the speech qualities on which you have been asked to work. Read over carefully the Study in this book that deals with the point being worked on, so as to know how it should affect your preparation and how to demonstrate the speech quality in your delivery. To aid you, principal aspects of each speech quality are set in bold type in this book. These are the main factors to consider.

¹⁸ After you deliver your talk, listen carefully to the oral counsel offered. Accept it appreciatively. Then work on the points that need attention. If you want to hasten your progress, do not wait until you have another talk. Study over the material in this book that discusses the points on which you need to work. Endeavor to apply the suggestions in your daily conversation. And by the time you give your next student talk you may well have mastered them.

¹⁹ Every student should aim for improvement with each succeeding talk he gives on the school program. True, this will mean continuous effort, but it will surely bring Jehovah’s blessing. For those who would gain the greatest benefit from the training of the Theocratic Ministry School, there is a particular significance in the words of Proverbs 19:20: “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, in order that you may become wise in your future.”

Study 21

Informative Material, Clearly Presented

1-3. Why is specific material needed to make one’s talk informative?

¹ Worthwhile talks start with diligent preparation, and that calls for time and effort. But how rewarding it is! You increase your fund of accurate knowledge and you have something really beneficial to share with your audience. Rather than speaking in generalities, you have illuminating details to offer, and you know that what you are saying is right. This builds up the audience’s appreciation for God’s Word, and so honors Jehovah. Our consideration of informative material particularly involves what you say in your talk. Briefly consider the various aspects of the matter. It is the first point on the Speech Counsel slip.

² Specific material. A talk dealing in generalities lacks weight and authority. It is vague. It leaves the audience uncertain. If ideas are to be remembered they must be specific, exact. This gives evidence of research and knowledge of the subject.

³ This quality can be acquired in preparation by asking, Why? When? Where? and so forth. It is usually not enough to say something happened. Give names of places, dates, perhaps reasons. It is not enough to state certain truths. Show why they are true; show why they are of value to know. If giving instruction, explain how a thing is to be done. How much development of this kind is essential will be determined by how much an audience already knows. So consider the audience to ascertain what details may be required.

4-6. For your talk to be informative to your particular audience, what factors must you keep in mind?

⁴ Informative to your audience. What might inform one audience might add nothing to the knowledge of another group, or it might even leave them completely in the dark. Obviously, then, the material must suit a particular audience. For instance, in a talk on how our work is conducted, the material would be handled altogether differently at a service meeting than in talking to a person getting ready to dedicate himself to Jehovah, or in a talk to a worldly group.

⁵ These factors must also be taken into account in the various assignments in the Theocratic Ministry School. The material presented in any assigned talk should be considered as to audience, setting and purpose of the talk. These factors will be determined by the type of talk and the setting the speaker has arranged. Of course, the instruction talk will be a talk to the congregation. Other talks may vary, the audience and purpose being identified by the setting. In all cases, both student and counselor can ask themselves, Is the material adapted to the particular audience involved in the presentation? Will the audience be informed and instructed by it?

⁶ In preparation ask yourself, What do I want to accomplish in this talk? How much of what I want to say does this person or group already know? What foundation must I lay before these points can be made clear? How would I say it differently to an altogether different group? Comparisons often clarify our viewpoints. Try different approaches to different groups in your preparation just to get the feel of the difference in considering the audience and making the material informative to the particular audience you are going to address.

7, 8. How can we make our talks practical?

⁷ Material of practical value. There is much to be learned, but not all of it is practical. To us, informative material concerns those things we need to know for Christian living, for our ministry. We want to know how to use this information that we have acquired.

⁸ The student, in preparation, and the school overseer, in counseling, might consider this point by asking: What guiding principles are to be found in the talk? Could the material be used in making decisions? Can the information presented be adapted to the field ministry? Does it magnify God’s Word and point to his purpose? Few talks can contribute all this information, but to be practical, material presented should be usable in some way by the audience.

9-11. Why is accuracy of statement so important?

⁹ Accuracy of statement. Jehovah’s witnesses are an organization of truth. We should want to speak the truth and be absolutely accurate in every detail at all times. This should be so not only as regards doctrine but also in our quotations, what we say about others or how we represent them, also in matters involving scientific data or news events.

¹⁰ Wrong statements delivered to an audience may be repeated and the error magnified. Inaccuracies that are recognized by an audience raise questions as to the authority of the speaker on other points, perhaps even calling in question the truth of the message itself. A newly interested person hearing such statements, and having heard a different view expressed on another occasion, might come to the conclusion there is disunity of thought among Jehovah’s witnesses and discontinue association without even revealing his reason.

¹¹ The counselor should not pick to pieces every statement made by the student, especially one new in the truth and therefore not fully established in the deeper things of God’s Word. Rather, he will tactfully help to mold the thinking of the student and show him how to improve his accuracy by careful advance preparation.

12, 13. What is the value of additional clarifying material?

¹² Additional clarifying material. Thoughts presented as a result of meditation or that may be gleaned from further research on a subject can contribute much to a talk and can sometimes avoid an uninstructive repetition of material already familiar to the audience. It adds freshness to the presentation, enlivens the interest of the audience, and can make a very familiar subject truly delightful. Also, it gives confidence to the speaker. He approaches his talk with an enthusiasm born of the knowledge that he has something just a little different to present.

¹³ A danger to be avoided is private speculation. The Society’s publications should be used and relied upon. Check the Society’s Indexes, and footnotes on the scriptures. Make sure that what you say is clarifying, not misrepresenting.

**********

14-16. What must be done in preparing a talk so as to state things simply?

¹⁴ In preparing your material it is also important to give careful attention to how you are going to say what you have to say. This is what the Speech Counsel slip refers to as “Clear, understandable.” Failure to give adequate attention to this can prevent you from reaching your audience, or it may hinder them in retaining what they hear. There are three principal aspects of this matter to consider.

¹⁵ Simply stated. This does not mean that phrases need to be thought out in advance. But ideas to be presented must be analyzed and certain definite factors taken into account. This will generally result in a talk that is compact and in expression of thought that is simple, spoken in plain language. A subject that is involved in the mind of the speaker will be involved in presentation.

¹⁶ Last-minute preparation must be avoided. Each point of the talk must be thought through all the way until it is simple and clear to the speaker. Review of these points in preparation for delivery will so sharpen them in his mind that they will come out readily when called for and will be as sparklingly clear to the audience as to the speaker.

17, 18. Why must unfamiliar terms be explained?

¹⁷ Unfamiliar terms explained. Our study of the Scriptures and the Watch Tower Society’s publications has given us a vocabulary of terms quite strange to those unacquainted with our work. If we were to explain the truths of the Bible to some audiences, using such terms as these, either much of what we say would be lost or our speech would be entirely unintelligible.

¹⁸ Consider your audience. What is the level of their understanding? How much do they know of our work? How many of these expressions will be as readily understood by them as by the speaker? Terms like “theocracy,” “remnant,” “other sheep,” even “Armageddon” and “Kingdom,” can convey either a different thought to the hearer’s mind or none at all. Even such terms as “soul,” “hell” and “immortality” need to be clarified if the hearer is unfamiliar with our work. But if the talk is being delivered to the congregation, terms such as these need not be explained. So the setting should be taken into account.

19, 20. How can we avoid having too much material?

¹⁹ Not too much material. A talk may contain so much information that the great quantity of material floods the audience and understanding is dulled or lost completely. To accomplish the purpose of a talk, no more material should be introduced than can be clearly developed in the allotted time. No more should be expressed than can be reasonably absorbed by the audience. Furthermore, material presented to a stranger or newly interested person would have to be considerably simplified as compared with material on that same subject when presented to the congregation. Here, too, the counselor must take into account the audience being addressed by the speaker.

²⁰ How will the student know how much material to put into a talk? Comparison will be an advantage in preparation. Analyze what you have to present. How many of these points will already be known to the audience, at least in part? How many will be completely new? The broader the foundation of knowledge already had, the more can be built upon it in a given time. But if practically nothing is known of the subject to be discussed, then great care must be exercised as to how much is going to be said and how long it will take to explain these points to the full comprehension of the audience.

Study 22

Effective Introductions

1-3. In the introduction of a talk by what means can you arouse interest for the subject?

¹ Arousing interest. The introduction of a talk should arouse interest in the subject. It ought to capture the attention of your audience and prepare them to give favorable consideration to what follows. To accomplish this, it is necessary to show the value of your subject to the audience.

² One of the best ways to arouse interest in a talk is to get your audience involved. Let them realize that this information is vital to them, that it concerns their life. In doing so you must start from the level of the audience. That means that what you say should be within the general knowledge of those listening. It might be an illustration, or a problem, or a series of questions. But it should always be something that will be familiar to your audience so that they can understand it and apply it to themselves.

³ It may be necessary, in some instances, to overcome prejudice in your introduction. If the subject being discussed is highly controversial, this may be particularly true. In such cases your introduction is vital if you are to hold your audience until the arguments establishing your point can be effectively covered. In the house-to-house ministry it is often possible to overcome a stock objection by mentioning it first in a tactful way and then proceeding with the material you wish to discuss.

4-6. What other factors will help our introductions to arouse interest?

⁴ What you say is always of primary importance. But to arouse interest through your introduction, how you say it is probably more important than in almost any other part of the talk. For this reason your introduction requires careful advance preparation not only as to what you are going to say but as to the manner in which you intend to deliver it.

⁵ Ordinarily, short, simple sentences will best accomplish your purpose in the introduction. Since word choice is so vital in accomplishing your objective in the short time available for the introduction, you might find it an advantage to prepare the first two or three sentences quite carefully. Write them out in your notes so that you can read them, or memorize them so that your opening words will carry all the impact they deserve and require. Besides, this will give you more confidence at the start and an opportunity to gain sufficient composure to carry on extemporaneously.

