Speech Evaluator

Time : 3 Minutes

GREEN: 2 Minutes

AMBER: 2 Min 30 Secs

RED: 3 Minutes

For every speech an evaluation is made. After you have presented a few speeches you will be asked to evaluate one of the prepared speeches for the meeting. In addition to your oral evaluation, you will also provide the speaker with a written evaluation in the manual. The quality of this evaluation can make the difference between a worthwhile, or a wasted meeting for your speaker.

The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker become less self conscious and more professional. This requires that you become fully aware of the speaker’s skill level, habits and mannerisms, as well as their progress to date. If there is a good technique the speaker uses, or some gesture which receives a good response from the audience, let them know. They will probably want to use it again.

PRIOR TO THE MEETING

• Review carefully the procedure contained in the “Effective Speech Evaluation” which all Toastmasters receive as part of their new member kit from World Headquarters.
• Talk with the speaker to find out the manual project he or she will be presenting. The interview should include the goals of the speech and what the speaker hopes to achieve. There may be other areas which the speaker would like you to assess.
• Evaluation requires exacting preparation if it is to be of value to the speaker. Study the objectives of the project as well as the evaluation guide included in the manual.

Remember that the purpose of evaluation is to help people develop their speaking skills in various situations. By actively listening and gently offering useful advice, you motivate member to work hard and improve. When you show the way to improvement you have opened the door to strengthening their ability and developing their professionalism.

WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVE AT THE MEETING

• Look for the speaker, and ensure that you get his/her manual, and the title of the speech being presented.

DURING THE MEETING

• Record your impressions of the speech either on an Evaluation Guide, or in the manual itself. Be objective as possible. Remember that a good evaluation can give new life to a discouraged member, and poor evaluations may dishearten members who have tried their best. Always leave the speaker with specific methods for improvement.
• When introduced, go to the lectern and give your oral evaluation report. Begin and end the evaluation with a note of encouragement and praise. Though you may have written a lengthy report, don’t read out each of the assessment criteria and your responses during this presentation. Your oral evaluation time is limited, so don’t try to cover too much in your report. Possible, two or three points on the speaker’s strengths, showing what you thought was successful in the speech, and no more that two points for improvement, and don’t forget to demonstrate the weakness, suggest a way in which can be improved, and then show how it can be done. (Explain, Example and Demonstrate.)
• Praise a successful speech and specify why it was successful. Don’t allow the speaker to remain unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humour or a good speaking voice. Don’t allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault. If it is a personal trait, write it in your evaluation, but do not mention it in your oral evaluation. However, be sure that it really is a serious fault, as some mannerisms can develop into personal trade marks without serious detriment to the speech. Give the speaker deserved praise, and tactful suggestions in the manner in which you would like to receive them when you are the speaker.

AFTER THE MEETING

• Return the manual to the speaker, and this is when you can add a personal word of encouragement that you have not mentioned previously.

EVALUATION GUIDE

THE SPEECH (What I heard)	THE SPEAKER (What I saw)
OPENING	VERBAL Word Usage
BODY	VOCAL VARIETY Volume Rate Pitch Tone BODY LANGUAGE Face Gestures Stance Eye Contact
CONCLUSION	VITALITY Personality Energy / Enthusiasm
POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT