I've done a pretty good job with word of the day in the past. I've even caught a few grammatical errors and once or twice was able to note a good use of a phrase. Most of the clubs I've visited do not worry that much about looking deeply at grammatical content.
Tonight I really paid attention to everyone who went up to speak. I listened for any odd usage or good usage.
In the end, I had notes for just about everyone who spoke. I noticed some restarts, and some fillers that might have been counted by the Ah Counter as well. However, what I really looked for was any odd use of language. In the past, it was hard for me to catch the odd thing like a missing 'an' or plural not matching in a sentence, or a repeated idea that took away from a sentence. Being a grammarian comes much more naturally with the written word. The spoken word takes a lot more care.
Tonight I was able to take good notes, and I was able to give many very specific examples of things that others can improve upon, and things that were done well. I couldn't always find a good thing to bring up for each person, but I did make sure to look harder at main speakers. There were definitely a few places that I thought the use of grammar, with a turn of phrase, wording or format jumped at as more powerful, and I was glad I was able to share that.
Talking through the process, I realized it can be very hard to pay attention to the grammar and details of a speech while also paying attention to what is going on in the speech. You get better through practice. Though, once a week at a Toastmasters meeting, with only occasionally taking on the grammarian or Ah Counter role, it can take a long time to get better.
How can you learn to listen for details and get better at it much faster?
Watch your local news reporters.
Their job is to deliver the content with very large amounts of drama and intrigue. They often do this at the cost of sounding very professional. In fact, you may even find it hard to listen to these local newscasters after being a Toastmaster.
However, this is a very good place to learn to tune out the drama and listen for the details.
Next time you have some free time, listen to the local newscasters with the ear of a Toastmaster. Listen for crutch-words and grammatical errors. This way you can be as hard on the speaker as you want, without worrying about someone getting upset or think about impact of not getting a good report on the grammar and word usage. This is an extra-safe way to get your practice in for these roles.
Good luck, Powerful Talking, and keep your Witz About you!
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