⁶ Just a few words further as regards delivery of your introduction, although your counselor will not be concerned with these points in connection with this speech quality. If you feel nervous, slow down and speak in a low-pitched voice. Speak with confidence, but avoid any impression of being dogmatic. Such bearing may alienate your audience at the outset.

7. When should you prepare your introduction?

⁷ Although the introduction to a talk is the first thing presented, it is usually prepared most effectively after the body of the talk has been well organized. This will allow you to know what it would be best to say in order to introduce properly the material that you have prepared.

**********

8-10. How can we make our introductions appropriate to the theme?

⁸ Appropriate to theme. Only if your introduction is appropriate to the theme will it lead into the subject effectively. Great care must be exercised to use in the introduction only what contributes to your purpose in speaking. It should, of course, be in keeping with the dignity of the Kingdom message and designed not to offend those who may be strangers in the audience.

⁹ Not only must your introduction lead into the subject of your discussion, but it must clearly present the particular aspect of the material that you are going to handle. This means limiting your subject to a specific theme and then, in some way, identifying that theme as much as is practical in your introduction. If you do not state the theme specifically, you might, in some instances, use key or theme words in the introduction. In this way your audience will not be expecting you to cover some other aspects of the subject that the title of your talk might suggest.

¹⁰ All talks should be a unified whole, not starting off with one thing and winding up with another. Furthermore, this matter of an introduction being appropriate to the theme must be balanced against making the introduction interest-arousing. In other words, the theme should not be sacrificed simply for a good story at the outset. The purpose of the talk should dominate in the selection of your material. And it must fit and cohere with the body of the talk.

**********

11-14. In what way can we determine if the introduction is of proper length?

¹¹ Of proper length. How long should an introduction be? There is no specific answer that will fit all situations. The length of an introduction depends upon the time allowed for the subject itself, the purpose of the talk, the audience involved and many similar considerations.

¹² In fact, in listening to a talk, it should usually be difficult, for the sake of continuity, to mark a clearly defined division between the introduction and the body. This is the problem your counselor will have in handling this quality on your Speech Counsel slip. Every student uses some introductory remarks in his talk, but the counselor will be interested in this: Is the introduction so rambling, so detailed, so lengthy, that your audience becomes restless before you get into the main arguments to be presented?

¹³ An introduction should proceed in a definite, orderly and rapid sequence of thought toward the subject without sacrificing interest-arousing qualities. It must be complete, with no gaps. This requires careful thought, because if your start is so remote from the subject that it demands lengthy and detailed explanation, then it would be best to revise your introduction and perhaps find a new starting point.

¹⁴ If it is difficult to find a marked division between the introduction and the body of the talk, then the chances are that your introduction is of proper length. It will indicate that you have so well brought your audience into the material that they are listening to your arguments without actually being aware of it. On the other hand, if they begin to wonder when you are going to get to the point, then you can be sure your introduction is too long. This is often a weakness in door-to-door presentations, where there is often a need to vary the length of your introductions from one door to the next.

15, 16. How long should the introduction of a talk be when it is part of a symposium?

¹⁵ When you are giving the only talk on the program, or giving a student talk, your introduction might be longer than on other occasions. But if your talk is part of a symposium, or if it is a part on a service meeting, then your introduction can be brief and to the point because it is a part of a unified whole that has already been introduced. Much time is consumed unnecessarily by lengthy, involved introductions. It is the body of the talk that is going to convey the ideas you have to present.

¹⁶ In summary, your introduction is only to establish contact, arouse interest and lead into the subject you are going to discuss. Do this with as much dispatch as is practicable and then get on into the real meat of your subject.

Study 23

Volume and Pausing

1, 2. Why must we speak loud enough?

¹ Unless others can readily hear you, the value of what you say will be lost. On the other hand, if your volume is too loud, it can irritate the audience and so detract from the fine thoughts that you have prepared. Our need to be concerned with adequate volume is evident in many Kingdom Halls, where those commenting at meetings from the front of the hall often cannot be heard by those in the rear. At times the one speaking from the platform may lack sufficient volume and so fail to inspire his audience. In the field service, too, we meet persons who are hard of hearing and there are noises with which to compete, whether from inside the homes on which we call or outdoors. All this indicates that we need to give careful consideration to proper volume.

² Loud enough to be comfortably heard. The first consideration in determining how much volume to use is best analyzed by the question, Was the necessary power of voice exercised? That is, were you heard in the back row without overwhelming those in the front? That might be a sufficient consideration for the beginning student, but those more advanced should endeavor to master the following aspects of the matter as well. The school overseer should determine to what extent each student will be counseled on this quality.

3-10. What circumstances help us to determine the amount of volume we should use?

³ Volume to fit circumstances. A speaker must be aware of varying conditions under which he speaks. It broadens his powers of discernment, makes him more flexible and allows him to reach and hold his audience with greater ease.

⁴ Conditions vary from hall to hall and with the size of the audience. To control the circumstances you must control your volume. Giving a talk in the Kingdom Hall requires more volume than in the living room of a newly interested person. Furthermore, a small group near the front of the hall, as at a meeting for field service, will require less volume than when the hall is filled, as at a service meeting.

⁵ But even these conditions are not constant. Sudden noises arise outside and inside the hall. The passing of a car, a nearby train, loud animal noises, the crying of children, a late arrival—all these require an adjustment in your power of voice. Failure to recognize them and compensate for them in volume will cause something, perhaps a vital point, to be missed.

⁶ Many congregations have amplifying equipment for the voice. But if care is not exercised in its use, and the volume fluctuates extremely from loud to soft, it might be necessary to counsel the student for lack of consideration of these circumstances. (See Study 13 on use of microphone.)

⁷ Occasionally a speaker will find this matter of volume difficult to master simply because of the quality of his voice. If this is your problem and your voice just does not carry, the school overseer will consider it in giving counsel. He might suggest certain exercises or a program of training that will help to develop and strengthen your voice. However, voice quality itself is a separate point for counsel and will not be stressed in considering your volume.

⁸ Not every existing circumstance can be judged in any one talk. Counsel should be given on the current talk, not on every possibility that might arise. However, if the need seems to exist, the school overseer might warn a student of possible problems that he might meet under different circumstances, even though the student is commended for his current talk and his counsel slip marked “G.”

⁹ How can a student determine whether his volume is ample? Audience reaction is one of the best barometers. An experienced speaker will closely observe those at the rear of the hall during his introduction and will be able to determine from their expression and general attitude whether they can hear comfortably, and he will vary his volume accordingly. Once he has acquired the “feel” of the hall, he will have no more difficulty.

¹⁰ Another means is to observe other speakers on the same program. Are they easily heard? How much volume are they using? Adjust yours accordingly.

11, 12. Why is it essential to have volume appropriate to material?

¹¹ Volume appropriate to material. This aspect of our discussion of volume should not be confused with modulation. At present we are interested in simply fitting the volume to the particular material being discussed. For example, if denunciations were being read from the Scriptures, obviously the volume would be regulated differently than if the student were reading counsel on love among the brothers. Compare also Isaiah 36:11 with Isa 36 verses 12 and 13 and note the differences that must have existed in the way these statements were spoken. Volume must be adapted to the material but should never be overdone.

¹² In deciding how much volume to use, analyze your material and your purpose carefully. If you want to change the thinking of your audience, do not drive them away by too much volume. However, if you want to stimulate them to spirited activity, perhaps volume could be stronger. If the material calls for strength, do not weaken it by speaking too softly.

**********

13-16. Point out the value of pausing.

¹³ In the delivery of your talk, properly placed pauses are almost as important as adequate volume. Without them, the meaning of statements easily becomes obscure and the main points that your audience ought to remember fail to make a lasting impression. Pauses give you confidence and poise, allow for better breath control and an opportunity to gain composure at difficult points of the speech. Pauses show the audience that you have the situation under control, that you are not unduly nervous, that you are considering your audience, and that you have something you want them to hear and remember.

¹⁴ A beginning speaker should lose no time in acquiring the ability to pause effectively. First, you must become convinced that what you have to say is important and that you want it to be remembered. A mother in correcting her child will at times preface her remarks by saying something to get his attention. She will not speak another word until the child has given full attention. Then she will say what is on her mind. She wants to make sure that the child will not ignore what she is saying and that it will be remembered.

¹⁵ Some people never pause, even in everyday speaking. If that is your problem you will want to cultivate this quality to improve the effectiveness of your ministry in the field. There our speaking is in the form of conversation. To pause in such a way that your householder will not interrupt but will listen and wait requires the right kind of pausing. But skill and proficiency in pausing in conversation is just as essential and just as rewarding as is the ability when exercised on the platform.

¹⁶ One serious problem in connection with the proper use of pausing in a discourse is having too much material. Avoid this. Allow time for pauses; they are essential.

17-21. Explain the importance of pausing for punctuation.

¹⁷ Pause for punctuation. Pausing for punctuation simply means for clarity of thought; to set off related ideas; to indicate phrases, clauses, ends of sentences and paragraphs. Often such changes can be indicated by inflection, but pauses are also effective to give oral punctuation to what is said. And as commas and semicolons have different significance in sentence divisions, so pauses should vary according to their use.

¹⁸ Misplaced pauses can completely change the thought of a sentence. An illustration of this is the words of Jesus at Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” If the comma or pause were put between the first “you” and “today” a completely different thought would result, as is evidenced by the common misinterpretation of this text. Correct pausing, therefore, is essential in order to convey the thought intended.

¹⁹ Learn to punctuate orally in extemporaneous speaking by observing all written punctuation when you read. The only written punctuation that can sometimes be ignored in reading is a comma. To pause or not to pause at a comma often is a matter of choice. But semicolons, periods, quotation marks, also paragraph divisions, all must be observed.

²⁰ You might find it helpful in reading a manuscript or a portion from the Bible to mark the copy. Draw a small vertical line between phrases where a brief pause (perhaps just a hesitation) is to be inserted; two lines or an “X” for a longer pause.

