Vientiane Toastmasters Club

Time order for Vientiane Toastmaster club meeting !

2011-05-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

In Vientiane Toastmaster club, the time order for the meeting in general, is as follow:

16:05 President calls the meeting to order

16:10 President introduces Toastmaster of the day (TOD)

1) TOD explains his/her roles
2) TOD introduces duty takers and ask them to explain their duties
• Word of the day/ Ah-counter
• Timer
• Grammarian
• Vote counter

3) TOD introduces Table Topic Master (TTM) (Check hand with TTM)

16:20 Table Topic Master (TTM) (First portion of the meeting)

a) Explain the objective of Table topic and theme of your Table topic (if any)
b) Ask Timer to explain the time allocation for Table Topic sessuib
c) Start to conduct the Table Topic session (It is important to ask the question first before pointing to the member to answer. Please read the question twice, Please prepare around 15 questions)
d) When finish your questions, ask timer to report the time usage, especially for those who disqualified
e) Ask the whole audience to vote for the best Table Topic Speaker
f) Return your control to TOD

16:50 TOD (Second Portion of the Meeting)

1) TOD explains what is prepared speech is about?
2) TOD ask Timer to explain the allotted time for prepared speech session
3) TOD introduce the first speaker, project number and its objective, and invite the speaker to the front (with shakehand)
4) Ask the audience to write comment for the speaker (1 minute)
5) TOD introduce the second speaker, project number and its objective, and invite the speaker to the front (with shake-hand)
6) Ask the audience to write comment for the speaker (1 minute)
7) Ask the timer to make a report on the time usage of each prepared speech speaker
8) Ask the audience to vote for the best prepared speech speaker.
9) Ask the audience to have 10 minutes break

17:10 Intermission (10 min break)

17:20 TOD
1) Welcome back the audience
2) Introduce General Evaluator (GE) and ask the GE to come to the front (With Shake hand)

17:25 General Evaluator (Third portion of the meeting)
a) GE explains about the evaluation session
b) GE asks timer to explain the allotted time for individual evaluator
c) GE introduce the first individual evaluator (IE) #1, ask the IE to come to the front, and shakehand
d) IE starts to evaluate the first speaker (for 3 minutes)
e) GE introduces the second individual evaluator (IE)#2
f) IE starts to evaluate the second speaker (for 3 minutes)
g) GE ask the timer to report the time usage by the individual evaluators
h) GE ask the audience to vote for the best Evaluator

GE start to evaluate the whole meeting

a) GE evaluates the individual evaluators for their performances
b) GE ask the duties takers to make a report, the order is as follow:

1) Ah counter
2) Word of the day
3) Grammarian

c) GE starts to evaluate the meeting in overall, the order is as follow:
1) TOD
2) Table Topic Master
3) Ah counter, Word of the day, Grammarian
4) The whole meeting, from the beginning till the end
5) Other, if you find anything that you think, need to be improved
6) Return your control to TOD

17: 45 TOD

a) TOD ask the vote counter to announce for:
1) The best Table Topic Speaker
2) The best evaluator
3) The best speaker

(b) Present awards
(C) Ask the winner to say something
(d) Return the control to the President

17:50 TOD

a) Next week duty assignment
b) Ask new guests to comment

18:00 Meeting adjourned

Examples for Individual Evaluator

2011-05-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

A very simple, stripped down example

Congratulations on your Icebreaker speech, John. You showed yourself to be a vital, interesting person who will be an asset to our club.

I commend you for your strong voice. We have a slight problem here with background noise, but you have the power to be heard in very noisy environments.

I recommend that you work on your articulation, your speaking clarity. You can do this in two different ways. Speak slower, which will give listeners more time to hear each word. [Speak quite slowly while delivering this sentence.] Avoid slurring or blurring your words by using your lips and tongue to articulate the consonants clearly. [Demonstrate this style in a slightly exaggerated manner while delivering this sentence, slurring the words "slurring and blurring" with unmoving lips, and then very clearly articulating the rest of the sentence.]

