How to evaluate a speech in three easy steps
Ever wondered how to give an effective evaluation?
How can you explain what was done well, offer helpful advice for the speaker to improve, address whether the purpose of the speech was met, in a structured way in just two minutes?
At our next meeting, on the 18th of October, I’ll go through the three steps you need to follow to give a helpful, encouraging evaluation.
We’ll discuss how to take the speakers level into account when giving an evaluation, and those special cases when the speech is so brilliant you have no recommendations or so terrible you can’t think of something positive to say.
You’ll leave with some evaluation skills and a simple worksheet to get you started. And it will be fun – I promise.
image from Howyouarelikeshampoo.com
Demo meeting: September 6
On the first meeting next month, Tuesday September 6, we are hosting a ‘demo meeting’: a meeting to show you exactly what Tír na nÓg Toastmasters is all about.
We have several speeches planned at different levels, which are of course evaluated.
The theme of the evening will be To Speak or not to Speak: that is the question. Of course impromptu speeches (table topics) will be done on this theme as well.
Guests are very welcome to attend to get an idea of our club, our meetings and to see if you might like this. Looking forward to seeing you on the 6th, at our usual meeting place ‘t Goude Hooft (19:45).
Starting a new year
After being on summer break over the last 3 months Tír na nÓg Toastmasters is ready to start with a new season of meetings, focused on improving your communication and leadership skills ánd making it fun.
Our first regular meeting will be on August 30, at our usual location of ‘t Goude Hooft in Den Haag city center.
On September 6 we will be hosting a demonstration meeting, especially aimed at showing guests and others interested exactly what Tír na nÓg Toastmasters is all about. Expect an evening of great speeches, hilarious table topics and educational evaluations. But really, what Tír na nÓg evening isn’t like that?
Hope to see you soon! Feel welcome to come and meet us.
Toastmaster Contest Season
Part of a ‘regular’ Toastmaster year is the contest season! Twice a year there are two contests held across all the clubs and leading up to at least European level.
Spring is when the International Speech Contest is held, this is the main contest of the year where contestants compete with the best speech. The winner at the individual club can go all the way to the International contest in the United States to become World Champion of public speaking.
Yesterday, April 9, Division J organized its international speech contest. Division J is all of the Toastmaster clubs in the Netherlands. Contestants have gone through two previous levels to compete in this contest and the winner will go on to the European contest, the District level, to be held in Lisbon on 20-22 May.
At the same time as the International Speech Contest, there is a second contest: the Evaluation contest. In this contest it is all about providing the best evaluation possible of one specific speech (all contestants have to evaluate the same speech).
Part of the contest day in Utrecht yesterday were two speakers invited from abroad:
> Jack Vincent to tell us about the essence of a good story and how to build one
> Lance Miller to speak to us about the road to becoming a World Champion of Public Speaking. A very inspiring story about the dedication and commitment you need to take up the work for crafting the perfect speech and delivery.
If you are curious to see more of these speech contest, have a look at YouTube where you can find video’d speeches at different levels here.
Or, join a Toastmaster club in your area and join us in Lisbon in May!
PS, want to know the winners for Division J (Netherlands)? Peter Zinn of Utrecht Toastmasters won the International Speech Contest and will be representing our division in Lisbon.
In the Evaluation Contest, Dermot Greene (also of Utrecht Toastmasters, and one of the founders of Tír na nÓg!) won first place and will go on to Lisbon next month.
Congratulations to Peter and Dermot!
The Fifth Tuesday
Tír na nÓg Toastmasters meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. But, some months have a fifth Tuesday….
These evenings are reserved for special themed nights at Tír na nÓg.
In this first year of our club (2010/2011) there are three of these 5th Tuesdays:
> November 2010 –> this became an evening dedicated to impromptu speaking, filled with table topics and improv theater.
> March 2011 –> a debate night! Four speakers divided in two teams competed in winning the audience’s favour over the motion “The republic of Ireland should rejoin the United Kingdom of Great Britain”. Slightly changing the format of the evening each speaker held a semi-prepared speech (project #9 from the Competent Communication Manual: Persuade with Power) to debate the motion. At the end of the evening one team is declared winner of the debate. (in 2011, winners were Fabian & Tristan!)
> May 2011 –> An evening of Tall Tales. A meeting filled with stories of the absurd and fantastic to close off our first year as a Toastmaster club.
Please see our calendar for exact dates.
A regular evening at Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg Toastmasters meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month – these evenings we will have regular Toastmaster meetings.
Toastmaster meetings follow roughly the same format in every club with small variations. An evening at Tír na nÓg will usually include the following sections:
* prepared speeches of members (usually 3 speeches of 5-7 minutes)
* a table topics session: impromptu speeches on the theme of the evening, challenging everyone to take the floor and entertain
* evaluations: all parts of the evening are evaluated through individual evaluations for the prepared speeches but also, for example, through timing and someone who watches language used.
All these various roles are performed by the members of the club. Which means that you not only speak in public when you have a prepared speech to do, but also on other evenings when you may be an evaluator or the time keeper. Or even a table topic speaker!
Every evening will have a theme which runs through the evening. This often adds fun and laughter to the evening, especially during the table topics sessions!
Starting 2011 with a brand new meeting
Our first meeting of a new Tír na nÓg Toastmasters year is on Tuesday 18 January.
Inspired by Martin Luther King, the evening’s theme is: “To have a dream”
You can find the agenda of the evening here.
I will leave you with MLK’s speech – and an analysis of that speech. Interesting to read, and with some good speaking tips!
See you on the 18th, 19:45, Goude Hooft.
Happy Holidays!
After three months of successful meetings, Tír na nÓg Toastmasters is closing down for the holidays!
Our first meeting in the new year will be on 18 January 2011, starting 19:45.
Click here for a preview of the meeting. See you then!
Fáilte!
Caint, Craic agus Cúpla focal…
We learn best when we are having fun…
We are a newly started Toastmasters club in The Hague.
We meet every two weeks, on a Tuesday night, in the center of The Hague.
Meetings are principally in English with a cúpla focail (a few words and terms in Irish) thrown in here and there.
Come and enjoy a learning environment of levity and humour to nurture our speaking and leadership skills.
See you there!
Location
‘t Goude Hooft
Dagelijkse Groenmarkt 13
2511 AL Den Haag
We meet the First, Third and Fifth Tuesdays of the month at 19:45.
You can see a preview of the agenda of each meeting here (chose ‘next meeting’ under the ‘calendar’ tab).
Welcome !
Welcome to the club website. We are committed to helping each other overcome one of the top fears shared by every human: public speaking. Toastmasters believes in cultivating a friendly learning environment that helps people to develop their communication and leadership skills.
What is your personal goal? Do you want to be a great speaker, professional trainer, or rather a leader? Or simply have fun speaking up? Whatever you personally want in order to achieve it – you set your goals and then define steps to get there. For over 85 years Toastmasters provides a program for success. As district leaders we work with your clubs so you can accomplish your goals! What are your personal goals?