²¹ If, on the other hand, you find in your practice reading that certain sentences are awkward for you and you repeatedly pause in the wrong places, you might make pencil marks tying together all the words that make a phrase. Then, as you read, do not pause or hesitate until you come to the last one of the words hooked together. Many an experienced speaker does this.

22-24. Why is it necessary to pause for change of thought?

²² Pause for change of thought. In a transition from one main point to another, a pause gives the audience an opportunity to reflect. Besides, it prevents misunderstanding. It gives the mind a chance to adjust itself, to recognize the change in direction and follow the development of the new thought being presented. It is just as important for the speaker to pause in changing ideas as it is for the driver of an automobile to slow down to make a turn.

²³ In an extemporaneous talk, the material must be so organized in the outline as to allow for a pause between main points. This need not interfere with the continuity or coherence of the talk, but the ideas should be so well formulated that you can build a particular point to a climax, pause, and then go on to a new thought. Such climaxes and changes can even be marked in your outline, if necessary, to remind you.

²⁴ Pauses for change of thought are usually longer than pauses for punctuation; however, long pauses should not be overdone in a talk or the delivery will drag. Besides, they are likely to sound affected.

25-28. Show how pausing helps us to emphasize a point as well as to cope with disturbing circumstances.

²⁵ Pause for emphasis. A pause for emphasis is usually a dramatic pause. It creates expectancy or it gives the audience a chance to reflect.

²⁶ Pausing before an important point creates anticipation. A pause afterward allows the full import of the idea to sink in. These two uses of the pause are not the same, so you must decide which is most appropriate in a particular instance or whether both are to be used.

²⁷ Pauses for emphasis should be limited to highly significant statements, otherwise their value is lost.

²⁸ Pause when circumstances require it. Interruptions often require a speaker to pause momentarily. If a disturbance is not too severe and you can raise your volume and continue, ordinarily this would be best. But, if a disturbance is sufficient to interfere with the talk completely, then you must pause. Your audience will appreciate your consideration. Besides, many times they are not listening anyway, because the temporary disturbance has distracted them. So use pausing effectively, to be sure that your audience gets the full benefit of the good things that you want to tell them.

Study 24

Directing Attention to the Bible

1, 2. Why should we direct our hearers to the Bible?

¹ Our desire in the ministry is to direct the attention of everyone to God’s Word, the Bible. It contains the message that we preach, and we want the people to realize that what we say is not of our own originality but from God. People who love God have confidence in the Bible. When it is read to them, they listen and take its counsel to heart. But when they get out their own copy of the Bible and read it for themselves, the impression is considerably deepened. So, in the field ministry, when circumstances make it possible, it is wise to encourage the householder to get out his own copy of the Bible and look up the scriptures with you. Likewise, at congregation meetings, if all are encouraged to use their Bible, newer ones will more readily recognize that it is the source of our beliefs, and all will benefit from the added emphasis of visual impression.

² Therefore, you will have a decided advantage in fulfilling your purpose in speaking if those in your audience, wherever it is practical, follow your reading of Scripture texts in their own Bibles. Whether they do or not will depend to a great extent on whether you give them the proper encouragement. This is what is referred to on your Speech Counsel slip as “Audience encouraged to use the Bible.”

3, 4. How can we do this effectively?

³ By suggestion. One of the best ways is to extend a direct invitation to the audience to use the Bible; this method is frequently used. At times the same results can be had simply by saying where the texts are located before you read them; perhaps like this: “Now as we read 2 Timothy 3:1-5, think about the conditions in this very neighborhood.” Then, as you turn to the text yourself, glance around to see if the audience is taking advantage of the suggestion. Usually they will begin to look up the text too.

⁴ It is up to the speaker to decide which, if any, texts he wants to emphasize by having the audience look them up. Watch your audience. Be interested to see if they are following you. Even if for some reason you are required to give a manuscript talk, you can often handle key texts in such a way that the audience will follow you in their Bibles.

5, 6. Explain why it is beneficial to allow time for the audience to find scriptures we plan to read.

⁵ By allowing time to find the text. Merely citing a scripture is not sufficient. If you read it and then pass on to another before the audience has time to find it, they will eventually become discouraged and desist. Observe your audience, and when the majority have located the text, then it can be read.

⁶ It is usually advisable to make your citation of the text sufficiently in advance of your planned reading so that valuable time is not lost through frequent long pauses or unnecessary “fill in” while the audience is finding the text. Yet appropriate pausing here is proper. On the other hand, if the citation is made early in your introduction to the text, you must have in mind that some of the things you say will not be as closely followed. So in such a case those things that are pertinent to the advance argument would have to be stated before the citation was given.

**********

7-18. What methods can be used to introduce Scripture texts effectively?

⁷ The scriptures that are used in a talk are ordinarily the focal points of the talk. Arguments center around these texts. How much they will contribute to the talk, then, depends upon how effectively they are used. So the matter of “Scriptures properly introduced,” which is noted on your Speech Counsel slip, is an important one for consideration.

⁸ There is a great variety of ways in which a Scripture text can be introduced, read and applied. Sometimes, for instance, the introduction of the text not only leads into the reading but also makes the application, so that the reading itself only emphasizes or clinches the point. On the other hand, some texts are used with telling effect when no word of introduction is spoken, as, for instance, in the very opening of a talk.

⁹ To learn how to introduce scriptures effectively, analyze what experienced speakers do. Try to identify different ways that scriptures are introduced. Consider their effectiveness. In preparing your own talks give advance consideration to what the text is to accomplish, especially if it is a key text to a main point. Plan its introduction carefully so that it will be used with the most telling effect. Here are a few suggestions:

¹⁰ A question. Questions demand answers. They stimulate thinking. Allow the text and its application to supply the answer. For instance, in discussing blood transfusion, you may be introducing Acts 15:28, 29, after having established the prohibition according to the Hebrew Scriptures. You could introduce the text by asking, “But is this same prohibition binding upon Christians? Note this authoritative ruling of the governing body of the early congregation as they were moved by the holy spirit.”

¹¹ A statement or principle, to be supported by the text introduced. For example, in a talk on delinquency you might say: “Even our choice of companions is an important factor in what our attitude might be toward right and wrong.” Then you could read Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 15:33 as support for your statement.

¹² Citing the Bible as authority. Especially for secondary texts you might simply say: “Note what God’s Word states on this point.” This is cause enough to look with expectation to the text and it provides a clear reason for using it.

¹³ A problem. In a talk on “hell” you might say: “If man is to suffer in eternal flames of fire, that would mean that he must be conscious after death. But notice what Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 says.”

¹⁴ Multiple choice. If a direct question or problem might be too difficult for a particular audience, present several possibilities and allow the text and its application to provide the answer. In talking to a Catholic you might want to use Matthew 6:9 to show to whom prayer should properly be directed. A direct question or problem might turn your householder’s mind in the wrong direction, so you might say: “There are many views on the matter of to whom we should pray. Some say Mary, others say to one of the ‘saints,’ but some say we should pray only to God. Here is what Jesus said.”

¹⁵ Historical background. If you were to use Hebrews 9:12 in a talk on the ransom to show that Jesus, by offering his own blood, “obtained an everlasting deliverance for us,” you might find it necessary to preface your reading of the text with a brief explanation of the “holy place” in the tabernacle, which, Paul indicates, pictured the place Jesus entered.

¹⁶ Context. Sometimes the setting of a text as explained in the surrounding verses is helpful in introducing a scripture. For instance, in your use of the scripture at Luke 20:25 to show what it means to “pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar,” you may find an advantage in explaining Jesus’ use of a coin with Caesar’s inscription, as the account is related in the context.

¹⁷ Combination. Of course, combinations of these methods are also possible and often profitable.

¹⁸ The introduction to a scripture should arouse sufficient anticipation to command attention when the text is read and it should focus attention on your reason for using the text.

19, 20. How can we determine if we have aroused anticipation for the text cited?

¹⁹ Anticipation for scriptures aroused. How can you know when you have aroused anticipation for a text? By audience reaction primarily, but also by the way in which you introduce the text. If the audience would be left up in the air because you failed to read the text after introducing it, or if you left a question unanswered in your introduction, then you can be sure you have aroused interest in the text. Of course, the introduction must be in keeping with the subject and with the text to be introduced. And either the text itself or the application that follows must answer the question that the introduction has left open.

²⁰ The introduction to the text might be likened to the bugle sound that precedes a proclamation. The herald does not present himself to play an entire concert. Rather, the rousing notes of his bugle center all interest and attention on the proclamation. Introduced in this way, your selected text will be heard with keen enjoyment and benefit.

21. Why should we focus attention on our reason for using a text?

²¹ Attention focused on reason for using text. While an introduction to a text may leave a question unanswered, still it should at least provide some reason to show why the text is appropriate and worthy of full attention. For example, in a discussion of the earth as man’s permanent home you might be preparing to use Revelation 21:3, 4. Along with your preliminary argument you might say: “Now in this next scripture, Revelation 21:3, 4, look for the place where the tent of God will be when suffering and death are no more.” Not only have you aroused anticipation by leaving something for the text to reveal, but you have also focused attention on the significant part of your text, which you can easily apply to your argument after reading the text. By thus directing attention to the actual content of the scripture, you emphasize the importance of God’s Word.

Study 25

Reading and Applying Scriptures

1-3. When giving talks, how should we read scriptures?

¹ When you speak to others about the purposes of God, whether privately or from the public platform, your discussion centers around scriptures that you read from the Bible. So the actual reading of those scriptures ought to be done well. It should not be done in a matter-of-fact way. Rather, it should bring an added stimulation to your presentation if the reading is to accomplish its purpose. For this reason the Speech Counsel slip lists “Scriptures read with emphasis” as something for special consideration by everyone who wants to be a capable minister.