My final commendation is for your speech structure. It was very effective that you referred again to your introduction at the end. It gave a rounded, completed feeling to your speech and showed clearly that you had prepared it carefully.

So, I commended you first for your strong voice, and recommended that you improve your delivery by speaking slower and with clearer articulation. My final commendation dealt with your clear structure. Welcome to our club.

An extended example which would take about 3 minutes to deliver

Thank you for your speech, Mary. You are developing very rapidly in your presentation skills and you have already reached a very acceptable, even admirable standard of delivery.

Project 5 is concentrating on vocal variety. You certainly were successful in your work on vocal variety.

I commend you for the variety you achieved with your voice, which fascinated us with its melodious variety in pitch as you used those lighter, higher sounds [Demonstrate higher pitch range] and contrasted them with deeper, solemn tones [Demonstrate lower pitch range]. You used the different tones appropriately for the content at the time. Congratulations.

I commend you for your variety in speaking speed. Your normal speed was steady and slow, which helps with clarity of articulation. You varied that at times with quicker passages, and once, very effectively, when you were speaking about your immediate feelings after the accident, with a very very slow, measured delivery. That was dramatic, and grabbed everybody’s intense concentration.

I commend you for your speech construction. You had a clear introduction, explaining what you wanted to do. The body of the speech dealt with the three points you announced. And the conclusion neatly tied them all together, and restated your purpose with the speech. The clear, simple structure was a great aid for me as a listener in understanding your argument and being persuaded by it. I am certainly going to obey the speed limits around my suburb.

I have two recommendations for you to work on. Firstly, I think you can use dramatic silences to give greater weight to particularly important statements. An extended … pause [Demonstrate a long pause before the word "pause"] before a particular word or phrase will give great emphasis to it. And it can work well after an important … word, too. [Pause after "important"]. Try both next time you speak. I think you will find it effective.

Secondly, I recommend that you work on your stance and movement. You have a tendency occasionally to wander around in what appears to be an aimless, unplanned way. I recommend that you practise standing quite still, in a balanced, relaxed manner like this. [Demonstrate the stance.] Do that for a whole speech. Then when you can do that instinctively, introduce planned movement, which will reinforce and enhance your content.

My final commendation is for your animated facial expressions. You smiled a lot. You frowned. You looked worried. You looked fearful. The expressions were always appropriate to what you were saying and reinforced your words powerfully. I will remember for a long time the way your face changed from delight to worry and then to total fear just before the impact. It was terrific.

I commended your variety in pitch, and in speaking speed. I commended your speech construction, your introduction, body and conclusion. I recommend that you work on using silence for emphaiss and that you practice standing still. I praised you very highly for your animated facial expressions.

This was an outstanding Project 5 speech.

Some advice for Evaluation Competitions.

Model good speaking practice as you give your evaluation. It isn’t effective to mumble a recommendation to use clear articulation.
Give a good evaluation, using the principles outlined above.
Always have a concluding summary. Although it only carries 10% on the Judging form, some judges may mark your right down if you omit it.
Don’t take a chance with going overtime. A brilliant evaluation which takes 3 mins 31 secs is disqualified. Be particularly careful with your opening commendations.
Don’t get carried away.
Give reasons why your commendations or recommendations are important, and demonstrate them as well. Remember the cliche about a picture being worth a thousand words.
Mostly deal with mainstream issues like eye contact, vocal quality, stance, gestures and speech construction. You want the judges to know that you understand their importance.
Include some novel point in either your commendations or recommendations that will make the judges sit up and listen carefully. Go for something quite sophisticated, but explain your point with crystal clear precision and demonstrate it accurately. If you confuse the judges, that is disaster. If you enlighten them – Bingo!!! (But please don’t make this your standard practice outside competitions.)
Don’t take a guess as to the Project Number of the speech. You will be given no information about that. Deal with it as a standard speech. If you guess the Project Number and a judge guesses differently, you may be marked down for your mistake. If you feel absolutely impelled to make a comment, you could risk something like this: "This would be a very suitable speech for Project 5 Vocal Variety." But it would be a risk.

