WHEN reading aloud, do you stumble over certain expressions? Or when you get up in front of an audience to give a talk, do you find that you often grope for the right words? If so, you may have a problem with fluency. A fluent person reads and speaks in such a manner that words and thoughts flow smoothly, with apparent ease. This does not mean that he is constantly talking, that he speaks very rapidly, or that he speaks without thinking. His speech is pleasingly graceful. Fluency is given special attention in the Theocratic Ministry School.

A variety of factors may contribute to lack of fluency. Do you need to give special consideration to any of the following? (1) When reading to others, unfamiliarity with certain words may cause hesitancy. (2) Slight pauses in too many places may result in jerky delivery. (3) Lack of preparation may contribute to the problem. (4) In speaking before a group, a common factor in lack of fluency is failure to organize material in a logical manner. (5) A limited vocabulary may cause a person to hesitate as he gropes for the right words. (6) If too many words are emphasized, fluency may be impaired. (7) Lack of familiarity with rules of grammar may contribute to the problem.

If you lack fluency, the audience in a Kingdom Hall will not literally walk out, but their minds may wander. As a result, much of what you say may be lost.

On the other hand, care must be exercised so that speech that is meant to be forceful and fluent does not become overbearing, perhaps even embarrassing to the audience. If because of difference in cultural background, people view your manner of speech as brash or as lacking in sincerity, that will defeat your purpose. It is noteworthy that the apostle Paul, though an experienced speaker, approached the Corinthians “in weakness and in fear and with much trembling” so that he would not attract needless attention to himself.​—1 Cor. 2:3.

Practices to Avoid. Many people have the mannerism of inserting such expressions as “and-uh” when they speak. Others frequently start a thought with “now,” or they tack a phrase, such as “you know” or “you see,” on to whatever they are saying. Perhaps you are unaware of the frequency with which you use such expressions. You might try a practice session in which someone listens to you and repeats these expressions each time you say them. You may be surprised.

Some people read and speak with numerous regressions. That is, they begin a sentence and then interrupt themselves midway and repeat at least a portion of what they already said.

Still others speak rapidly enough, but they start with one line of thought and then, mid-sentence, shift to something else. Though words flow freely, abrupt changes in thought impair fluency.

How to Improve. If your problem is that you often grope for the right word, you need to make a concerted effort to build up your vocabulary. Take special note of words that are unfamiliar to you in The Watchtower, Awake!, and other publications that you may be reading. Look these up in a dictionary, check their pronunciation and their meaning, and add some of these words to your vocabulary. If no dictionary is available to you, ask for help from someone who speaks the language well.

Making it a practice to read aloud regularly will contribute to improvement. Take note of difficult words, and say these aloud several times.

In order to read fluently, it is necessary to understand how words work together in a sentence. Usually words need to be read in groups in order to convey the thought being expressed by the writer. Take special note of these word groupings. If it will help you, mark them. Your objective is not merely to read words correctly but also to convey thoughts clearly. After you analyze one sentence, go on to the next until you have studied the entire paragraph. Become familiar with the flow of thought. Then practice reading aloud. Read the paragraph repeatedly until you can do it without stumbling and without pausing in the wrong places. Then go on to other paragraphs.

Next, increase your pace. If you have come to appreciate how words within a sentence work together, you will be able to see more than one word at a time and to anticipate what should come next. This will contribute much to the effectiveness of your reading.

Making a regular practice of sight-reading can be valuable training. For example, without doing advance preparation, read the day’s text and comments aloud; do it on a regular basis. Become accustomed to allowing your eye to take in words as groups expressing complete thoughts rather than seeing just one word at a time.

In conversation, fluency requires that you think before you speak. Make that a practice in your everyday activity. Decide what ideas you want to convey and the order in which you are going to state them; then start talking. Do not rush. Endeavor to express a complete thought without stopping or changing ideas in midstream. You may find it helpful to use short, simple sentences.

Words should come naturally if you know exactly what you want to say. Generally speaking, it is not necessary to select the words that you will use. In fact, for the sake of practice, it is better just to make certain that the idea is clear in your mind and then to think of the words as you go. If you do and if you keep your mind on the idea rather than on the words that you are speaking, the words will come more or less automatically, and your thoughts will be expressed as you really feel them. But as soon as you begin to think of words rather than ideas, your speech may become halting. With practice, you can succeed in developing fluency, an important quality in effective speaking and reading.

When assigned to represent Jehovah to the nation of Israel and before Pharaoh of Egypt, Moses felt that he was not capable. Why? He was not a fluent speaker; he may have had a speech impediment. (Ex. 4:10; 6:12) Moses offered excuses, but none of these were accepted by God. Jehovah sent Aaron along as a spokesman, but He also helped Moses to speak. Repeatedly and effectively, Moses spoke not only to individuals and to small groups but to the entire nation. (Deut. 1:1-3; 5:1; 29:2; 31:1, 2, 30; 33:1) If you conscientiously do your part while trusting in Jehovah, you too can use your speech to honor God.