² Scriptures should be read with feeling, but it should not be overdone. The amount of expression given to a text should depend upon the text itself and its setting in the talk. It should bring the argument to a high point but should not attract attention to the reading.

³ Furthermore, the reading should focus attention on the part of the text that supports your argument. It should drive home the point so that the audience is convinced. Thus, reading scriptures with proper emphasis instills confidence. It makes the reading authoritative.

4, 5. What is meant by “right words stressed”? Illustrate.

⁴ Right words stressed. The reason for which a text is being read should govern what is going to be stressed. If every thought expressed in the text is emphasized equally, nothing will stand out and your point of argument will be lost. So make certain that the words that are given primary stress are those that carry the thought for which the scripture is used.

⁵ For example, if you are using Ezekiel 18:4 to prove that sin leads, not to eternal torment, but to death, you would read it in this way: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die,” with special emphasis on the italicized words. But if the point that you are making is that it is not merely the body but actually the soul that dies, you would shift the emphasis, reading: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” Your placement of emphasis should be determined by the reason why you are reading the scripture.

6-12. In what ways can we stress the thought-carrying words of a text?

⁶ Effective method of emphasis used. The thought-carrying words that you want to stand out can be stressed in a number of ways, and the means you use should be in keeping with the scripture and the setting of the talk.

⁷ This aspect of the quality “Scriptures read with emphasis” is not intended to exhaust all possible means of oral emphasis. You will deal with these details more fully when you study sense stress. But a few methods are listed here to assist you in acquiring the ability to read your Scripture texts effectively.

⁸ Voice stress. This involves any change in voice, whether in pitch, pace or power, that makes the thought-carrying words stand out from the rest of the sentence.

⁹ Pausing. This may be done either before or after the key portion of your scripture, or both. Pausing immediately before you read a principal thought creates anticipation; pausing afterward deepens the impression made.

¹⁰ Repetition. Emphasis can be gained on a particular point by interrupting yourself and rereading the word or phrase. This method should be handled with discretion.

¹¹ Gestures. Body movement, as well as facial expression, can often help to punctuate a word or phrase.

¹² Tone of voice. Occasionally the tone in which words are read can affect their meaning and set them apart, but, here also, discretion should be exercised, especially in using sarcasm.

13, 14. When a householder reads a text, how can we stress its key points?

¹³ Texts householder reads. When a householder reads a text, he may stress the wrong words or none at all. What can you do then? Generally in such a case it is best to resort to your application of the text to emphasize the points you want stressed. After the reading is completed, you might draw the householder’s attention to these words by repeating them or asking questions.

¹⁴ There is another way this can be handled, but it requires caution and tact. You might interrupt the reading at the proper point, excusing yourself as you do so, and then draw particular attention to the word or phrase being read that you want to emphasize. If this can be done without embarrassing or antagonizing the householder it can be effective, but it should be done sparingly.

**********

15-17. Why is it important to make the scripture application clear?

¹⁵ Reading a text, even with emphasis, is usually not enough to accomplish your purpose. Occasionally, it is true, the scripture itself might serve as the application of the idea you intend in your argument. But, for the most part, it is necessary to draw attention again to the thought-carrying words in the text and then show how they apply to the argument. This is what the Speech Counsel slip refers to as “Scripture application made clear.” Remember, the average person is unfamiliar with the Bible and cannot absorb your point in just one reading. Reemphasizing the key words and applying them permit the ideas to sink in.

¹⁶ If it is to be possible for you to apply a text, it must be appropriate to your argument and, generally, it must be properly introduced. Then, having in mind teaching, you will want to make your application as simple as possible.

¹⁷ Furthermore, you must have a clear understanding of the text and your application must be accurate. Consider the context, the principles employed or the persons involved when your use of the scripture calls for it. Never use a scripture in a way that is out of harmony with what the writer intended. Follow the Society’s publications closely on application.

18. How can we effectively isolate key words to be applied?

¹⁸ Words to be applied isolated. Before or during the applying of the text the key words should usually be reemphasized. This is to make certain that everything in the text not related to your argument will be subordinated or made secondary. The words themselves that appear in the text need not actually be repeated to do this, although that is generally the way it is done. But in certain instances you can, in some other way, effectively focus your audience’s attention on the isolated thoughts being considered. One way you can do this is simply to use synonyms in restating your idea. Another is to ask questions. If your presentation involves a householder, your questions can be phrased to draw the key thoughts from the other person.

19-22. What follow-through is referred to by “point of introduction driven home”?

¹⁹ Point of introduction driven home. This simply means to make certain that your purpose in using the text is clearly understood and appreciated. It may be you have not found it necessary or desirable for some reason to make a formal introduction to the text. That does not mean the point of the text need not be driven home. But, as a rule, you have made at least some advance preparation for your argument before the text is read. Now you must see that there is some follow-through to round out the use of the text.

²⁰ Your audience and the importance of the point in the overall presentation of material will determine the extent to which application must be made. It is generally not enough just to discuss the text. You must connect the thoughts emphasized in the text to your introductory argument. You must plainly state what that connection is.

²¹ The simpler your application can be, and still accomplish your purpose, the better it will be. It should be free from all unrelated details. This can be accomplished by reducing your argument to the fewest possible facts and then adding only what is necessary to make them understandable. If something has been left unanswered in the introduction, your application must supply it.

²² At this point of progress in the Speech Training program, simplicity and directness should be your goal. When you achieve it, your reading and applying of scriptures will reflect the ability of a skilled teacher.

Study 26

Use of Repetition and Gestures

1-3. Why is repetition an essential teaching technique?

¹ Your purpose in talking should be to impart information that your audience will remember and be able to use. If they forget it, the benefit is lost. One of the principal means by which you can help them to fix in mind what you say is to repeat the points that are most important. It has fittingly been said that repetition is the mother of retention. Repetition is one of the essential teaching techniques. You have already learned its value in connection with your use of scriptures. But “Repetition for emphasis” is listed separately on your Speech Counsel slip because it applies to other parts of your talk too.

² To assist you to become proficient in using repetition for emphasis, we are going to view the matter from two different aspects. Each concerns a different means of repetition; each has a different purpose in view. A repetition of main points serves as a memory aid. A repetition of points not understood assists understanding.

³ Not only delivery but also preparation is vital in considering this quality. You need to determine in advance which ideas call for repetition and when it would be best to repeat them.

4-6. Describe how the “progressive” summary and the “concluding” summary can be used to repeat main points.

⁴ Repetition of main points. A repetition of main points is frequently accomplished by some type of summary. We will discuss two outstanding types, calling them “progressive” summary and “concluding” summary.

⁵ The progressive summary consists of reviewing the essentials of each main point as it is considered, drawing into each successive summary the essentials of the main points that have preceded it. In this way the thread of the talk is constantly being drawn tighter.

⁶ At the end of the talk, a concluding summary, whether used with progressive summaries or not, draws everything together and the whole talk can be reviewed in a few brief statements. Occasionally it will assist to mention the exact number of points that are going to be reviewed. This is a further memory aid.

7-10. How can summary-type repetition of points be interestingly developed?

⁷ A summary need not be a dry repetition or restatement of points or ideas. It can be accomplished in a variety of ways: by illustration, by the use of a scripture, by approaching the matter from a different viewpoint, by comparisons or contrasts, by drawing parallels, by using synonyms or questions. To demonstrate, a very practical summary of a public talk might be a short, five-minute portion, employing the basic Scripture texts and major arguments of the talk. Here is the entire talk in capsule form, something almost everyone can carry away and use.

⁸ The summary type of repetition is particularly helpful in connection with talks involving reason and logic, and the time lapse between the discussion and the brief review helps in embedding the thoughts more deeply in the minds of the audience. However, it is not always necessary to summarize a point. It can often simply be restated later as an effective basis for another point that is to be developed.

⁹ Another way that main points can be repeated is by outlining them in the introduction of the talk, then by following with an extensive development of these points in the body. This repetition further embeds the thoughts in the mind.

¹⁰ By becoming acquainted with these different ways of repeating main points, much can be done to make a talk interesting and enjoyable as well as making it easier to remember.

11-14. What key factors are involved in repeating points not understood?

¹¹ Repetition of points not understood. Whether to repeat a point for understanding depends almost entirely upon your audience. If it is an essential point and it would not be clear to them without having the opportunity to hear it stated more than once, you must reconsider it in some way or you will arrive at the conclusion of your talk unaccompanied by your audience. On the other hand, needless repetition, that which is not employed for emphasis, will make the talk wordy and uninteresting.

¹² Keep your audience in mind in preparing the talk. It should enable you somewhat to anticipate the particular problems your audience might have. Prepare to repeat such ideas in some way so that they can be seen from different viewpoints.

¹³ How can you know if you are not being understood? Look at your audience. Observe facial expressions or, if talking to one or two persons, ask questions.

¹⁴ But note this well: Repeating the same words will not always accomplish your purpose. There is more to teaching than that. If your audience did not understand you the first time, merely saying the same words over again may not be enough to make you better understood. What can you do about it? You must become adaptable. It might call for impromptu additions to your talk. Your learning to cope with the needs of the audience will determine to a great extent your effectiveness as a teacher.

**********

15-18. How can one learn to use descriptive gestures?

¹⁵ Gestures, too, add emphasis to what you say, and they often reinforce the meaning of the spoken word. In this way they supplement and vitalize the ideas. Practically no one talks without some form of gesturing. So, if you do not gesture on the platform, your audience will know you are not at ease. But when you gesture naturally, the audience will not think of you; they will think of what you are saying. Gestures aid you by animating you, stirring up your feelings and thus enlivening your presentation. They should not be taken from some book. You never studied how to smile or laugh or be indignant, so it is not necessary to copy someone else’s gestures, and the more naturally and spontaneously they come the better. Facial expressions go hand in hand with gesturing in giving feeling to the spoken word.

