evalutation

 1. Opening:

• Commend the speaker if they had an attention-grabbing opening that engaged the audience.

• Recommend improvements if the opening could be more impactful or better set the tone for the speech.

2. Content and Structure:

• Commend the clarity of the main message and the logical flow of ideas.

• Recommend ways to improve organization or suggest transitions between points if needed.

• Mention if the speech had a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

3. Delivery and Vocal Variety:

• Commend a confident and clear voice that is easy to understand.

• Recommend working on vocal variety, such as pitch, pace, and volume, to add excitement and emphasis.

• Note if the speaker used vocal inflection effectively to convey emotions or emphasize key points.

4. Body Language:

• Commend confident and appropriate body language, including gestures, posture, and facial expressions.

• Recommend improving body language if it appeared nervous or distracting. Provide specific suggestions for improvement.

5. Engagement and Connection:

• Commend the speaker's ability to connect with the audience, whether through storytelling, humor, or relatability.

• Recommend ways to enhance audience engagement, such as involving the audience with questions or anecdotes.

6. Language and Vocabulary:

• Commend the use of descriptive language, metaphors, and word choice that added richness to the speech.

• Recommend expanding vocabulary or using language more effectively to paint vivid mental pictures.

7. Time Management:

• Commend the speaker if they adhered to the time limits.

• Recommend better time management if the speech exceeded or fell significantly short of the allotted time.

8. Visual Aids (if applicable):

• Commend the effective use of visual aids that enhanced the speech.

• Recommend improvements or suggest ways to make visual aids more impactful, if necessary.

9. Conclusion:

• Commend a strong and memorable conclusion that reinforced the main message.

• Recommend improvements if the conclusion seemed rushed or lacked a clear call to action or takeaway.

10. Overall Impression:

• Sum up your overall impression of the speech and its impact on the audience.

• Offer constructive feedback that highlights both strengths and areas for

improvement.

Eye Contact

Commendation 1: Commendation: I want to commend the speaker for their excellent eye

contact throughout the speech. It was clear that you were making a concerted effort to

connect with the audience, and it had a significant impact on the overall delivery.

Recommendation: To further enhance your eye contact skills, consider varying your gaze to

different parts of the audience. This can help you engage with a broader range of people

and make everyone feel included.

Commendation 2: Commendation: Your eye contact was a standout feature of your speech.

You maintained strong eye contact with the audience, and it made your message more

relatable and authentic.

Recommendation: To continue improving your eye contact, try to avoid fixating on one area

of the room for too long. Make an effort to scan the entire audience, including those in the

back rows, to ensure everyone feels included.

Commendation 3: Commendation: Your use of eye contact was impressive. It felt like you

were speaking directly to each member of the audience, which created a strong sense of

connection.

Recommendation: To take your eye contact skills to the next level, practice incorporating

purposeful pauses in your speech. During these pauses, make meaningful eye contact with

individuals to emphasize key points and build rapport.

Commendation 4: Commendation: Your eye contact was a highlight of your presentation. It

was evident that you were engaged with the audience, and it enhanced the overall impact of

your message.

Recommendation: To further refine your eye contact, work on minimizing any nervous habits

like fidgeting or glancing away briefly. This will help you maintain a consistent and confident

gaze.

Commendation 5: Commendation: Your eye contact was exceptional. You demonstrated a

high level of confidence and connection with the audience, which significantly contributed to

the effectiveness of your speech.

Recommendation: To continue improving your eye contact, consider seeking feedback from

peers or mentors. They can provide valuable insights and help you refine your technique

even further.

Body Language:

Commendation 1: Commendation: Your body language was exceptional during your

speech. Your gestures were natural and helped emphasize your key points, making your

message more engaging.

Recommendation: To further enhance your body language, try to incorporate more

deliberate movements that align with your speech content. This can add even more impact

to your delivery.

Commendation 2: Commendation: Your body language was a strong asset to your

presentation. Your posture and facial expressions showed confidence, and your hand

gestures were well-timed and meaningful.

Recommendation: To continue improving your body language, practice varying your

gestures to match different parts of your speech. Additionally, consider using your body to

convey emotions and enthusiasm even more effectively.

