Importance of Communication | About Toastmasters |
Toastmasters & You | Roles in Toastmasters
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Importance of Communication
“Whether verbal or nonverbal, let’s face it – communication isn’t optional.
Every day we are tasked with a variety of situations where communication comes into play. How many times have you heard, “I could see it on your face” or, “Your body language speaks volumes”? How many times have you spoken off-the-cuff and then later wished you’d said something else?
Developing and honing this important skill, along with the other skills you gain in Toastmasters, will give you the confidence you need in a variety of areas, both personally and professionally.
In these tough economic times, your skills are even more important. Maybe you are looking for a job? Having the competitive edge may be what lands you the position. In Toastmasters, you practice thinking on your feet. The more you practice, the more self-confidence you gain, which will give you the advantage you need.”
Does your diploma course require you to give project presentations? “You can develop and polish these skills by working through the Communication Track in the Toastmasters educational program. By continuously practicing your speeches, as well as the components, such as speech organization, timing, vocal variety and gestures, you will have gained the ability to present a powerful presentation.
As a result of joining Toastmasters and actively taking part, you will:
-Learn to communicate more effectively.
-Become a better listener.
-Improve your presentation skills.
-Increase your leadership potential.
-Become more successful in your career.
-Build your ability to motivate and persuade.
-Reach your professional and personal goals.
-Increase your self confidence.”
Pay a visit to Temasek Polytechnic Toastmasters Club now and discover what we have to offer.
Contact our Vice President (Public Relation) at foo_sok_leng@yahoo.co.uk for enquiries & details.
Article quoted from:
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/WhyJoin/
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About Toastmasters
"From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.
Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian.
There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved."
"This non-profit organization offers a proven – and enjoyable – way to practice communication and leadership skills. Here's how it works:
A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly or biweekly to practice public speaking techniques. The average meeting lasts one hour.
Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking. Participants learn skills related to use of humor, gestures, eye contact, speech organization and overall delivery. When finished with this manual, members can choose from 15 advanced manuals to learn skills related to specific interests.
Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and serving as officers at the club and district levels, and by working in the Competent Leadership manual and the High Performance Leadership program. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don't lecture our members about leadership skills; we give them responsibilities and ask them to lead.
There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings, serve as officers in various leadership roles and learn rules related to timing, grammar and parliamentary procedure.
Thousands of corporations sponsor in-house Toastmasters clubs. Businesses and government organizations have discovered that Toastmasters is an effective, cost-efficient means of meeting their communication training needs.
Toastmasters groups also can be found in governmental agencies, as well as in a variety of community organizations, prisons, universities, hospitals, military bases and churches."
Article quoted respectively from:
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/WhatisToastmasters.aspx http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/WhatisToastmasters/
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Toastmasters & You
"Whether you work in a corporate environment or from home, whether you are a student or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable and affordable way of gaining communication and leadership skills.
Become a Better Speaker
Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. By learning to formulate and convey your ideas, you open a new world of possibilities. You will be more persuasive and confident when giving presentations and you will improve your one-on-one dealings with others.
Become a Leader
Leadership is the art of persuading others to do what you wish. To succeed, you need to communicate, and you need to work as a team. In Toastmasters, you’ll do both. And you’ll find out how to vary your approach to suit the needs of different people, be they the audience for a speech, the committee for a fundraiser or your coworkers and managers.
It Really Works!
Don’t worry! Everyone in a Toastmasters club was once at the level you are now. The environment is friendly and supportive, and the self-paced program allows you to build confidence with each speaking assignment.
And you’ll love the applause! Constructive evaluation is the heart of the Toastmasters program. Each time you give a speech, an evaluator will point out strengths and suggest improvements."
Article quoted from:
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/WhyJoin/
WhatToastmastersCanDoForYou.aspx
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Roles in Toastmasters
Ah Counter | General Evaluator | Grammarian | Sergeant At Arms | Timer | Toastmasters of the Evening | Table Topics Master | Word of the Day
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Ah- Counter - Noting Pause Fillers.
Examples are:
1. Words may be inappropriate interjections such as “and, well, but, so, you know.”
2. Sounds may be “ah, um, er.”
3. Repetitive word or phrase such as “I,I” or “This means, this means.” Or “you
know, you know”.
4. “Pause fillers” such as lip-smacking
Note: pauses in between sentences are not considered as “pause fillers”. It is up to the
individual speakers to use “pauses” effectively in their speech.