¹⁶ Gestures fall into two general classifications as to their nature: descriptive and emphatic.

¹⁷ Descriptive gestures. Descriptive gestures express action or show dimension and location. These are the easiest to learn. So, if you have a problem with gesturing on the platform, try simple, descriptive gestures first.

¹⁸ When you are working on this quality in the school, do not be content with just one or two gestures. Try to gesture often throughout the talk. In order to do this, look for words that show direction, distance, size, area, speed, location, contrast, relative positions or comparison. If necessary, mark these words in some way in your notes, in order to remind you to gesture at that point. Continue this practice, even though you receive a “G” the first time. After a few talks you will find that you no longer need to mark your gestures or think of them in advance and you will gesture naturally.

19, 20. Emphatic gestures serve what purpose?

¹⁹ Emphatic gestures. Emphatic gestures express feeling and conviction. They punctuate, vitalize and reinforce ideas. Therefore emphatic gestures are essential. But, beware! Emphatic gestures are usually the kind that become mannerisms. To prevent this, avoid repetitious gestures.

²⁰ If your problem is mannerisms in gesturing, limit yourself solely to descriptive gestures for a time. Once you have become adept in gestures of this type, emphatic gestures should become a matter of course. As you gain experience and become more at ease on the platform, your emphatic gestures will express your inner feelings naturally, demonstrating your conviction and sincerity. They will add meaning to your speech.

Study 27

Highlighting the Theme and Main Points

1-4. Explain what is meant by the theme of a talk.

¹ Every talk needs a theme in order to give it direction and to tie all its parts together in a pleasing way. Whatever your theme may be, it must permeate the entire talk. It is the gist of your talk; it could be expressed perhaps in one sentence and yet it would include each aspect of the material presented. The theme should be obvious to everyone in the audience, and it will be if it is properly emphasized.

² The theme of a talk is not simply a broad subject, such as “faith”; it is the particular aspect from which that subject is discussed. For example, the theme might be “Your Faith—How Far Does It Reach?” Or it could be “Faith Needed to Please God” or “The Foundation of Your Faith” or “Keep On Growing in Faith.” Although these themes all center on faith, they each view the subject in a different way and require development along completely different lines.

³ In some instances you may have to gather material before your theme is selected. But the theme must be clearly established before preparation is begun on the outline of the talk or before the main points are selected. For instance, following each home Bible study you may wish to discuss the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses. That is a broad subject. To decide what you will say on this subject, you must consider your audience and the purpose of your talk. On this basis you will select a theme. If you were trying to start a new person in the service, you might decide to show that Jehovah’s witnesses imitate Jesus Christ by preaching from house to house. That would be your theme. Everything you say would be to develop that phase of the broad subject, Jehovah’s witnesses.

⁴ How can you emphasize a theme in your talk? First, you must select an appropriate theme, one suited to your purpose. This requires advance preparation. Once the theme has been selected and your talk developed around it, it will almost automatically be emphasized if you talk on the outline that you have prepared. However, in actual delivery, the repeating of key words or the central idea in the theme from time to time will more readily ensure the theme’s being driven home.

5, 6. How can you determine whether a theme is appropriate?

⁵ Appropriate theme. In the Theocratic Ministry School it is often no problem to have an appropriate theme, because in many cases one is provided for you. But this will not be true of every talk that you are called on to give. So it is wise to give careful consideration to the theme.

⁶ What determines whether a theme is appropriate? Several things. You must consider your audience, your objective, and the material that you have been assigned to cover, if such is the case. If you find that you give talks in which no theme is emphasized, it may be that you are not actually building your talk around any central idea. You may be including in the talk too many points that really do not contribute to the theme.

7, 8. Show ways that one can highlight the theme.

⁷ Theme words or idea repeated. One way that all parts of a talk can be made to highlight the theme is to repeat key words stated in the theme or to repeat the central idea of the theme. In music, a theme is a melody repeated often enough to characterize the entire composition. In fact, generally just a few measures are enough to make the number recognizable. The melody does not always reappear in the same form. Sometimes only a phrase or two of the melody occurs, occasionally a variation on the theme is used, but, in one way or another, the composer skillfully weaves his melody in and out of the composition until it permeates the whole and characterizes it.

⁸ So it should be with the theme of a talk. The key words or theme idea repeated is like the recurring melody of a composition. Synonyms of these words or the central theme idea rephrased serves as a variation on the theme. Such means employed discreetly enough not to become monotonous will cause the subject theme to become the characteristic expression of the entire talk and it will be the main thought your audience will carry away.

**********

9-13. Explain what the main points in a talk are. Illustrate.

⁹ After determining the theme of your talk, the next step in preparation is to select the main points that you plan to use in developing it. On your Speech Counsel slip this is listed as “Main points made to stand out.”

¹⁰ What are the main points in a talk? They are not simply interesting ideas or points that are briefly stated in passing. They are the main sections of the talk, the ideas that are developed at some length. They are like shelf labels or signs in grocery stores that help one to identify what a section of shelves contains, and they govern what may be included in that section and what ought to be left out. Under the label CEREALS, jams and jellies would be out of place and only confuse persons. Under the sign COFFEE AND TEA, rice would not belong. If the shelf labels are hidden because of overcrowding or overloading, then it is difficult to find anything. But if the signs remain clearly visible, a person can quickly recognize what is before him. So it is with the main points of your talk. As long as they can be perceived and kept in mind, your audience will need very few notes to follow you to your conclusion.

¹¹ Another factor. The selection and use of main points will vary according to the audience and purpose of the talk. For this reason, the school overseer should evaluate the student’s choice of main points on the basis of the student’s use of them, not on an arbitrary selection of points the counselor may have made in advance.

¹² In making your selection choose only the essentials. So, ask, what makes a point essential? It is essential if you cannot accomplish the purpose of your talk without it. For example, in a discussion of the ransom with a person unacquainted with the doctrine, it is vital to establish Jesus’ humanity on earth, otherwise it would be impossible to demonstrate the corresponding quality of his sacrifice. Therefore you would consider this to be one of the main points of the discussion. But if you had already proved to this person that the Trinity was a false concept, then your discussion of the position that Jesus occupied as a human might be only secondary because of its already being accepted. And because of this it would then be comparatively simple to establish the corresponding value of Jesus’ ransom. In that case the consideration of Jesus’ humanity would not be an essential.

¹³ So ask yourself, What does my audience already know? What must I establish to accomplish my purpose? If you know the answer to the first question, you can answer the second by gathering your material, temporarily setting aside all matters that are known and sorting out all the remaining points into the fewest possible groups. These groups become your identifying signs as to what spiritual food you are presenting to the audience. These labels or main points must never become covered up or hidden. They are your main points, which must stand out.

14-17. Give reasons why we should not have too many main points.

¹⁴ Not too many main points. There are only a few essentials on any subject. In the majority of cases they can be numbered on one hand. This is true regardless of the time you have in which to present them. Do not fall into the common snare of trying to make too many points stand out. When a grocery store gets too big and there are too many categories, one may have to ask for directions. Your audience can reasonably grasp only so many different ideas at one sitting. And the longer your talk, the simpler it must be made and the stronger and more sharply defined your key points must be. So do not try to make your audience remember many things. Select those points that you feel they absolutely must carry away and then spend all your time talking about these.

¹⁵ What determines whether there are too many points or not? Simply stated, if any idea could be left out and the purpose of the talk still be accomplished, that point is not a key point. To round out the talk you may decide to include the point as a connective or a reminder, but it should not stand out as prominently as those that could not possibly be omitted.

¹⁶ Another thing, you must have sufficient time to develop each point successfully, conclusively. If much must be said in a short time, hold the matters known to the audience down to a minimum. Strip away all but the unfamiliar factors and make them so clear that it will be difficult for the audience to forget them.

¹⁷ Lastly, your talk must give an impression of simplicity. This does not always depend on the amount of material presented. It may be just the way your points are grouped together. For example, if you were to walk into a store where everything was piled together in the middle of the floor, it would look crowded and most confusing. You would have difficulty finding anything. But, when everything is properly arranged and all related items are grouped together and identified by a section sign, the effect is quite pleasing and any one item can be easily located. Make your talk simple by grouping your thoughts under just a few main ideas.

18. How should main points be developed?

¹⁸ Main ideas developed separately. Each main thought must stand on its own. Each must be developed separately. This does not prevent a brief outline or summary of the main headings in the introduction or conclusion of your talk. But in the body of the talk you should talk about only one main idea at a time, allowing only such overlapping or regressions as may be needed for connections or emphasis. Learning to make a topical outline will greatly aid in determining whether main points are developed separately.

19-21. How should sub-points be employed?

¹⁹ Sub-points focus on main ideas. Points of proof, scriptures, or other material presented should focus attention on the main idea and amplify it.

²⁰ In preparation, analyze all secondary points and keep only what directly contributes to that main point, either to clarify, prove or amplify the point. Anything irrelevant should be eliminated. It will only confuse the issue.

²¹ Any point related to a main idea should be directly connected to that thought by what you say. Do not leave it to the audience to apply. Make the connection clear. Say what the connection is. What is not spoken will generally not be understood. This can be accomplished by repeating key words that express the main thought or by repeating the idea of the main point from time to time. When you master the art of focusing all your sub-points on the main points of the talk, and tying in each main point with the theme, your talks will take on a delightful simplicity that will make them easy to give and hard to forget.

Study 28

Audience Contact and Use of Notes

1. Explain the importance of audience contact and the part use of notes plays in this.

¹ Having good contact with your audience is a great aid in teaching. It wins their respect and enables you to teach more effectively. Your contact with them should bring you into such close touch that their every reaction is immediately felt by you as speaker. Your use of notes plays an important part in determining whether you have such audience contact or not. Extensive notes can be a hindrance; but skilled use of notes is not disturbing, even if the circumstances require that they be somewhat longer than usual. That is because a speaker who is skilled does not lose his contact with the audience by looking at the notes either too much or at the wrong time. On your Speech Counsel slip this is given attention, and it is listed as “Audience contact, use of notes.”

