Question Box

◼ What should be kept in mind regarding reading the paragraphs at the meetings?

Much of the time allotted for the Watchtower Study and the Congregation Book Study is used for the reading of the paragraphs. This means that the brother assigned as reader carries a heavy responsibility as a teacher. He must read in a manner that will ‘put meaning’ into the material so that listeners not only will understand it but also will be motivated to action. (Neh. 8:8) Hence, the reader needs to prepare well for his assignment. (1 Tim. 4:13; see study 6 of the School Guidebook.) Here are some essentials for meaningful public reading.

Use Proper Sense Stress: Determine in advance which words or phrases need to be emphasized in order to convey the correct understanding.

Pronounce Words Correctly: Proper pronunciation and clear enunciation are necessary if the audience is to comprehend expressions that appear in the publication. Look up unfamiliar or seldom-used words in a dictionary, or listen to the Society’s cassette recordings.

Speak With Volume and Enthusiasm: Speaking up enthusiastically creates interest, stirs the emotions, and motivates the listener.

Be Warm and Conversational: Naturalness comes with fluency. With preparation and practice, the reader can be relaxed, and the result will be appealing instead of monotonous and tedious.—Hab. 2:2.

Read the Material as Printed: Footnotes as well as information in parentheses or brackets are ordinarily read aloud if they clarify the printed text. The only exceptions are references that simply identify source material. A footnote should be read where it is referred to in the paragraph, prefacing it by stating: “The footnote reads . . .” After reading it, simply continue with the rest of the paragraph.

When public reading is done well, it is one of the vital ways that we can ‘teach others to observe all the things commanded’ by our Great Teacher.—Matt. 28:20.