How to be Grammarian at a Speakers' meeting

A member of a club in London emailed me for advice as a mentor on doing the grammarian role at a meeting.
I suggested:

INTRODUCTION TO YOURSELF and WORD OF THE DAY

1 Say your name

It should be on the programme. Point that out to the audience  if it is. 

If not, write it up. You could hold up a sign ' (Your name…) your grammarian’

I suggest you spell your name or say which language it’s from and its meaning. Or a way to remember it. 

Tell Toastmasters of the day how to pronounce it.

Is the grammarian role instruction in your CL manual? You might refer to this and show the manual.

If so get somebody to evaluate your rule.

Type out the word and blow it up large. Twice.

Take along blu-tack to fix it.

Fix it up at the from of the hall so everybody can see it and at the back or sides so speakers can see it.

Say which part of speech - noun - 

give etymology (origin) 

give two or three examples of use

say why good grammar is important

give a new grammar rule -

and/ or pet hate - common mistake

Be cheerful and positive (don’t say, 'everybody hates grammar'; say something like, 'it’s so helpful'.)

mention a source of information.

GIVING FEEDBACK ON GRAMMAR

Write your notes during the evening 

NAME OF SPEAKER / THEIR ROLE (on agenda)

Their good use

Any recommendation for improvement

Try to praise everybody for something

Pick out something to praise for each person

correct use 

amusing phrases, 

alliteration, use of three,

grammatical terms and rhetorical devices such as simile and metaphor.

If nothing to say, count ums and ers.

But make your count funny.

Note any grammar problems you have. Find the solution and tell people.

Ask if anybody has any grammar problems.

Take with a book on grammar (or download a page on grammar from the internet

and offer to check grammar queries on your phone/ipad during the break

Keep your notes to write up an account in the newsletter including advice to others doing the role next week.

Prepare to advise next week’s grammarian - or do the role again, building on what you have learned 

Take your CL manual and get somebody to write up evaluation of your role.

Get your activity recorded on the President’s list of who has done what at each meeting.

I googled our forthcoming word of the day and got results for

dictionary

etymology

thesaurus

 ....................

Paramount | Define Paramount at Dictionary.com
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above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction. noun. 3. a supreme ruler; overlord. Origin Expand. Anglo-French. 1525-1535. 1525-35 ...
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Definition of “paramount” | The official Collins English Dictionary online. Comprehensive and authoritative, rely on Collins for up-to-date English with insights into ...
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Definition of paramount from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary with audio pronunciations, thesaurus, Word of the Day, and word games.
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Definition of paramount in British and World English in Oxford dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation and example sentences. English to English reference content.
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... synonyms and more. What is paramount? more important than anything else: : See more in British English Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionaries Online.
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Define paramount. What is paramount? paramount meaning, pronunciation and more by Macmillan Dictionary.
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How to use paramount in a sentence. Example sentences with the word paramount. paramount example sentences. ... Words near paramount in the dictionary ...
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Paramount Synonyms, Paramount Antonyms | Thesaurus.com
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Synonyms for paramount at Thesaurus.com with free online thesaurus, antonyms , and definitions. Dictionary and Word of the Day.


If you are in doubt, ask the audience. 


Let me know how you get on. Good luck. Enjoy your evening.

PS Tell me about typos. I keep correcting but the spellchecker creators more. The plural of er with as s becomes era. Role becomes rule.