A typical Toastmasters meeting

A Toastmasters club meeting has three main parts:

• Prepared speeches
• Impromptu speeches — Table Topics
• Evaluations

Members participate by giving prepared speeches, often around seven minutes, offering feedback, joining Table Topics and taking on meeting roles. Rotating through these roles gives everyone new opportunities to learn: a Toastmaster wears many hats.

Part one — prepared speeches

Members present prepared speeches in Italian or English and receive a dedicated evaluation from another member. Comments and practical suggestions are central to the Toastmasters approach. Speakers choose a topic that interests them and may give inspirational, narrative, historical, humorous or imaginative speeches.

Part two — impromptu speeches

During Table Topics, members and willing guests are invited to give a short, one- or two-minute speech on a topic revealed on the spot. It is an opportunity to practise creativity, organise thoughts quickly and deliver a short speech.

Part three — evaluations

Constructive, nonjudgemental feedback helps speakers recognise strengths and areas for improvement, focusing attention where it is most useful. Evaluators also develop active listening and communication skills.

Meeting roles

• Toastmaster of the Day: leads the meeting and introduces participants.
• Timer: times each contribution.
• General Evaluator: comments on the meeting and suggests improvements for future meetings.
• Ah-Counter: notes filler sounds and distracting verbal habits.
• Grammarian: focuses on grammar, language and vocabulary.
• Evaluator: offers useful suggestions to help a speaker improve.
• Table Topicsmaster: presents topics for one- or two-minute impromptu speeches.

Members rotate through these roles. The best way to understand a typical meeting is to visit a club as a guest. Find a club.