Learn public speaking skills at Stirling Speakers

The Toastmaster of the Evening opens the meeting, welcomes everyone and  introduces the people with specific helper roles – the Grammarian, the Ah Counter and the Timer.

These helpers will explain in detail what they are going to do when they’re introduced.

Toastmaster – in charge of the meeting
Grammarian / Wordmaster – watches out for grammar use and introduces a word of the day
Ah Counter – counts our ah’s, um’s and other such sounds
Timer – signals when time is coming to an end

The Toastmaster introduces each of the prepared speeches which are then delivered. The speeches have objectives and are project driven.

After each speech, everyone at the meeting gives the speaker feedback using feedback forms. The Speech Evaluator then gives an oral evaluation.

We sometimes have an Education Session instead of a speech.

Then we have a break, which gives you a chance to talk to us!

Speaker – prepared speeches are taken from the Pathways online training programme – see the programme details.
Written evaluations – everyone’s opinion is valid – even if you are new!
Speech Evaluator – gives a comprehensive written and oral evaluation.
Education Session – there are manuals to help and they can be on topics like how to start a speech or on giving effective evaluations.

Grab a cuppa and a biscuit –  you may be lucky to catch us on a home-baking night!

The aim of the Table Topics is for you to practice speaking in an impromptu manner.  They last 2 minutes and you are never sure what they will be about until the question comes up.

The session is lead by the Table Topics Master and are then evaluated.

Table Topics Master – tries to give you a variety of interesting questions.
Table Topic – try to put a structured answer together with a message, a beginning, a body and a conclusion.
Table Topics Evaluator – the person who gives you feedback.

We start off with some club business.

The Grammarian, Ah Counter and Timer give their respective evaluations.

It is then the turn of the General Evaluator to evaluate everything that hasn’t already been evaluated, including all the other Evaluators.

We end the night by asking guests for their feedback and the Toastmaster closes the meeting.

General Evaluator – Evaluates everything from the room layout to the general ambience.  The Evaluators are given feedback and so is the Toastmaster.  We don’t just want to improve our public speaking skills, we want to improve the club as well.