Toastmasters - UK and Ireland :: Toastmasters - UK and Ireland :: How Am I Doing?
Author Forgotten User Date 23 Mar 06, 18:10 Views 2071
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Description How Am I Doing?

How Am I Doing? 

How Am I Doing?

When you want to know how you're looking, you can look in the mirror or you can ask someone else. If you want to know how your speech or presentation sounds you could record it, or you could ask someone else. At Bicester Speakers we learn by doing and by asking other people for their feedback. Every speech is evaluated by another member of the club, who listens out for good use of English and use of 'filler's like umm and err; they will also watch your gestures and overall style.

At the first meeting in February, we're holding our annual evaluation competition, at which three or four people will give verbal evaluations of one guest speech.

Here are some tips that will help you the next time you're asked to evaluate a speech. They should also help you evaluate your own performance.

1. The evaluation you present can make the difference between a worthwhile, and a wasted speech for your speaker. The purpose of evaluation is to help the speaker become less self-conscious and a better speaker. This requires that you be fully aware of the speaker's skill level, habits and mannerisms, as well as his or her progress to date.

2. If the speaker uses a technique or some gesture that receives a good response from the audience, tell the speaker so that they will be encouraged to use it again.

3. Record your impressions of the speech and be as objective as possible. Remember that good evaluations may give new life to discouraged speakers, while poor evaluations may dishearten speakers who tried their best. Always leave the speaker with specific methods for improving.

4. Begin and end your oral evaluation with encouragement or praise. Put your recommendations in the middle.

5. Don't allow a speaker to remain unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humour, or a good voice.

6. Don't allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault or mannerism.

7. Praise a successful speech and specifically tell why it was successful.

8. Give the speaker the deserved praise and tactful suggestions in the manner you would like to receive them when you are the speaker.

9. Don't try to cover too much in your evaluation - possibly one point on organisation, one on delivery and one on attainment of purpose with a statement about the greatest asset and a suggestion for future improvement.

10. Remember that your evaluation is your personal opinion of the speech and the way it was delivered. Not everyone - including the speaker - will necessarily agree with you.

Think about these tips when you're next evaluating a speech or performance and you will help the speaker to learn through their actions.