Fluent Delivery

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.