PRIOR TO THE MEETING
- Prepare a brief explanation of the duties of the ah counter for the benefit of guests.
UPON ARRIVAL AT THE MEETING
- Get a pen and blank piece of paper on which to make notes, or get a blank copy of the
ah counter’s log from the Sergeant at Arms.
DURING THE MEETING
- When introduced by the Toastmaster of the Evening, stand up and briefly explain the
role of the ah counter.
- Throughout the meeting, listen to everyone’s pause fillers (use your
discretion, some pauses are appropriate for dramatic effect, while some are obvious fillers where the speaker is simply buying time) pauses used as fillers and not as a necessary part of sentence structure.
Write down how many pause fillers each person used during all portions of the
meeting.
- When called on, stand by your chair and give your report.
AFTER THE MEETING
- Tally the levies for each speaker that you have noted, and collect the fines from them.
- Give your completed report & the fines collected to the Treasurer for record.
Sample Script
(Ah-Counter) Sample Script
Toastmasters attempts to teach us to speak in a clear and unobstructed manner. The use of "ah's or um's" or “okay” or other vocal pauses can hinder our progress.
Today, it is my job during the entire meeting, except for the formal speaking program, to call your attention to these pause fillers. It is not intended to be offensive or embarrass you. But simply give you a sense of awareness of an area in which you may choose to work. I will give my report at the end of the meeting.
Fines for will be:
When called on by the Toastmaster, give the report of these activities as requested.
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General Evaluator
PURPOSE:
- evaluation of the entire meeting.
- evaluates every portion of the meeting
- begins with the opening of the meeting, through the business meeting, introduction of the Toastmaster of the Evening and every participating member, including the speaker evaluators. *exception would be the prepared speakers who have individual evaluators. IF a speaker evaluator had overlooked an obvious opportunity to praise a speaker , mention it accordingly
PRIOR TO THE MEETING
Check with the Toastmaster of the Evening to see if there will be any planned deviations from the usual meeting format.
Familiarize yourself with the structure of the meeting. You should also be familiar with the Meeting Roles & Responsibilities which define each participants role as performed in the club. In particular, the General Evaluator works alone as an observer of the meeting.
Prepare a brief but thorough summary of your role as General Evaluator that explains your role in the program to visiting guests.
AS YOU ARRIVE AT THE MEETING
Arrive a few minutes early as the meeting will start promptly at the planned time.
Sit near the back of the room to allow yourself full view of the meeting and its participants.
DURING THE MEETING
Take notes on everything that happens (or fails to happen) at the meeting and pay particular attention to the overall management of the meeting as well as the performance of the individual participants.
Your report should comment on the quality of preparation, organization, delivery and general performance of each individual. Although the General Evaluator does not evaluate prepared speakers or topics speakers, feel free to add something that an individual evaluator may have missed. The General Evaluation should recognize and encourage examples of good performance but we also need fairly positive recommendations on the improvement of inadequate performance.
When called upon by the Toastmaster of the Evening, to give your report, you should precede this by a brief explanation of your role. Next, announce the speaker evaluators in the order they are to assume control of the lectern. Upon completion of the last evaluator, you will then proceed to the lectern and deliver your evaluation of the meeting.
When you have finished with your evaluation, return control of the meeting to the Toastmaster of the Evening by saying: "Toastmaster of the Evening", remaining at the lectern until she/he arrives; shaking hands and then return to your seat.
As General Evaluator, you should also set an example of good time keeping. The general evaluation should fall within the time frame of eight to ten minutes; the green light will be turned on at eight minutes, amber light at nine minutes, and the red light at ten minutes.
SAMPLE GENERAL EVALUATOR'S CHECKLIST
MEETING PREPARATION:
- Were the guests/visitors greeted and looked after efficiently
- Was club information readily available
- Was the room properly equipped/lights, lectern, clock, voting slips, etc., all in place
- Were up-to-date programs available without excessive last-minute changes
- Were the individual functionaries "ready-to-go" when required
TIMING/FLOW:
- Did the meeting start on time
- Did any individual segments run over and why
- Did the meeting restart on time after the break
- Was the meeting fast-paced and under control/comment on any disruptions
- Did the audience know what was going on at all times
INDIVIDUAL FUNCTIONARIES: (Toastmaster of the Evening, President's Opening Address, Table Topics Master, Timer, Ah Counter, Evaluators, Language Evaluator)
- Was the individual well-prepared
- Was the individual's contribution well-delivered
- How well were the objectives of the function/segment achieved
- Comment on any creativity/new ideas
AUDIENCE REACTION:
- At the end of the day, the success of the meeting must be judged by audience reaction.