IN SPEECH, properly placed pauses are important. This is true whether you are delivering a discourse or speaking with an individual. Without such pauses, what is said may sound like babble instead of clear expression of thought. Appropriate pausing helps to impart clarity to your speech. It can also be used in such a way that your main points will make a lasting impression.

How can you determine when you should pause? How long should pauses be?

Pause to Punctuate. Punctuation has become an important part of written language. It may indicate the end of a statement or a question. In some languages it is used to set off quotations. Some punctuation indicates the relationship of one part of a sentence to other parts. A person who reads to himself can see the punctuation marks. But when he reads aloud for the benefit of others, his voice must convey the meaning of whatever punctuation appears in the written material. (For further details, see Study 1, “Accurate Reading.”) Failure to pause when required by punctuation may make it difficult for others to understand what you read or may even result in distorting the meaning of the text.

In addition to punctuation, the way thoughts are expressed within a sentence has a bearing on where pauses are appropriate. A famous musician once said: “The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes, ah, that is where the art resides.” It is similar with speaking. Appropriate use of pausing will add beauty and meaning to your well-prepared material.

In preparing to read publicly, you may find it helpful to mark the printed material from which you will read. Draw a small vertical line where a brief pause, perhaps just a hesitation, is to be inserted. Use two closely spaced vertical lines for a longer pause. If you find that certain wording is awkward for you and you repeatedly pause in the wrong place, make pencil marks to tie together all the words that make up the difficult phrase. Then read the phrase from beginning to end. Many experienced speakers do this.

Pausing in everyday speech usually does not present a problem because you know the ideas that you want to convey. However, if you have the mannerism of pausing at regular intervals regardless of what the thought requires, your speech will lack force and clarity. Suggestions for improvement are given in Study 4, “Fluent Delivery.”

Pause for Change of Thought. When you are making a transition from one main point to another, a pause can give your audience an opportunity to reflect, to adjust, to recognize the change in direction, and to grasp more clearly the next thought presented. It is just as important for you to pause when changing from one idea to another as it is for you to slow down when turning the corner from one street into another.

One reason why some speakers rush from one idea to the next without pausing is that they try to cover too much material. For some, the habit reflects their everyday speech pattern. Perhaps everyone around them speaks in the same manner. But that does not result in effective teaching. If you have something to say that is worth hearing and worth remembering, then take enough time to make the idea stand out clearly. Recognize that pauses are essential to speech that conveys ideas clearly.

If you are going to give a talk from an outline, your material should be organized in such a way that it is obvious where to pause between main points. If you will be reading a manuscript, mark the places where there is a change from one main point to the next.

Pauses for change of thought are usually longer than pauses for punctuation​—however, not so long that they make the delivery drag. If they are too long, they give the impression that you are ill-prepared and are trying to determine what to say next.

Pause for Emphasis. A pause for emphasis is often a dramatic one, that is, one that precedes or follows a statement or a question delivered with a measure of intensity. Such a pause gives the audience opportunity to reflect on what has just been said, or it creates expectancy for what is to follow. These are not the same. Decide which is the appropriate method to use. But keep in mind that pauses for emphasis should be limited to truly significant statements. Otherwise, the value of those statements will be lost.

When Jesus read aloud from the Scriptures in the synagogue of Nazareth, he made effective use of the pause. First, he read his commission from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. However, before applying it, he rolled the scroll up, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Then, with the eyes of all in the synagogue intently fixed on him, he said: “Today this scripture that you just heard is fulfilled.”​—Luke 4:16-21.

Pause When Circumstances Require It. Interruptions may also occasionally require that you pause in your speech. The noise of passing traffic or a crying child may require an interruption in conversation with a householder you have met in the field ministry. If a disturbance at a place of assembly is not too severe, you may be able to raise your volume and continue. But if the disturbance is loud and prolonged, you must pause. Your audience will not be listening anyway. So use pausing effectively, with a view to helping your audience get the full benefit of the good things that you want to tell them.

Pause to Allow for Response. Although you may be giving a talk with no provision for formal audience participation, it is important to allow the audience to respond, not audibly, but mentally. If you pose questions that should make your audience think but then you fail to pause sufficiently, much of the value of those questions will be lost.

Of course, it is important to pause not only when speaking from a platform but also when witnessing to others. Some people never seem to pause. If that is your problem, put forth earnest effort to cultivate this speech quality. You will improve in your communication with others as well as in the effectiveness of your ministry in the field. A pause is a moment of silence, and it has truthfully been said that silence punctuates, it emphasizes, it commands attention, and it refreshes the ear.

