Description of Role

 In Brief:

The purpose of having a “Word of the Day” is to help members increase their vocabulary. Another duty of the Word Master/Listener, is to write down questions about all that is said during the meeting so that he/she can “quiz” the audience at the end of the meeting and thereby assess everyone’s listening skills.

In Depth:

The Toastmaster is the one who picks the “Theme of the Day”. As soon as you find out the “Theme of the Day” from the Toastmaster, start thinking of a “Word of the Day”. The word you choose should be compatible with the theme.  For example, if the theme is “Leadership”, the word of the day could be “Perseverance”. Pick a word that is likely to  increase audience’s vocabulary (a word that can be incorporated easily into every day conversation, but is different from the way people usually express themselves. For instance use “Jubilant” instead of “Happy”.  Be mindful that adjectives and adverbs are more adaptable than nouns or verbs.

Print your word, its part of speech (adjective, adverb, noun and verb) and a brief definition in letters large enough to be seen from the back of the room. Also prepare a sentence showing how the word is used.

Before the meeting begins, tape your printed word to the lectern at the front of the room where everyone can see it. Sometimes it is also helpful to write your word in big letters on the white board located on the room’s right wall.

When introduced by the Toastmaster, walk up to the lectern and shake the Toastmaster’s hand. If there are any visiting guests, briefly describe your role, ( see In Brief above). If there are no visitors, start directly with announcing the Word of the Day. State it’s part of speech, define it and use it in a sentence. Ask the audience to do their best to use the word during the meeting.

Throughout the meeting, listen to everyone’s word usage. Using the Word/Listener Form, write down the name of those who use the word.  Also write down one to two questions  per speeches (both the prepared and table topics speeches).  Later during the meeting you will ask  the audience your questions to evaluate how well they were listening. We do this because to be a good leader, one should also be a good listener. Remember to also write down the answers to your own questions! 😀

During the Evaluation portion of the meeting, you will be called upon by the Master Evaluator to give your Word/Listener Report. At that time, stand up and give your report of who used the word. Proceed with asking your prepared questions to evaluate everyone’s listening skills.  This report should last no more than three to five minutes. But don’t worry, if it seems that the meeting might be running over, the Master Evaluator will let you know how much time you have left for your questions.

Please click below to download the Word /Listener Form.