- Did the audience find the meeting interesting and informative
- Did the audience find the meeting entertaining
- What was the "mood" of the meeting
- Did the audience lose interest at any point
- Did any contribution offend members of the audience
- Were the audience "moved" by any contribution
- Were there any special moments which provoked a strong audience reaction
FINALLY:
- Give your overall impression of the meeting
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Grammarian
Before the Meeting
One benefit of Toastmasters is that it helps people improve their grammar and word use. Being grammarian also provides an exercise in expanding listening skills. You have several responsibilities: to introduce new words to members, to comment on language usage during the course of the meeting, and to provide examples of eloquence.
Several days before the meeting, select a word of the day (if this is done in your club):
- It should be one that will help members increase their vocabulary – a word that can be incorporated easily into everyday conversation but is different from the way people usually express themselves.
- Adjectives and adverbs are more adaptable than nouns or verbs, but feel free to select your own special word.
- Print your word, its part of speech (adjective, adverb, noun, verb) and a brief definition in letters large enough to be seen from the back of the room.
- Prepare a sentence showing how the word is used.
Also, prepare a brief explanation of the duties of the grammarian for the benefit of the guests.
At the Meeting
Before the meeting begins, place your visual aid at the front of the room where everyone can see it. Also get a blank piece of paper and pen ready to make notes, or get a copy of the grammarian’s log, if your club has one, from the sergeant at arms.
When introduced:
- Announce the word of the day, state its part of speech, define it, use it in a sentence and ask that anyone speaking during any part of the meeting use it.
- Briefly explain the role of the grammarian.
Throughout the meeting, listen to everyone’s word usage. Write down any awkward use or misuse of the language (incomplete sentences, sentences that change direction in midstream, incorrect grammar or malapropisms) with a note of who erred. For example, point out if someone used a singular verb with a plural subject. “One in five children wear glasses” should be “one in five children wears glasses.” Note when a pronoun is misused. “No one in the choir sings better than her” should be “No one in the choir sings better than she.”
Write down who used the word of the day (or a derivative of it) and note those who used it correctly or incorrectly.
When called on by the general evaluator during the evaluation segment:
- Stand by your chair and give your report.
- Try to offer the correct usage in every instance of misuse (instead of merely announcing that something was wrong).
- Report on creative language usage and announce who used the word of the day (or a derivative of it) correctly or incorrectly.
After the meeting, give your completed report to the treasurer for collection of fines, if your club does this.
Grammarian's Report
Report on what you thought was good and bad language usage and your reasons for selection.
Offer the correct usage in every instance where there was a misuse, instead of only explaining what was wrong.
Announce who used the 'Word of the Day' (or a derivative of it) correctly or incorrectly.
Purpose :
Another purpose of Toastmasters is to help people improve their grammar and use of words. The Grammarian introduces new words to members and encourages their use, and comments on members' use of English during the meeting.
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Sergeant At Arms
Roles
- To ensure all requirements (room setting, refreshment,
stationery) are in place for a smooth meeting.
Duties
Before the meeting
(1) You should arrive at the meeting place early.
(2) Ensure that the meeting room layout and table arrangement is
in order.
(3) Ensure that the following are available:
(a) whiteboard and markers
(b) lectern
(c) pen and papers
(d) plain water
(4) Set up the timing devise
(5) Display the appointment holders’ place cards such as
Evaluators, Language Evaluators, Toastmaster of the Evening,
etc. on the respective tables.
(6) Place Agenda and Voting Slip at each table setting and chairs.
At the meeting
(1) Keep track of timing throughout the meeting:
a. Start the meeting on time
b. Make sure that the meeting schedule is adhered to.
(2) Start the Meeting by knocking the gravel, invite members and
guests to return to their seats.
(3) Provide an icebreaking question and lead guests to self
introduce
(4) Advise audience to withhold their applause until the last
guest has introduced himself/herself. Initial applause
after last guest had finished introduction.
(5) Remind members and guests to switch their mobile phones to
silent mode.