Source:http://toastmastersvq.net/evaluationguide/

Guidelines for Speakers and General Evaluators

2011-05-22T00:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some general guidelines from Toastmasters (a non-profit organization for helping people improve their public speaking).

I. Guidelines for Speakers:

1. Be able to take criticism. Do not take criticisms personal, just learn from them and move on.
2. Realize that the physiological condition of nervousness that occurs when getting in front of a group, is the same as for excitement (think about it - sweaty palms, fast talking, etc.) That means you can use your nervousness to convey a sense of enthusiasm - in other words, do not worry about getting rid of your butterfiles, instead, work on getting your butterflies to fly in formation!
3. Try to talk slowly (obviously not too slowly). When nervous we have a tendency to talk fast and it can be very ineffective. Trust me, what might seem to be very slow speech to you while up in front of a crowd, will sound very controlled to the audience. Practicing in front of others will help.
4. Try to avoid distracting postures. e.g. The guy from Motorola would often put his hand to his mouth which kind of distracts the audience from the presentation. Other examples:
o The fig leaf - clasping your hands together in front of you/behind you.
o Scrathing your head, rubbing your eyes, picking your nose :)
o leaning on the lecturn or nerby tables etc. This is less of a problem depending on the formality of your speach but can be distracting.
5. Dress appropriately - don't wear distracting clothing and dress appropriately for the talk. e.g. if your presentation is very informal you do not have to wear a suit - always take corporate culture into account on this one. Texas Instruments, where I work, is a very casual environment where wearing a suit can be distracting. I've been to (TI internal) state-of-the-union meetings where our VP gave his presentation in jeans and a polo shirt.
6. Of course there are the obvous things about knowing your audience, speak loudly and clearly, etc.
7. When using overheads ALWAYS check after you put a new on the projector. You never know when one is upside down, crooked, flipped over, etc. So always check.
8. Time your speeches. Plan on having a fixed time and practise until you hit that time. This is crucial because you may only have a fixed time to give a speech, so you need to learn how to do it. In Toastmasters a person volunteers as the timer and will flag the speaker when they are half through, when they have five minutes left, and when they have 90 seconds to go. All of you speeches in this class are to be 15 minutes long.
9. Work on using good phrases. Do not spend five minutes poorly explaining something that a few good sentences (and maybe an appropriate overhead) can illuminate. Be as precise as possible without losing your audience. The more you understand your material the easier this is.
10. Avoid ever saying "um", "uh", or "ah". These filler words are useless and distracting. I was channel surfing once and came across a Senator on C-Span who actually said an English word every three or four "ah"'s. He was impossible to listen to. Besides being distracting these words might also convey a sense of insecurity. People who talk with authority don't say "um" very much. In Toastmasters someone volunteers to be the "buzzer". They have a small device that puts out a load obnoxious buzz whenever a speaker "um"s. This breaks the habit in a hurry!!!
11. Avoid excessive use of conjunctions (and, or, etc.). Some people will try to chain every sentence of their speech together using "and". All these "and`s" can be distracting.
12. Use proper English grammar (this is highly related to 9 through 11).

II. Guidelines for Evaluators:

Evaluation is a crucial part of a Toastmasters meeting. Obviously without good feedback you do not know what needs improving. In a meeting there is one evaluater for each prepared speech, and then a general evaluator who evaluates everyone who spoke. You might want to designate someone to be your evaluator. The reason is that it is nearly impossible to really pay attention to minute details of the presenters style and really listen to the content of the speech. If you really want a good evaluation, pick someone who will really focus on your style according to the criteria above. When you get more acquainted with the criteria, it is easier to focus on the content of the speach and grammar. But most people struggle with their presentation style the most, so focus your evaluations accordingly.

Below are some guidlines for effective evaluation.