2-5. What makes for effective visual contact with the audience?

² Visual contact with the audience. Visual contact means to see your audience. It means not just looking at the audience but looking at the individuals in the audience. It means seeing the expressions on their faces and reacting accordingly.

³ Looking at your audience does not mean simply a rhythmic movement from one side to the other so that no one is missed. Look at someone in the audience and say a sentence or two to that individual. Then look at another and say a few more sentences to that person. Do not stare at anyone so long that he is embarrassed and do not concentrate on only a few persons in the entire audience. Continue to move throughout the audience in this way, but, as you speak to a person, really talk to that one and notice his reaction before you pass on to another. Your notes should be placed on the speakers’ stand or in your hand or Bible so that you can look at them quickly, with only an eye movement. If it is necessary to move your entire head to see your notes, audience contact will suffer.

⁴ Your counselor will observe not only how often you use your notes but when you look at them. If you are looking at your notes while you are reaching a climax, you will not see your audience’s reaction. If you are constantly consulting your notes, you will also lose contact. This generally indicates either a nervous habit or insufficient preparation for delivery.

⁵ There are times at which experienced speakers are called on to give an entire talk from a manuscript, and, of course, this somewhat limits their visual contact with the audience. But if they are well acquainted with the material as a result of good preparation, they are able to look at their audience from time to time without losing their place, and this is a stimulus to expressive reading on their part.

6-9. Point out another means of gaining audience contact, and the pitfalls that must be guarded against.

⁶ Audience contact by direct address. This is just as essential as visual contact. It involves the words you use in addressing your audience.

⁷ When you talk to one person privately you address him directly by saying “you,” “your” or “we,” “our.” Where it is appropriate, you can speak in the same way to a larger audience. Try to view your talk as a conversation with one or two persons at a time. Watch them closely enough so that you can respond to them as though they had actually spoken to you. This will personalize your delivery.

⁸ A word of caution though. Avoid the danger of becoming too familiar with your audience. You need not become intimate any more than you would in dignified conversation with one or two persons at a door in the field ministry, but you can and should be just as direct.

⁹ Another danger. You must be judicious in your use of personal pronouns and not cast your audience in an undesirable light. For instance, in a talk on delinquency, you would not use a form of address that would infer your audience were the delinquents. Or, if you were discussing low hours in the service meeting, you might include yourself in the talk, using the pronoun, “we” instead of always saying “you.” Thoughtfulness and consideration should easily overcome any danger of this sort.

**********

10, 11. What should encourage us to learn to use an outline?

¹⁰ Use of outline. Few beginning speakers start out by speaking from an outline. Usually they will write the talk out in advance and then either read it or deliver it from memory. Your counselor will overlook this at the beginning, but when you come to “Use of outline” on your Speech Counsel slip he is going to encourage you to speak from notes. When you master it, you will find that you have taken a great stride forward as a public speaker.

¹¹ Children and adults who cannot even read give talks, using illustrations to suggest ideas. You can prepare your talk with a simple outline too, the same as the Scripture presentations that are outlined in Kingdom Ministry. You speak regularly without a manuscript in the field ministry. You can do it just as easily in the school, once you make up your mind to it.

12, 13. Give suggestions on how to make an outline.

¹² Since working on this quality is to help you to get away from a manuscript, both in preparation and in delivery, do not memorize your talk. It will defeat the purpose of this Study.

¹³ If you are using scriptures, you can ask yourself the adverbial questions, How? Who? When? Where? and so forth. Then, as they fit your material, use these questions as part of your notes. In giving the talk simply read a scripture, ask yourself or your householder these questions, as appropriate, and answer them. It can be as simple as that.

14, 15. What factors should not discourage us?

¹⁴ Beginners often are concerned that they will forget something. However, if you have developed your talk logically, no one will even miss a thought if you do overlook it. Coverage of material is not the main consideration at this stage anyway. It is more important for you now to learn to talk from an outline.

¹⁵ It is possible that in giving this talk you will feel you have lost many of the qualities already learned. Do not be alarmed. They will return and you will find yourself more proficient at them once you can learn to speak without a manuscript.

16, 17. In making notes, what should we remember?

¹⁶ Just a word about notes used for talks in the ministry school. They should be used to recall ideas, not to recite them. Notes should be brief. They should also be neat, orderly and legible. If your setting is a return visit, your notes should be inconspicuous, perhaps inside your Bible. If it is a platform talk and you know you are going to be using a speakers’ stand, then notes should be no problem. But if you are not sure, prepare accordingly.

¹⁷ Another aid is to write the theme at the top of your notes. Main points should also stand out clearly to the eye. Try writing them in all capital letters or underlining them.

18, 19. How can we practice using an outline?

¹⁸ Your use of only a few notes in delivering your talk does not mean you can skimp on preparation. Prepare the talk in detail first, making as complete an outline as you wish. Then, prepare a second, much briefer, outline. This is the outline that you will actually use to deliver the talk.

¹⁹ Now put both outlines in front of you and, looking only at the abbreviated outline, say just as much as you can on the first main point. Next, glance at the more detailed outline and see what you have overlooked. Go on to the second main point in your abbreviated outline and do the same. In time, the shorter outline will become so familiar to you that you can recall everything in the more detailed outline just by looking at your few brief notes. With practice and experience you will begin to appreciate the advantages of extemporaneous speaking and will use a manuscript only when absolutely required. You will feel more relaxed when you speak and your audience will listen with greater respect.

Study 29

Fluent, Conversational Delivery with Proper Pronunciation

1-4. List the causes and symptoms of lack of fluency.

¹ When you get up in front of an audience to give a talk, do you find that you are often groping for the right words? Or, when reading aloud, do you stumble over certain expressions? If so, you have a problem with fluency. A fluent person is one who is ready in the use of words. It does not mean a “glib” person, that is, one who is thoughtlessly or insincerely free with words. It is smooth or pleasingly graceful speech, flowing with ease or freedom. Fluency is listed on the Speech Counsel slip for special attention.

² In speaking, the more common causes for lack of fluency are lack of clear thinking and preparation of the material. It can also result from a weak vocabulary or a poor choice of words. In reading, the lack of fluency is usually because of a lack of practice in reading aloud, although here too a lack of knowledge of words will cause stumbling or hesitancy. In the field ministry, a lack of fluency can be a combination of these factors coupled with timidity or uncertainty. There the problem is particularly serious because in some instances your audience will literally walk out on you. In the Kingdom Hall your audience will not literally walk out but their minds will wander and much of what you say will be lost. So it is a serious matter; fluency is certainly a quality to acquire.

³ Many speakers have the disconcerting mannerism of inserting such expressions as “and-uh” or similar “word whiskers.” If you are unaware of the frequency with which you add such expressions to your speech, you might try a practice session in which you have someone listen and repeat these expressions after you each time you say them. You might be surprised.

⁴ Other persons always speak with regressions, that is, beginning a sentence, then interrupting themselves and starting all over again. If you are afflicted with this bad habit, try overcoming it in your daily conversation. Make a conscious effort to think first and get the thought clearly in mind. Then say the complete thought without stopping or changing ideas in “midstream.”

5-10. What suggestions are given to improve a speaker’s fluency?

⁵ Another thing. We are accustomed to using words as we express ourselves. So words should come naturally if we know exactly what we want to say. You need not think of the words. In fact, it is better for the sake of practice just to make certain that the idea is clear in your mind and 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 should come automatically and your thoughts should be expressed as you really feel them. But as soon as you begin to think of words rather than ideas your speech will become halting.

⁶ If your problem in fluency is a matter of word choice, then some regular study in building a vocabulary is called for. In The Watchtower and other publications of the Society take special note of words that are unfamiliar to you and add some of them to your daily vocabulary.

⁷ Since lack of fluency in reading is generally due to an unfamiliarity with words, you would do well to practice reading aloud regularly and systematically if this is your problem.

⁸ One way this can be done is to select a paragraph or two of material and silently read it over carefully until you are familiar with the entire thought of the portion. Isolate thought groups, marking them if necessary. Then begin to practice reading this portion aloud. In practice, read it over repeatedly until you can read entire thought groups without one hesitation or halting in wrong places.

⁹ Unfamiliar or difficult words should be pronounced over and over until they are easy for you to say. After you can say the word alone, then read the entire sentence with that word in it until you can add it to the sentence just as freely as you can the more familiar words.

¹⁰ Also, practice sight-reading regularly. For example, always read the daily text and comments aloud the first time you see them. Become accustomed to allowing your eye to take in words as groups, expressing complete thoughts, rather than seeing just one word at a time. If you practice, you can conquer this vital quality of effective speaking and reading.

**********

11-15. How does conversational quality depend on the expressions used?

¹¹ Another desirable speech characteristic noted on the counsel slip is “Conversational quality.” It is something that you have in everyday life, but do you have it when you get up to give a talk? Somehow, persons who easily converse even with a large group often become very formal and somewhat “preachy” when called on to prepare in advance to “give a talk.” Yet the most effective manner of public speaking is the conversational style.

¹² Conversational expressions used. Much of the effectiveness of conversational speaking depends upon the expressions that are used. In preparing an extemporaneous talk, it is generally not good to repeat expressions exactly as they appear in print. A written style is different from the spoken word. So shape these ideas according to your own individual expression. Avoid the use of involved sentence structure.

¹³ Your speech on the platform should reflect your daily expression. You should not try to “put on airs.” Still, your prepared talk will naturally be an improvement over everyday speech, since your ideas are more carefully thought out in advance and will come with greater fluency. Consequently, your expressions themselves should be better phrased.