(6) At the table topics session, assist to write down the table
topics speakers’ name on the flip chart for voting purposes.
(7) Collect and count the votes for Best Table Topic Speaker,
Best Prepared Speech Speaker and Best Evaluator. Hand
results to Toastmaster of the Evening.
At the end of the meeting
Keep all logistics materials such as the timing devise, place cards,
Dictionaries.
Useful Tips
(a) arrive early.
(b) start meeting on time (for both 1st and 2nd sessions).
(c) Kick start the meeting with zeal & zest
Sergeant-At-Arms Sample Script
Good evening, Club President, fellow Toastmasters, and distinguished guests (if there are any guests).
Welcome to Temasek Polyechnic Toastmasters Club’s _____th Chapter Meeting. My name is ______________, it is my pleasure to be the 1st Speaker, being the Sergeant-at-Arms for the meeting. We have here with us this evening, our special guests, let's welcome them, …. (Please confirm their attendance and title before announcing)
I'll kick off this meeting with an ice-breaking session. Let us all introduce ourselves and share about (our favourite food/pastime etc/your thoughts on a given topic)
Shall we begin with .......
(begin with the person on the right or left)
Thank you let give ourselves a round applause.
Before we proceed with the meeting, please switch off your handphone, or set them on silent mode. (pause a while) Thank you. We will now welcome the Toastmaster of the Evening, ________________
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Timer
Task Description
- Responsible for keeping track of time taken by all speakers in the
Meeting
General
- Familiarize yourself with the Timing device and stopwatch. If you are operating these for the first time, learn how to operate them, before the contest starts.
- Keep time for all speakers and appointment holders on the meeting
program. Start from the Toastmaster Of The Evening’s address. See the time
allotted on the program sheet, and time accordingly
- Listen to the Toastmaster of the Evening for timing sequences in the
Prepared Speeches, Speech Evaluations and Table Topics. Demonstrate the
timing device when asked by the Toastmaster of the Evening or Topics Master
to do so.
Time allowed for each Table Topic is 2 minutes and 30 seconds grace for
each speaker.
Timing sequence is: l Minute - Green, 1.5 Minutes Amber, 2.0
Minutes Red and a bell is sounded after another 30 seconds. Record the time
taken by each speaker.
The timing sequence and time allowed for Project Speeches depends on
each Project and may not be uniform. Listen to the TME, and follow his or her
instructions. Record the time taken by each project speaker.
Time allowed for each speech evaluation is 2-3 Minutes plus 30 seconds’
grace.
Timing sequence 2 Minutes - Green, 2.5 Minutes Amber, 3.0 Minutes
Red and a bell is sounded after another 30 seconds. Record time taken by
each evaluator.
Suggested timing sequences for appointment holders, for example,
President’s Address, Language Evaluation, General Evaluation etc :
where time allowed is:
5 minutes :– 3rd min. green, 4th min. amber, 5th min. red, plus 30 seconds before the bell rings
10 minutes : – 8th min. green, 9th min., amber, 10th min. red, plus 30 seconds before bell rings
Timer’s Report
Table-Topics
Report only those speakers who do not qualify to be voted as Best Speaker. That
is, those who spoke for less than 1 minute or more than 2 minutes 30 seconds.
For example, say “All qualify for voting, except Toastmaster Susan who for spoke
for 2 minutes 40 seconds”, or “All qualify to be voted”. Do not give the time taken
by each speaker – this is not required.
Project Speeches
Report the time taken by each project speaker, and say who did not qualify to be
voted. Speakers who speak over time or below the minimum time specified for
the project do not qualify to be voted. For example, say “Project 1, Toastmaster
John, 6 minutes exactly”, “Project 7 Toastmaster Steven, 7 minutes 45 seconds”,
so “All qualify to be voted except for Toastmaster Steven”.
Speech Evaluations
Report of time taken for all evaluators is optional (some evaluators may wish to
know how they managed the time). To save time, recommend that Timer reports
only those evaluators who do not qualify to be voted Best Evaluator. That is,
those who spoke for less than 1 minute 30 seconds, and those who exceeded 3
minutes 30 seconds. For example, say, “All qualify for voting, except for
Toastmaster Robert who for spoke for 4 minutes,” or “All qualify to be voted”
Timer - Sample Script
Part of the training in Toastmasters is to learn to speak in a timely manner. It will be my job today to time each of the speakers in the prepared Speeches, Table Topics, and Evaluators.