1. Always give praise. There is always something you can say a speaker did pretty well, so say so. An important part of receiving an evaluation is to learn what you did well, not just what needs improvement.
2. Realize that constructive criticism is not "you did ... really terrible!" A constructive criticsm is "You said 'um' a lot during your speech. Instead, try to just pause between thoughts". If you can't think of a general solution to their problem, try to think of a specific example of how the speaker might have done better.
3. Learn from the evaluations you give to others!

Source: http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3604/support/Speaking/Toastmasters.html

What is Toastmasters? Why should I join? How do I join? Find out here!

2011-04-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Looking to improve your speaking and leadership skills? Ignite your career? Win that job interview?

You’ve come to the right place. Since 1924, more than 4 million people around the world have benefited from membership in toastmasters. Through our member clubs, people can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change. Today Toastmasters is a world leader and now has more than 260,000 members around the globe. Before joining, you may be curious to learn a little more about the what, why and how of this organization. Here are some answers to get you started.

What is Toastmasters?

A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly, biweekly or monthly. The average meeting lasts 60 – 90 minutes.
There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This friendly feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and also develop skills related to timekeeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure.
Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.
Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and working in the Competent Leadership manual. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don't lecture our members about leadership skills; we give them responsibilities and mentoring to help. Then we ask them to lead.

Why should I join?

The Toastmasters International program offers many benefits that help people in all walks of life. You will:

Increase your self-confidence
Be a better speaker
Be a better leader
Communicate more effectively
Be a better listener
Improve your presentation skills
Ignite your career
Hone your skills of persuasion
Reach your professional and personal goals
The Toastmasters International program offers many terrific features. It is:

Inexpensive
Interactive
Convenient
Friendly
Supportive

When you are the Toastmaster of the day

2011-04-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here are things you need to prepare when you serve a duty as Toastmaster of the Day (TOD)

Prior to the meeting

1. Confirm Table Topic Master, each speaker and General Evaluator in advance that they are scheduled to have their duties. Find out the speech titles and manual project number.

2. Prepare introduction for Table Topic Master, each speaker and General Evaluator. If necessary, contact them to gather the information to introduce them. You can set a special theme, such as hobbies, job or favorite food.

3. Prepare the agenda for the meeting. Don’t forget to put the speech titles and the stage numbers. If possible, make about 20-30 copies for members and guests.

At the meeting
1. Sit near the lectern.
2. Remain standing near the lectern after your introduction until you welcome them and shake hands with them.

During the meeting
1. You are supposed to introduce small duty takers, beginning with word of the day. Introduce simply , their names and their duties and ask them to explain their duties.

2. Introduce Table Topic Master who will control Table Topic session.

3. After Table Topic Session, your next duty is to introduce each speaker.

Don’t forget to tell their stage number and objectives. After each speech, give the audience one minute for comment. When all speakers finish their speeches, call for the Timer’s report and vote.

4. After intermission, introduce General Evaluator. Evaluation session is controlled by General Evaluator.

5. When the control of the meeting is returned to you, then your final duty, to ask Vote Counter the result of the vote and give them a prize. First best Table Topic speaker, next best Evaluator and finally best speaker.

That’s all you are supposed to do as Toastmaster of the Day.

Vientiane Toastmasters Club

Welcome to Vientiane Toastmasters Club

2011-03-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

Vientiane Toastmasters Club, the first and only public speaking club in Laos. Since 22nd May 2010.

What is a “Toastmasters Club?”
A Toastmasters Club is a speech and communications club where members work to improve their oral presentation skills in English. Delivering speeches and giving evaluations are the two major components of Toastmasters meetings. Our activities are designed to enhance these two areas of oral communication, while having fun!

Why should I join Vientiane Toastmasters Club?

We provide a nurturing environment in which to improve presentation skills. You will gain added confidence in making both your prepared presentations and short impromptu speeches and learn how to give constructive evaluations.

What kind of people are in Vientiane Toastmasters Club?

Our current membership includes company employees, educators, public servants, housewives, university students, and foreign residents. We are proud of our diversity!

