Category: Evaluation Forms

Evaluation Prompts for Second Language Speakers

The web-based evaluations provided as part of the WordPress for Toastmasters system now include four additional prompts for those giving speeches in a language that’s not their native language. These prompts can be made to appear after the standard prompts based on those from the Pathways forms for each project.

The additional prompts in this “beta” release of the feature are:

  • Pace: not too fast or too slow
  • Grammar and word usage
  • Word tense, gender, and pronouns
  • Clear pronunciation

Adding these prompts was a feature request from Deborah Pinnock, who recently finished her term as president of Club Awesome Toastmasters in Coral Springs, Florida, which has many English as a second language speakers among its members. Often, one of the reasons they have joined Toastmasters is to get practice with their business English, and these optional prompts are a way of providing them with feedback on a more systematic basis.

Additional Evaluation Prompts
Continue reading “Evaluation Prompts for Second Language Speakers”

New: How to Request a Written Evaluation

Requesting a written evaluation

The evaluations tool in WordPress for Toastmasters has been enhanced to allow you to request an evaluation for a speech or competent leader project through the website.

This tool is specifically meant for online clubs, where members are not in the same location to exchange their books. Most online Toastmasters clubs handle this by emailing PDFs back and forth, but I find that awkward. Brick and mortar clubs might also find this handy as a way of getting people to get evaluated for their Competent Leader projects, even if they forgot to bring their book to the meeting. Besides, typing an evaluation is better for people like me with messy handwriting.

There are now four tabs across the top of the Evaluations screen: Give Evaluations, Request Evaluation, Evaluations Received, and Evaluations Given.

The Request Evaluations tab is populated with roles you have filled at recent meetings (according to the agenda), as well as other CL projects you might complete outside of a meeting such as editing a club newsletter. You choose the project, choose the person you want to email the request to, and optionally add a personal note. If you don’t choose a member to email the request to in the Send To field, the tool will still generate a link that you can share by Facebook message or some other means.

The online forms include the same prompts as you would find in your manuals, including many of the new Pathways projects. If you spot errors or inconsistencies, let me know.

Update: here is how I introduced this at Online Presenters Toastmasters.

* This software is offered "for Toastmasters" but not is provided by or endorsed by Toastmasters International. The use of Toastmasters brand assets (with proper disclaimers) in website designs has been reviewed by the Toastmasters International brand compliance team.