For the Prepared Speakers, I will hold up / turn on / show :
Green flag /card / light when you have 2 minutes to go
Yellow flag /card / light when you have 1 minute to go
Red flag /card / light when your time is up
You will still have 30 seconds to complete your speech at which time you must stop if the bell is rung.
For the Table Topics Speakers, I will hold up / turn on / show:
Green flag /card / light when you have met the minimum time of 45 seconds
Yellow flag /card / light when you have 15 seconds remaining
Red flag /card / light when your time is up
You will still have 15 seconds to complete your talk at which time you must stop if the bell is rung.
For the Speaker Evaluators, I will hold up / turn on / show:
Green flag /card / light when you have met the minimum time of 1 minute 30 seconds
Yellow flag /card / light when you have 30 seconds remaining
Red flag /card / light when your time is up
You will still have 30 seconds to complete your speech at which time you must stop if the bell is rung.
For the General Evaluator, I will hold up / turn on / show :
Green flag /card / light when you have met the minimum time of 2 minutes
Yellow flag /card / light when you have 30 seconds remaining
Red flag /card / light when your time is up
You will still have 30 seconds to complete your speech at which time you must stop if the bell is rung.
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Toastmaster of the Evening
The main duty of the TME is to act as a host and conduct the entire program,
including introducing participants.
If the TME does not perform the duties well, an entire meeting can end in failure. For
obvious reasons this task is not usually assigned to a member until he or she is quite familiar with the Club and its procedures.
Program participants should be introduced in a way that excites the audience and motivates them to listen. The TME creates an atmosphere of interest, expectation, and receptivity.
PRIOR TO THE MEETING
Check with the Vice President Education to find out if a special theme has been set for the meeting and if there are any program changes.
Call the table topics master to discuss his or her duties. Also provide the table topics master with a list of program participants to insure these people will not be called on for responses.
Call all speakers at least 3 days in advance to remind them they are speaking.
-Interview them to find out their speech title, manual project number, purpose to be achieved, time requested, and
- something interesting which you can use when introducing them (job, family, hobbies, education, why this topic for this audience, etc.).
Call the general evaluator at least 3 days in advance to confirm the assignment.
Ask the general evaluator to call the other members of the evaluation team (speech evaluators, table topics master, timer, language evaluator and ah counter) and remind them of their responsibilities.
Prepare the introductions for each speaker . A proper introduction is important to the success of the speaker’s presentation.
Most TME uses the “POETS” formula when introducing the speaker:
P – Project Title of the speech
O – Objectives of the speech
E – Evaluator: who is the evaluator of this speech.
T – The Title of the Speech to be given
S – Speaker’s introduction
Prepare remarks to be used to bridge the gaps between program segments. You may never use them, but you should be prepared to avoid possibly awkward periods of silence.
Remember that performing as TME is one of the most valuable experiences you may have. The assignment requires careful preparation in order to have a smoothly run meeting.
AT THE MEETING
Arrive early in order to iron out any possible last-minute changes. Consult the VPE for last minute changes to the program.
Check with the speakers for any last-minute changes.
Sit near the front of the room and have your speakers do likewise for quick and easy access to the lectern.
THE MEETING PROCEDURES
1) SAA will call meeting to order, and upon finishing, introduce TME
2) TME take over/welcome speech /introduce President for Presidential Address(optional)
3) Thank President/Comment/ and introduce Table Topic Master/Handover to TTM
4) End of Table Topic Segment -- Thank TTM/ introduce Timer and to for timer report/at the same time tell audience to vote for best Table Topic speaker with the voting slip. (The SAA will help you to collate and tell you the winner)
Prepared Speech Segment:
1) Introduce speaker/handover/
2) Give short comments on the speech and thank the speaker/ introduce next speaker etc .
3) End of prepared speech/ ask for Timer report/ Vote for Best speaker for Prepared speeches
4) Announce Break and Refreshments - Break Time (normally 15 minutes)
Back From Break
1) Welcome back from break and introduce first Evaluator
2) Comment and thank evaluator
3) Next evaluator and so on...
4) Timer Report for Evaluators and vote for best evaluator
5) Introduce Language Evluator/Thank evaluator
6) Introduce General Evaluator
7) Call for timers report
8) Call upon President to give the awards
9) Hand the control over to President to close the meeting.