What else can I learn from Toastmasters ?

You will learn more than just communication skills in Toastmasters club. You will build leadership skills by serving as a club officer, formulating and implementing plans to help club meeting. You may also complete the leadership program within the club, and receive the leadership certificate from Toastmasters International.

What series of communication skills can I learn from ?

We provide basic and advanced communication training for speaking situations you may encounter elsewhere, such as: the entertaining speaker, special occasion speech, humorously speaking, persuasive speaking, technical presentations, communication on television, storytelling, and so on.

What did the present member think about this club ?

I simply can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon in a constructive way! Nothing presents a more exciting challenge than learning to master my communication and leadership skills using English language with amazing people from all around the city ! (Bounheng, active member of Vientiane Toastmasters club).

Will there be a heavy time commitment?

Not at all! We are flexible in scheduling, and　members ‘self-assign’ themselves on the　calendar. You can progress through the various　certificate programs on your own schedule.

The club sounds interesting. Can I visit　meetings as a guest before I decide to join?

We encourage guests to attend our meetings,　and you can attend meetings as a guest as　many times as you want. Once you become a　member, you are eligible to make speeches and to participate in table topic and evaluation sessions.

Find out when and where we meet:

Vientiane Toastmasters Club:

Every Sunday, 16:00-18:00 Khopchaideu Restaurant-bar, Conference room (3F), Vientiane, Laos.

E-mail: bounhengs2005[at]yahoo.co.jp Tel : 020-55400099.

http://www.toastmasters.org/
http://vientiane-toastmasters.blogspot.com/
We look forward to seeing you soon !

Welcome to Vientiane Toastmasters Club

2010-06-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Vientiane Toastmasters Club, the first and only public speaking club in Laos. Since 22nd May 2010.

What is a “Toastmasters Club?”

A Toastmasters Club is a speech and communications club where members work to improve their oral presentation skills in English. Delivering speeches and giving evaluations are the two major components of Toastmasters meetings. Our activities are designed to enhance these two areas of oral communication, while having fun!

Why should I join Vientiane Toastmasters Club?

We provide a nurturing environment in which to improve presentation skills. You will gain added confidence in making both your prepared presentations and short impromptu speeches and learn how to give constructive evaluations.

What kind of people are in Vientiane Toastmasters Club?

Our current membership includes company employees, educators, public servants, housewives, university students, and foreign residents. We are proud of our diversity!

What else can I learn from Toastmasters ?

You will learn more than just communication skills in Toastmasters club. You will build leadership skills by serving as a club officer, formulating and implementing plans to help club meeting. You may also complete the leadership program within the club, and receive the leadership certificate from Toastmasters International.

What series of communication skills can I learn from ?

We provide basic and advanced communication training for speaking situations you may encounter elsewhere, such as: the entertaining speaker, special occasion speech, humorously speaking, persuasive speaking, technical presentations, communication on television, storytelling, and so on.

What did the present member think about this club ?

I simply can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon in a constructive way! Nothing presents a more exciting challenge than learning to master my communication and leadership skills using English language with amazing people from all around the city ! (Bounheng, active member of Vientiane Toastmasters club).

Will there be a heavy time commitment?

Not at all! We are flexible in scheduling, and　members ‘self-assign’ themselves on the　calendar. You can progress through the various　certificate programs on your own schedule.

The club sounds interesting. Can I visit　meetings as a guest before I decide to join?

We encourage guests to attend our meetings,　and you can attend meetings as a guest as　many times as you want. Once you become a　member, you are eligible to make speeches and to participate in table topic and evaluation sessions.

Find out when and where we meet:

Vientiane Toastmasters Club:

Every Sunday, 16:00-18:00 Khopchaideu Restaurant-bar, Conference room (3F), Vientiane, Laos.

E-mail: bounhengs2005[at]yahoo.co.jp Tel : 020-55400099.

http://www.toastmasters.org/

We look forward to seeing you soon !