Commendation 3: Commendation: You did an excellent job using body language to

connect with the audience. Your open posture and friendly facial expressions created a

welcoming atmosphere in the room.

Recommendation: To refine your body language, focus on maintaining a consistent level of

energy throughout your speech. Ensure that your body language remains congruent with the

emotions and tone of your message.

Commendation 4: Commendation: Your body language was a standout feature of your

presentation. Your movements were purposeful and added depth to your storytelling,

enhancing the overall impact of your speech.

Recommendation: To further develop your body language skills, practice incorporating

pauses and stillness into your speech. These moments can help emphasize key points and

create a dynamic contrast in your delivery.

Commendation 5: Commendation: Your body language was impressive, reflecting your

commitment to effective communication. Your eye contact, gestures, and overall presence

made your speech memorable.

Recommendation: To take your body language to the next level, consider recording yourself

while practicing. This will allow you to identify any subtle habits or movements that you can

fine-tune for an even more polished delivery.

Commendation for Volume:

1. Consistency: Commend the speaker if they maintained a consistent and appropriate

volume level throughout the speech. Consistency is important for ensuring that the

audience can hear and understand the message clearly.

2. Audibility: Praise the speaker if they projected their voice effectively to reach all parts of

the audience, including those in the back of the room. Audibility is essential for ensuring

that everyone can hear the speech without straining.

3. Use of Volume for Emphasis: Recognize instances where the speaker used changes in

volume to emphasize key points, create suspense, or add emotional impact to the

speech. Effective use of volume can make the message more engaging.

Recommendations for Volume:

1. Varying Volume: Recommend that the speaker work on varying their volume

intentionally to create dynamics in the speech. Encourage them to experiment with softer

and louder moments to maintain audience engagement.

2. Avoiding Monotone: If the speaker's delivery was monotonous or lacked variation in

volume, suggest practicing different vocal tones to add variety and keep the audience's

attention.

3. Moderation: If the speaker tends to speak too loudly or too softly, recommend finding a

balance. Encourage them to adjust their volume according to the content and context of

the speech.

4. Voice Projection: If the speaker struggled with projecting their voice, offer tips on

diaphragmatic breathing and vocal exercises to strengthen their voice and improve

projection.

5. Practice and Recording: Recommend that the speaker practice their speech while

recording themselves. Listening to the recording can help them identify areas where

volume adjustments are needed.

6. Feedback from Peers: Suggest seeking feedback from fellow Toastmasters or mentors

regarding volume. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

7. Emotional Connection: Encourage the speaker to use volume as a tool to convey

emotions effectively. For example, they can speak softly during moments of vulnerability

and increase volume during moments of excitement or passion.

Remember to be specific in your commendations and recommendations, providing examples

from the speech to illustrate your points. By offering actionable advice, you can help the speaker

enhance their vocal variety, including volume, and become a more engaging and effective

communicator.

how to improve on diaphragmatic breathing and vocal exercises to strengthen the voice

ChatGPT

Improving diaphragmatic breathing and strengthening your voice through vocal exercises is

essential for effective public speaking and vocal health. Here are some techniques and exercises

to help you achieve this:

Diaphragmatic Breathing:

1. Body Awareness: Start by becoming aware of your breathing pattern. Place one hand on

your chest and the other on your abdomen. Breathe naturally and observe which hand

rises and falls. Ideally, it should be the hand on your abdomen that moves, indicating

diaphragmatic breathing.

2. Belly Breathing Exercise: Lie down on your back or sit comfortably. Inhale deeply

through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand as you fill your lungs. Exhale slowly

through your mouth. Practice this for a few minutes each day to reinforce diaphragmatic

breathing.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing Practice: Stand or sit up straight with good posture. Place

your hands on your abdomen. Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your

abdomen as you fill your lungs. Exhale slowly through your mouth, keeping your

abdomen engaged. Focus on making your diaphragm do the work rather than your chest.

Vocal Exercises:

1. Humming: Humming is an excellent exercise to warm up your vocal cords and promote

resonance. Start by humming at a comfortable pitch, and then gradually move up and

down the scale. Feel the vibrations in your chest and throat.

