The Grammarian is in charge of all things to do with language during the meeting. They have three main aims:
1. Introduce a word of the day.
2. Make a note of good and unusual use of language.
3. Pick up on ways use of grammar could be improved.
Key Skills: Listening, Summarising, Technical Knowledge
Top Tips:
- Find a word of the day that is interesting but easy enough to incorporate into everyday language.
- Try to use technical descriptions of good grammar, e.g. alliteration, metaphors, etc.
- Make positive recommendations as to how speakers could improve language skills, e.g. with examples, instead of saying it like x, you could try constructing the sentence as per y.
Ah-Counter
Using filler words is something speakers may not realise they are doing unless it is pointed out to them. The ah-counter tallies up how many times speakers use filler words (this role can be combined with the Grammarian).
Key Skills: Listening, Summarising
Top Tips:
- Use resources to help you count, such as the ah-counter log.
- Look out for any words that a speaker overuses, not just “ums” and “ahs”. It could be “and”, “now”, “so”, “you know”.
- Consider grouping the number of filler words to soften the blow if some people have quite a number, e.g. those with less than 5, 5-10, more than 10 as appropriate.