Toastmaster Meeting Grammarian Role:

Purpose:
---------
* Facilitate proper grammar and elocution in public speaking.


Primary Duties:
------------------
* Bring "listening ears" to the meeting along with pencil & paper to take notes.
* Listen attentively to every person speaking during the meeting, taking notes appropriately.
* Deliver a summary report when called for by the General Evaluator.


Items to Note & Report:
----------------------------
* The Grammarian should listen carefully throughout the entire meeting and note any of the following, to the extent that it is distracting to an attentive listener:
* Filler words like:   "uh", "um", "ah"
* Pet words or phrases like:  "okay", "so", "you know", "and then"
* Gross mispronunciations, or incorrect use of words, such as slang
* Verbs and nouns whose tense do not agree
* Repetitive and redundant words like:  "refer back to", "in other words"
* Exceptionally good word selection and pronunciation
* Use of the Word of The Day


General suggestions for evaluation of "mispronumciations" and style of critique:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Positive tone, intent is to point out areas for improvement, without discouraging one's confidence.
* Consider the speaker's background / limitations in critique.  For speakers where English is not their native language, an accent is expected and acceptable.
* If an issue is beyond a speaker's ability to directly control it, then it serves no purpose to point out the issue.
* Humor and a smile are effective in making constructive critiques, for example, if a speaker utters the filler "uhm" a dozen times during a one minute oratory, the grammarian might comment on the speaker as being a "wizard of Ahs".


Report Delivery:
-------------------
* The General Evaluator will introduce the Grammarian and call for the report when appropriate.
* Stand next to your seat and deliver report, not exceeding 2 minutes time.
* Protocol begins and ends report by acknowledging the General Evaluator, with an opening acknowledgement such as "thank you mister general evaluator", and a closing simply as "mister general evaluator".