¹⁴ This stresses the importance of daily practice. In speaking, be yourself. Avoid slang. Avoid constant repetition of the same expressions and phrases to convey every different thought that you might have. Learn to speak with meaning. Take pride in your daily conversation and, when you are on the platform, words will come much more readily and you will be able to speak with a conversational quality that will be colorful, easy and acceptable to any audience.

¹⁵ This is particularly true in the field ministry. And in your student talks, if you are talking to a householder, try to talk as though you were in the field service, using expressions that you would use there in a natural and easy way. This will make an informal and realistic talk and, more important, will train you for more effective presentations in the field ministry.

16-19. Point out how delivery can affect conversational quality.

¹⁶ Conversational style of delivery. Conversational quality does not depend alone upon the expressions that are used. Your manner or style of delivery is also important. This involves the tone of voice, voice inflection and naturalness of expression. It is as spontaneous as everyday speaking, though amplified to the audience.

¹⁷ Conversational delivery is just the opposite of oratory. It lacks all the elements of the “preachy” delivery and is free from all affectation.

¹⁸ One way in which conversational quality is often lost by beginning speakers is through too thorough advance preparation of the wording of the material. In preparation for delivery, do not think that you should go over the talk word for word until you know it practically by heart in order to be properly prepared. In extemporaneous speaking, preparation for delivery should put the emphasis on a careful review of the ideas to be expressed. These should be reviewed as thoughts or ideas until one easily follows the other in your mind. If they have been logically developed and well planned this should not be difficult, and in delivery of the talk the ideas should come freely and easily. That being so, and if they are expressed with the desire to communicate, the conversational quality will be a part of the delivery.

¹⁹ One way that you can assure yourself of this is to make an effort to talk to different individuals in the audience. Speak directly to one at a time. Think of that person as having asked a question, and then answer it. Picture yourself in a private conversation with that person in developing that particular thought. Then pass on to another in the audience and repeat the same process.

20-23. How can one make his reading sound natural?

²⁰ Maintaining a conversational style of delivery in reading is one of the most difficult qualities of speech to master, yet one of the most vital. Most of our public reading, of course, is from the Bible, in reading texts in connection with an extemporaneous talk. The Bible should be read with feeling and a keen awareness of the meaning. It should be alive. On the other hand, God’s true ministers will never affect the sanctimonious tonal inflection of the religious clergy. Jehovah’s servants will read His Word with the natural emphasis and unpretentious reality that the living language of this Book deserves.

²¹ Much the same is true in reading The Watchtower or the paragraphs at a book study. Here again, the expressions and sentence structure are not designedly conversational, so your reading cannot always sound like conversation. But, if you get the sense of what you are reading and read it as naturally and meaningfully as you can, you can often make it sound as though it were extemporaneous speech, though perhaps a little more formal than you would normally use. It should be your practice, therefore, to write in whatever marks will help you, if you can prepare in advance, and do your utmost to present the material in a realistic and natural style.

²² In conversational reading or speaking, sincerity and naturalness are the keynotes. Let your heart overflow and speak with appeal to your hearers.

²³ Good speech cannot be put on for an occasion any more than can good manners. But if you employ good speech every day it will show on the platform the same as your good manners applied at home always show when you are in public.

**********

24, 25. Why is poor pronunciation undesirable?

²⁴ Pronunciation. Proper pronunciation is also important, and it is listed separately on the Speech Counsel slip. While not all Christians have had a great deal of worldly education, even as Peter and John were observed as being unlettered and ordinary men, still it is important to avoid detracting from our presentation of the message due to poor pronunciation. It is something that can be readily corrected if we give adequate attention to it.

²⁵ If a person’s pronunciation is very bad, it may even be that he will convey wrong ideas to the minds of his audience, which would be definitely undesirable. When you hear someone mispronounce a word in his talk, the general effect is that it flashes before your mind as a stoplight would. You may even cease following his line of argument and begin to think about the word that he mispronounced. It can cause you to switch your attention from what is said to how it is being said.

26, 27. What problems are listed in connection with pronunciation?

²⁶ It might be said that there are three general types of problems in connection with pronunciation. One is definitely erroneous pronunciation, where the accent is misplaced or the letters are given the wrong sound. Most modern languages have a regular pattern of accentuation, but in the English language the pattern is not uniform, which makes the problem a more difficult one. Then, too, there is pronunciation that is correct but exaggerated, overly precise, giving an impression of affectation, even snobbishness, and this is not desirable. The third problem is slovenly speech, characterized by constant slurring of words, telescoping or skipping syllables and other such practices. They are to be avoided.

²⁷ Usually in our everyday speech we employ words with which we are well acquainted; so pronunciation is not a great problem in this connection. The greatest problem arises in reading. But Jehovah’s witnesses do a great deal of reading in public as well as in private. We read the Bible to people when we go from house to house. Sometimes we are called on to read the paragraphs in the Watchtower study, at a home Bible study or a congregation book study. It is important that the reading be accurate, that the pronunciation be proper. If it is not, it gives the impression that we do not know what we are talking about. It also draws attention away from the message.

28-34. How can one be helped to improve his pronunciation?

²⁸ Counsel on wrong pronunciation should not be overdone. If there is some question concerning a word or two, private counsel may be sufficient. But even if only a few words are mispronounced in the course of a talk, if these are words that we regularly use in our ministry or in our daily speech, it would be helpful to the student for the school overseer to draw attention to them so that he learns how to pronounce them properly.

²⁹ On the other hand, if in reading from the Bible the student happened to mispronounce one or two Hebrew names, this would not be considered an outstanding weakness. However, if he mispronounced many names, this would give evidence of lack of preparation, and counsel should be given. The student should be helped to learn how to ascertain the proper pronunciation and then practice it.

³⁰ So too with exaggerated pronunciation. If it really detracts from the talk because it is a constant practice, help should be given to the student. It should also be noted that, when speaking rapidly, most persons are inclined to slur a few words. No counsel needs to be given on this, but if it is a regular practice, if a student constantly slurs his words and it becomes difficult to understand his speech or detracts from the message, then it would be advisable to give him some assistance on articulation.

³¹ Of course, your counselor will keep in mind that acceptable pronunciation may vary in different localities. Even dictionaries often list more than one acceptable pronunciation. So he will exercise care in counseling on pronunciation. He will not make it a matter of personal preference.

³² If you have a problem with pronunciation, you will not find it difficult to correct when you set your mind to it. Even experienced speakers when given an assignment of reading get out the dictionary and look up words with which they are not well acquainted. They do not simply make a stab at them. So use the dictionary.

³³ Another way that pronunciation can be improved is by reading to someone else, someone who does pronounce words well, and ask him to stop you and correct you every time you make a mistake.

³⁴ A third method is by listening carefully to good speakers. Think as you listen; take note of the words that they pronounce differently than you do. Write them down; check them in the dictionary and practice them. Soon you too will have correct pronunciation. Fluent, conversational delivery, along with proper pronunciation, will greatly enhance your speaking.

Study 30

Coherent Development of a Talk

1-3. What role does coherence have in a talk, and how can it be attained?

¹ A coherent talk is one that is easy for the audience to follow. On the other hand, if coherence is lacking, their attention will soon be lost. Obviously, this is a matter that deserves serious attention when you prepare a talk; so “Coherence through connectives” is included on the Speech Counsel slip as deserving of your careful consideration.

² Coherence means a sticking together within, a uniting of parts held fast together making a logical whole. Sometimes this is accomplished in large measure simply by the logical order in which the parts are arranged. But in most talks there are parts that need to be connected beyond the simple arrangement of material. In such cases coherence requires a bridge from one point to another. Words or phrases are used to show the relation of the new ideas to what precedes them, thereby filling in gaps due to change in time or point of view. This is coherence through connectives.

³ For example, the introduction, the body and the conclusion of your talk are separate parts of the talk, distinct one from another, yet they must be tightly united by transitions. Additionally, main points need to be tied together in a talk, especially if they are not too directly related in thought content. Or sometimes it is just sentences or paragraphs that need connectives.

4-7. What is meant by the use of transitional expressions?

⁴ Use of transitional expressions. Frequently a bridge between ideas can be built simply by a proper use of connecting words or phrases. Some of these are: also, in addition, furthermore, moreover, likewise, similarly, hence, thus, for these reasons, therefore, in view of the foregoing, so, so then, thereafter, however, on the other hand, on the contrary, contrariwise, formerly, heretofore, and so forth. Such words effectively join sentences and paragraphs.

⁵ However, this quality of speech often calls for more than such simple connectives. When one word or phrase alone will not suffice, then a transition is called for that leads the audience completely over the gap to the other side. This might be a complete sentence or even the addition of a more fully expressed transitional thought.

⁶ One way such gaps can be bridged is to try to make the application of the preceding point a part of the introduction to what follows. Frequently this is done in our house-to-house presentations.

⁷ Furthermore, not only should consecutive points be tied together, but sometimes points more widely separated in the talk should be. For example, the conclusion of the talk should be tied in with the introduction. Perhaps an idea or illustration introduced in the beginning of the talk could be applied in such a way in the conclusion that it will motivate or further show the relation of the illustration or idea to the purpose of the talk. Reintroducing some aspect of the illustration or idea in this way serves as a connective and makes for coherence.

8. How does the audience affect the use of transitions for coherence?

⁸ Coherence adequate for your audience. How extensive connectives must be will be determined to some extent by your audience. Not that some audiences need no transitions. Rather, some audiences just need more, due to their lack of familiarity with the ideas to be related one to another. For instance, Jehovah’s witnesses will readily connect a scripture dealing with the end of the present wicked system of things to a text speaking of the Kingdom. But to someone who views the Kingdom as a state of mind or something in your heart, the association would not be so readily grasped and some transitional idea would have to be introduced to make the connection clear. Our door-to-door work continually calls for such adjustments.

**********

9-13. What is logical development, and what are the two basic ways to develop an argument?