2. Lip Trills: Purse your lips together and blow air through them to create a trilling sound.

While doing this, go up and down the musical scale. Lip trills help with breath control and

vocal agility.

3. Sirens: Make a siren-like sound that moves up and down the pitch range smoothly. This

exercise helps in vocal flexibility and range expansion.

4. Pitch Glide: Start at your lowest comfortable pitch and glide smoothly to your highest

comfortable pitch, then back down. Repeat this exercise several times. It helps in vocal

range development.

5. Articulation Exercises: Practice articulating words and sounds clearly. Tongue twisters

are great for this. Work on enunciating each word distinctly to improve clarity in your

speech.

6. Resonance Exercises: Place your hand on your chest and another on your throat.

Practice speaking or singing with your voice resonating in your chest. This helps in

projecting your voice and reducing strain on your vocal cords.

7. Breath Control Exercises: Practice holding long, sustained notes while maintaining a

steady breath flow. Start with short phrases and gradually increase the duration. This

exercise enhances breath control and endurance.

8. Record and Analyze: Record your voice while doing these exercises and when speaking.

Listen to the recordings to identify areas for improvement and track your progress.

9. Seek Professional Guidance: Consider taking voice lessons or working with a vocal

coach who can provide personalized exercises and feedback to help you improve your

vocal technique.

Consistency is key when working on diaphragmatic breathing and vocal exercises. Regular

practice and proper technique will lead to noticeable improvements in your voice quality and

projection over time. Additionally, staying hydrated and avoiding vocal strain, such as shouting or

speaking loudly for extended periods, will contribute to vocal health and longevity.

Example 2: Commendation about Speech Purpose

Evaluation Opening Tonight Mary delivered a speech where she entertained us with

the frivolous antics of her neighbour’s children. The speech was funny and made us all

laugh at the humorous images she created. Overall, I think she succeeded very well in

entertaining us! She had dramatic gestures, a loud voice, and a continual smile.

Whether she felt it or not, she appeared very comfortable on the stage – the fact that

she appeared to enjoy the story meant that the audience tended to as well. The whole

speech was well crafted to lift our spirits and leave us with a story we’ll never forget.

Example 3: Recommendation on Voice Appropriateness to Speech Purpose

What: Mary, your speech had sections where the sound of your voice didn’t match the

emotion you were trying to create for your inspirational speech.

Why: Everyone’s voice has a natural pitch. These are the high and low notes we

sound. In places, your pitch was quite high and did not assist you in evoking the anger

you were attempting to demonstrate.

How: Your speech described the interaction between your two sisters during an

argument. By lowering your voice during this interaction, you will add the impact you

desire to inspire your audience about the importance of forgiveness. It is possible to

practise pitch variation by using the same word and dropping it one note at a time. It is

important to stop once your voice is straining. (Note: It would be helpful in this

example for the evaluator to demonstrate physically to the speaker what they mean)

Example 4: Commendation about Speech Structure

What: Before tonight’s speech David asked me to listen to his transitions. He was

concerned that he sometimes mixes one idea with the next.

Why: It is very important in an informative speech like this one to clearly delineate

between each set of ideas, so the audience can follow the logic of the presentation.

How: In this speech, Dave, your transitions were very easy to identify and follow!

Each new idea was introduced with rhetorical questions - “Where are lions found?”,

“How big are lions?” “Can lions be tamed?” These questions, combined with a short

pause, made it clear to us that we were starting on a new distinct topic each time.

Example 5: Commendation on Voice Variation

What: Kelly used a variety of both volume and pitch during her delivery tonight.

How: During the section where Kelly was obviously exasperated with her son, she

raised the volume and pitch of her voice when telling him what she was annoyed

about and then a slower and quieter tone when explaining why she was irritated by his

actions.

Why: By using the varied use of both volume and pitch Kelly invoked a sense of

command to get attention then implored her son to choose a different action next

time. This impacted the audience as Kelly was able to invoke emotion in her audience

by using her voice to create different moods.

Example 6: Commendation on Voice Tone What: Jim you have been gifted with

a speaking voice that has varied rhythm and intonation (rise and fall of the voice).

How: Jim’s voice has a musical quality and a rhythmic beat which adds colour

to his presentation. A particular example was during the section where Jim described

the dance of the American Indians; the rhythm of his voice was just like a drum beat.