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Table Topics Master
TABLE TOPICS MASTER SCRIPT
Introduction:
Madam Toastmaster, Fellow Toast Masters & Welcome Guests!! Good Afternoon!!
Right now—you’re going to have an opportunity to participate in one of the most interesting and exciting portions of a Toastmasters Meeting--The Table Topics session.
Toastmasters has a tradition -- getting as many people to speak in a meeting as possible. The Table Topics session tries to uphold this tradition so…get ready to speak!!
Purpose:
The purpose of Table Topics is to have members practice thinking and speaking on their feet. The skill of speaking on your feet will help you throughout your work career, and also will be valuable in your home-life as well. To help you practice today, I have prepared a few topics that hopefully will help you meet this goal.
Timing:
Table Topics are fairly short. A Table Topic presentation should last from 1 to 2 minutes. NOTE: Ask the Timer to display the timing “cards” while you give the timing requirements.
- At 1 minute the Timer will show/turn on the green card;
- At 1 minutes the Timer will show/turn on the yellow card;
- At 2 minutes the Timer will show/turn on the red card.
- Ending: After you see the red card, you have another 30 seconds so begin to finish your talk.
It’s important to remember that once you see the green card, you have met your goal and you can start to end your talk.
Participants:
NOTE: The Table Topics Master can call on members or ask for volunteers (not saying that volunteering is best).
Since the purpose of Table Topics is to have meeting participants practice thinking and speaking on their feet,” I encourage everyone - members and guests - to give it a try. To ensure that this happens, I may call on anyone to participate. Now-let’s begin today’s table topics.
Today’s Table Topic Theme:
NOTE: Ideally, the Table Topics Master should have a theme for the day’s table topics. The individual topics normally relate to the theme. However, a theme is not required.
Todays theme is: __________________________________. Now who wants to be the first volunteer?
__________________________________________________________________
Conclusion:
Thank you all very much for participating in today’s Table Topics segment. I really enjoyed your talks and I’m very proud of you for taking charge of improving your speaking ability.
Return the meeting to the Toastmaster of the Day!! Mister/Madam Toastmaster. Shake hands with the TMOD and return to your seat.
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Word of the Day
Word of the Day / Evening
Objectives
At each Toastmasters meeting, our club includes a "word of the day" as part of its agenda. The purpose of the Word of the Day is for all members to learn a new word (or a frequently mis-used word), apply it during the meeting, and hopefully retain it for future use.
Choosing a Word of the Day is a fine art. It should be challenging but not impossible. If you can, choose a word that fits with the Toastmaster's theme for the meeting.
Benefits
This role offers an opportunity to members to sharpen their listening skill, improve their vocabulary and allow them to deliver a short, prepared comment at the beginning of the meeting and extemporaneous comments during the language evaluation/spot the word segment.
Guide / Dos
- Choose a Word of the Day / Evening, preferably a verb or adjective. Or a word that has been misused or confused with a similar sounding word.
- Look up the word’s official meaning and pronunciation in a dictionary.
- Prepare 1 or 2 sample sentences to show how the word can be used in the meeting.
- If possible (but not critical), find out the origin of the meaning.
- At the meeting, share the word, pronunciation, origin of meaning, definition and sample sentence(s).
- Encourage fellow toastmasters to use the Word of the Day/Evening in their speeches.
- Count the number of times the Word of the Day/Evening is used during the meeting.
- Record members who use the Word of Day/Evening and thank members who make an effort during the Language Evaluation/Spot the Word segment. Correct the use of the word if necessary.
Don’ts
- Do not select an obscure word (eg ‘synapse’) and have little potential for practical use (eg ‘onomatopoeia’) or words that are used commonly in daily conversation (eg ‘surprise’).
Resources
- Print or write the word in LARGE letters on two pieces of paper or write the word on a white board.
- Before the meeting, tape one paper to the front of the lectern (or on white board) and one to the table opposite the lectern.
- Pen, Paper, Tape
WORD OF THE DAY / SPOT THE WORD Sample Script
Toastmaster of the Evening, Fellow Toastmasters and Guests, I am here to share with you the Word of the Day/Evening. The Word for the Day/Evening is _______________ (point to the word, define it, share samples of sentences).
I encourage everyone to try to use this word in your speeches. I will keep track of all those who use the word. I will also report on colourful, descriptive words and phrases for Spot the Word Segment.
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