Everyday conversation involves a two-way flow of thoughts. Others are more inclined to listen to you when you listen to them and show interest in what they say. This requires that you pause long enough to give them opportunity to express themselves.

In the field ministry, our witnessing is often more effective when it is done in the form of conversation. After an exchange of greetings, many Witnesses find it good to identify their subject and then pose a question. They pause to give the other person opportunity to reply, and then they acknowledge what the householder said. During the discussion, they may give the householder a number of opportunities to comment. They know that they can usually do more to help a person if they know his views on the matter being discussed.​—Prov. 20:5.

Of course, not everyone will respond to questions in a favorable way. But that did not deter Jesus from stopping long enough to allow opportunity even for opposers to speak. (Mark 3:1-5) Allowing the other person opportunity to speak encourages him to think, and he may, as a result, reveal what is in his heart. One of the purposes of our ministry is, in fact, to stir a heartfelt response by presenting people with vital issues from God’s Word on which they must make decisions.​—Heb. 4:12.

Use of appropriate pausing in our ministry is indeed an art. When pauses are used effectively, ideas are more clearly conveyed and are often lastingly remembered.

WHEN you speak or read aloud, it is important not only that you say individual words correctly but also that you emphasize key words and thought-containing expressions in a way that conveys ideas clearly.

Proper sense stress involves more than giving added emphasis to a few words or even to many. The right words must be emphasized. If the wrong words are stressed, the meaning of what you say may be unclear to your audience, who, in turn, may let their thoughts drift to other things. Even though the material may be good, a delivery having poor sense stress will be less effective in motivating the audience.

Added emphasis can be conveyed by various means, frequently used in combination: by greater volume, by more intensity of feeling, by slow and deliberate expression, by pausing before or after a statement (or both), and by gestures and facial expressions. In some languages, emphasis can also be conveyed by lowering the tone or raising the pitch. Take into account the material and the circumstances to determine what would be most appropriate.

When deciding what to emphasize, consider the following. (1) Within any sentence, the words that should be given added stress are determined not only by the rest of the sentence but also by the context. (2) Sense stress may be used to emphasize the beginning of a new thought, whether a main point or simply a change in the line of reasoning. It might also draw attention to the conclusion of a line of reasoning. (3) A speaker may employ sense stress to show how he feels about a matter. (4) Proper sense stress can also be used to highlight the main points of a talk.

In order to use sense stress in these ways, a speaker or a public reader must clearly understand his material and earnestly want his audience to absorb it. Regarding instruction given in the days of Ezra, Nehemiah 8:8 states: “They continued reading aloud from the book, from the law of the true God, it being expounded, and there being a putting of meaning into it; and they continued giving understanding in the reading.” It is obvious that those who read and explained God’s Law on that occasion realized the importance of helping their audience to grasp the meaning of what was read, to retain it, and to apply it.

What May Cause a Problem. Most people are able to make their meaning clear in normal, everyday conversation. However, when they read material that was written by someone else, determining which words or expressions to stress may present a challenge. The key lies in clearly understanding the material. That requires careful study of what was written. So if you are asked to read some material at a congregation meeting, you should prepare diligently.

Some people use what might be termed “periodic stress” instead of sense stress. They emphasize words at fairly specific intervals, whether such emphasis is meaningful or not. Others emphasize function words, perhaps putting exaggerated stress on prepositions and conjunctions. When the emphasis does not contribute to clarity of thought, it easily becomes a distracting mannerism.

In an effort to use sense stress, some speakers employ increased volume in a way that may make the audience feel that they are being scolded. Of course, that seldom yields the best results. If sense stress is not natural, the impression may be given that the speaker is talking down to his audience. How much better simply to appeal to them on the basis of love and to help them see that what is being said is both Scriptural and reasonable!

How to Improve. Often a person who has a problem with sense stress is not aware of it. Someone else may need to draw it to his attention. If you need to make improvement in this area, your school overseer will help you. Also, feel free to ask for help from anyone else who is a good speaker. Ask him to listen carefully to your reading and speaking and then to offer suggestions for improvement.

As a start, your counselor may suggest that you use an article in The Watchtower as a basis for practice. He will undoubtedly tell you to analyze individual sentences to determine which words or phrases need to be emphasized in order to make the meaning easy to grasp. He may remind you to give special attention to certain words that are italicized. Remember that words within a sentence work together. Frequently, it is a group of words that should be emphasized, not merely an isolated word. In some languages, students may be encouraged to give more careful consideration to what diacritics indicate as to proper sense stress.

