developed in Califbmia/USA by Lee Glickstein; they are for people (whether stutterers or not) who are uncomfortable speaking in front of groups.
Typically there are between 5 and 12 participants; each person speaks twice - once for 3 minutes and once for 5 minutes - and after the first time they are invited to share their experience of speaking in front of the group. After they speak in the second "round", the floor is opened to positive (and only positive !) feedback-from the audience.
There are no set subjects: you may speak on any subject of your choice -- it could be something you did last week, a hobby, your work, someone in your life, anything at all. The ideal is to get to speak not knowing what you are going to talk about, but in practice people normally select a subject they know well and then speak without preparation; the idea being not to speak from a prepared text, but to speak spontaneously.
It is best not to rush into speaking as soon as you get up in front of the audience, but to pause for a few seconds before speaking, giving you time to take in the audience's support and for them to connect with you. In fact, you may decide to "connect" in silence for part - or all - of your time in front of the audience, using soft eye contact with members of the audience; this eliminates the pressure of having to speak at all times, and addresses many stutterers' dislike of silence.
Even when you are in the audience you are still pro-active; you need to be listening actively and positively, because during the second round you will be invited to give positive feedback to each speaker. The feedback should not be about what the speaker said, or about their level of fIuency - it should be about how it was to be there listening to them: their eye contact, their humour, their style, etc. As Lee Glickstein has said, "... these are not only Speaking Circles, they are listening circles and feedback circles too."
All this is conducted in an entirely safe and supportive atmosphere, where people can take a risk in complete confidence: every participant agrees the Standards of Support before the Speaking Circle begins -- adherence to these Standards of Support will ensure that a safe environment is maintained. Some people use a video camera in their Speaking Circle; each participant has their own video cassette which no one else will watch, so the fear of the camera is taken away as the tape remains entirely private. Stutterer and experienced Speaking Circle facilitator John Harrison recommends that you watch the video at least 3 times! The first time you will hate it, the second time will not be as bad, and the third time you will see the positive aspects of your talk - the aspects that your audience saw at the time.
I have been running monthly Speaking Circles in Swindon/UK since January 1997. Its been a wonderful experience. I have seen people's confidence grow, from faltering beginnings, people have found their authentic speaking style, some are superb story tellers, some are funny, some are serious; all of the regular participants speak authentically and in a remarkably relaxed and easy-going manner.
Speaking Circles are ideal for self-help groups and are being used in speech therapy. They are supportive, exciting, enabling and, most of all, they are great fun !
Key objectives 
Youth meetings 
