Resource

Speech Evaluation

Speech Evaluation is the mortar that holds a toastmaster’s meeting together. Without evaluation how would a speaker improve?

If evaluations are the mortar that holds a toastmaster’s meeting together, we as evaluators also need to stick to the speech objectives when we evaluate.

A few preliminary words about evaluations

Nobody has the opportunity to give a prepared speech at every meeting, but toastmasters generally want to improve their speaking.

Evaluating is a great way of improving your own speaking ability by:

• learning from others;
• learning about speech objectives; and
• focusing on achieving goals.

Each speech in the Communication and Leadership Manual has a different focus in order to teach the speaker how to develop their speaking skills. That focus could be structure, gestures, or vocal variety.

As an evaluator you need to be certain of the objectives and focus of the speech before you approach the evaluation, and before you approach the speaker.

It may well have been a long time since you gave your Speech 2, or 3, or 4, and you may not remember what the objectives are. So:

• Step One:
• READ THE MANUAL GUIDELINES.
• Step Two:
• HIGHLIGHT THE KEY WORDS.
• Step Three:
• USE THE KEY WORDS IN YOUR EVALUATION.

Tonight we’re focusing on a Speech 4: Show what you mean.

The objectives for a Speech 4 are clear:

• to learn the value of gestures and body movements as part of a speech;
• to explore the different ways of using body language; and
• to develop a sense of timing and natural, smooth body movements.

To evaluate using these objectives it’s a good idea to find the key words in the rest of the manual guidelines.

Key words

As an example, I’ve pulled out four groups of key words from the manual guidelines for this speech.

• illustrate
• effective
• consistent
• direct
• natural
• spontaneous
• extend
• emphasise
• clarify
• enrich
• Topic selection
• Did the speech topic lend itself to the goals of the Speech Four? Was it a good speech topic to use gestures?
• Manner/posture
• Did the speaker appear confident and composed?
• Eye contact
• Did the speaker manage to juggle notes/gestures/audience well?
• Timing
• Did the speaker have well-timed gestures that neither interfered with nor detracted from the speech?

Conclusion

Whenever we give a Speech Evaluation we use the Commend/Recommend/Commend style. This means that we give credit to the speaker for something they have done well; we suggest one or two ways for the speaker to improve; and then we end on a high note – commending the speaker for another thing they have done well. This means that a speaker walks away from a meeting feeling good about themselves and their speech and with something to work on for next time.

Every speaker at a Toastmasters meeting is evaluated because we’re all there to improve.

So we’ve learned the value of objectives, and the adhesive qualities of sticking to the objectives will help the speaker learn from giving the speech…

And you as an evaluator will:

• learn from the speaker;
• learn about objectives; and
• reach some goals for yourself.