As the next step in learning what to emphasize, your counselor may urge you to consider a context that is broader than the sentence itself. What central thought is being developed in the entire paragraph? How should that influence what you emphasize in the individual sentences? Look at the title of the article and at the boldface subheading under which your material appears. What bearing do these have on your selection of expressions to emphasize? All of these are factors to consider. But take care not to put strong emphasis on too many words.

Whether you will be speaking extemporaneously or reading, your counselor may also encourage you to allow the line of reasoning to influence the use of sense stress. You need to be aware of places where the line of reasoning ends or where the presentation shifts from one important thought to another. The audience will appreciate it if your delivery alerts them to these places. This might be done by accenting such words as first of all, next, finally, thus, and reasonably.

Your counselor will also direct your attention to thoughts to which you want to attach special feeling. To do this you might emphasize such words as very, absolutely, by no means, unthinkable, important, and always. Your doing so can influence how your audience feels about what you are saying. More will be said about this in Study 11, “Warmth and Feeling.”

To improve your use of sense stress, you will also be encouraged to have clearly in mind the main points that you want your audience to remember. This will be given further consideration from the standpoint of public reading in Study 7, “Principal Ideas Emphasized,” and from the standpoint of speaking in Study 37, “Main Points Made to Stand Out.”

If you are endeavoring to improve in your field ministry, give special attention to how you read scriptures. Make it a practice to ask yourself, ‘Why am I reading this text?’ For a teacher, simply saying the words properly is not always enough. Even reading the text with feeling may not suffice. If you are answering someone’s question or teaching a basic truth, it is good to emphasize in the scripture the words or expressions that support what is being discussed. Otherwise, the person to whom you are reading may miss the point.

Since sense stress involves giving added emphasis to certain words and phrases, an inexperienced speaker may tend to hit those words and phrases too hard. The results will be somewhat like the notes played by a person who is just beginning to learn a musical instrument. With added practice, however, the individual “notes” will simply become part of “music” that is beautifully expressive.

After you have learned some of the basics, you will be in a position to benefit by observing experienced speakers. You will soon come to realize what can be accomplished by varying degrees of emphasis. And you will appreciate the value of using emphasis in various ways to make clear the meaning of what is said. Developing proper sense stress will greatly enhance the effectiveness of your own reading and speaking.

Do not learn just enough about sense stress to get by. In order to speak effectively, keep working at it until you have mastered sense stress and can use it in a way that sounds natural to the ears of others.

AN EFFECTIVE reader looks beyond the individual sentence, even beyond the paragraph in which it appears. When he reads, he has in mind the principal ideas in the entire body of material that he is presenting. This influences his placement of emphasis.

If this process is not followed, there will be no peaks in the delivery. Nothing will stand out clearly. When the presentation is concluded, it may be difficult to remember anything as being outstanding.

Proper attention to the emphasizing of principal ideas can often do much to enhance the reading of an account from the Bible. Such emphasis can impart added significance to the reading of paragraphs at a home Bible study or at a congregation meeting. And it is especially important when giving a discourse from a manuscript, as is sometimes done at our conventions.

How to Do It. In the school, you may be assigned to read a portion of the Bible. What should be emphasized? If there is some central idea or important event around which the material that you will be reading has been developed, it would be appropriate to make it stand out.

Whether the portion you are to read is poetry or prose, proverb or narrative, your audience will benefit if you read it well. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) To do this you must take into account both the passages that you are going to read and your audience.

If you are to read aloud from a publication at a Bible study or at a congregation meeting, what are the principal ideas that you need to emphasize? Treat the answers to the printed study questions as the principal ideas. Also emphasize thoughts that relate to the boldface subheading under which the material appears.

It is not recommended that you make a practice of using a manuscript for talks given in the congregation. On occasion, however, manuscripts are provided for certain convention discourses so that the same thoughts will be presented in the same way at all the conventions. In order to emphasize the principal ideas in such a manuscript, the speaker must first analyze the material carefully. What are the main points? He should be able to recognize these. The main points are not simply ideas that he feels are interesting. They are the key thoughts around which the material itself is developed. Sometimes a concise statement of a principal idea in the manuscript introduces a narrative or a line of argument. More often, a strong statement is made after the supporting evidence has been presented. When these key points have been identified, the speaker should mark them in his manuscript. There usually are only a few, probably not more than four or five. Next, he needs to practice reading in such a way that the audience can readily identify them. These are the peaks of the talk. If the material is delivered with proper emphasis, these principal ideas are more likely to be remembered. That should be the speaker’s goal.

There are various ways in which a speaker can convey the emphasis needed to help the audience identify the main points. He might use heightened enthusiasm, a change of pace, depth of feeling, or appropriate gestures, to mention a few.