Why: I felt as though Jim’s voice transported us an audience from sitting

around a table to sitting on the ground around a campfire and moving as one with the

speaker. Jim you have a vocal and creative talent that is unparalleled.

Voice Volume

Example 7: Recommendation on Voice Volume What: Verna, there were some

areas in your delivery where volume variation could have been used to greater effect.

By volume I specifically mean how loudly or quietly you delivered the message.

Why: By varying the volume you create interest and emotion. For example

dropping the volume can increase intensity, therefore, pulling your audience in.

How: It is possible to train your voice to improve its quality. This helps bring

your voice out of the throat and focus it forward even when you lower the volume. It’s

important that your jaw and throat muscles are relaxed and you project the sound so it

feels as if it is being produced by your lips.

Example 8: Commendation on Voice Pace What: Jerry mastered the skill of

using vocal variety during his presentation on poisons. How: By slowing the pace

during the section on snakes and quickening the delivery for the content on

medication he had the audience transfixed and engaged. Why: Using a

combination of these vocal techniques gives the audience time to digest the complex

information that was presented in this informative speech while at the same time

maintaining the interest of the audience.

Example 9: Recommendation on Pausing What: At times, it was difficult to

distinguish between the different points that Jenny was making in the body of her

speech. Why: It is important in an informative speech for the audience to follow

the logic and structure of the speech, which makes it easier to remember what is

learnt. How: If Jenny were to pause for longer between each segment of her

speech, this would provide stronger transitions between points, and add clarity for the

audience.

Example 10: Commendation about body language What: Tonight John, your

objectives included use of body language. I was particularly impressed by the way your

body language complemented the verbal message you were delivering. Why Your

audience connected in a meaningful way when your body movement matched what

you are saying. How You grabbed my attention immediately in your opening

statement when you started bouncing a ball as you said the words, “It took just 5

seconds to reach the other end of the court and dunk that ball into the net.”

Example 11: Commendation about Eye Contact What: John tonight you used

exemplary eye contact. How I was watching intently and noticed you used equal

amounts of attention to each section of the audience, and you did this without

unsettling anyone with a prolonged stare. Why This allows your audience to engage

with you as the speaker.

Example 12: Recommendation about Eye Contact Julie, tonight I noticed you were

tending to avert your eyes regularly to the floor. After your voice, your eyes are the

most powerful tool for communicating. Your audience will feel left out if you avoid

using eye contact. Eye contact can also help to overcome nervousness. When you look

at listeners and realize that most are interested in your message, your fear will

disappear and your nervous tension will be likely to decrease.

Example 13: Commendation on body language What: Tonight, Sally used the stage

masterfully and subtly to reinforce the structure of her speech. How She stopped

three times in her speech to make important points. She delivered her first point at

the left of the stage, her next point in the middle, and her final point on the right of

the stage. Why This subtly reinforced the speech structure. It also meant she was able

to point to the left of the stage when referring back to her first point, which

highlighted the connections she was making, conveying the logic of her argument. It

was particularly masterful because she still moved freely around the stage when

presenting all of her supporting material, and so the speech remained fluid and

conversational.

Example 14: Commendation on Speech Structure What: Tonight I greatly enjoyed

Bill’s speech. It was very easy to listen to. At the end I felt he achieved a very

emotional triumphant conclusion. How One of the ways that he achieved this was

through a very simple and subtle structure. He told us three separate stories and at

the close of each story he clearly and succinctly described firstly what the story meant

to him, and secondly what the story could mean to us. At the end he drew all the

lessons together and closed with a positive personal and hopeful story. Why This

subtly reinforced the speech structure. It also meant she was able to point to the left

of the stage when referring back to her first point, which highlighted the connections

she was making, conveying the logic of her argument. It was particularly masterful

because she still moved freely

Example 15: Recommendation on Speech Structure What: At the beginning of

Mary’s speech, she said that she would be giving us five reasons to support her

argument. However, I found it difficult to differentiate between the several points and

identify what those five arguments were in the middle and at the end of the speech

Why In a persuasive speech like this, it will have more impact for the audience if they

clearly hear the different arguments that are made. When we are told that there will

be five points, we begin to count them off our head, and we are more attentive and

remember the speech more easily. How Mary did very well to “signpost” the number

of points she would be making. I recommend that she do two things to strengthen the

transitions in the body of her speech: Firstly, introduce each new point with a clear

“subheading” sentence. Secondly, use vocal variety and body language to support the

transitions by pausing and moving along the stage between each argument.

