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Summary (scroll down for more detail)
Summary (scroll down for more detail)
Meetings are from 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start, finishing 9.30pm (with a 10-minute break in the middle)
We meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month (except bank holidays), in Summertown, Oxford
Usually, between about 10 and 25 people attend the club meetings
You can come to a few meetings as a guest free of charge
All speaking participation is optional
Each meeting follows a set structure with a timed agenda - and every part is designed to offer opportunities to speak. We are a mixture of formal and relaxed, with frequent laughter. We clap a lot!
New members often start with simpler roles such as the timekeeper, who announces the time taken for each speech; or the 'grammarian' who gives a word of the day that everyone is challenged to incorporate, and reports back on how well people have done with that, and how many 'ums' and 'ahs' have been spotted!
There is also the chance to give very short off-the-cuff impromptu speeches on a surprise topic (taking part is not compulsory!) and then there are some prepared speeches followed by immediate supportive evalutations of those speeches.
... an endless variety of opportunities to expand your comfort in communicating
... progress at your own pace
First half of the meeting: Impromptu Speaking
First half of the meeting: Impromptu Speaking
The first half of a meeting consists of a 'Round Robin' and 'Table Topics'. In the Round Robin session, we go round the room and people speak from their seat for about 20 seconds on a single easy topic suggested by the Table Topics Master.
In the Table Topics session, participants give impromptu 1-2 minute speeches on a random topic, given to them by the Table Topics Master. The topics can be anything.
This part of the meeting is great fun and a terrific way to develop your ability to think on your feet. Everyone dries up sometimes, and many people surprise themselves at how much they find to say. After practising this a few times, you will be able to speak on many topics in a very structured and fluent way at short notice.
The Table Topic participants get feedback from the Table Topics Evaluator, who talks about what the table topic speakers did well and what things they can improve upon.
After table topics, we have a 10 min break for refreshments and chat.
Second half: Prepared Speeches and Evaluations
Second half: Prepared Speeches and Evaluations
In the second half of the meeting, usually three members give prepared speeches. Each speech lasts from five to seven minutes. The speech types can be inspired by the Toastmasters' ‘Pathways’ system, which encourages concentration on different speaking skills and challenges with each speech - such as vocal variety, using visual aids, body language, and speech structure. Pathways is the Toastmasters International educational programme, which you will get access to if you join the club.
Then, for each speech, a club member gives an evaluation for a few minutes. This may comment on what worked especially well and areas for future focus or challenge.
After that, the General Evaluator gives their thoughts on how the meeting was run and evaluates the Table Topics evaluator and the three speech evaluators.
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