Example 16: Commendation for the Use of Rhetorical Devices What: Mary used a

rhetorical device effectively when describing the beauty of the scene on the lake. Why

She used a simile by comparing the lake to a mirror as she could see the crystal clear

reflection of the majestic mountain range in the background. How This was effective

because audience members were taken to the scene and could picture its beauty

because of the carefully chosen words and rhetorical device that she used.

Example 17: Recommendation for the use of Rhetorical Devices What: I recommend

that John consider using less words to describe key aspects of his story by using

rhetorical devices that help the audience to picture the scenes he is describing. Why

This will assist her in capturing his audience’s imagination and also help him to

decrease the length of very long speeches by using fewer words. How John could have

chosen key scenes when he was describing the holiday environment and use devices

such as similes: e.g. the lake was crystal clear like a mirror and beautifully

reflected the majestic mountains in the distance.

Example 18: Recommendation on Use of Filler Words What: Veronica, tonight your

speech was peppered with “filler” words. These included ‘um’, ‘what’, ‘so’, ‘ah’, and ‘you

know’. Why: Your audience can become distracted if fillers are used regularly and may

not digest some of the content of your speech. How: The best method to avoid the

use of “filler” words is simply to pause. It gives you time to take a breath and your

audience time to digest what you have just said. In time your self-awareness will help

you to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of filler words.

Example 19: Commendation and recommendation on use of humour What: I want to

commend Ben for his humour in this evening’s speech. The humour was well-timed,

and even when he didn’t get a strong laughter response, Ben continued courageously

through the speech. Why Ben, I felt for you when you didn’t get many laughs this

afternoon, because your content was funny. I think that in this speech, the audience

sometimes didn’t laugh for one main reason: you looked very serious with your

“dry humour”; consequently not everyone was sure you were actually joking! How I

recommend that you could try: Firstly, making a very funny and silly joke very early

in the speech, to give the audience a clear understanding that you are being funny, and

to give them momentum with laughing. Secondly, consider smiling at us! It’s ok to

laugh at your own jokes a little bit – even if your eyes just glimmer cheekily, we’ll feel

comfortable that we’re laughing with you.

Example 20: Commendation on use of visual aids What: Ben I would like to commend

you on your use of props as visual aids to enhance your speech. How I liked the way

you produced your props so seamlessly and without distracting the audience from

what you were saying. By asking an assistant to place the prop upside down on the

table in the break prior to the speech enabled you to have time to prepare at the side

of the stage and not disengage with the audience or waste your valuable time once the

speech began. Why It is important when using visual aids, that you do not lose your

audience. Clearly you had rehearsed the speech and how to use the props and this

masterfully added another dimension to your speech.

Example 21: Recommendation about the use of visual aids What: The handouts

that you provided during your speech were distracting to the audience. Why:

Audience members began to chatting whilst engaging with the person next to

them and you lost the audience focus as the notes were passed on. How: A more

useful strategy when using visual aids could be to engage the help of an assistant to

provide the handouts or to place them on the tables prior to your speech.

Example 22: Recommendation for voice What: At times it was difficult to hear every

word that Ben said especially with the competing noise of the air-conditioner and

traffic outside. The volume of his voice was a bit quiet and the pace was a little bit fast.

Why: When sharing a story, it is important that the audience hears every word

so that they can follow the logic of the story and do not miss anything important.

How: In Ben’s next speech, I recommend that Ben concentrates on increasing

the volume of his voice (a bit louder than usual for this venue) and speaks at a pace

that is slower than he thinks he needs to. It takes a while to get used to speaking more

slowly than you do in normal conversation but when speaking to an audience the pace

is generally better being slower. This will improve with each speech that you deliver

Ben; audio recording your voice may also assist you to recognise the clarity of your

voice for next time.