⁹ A closely related aspect of speech is “Logical, coherent development,” and this, too, is included on the counsel form. It is a fundamental requirement of persuasive speech.

¹⁰ What is logic? For our purpose we might say that logic is the science of correct thinking or sound reasoning. It imparts understanding because it is the means by which a subject is explained in its connected parts. Logic shows why they act and belong together. The development is coherent if its reasoning follows a gradual growth in such a way that all parts are united in sequence. A logical development may be in order of importance, in chronological order or one going from problem to solution, to mention a few possibilities.

¹¹ In the development of argument there are two basic methods that can be followed. (1) Set the truth directly before the audience, producing facts to substantiate it. (2) Attack some erroneous position, which, being demolished, will leave the truth to assert itself. It only remains then to make proper application of the truths under discussion.

¹² No two speakers will reason exactly alike. A perfect example of different approaches to the same subject is in the writing of the four Gospels. Four disciples of Jesus wrote independent accounts of his ministry. Each is different, yet all wrote reasonable, logical presentations. Each developed the material to accomplish a particular purpose and each was successful.

¹³ In this connection the counselor must identify your purpose and endeavor to evaluate your sequence of thought on the basis of whether the purpose was accomplished or not. You can help him, and your audience, by making your purpose clear, particularly in the way you introduce your material and then apply it in the conclusion.

14, 15. Show why our having material in reasonable order is so important.

¹⁴ Material in reasonable order. First, in organizing your material or your outline, make certain that no statement or idea is brought in without some preliminary basis being laid for it. Keep asking yourself these questions: What is the most natural thing to say next? Having gone this far, what would be the most logical question that could be asked? Having identified this question, then simply answer it. Your audience should always be able to say: “From what you have already said I can see that this point is so.” If no foundation is laid, then the point would usually be considered as being out of logical sequence. Something is missing.

¹⁵ In arranging your material you should consider those parts that naturally depend upon each other. You should endeavor to see the relationship of such parts and then arrange them accordingly. It is somewhat like building a house. No builder would try to erect the walls without first laying the foundation. Nor would he lay all the pipe for the plumbing after he had plastered the walls. So it should be in the building of a talk. Each part should contribute its share in constructing a solid and compact whole, each in order, each adding to the part it follows and preparing the way for the ones to come. You should always have a reason for the order in which you present the facts in your talk.

16-20. How can one be certain that he has only relevant material in his talk?

¹⁶ Only relevant material used. Each point you use must be tied in tightly to the talk. If not, it will appear unrelated, it will not fit; it will be irrelevant material, that is, not bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand.

¹⁷ However, your counselor will not arbitrarily call something irrelevant that may outwardly appear unrelated if it is successfully tied in. It might be that you have chosen to use such a point for a particular purpose, and, if it fits the theme, is made a part of the talk, and is introduced in logical sequence, your counselor will accept it.

¹⁸ How can irrelevant material be quickly and easily identified in preparing your talk? Here is where a topical outline serves so effectively. It helps to classify your information. Try using cards or something similar, with all related material on each card. Now, rearrange these cards according to the natural sequence in which you think they would normally be presented. Not only will this help in determining what approach should be made to the subject, but also it will help to identify anything that is irrelevant to the theme. Those points that do not fit into sequence should be adjusted so that they do, if they are necessary to the argument. But, if they are not necessary, they should be eliminated as irrelevant to the theme.

¹⁹ From this it can quickly be seen that the theme of your talk, selected with audience and purpose in mind, controls in determining the relevancy of a point. In certain circumstances a point might be vital to accomplishing your purpose, depending upon the background of your audience, while, to a different audience or with a different theme, it might be unnecessary or totally irrelevant.

²⁰ In view of this, how complete should coverage of the material in your assignment be? Logical, coherent development should not be sacrificed just to cover every point that may be included in your assignment. It would be best, though, to select a setting that will allow you to include just as much of it as is practical, since the student talks are an instructive part of the school arrangement. However, those ideas essential to the development of your theme as key points cannot be omitted.

21. Why is it vital that no key ideas be omitted?

²¹ No key ideas omitted. How do you know whether an idea is a key idea or not? It is essential if you cannot accomplish the purpose of your talk without it. This is particularly true in logical, coherent development. For example, how could you manage if a contractor built you a two-story house and left out the staircase? Just so, a talk with certain essential points omitted could not possibly be logical and coherent in development. Something is lacking and some of the audience will be lost. But that does not happen when a talk is coherent and is logical in its development.

Study 31

Convince Your Audience, Reason with Them

1, 2. What is convincing argument?

¹ When you talk you expect your audience to listen, but that is not all. You would also like them to accept the arguments presented and act on them. This they will do if they are convinced of the truthfulness of what you say and if their hearts are right. To convince means to satisfy by proofs. But the proofs alone are not always sufficient. Argument in support of them is usually required. Therefore, to convince by argument involves three basic factors: first, the proofs themselves; second, the sequence or order in which the proofs are presented; third, the manner and methods used in presenting them. In this discussion, which corresponds to “Convincing argument” on the Speech Counsel form, we are going to consider what is said, what proof is given, rather than how you present it.

² Convincing argument depends upon sound basic reasons, and that is the way your counselor will be viewing it. Your proofs must be convincing even if one were to read them from cold print. If the convincing quality of your talk depends upon the manner in which it is presented and not upon the facts you have used to establish your point, then you will need to develop this quality further in order to make your argument really solid and factual.

3-6. Point out why a foundation must be laid.

³ Foundation laid. Before presenting your arguments, it is necessary to lay a proper foundation. You must make clear what the point of discussion is. And it is advantageous to establish a common ground by emphasizing relevant matters on which you agree.

⁴ In some instances terms must be clearly defined. All things that are irrelevant must be eliminated. Do not be hasty in laying your foundation. Make it firm, but do not make the foundation the entire building. If refuting an argument, analyze the various points used to support it to find the weak points and to help you determine your line of argument and how to get to the root of the matter.

⁵ In preparing your talk, you should try to anticipate how much your audience already knows about your subject. This will determine to a great extent how much of a foundation you will need to lay before you actually get into presenting your arguments.

⁶ Tact and Christian manners dictate a kind and considerate approach, though that is not the point we are working on here. Always draw to the full on your knowledge of Christian principles and open the hearts and minds of your audience.

7-13. Explain the meaning of “sound proof given.”

⁷ Sound proof given. A matter is not “proved” simply because you, as the speaker, believe it or state it. You must always remember that your audience is fully justified in asking, “Why is that true?” or, “Why do you say that is so?” As the speaker you always have the obligation of being able to answer the question “Why?”

⁸ The questions “How?” “Who?” “Where?” “When?” “What?” produce only facts and information in reply, but the question “Why?” produces reasons. It stands alone in this regard and demands more of you than just facts. It taxes your thinking ability. Because of this, in preparing your talk, ask yourself that same question repeatedly: “Why?” Then be certain that you can supply the answers.

⁹ As reasons for statements you make you can often quote someone who is accepted as an authority. That simply means that if he said it, it must be true because he is recognized as one who knows. That makes it reason enough for believing it. The supreme Authority in this field is, of course, Jehovah God. Therefore, quoting a text from the Bible in support is evidence enough to prove a point. This is called “testimonial” evidence because it consists of “testimony” from an acceptable witness.

¹⁰ In producing testimonial evidence you must be certain that your witness will be acceptable to your audience. If you use human authorities, be sure of their background and how they will be viewed. Many persons will accept the Bible as divine Authority, but some view it as man’s work and therefore not absolute in authority. In such cases you might have to resort to other evidences or perhaps establish the authenticity of the Bible first.

¹¹ A word of caution. All evidence must be used honestly. Do not take a quotation out of context. Make certain that what you say is exactly what the authority you are quoting had in mind to say. Be specific in your references. Be careful of statistics too. Improperly presented, these can boomerang with devastating results. Remember the man who could not swim and who drowned in a stream that averaged only three feet in depth. He forgot about the ten-foot hole in the middle.

¹² Circumstantial evidence is that other than human testimony or divine authority. It is evidence that is based on inferences from facts rather than quotations of witnesses. In order to establish your conclusions and make circumstantial evidence convincing, you must have a sufficient array of facts and arguments in support of your conclusions.

¹³ If the overall proofs you submit (not necessarily in order) are sufficient to satisfy the audience to whom you are speaking, your counselor will consider it satisfactory. The counselor will ask himself, viewing it from the mind of the audience, “Was I convinced?” If he was, then he will commend you on your presentation.

14. What is an effective summary?

¹⁴ Effective summary. Some kind of summary is usually essential to convincing argumentation. It is a final appeal to reason, enhancing appreciation for the arguments used. A summary should not be simply a restatement of facts, although basically it is simply a matter of “since this is so, and since that is so, therefore we conclude . . .” This aspect is designed to tie all the points together and draw them to a conclusion. Many times it is the effective summary that drives home the arguments so they really convince.

**********

15, 16. Why must we help the audience to reason?

¹⁵ Even though the arguments you use in a talk may be sound, it is not enough simply to state the facts. You must present them in such a manner that you help the audience to reason, to understand your arguments and to arrive at the same conclusions that you do. This is what the Speech Counsel slip refers to as “Audience helped to reason.”

¹⁶ You should desire this quality because God reasons with us. Also, Jesus explained his parables to his disciples and equipped them to teach these same truths to others. Helping your audience to reason, then, means to use those techniques necessary to help your audience to understand your argument, come to your conclusions and be equipped to use your arguments to teach someone else.

17, 18. How is common ground maintained?

¹⁷ Common ground maintained. What you say as well as how you say it is vital in establishing a common ground at the outset of your talk. But this common ground must not be lost as the talk progresses or else you will lose your audience as well. You must continue to express your points in such a way that they will appeal to the mind of those in your audience. This requires that you keep in mind their viewpoint on the subject being discussed and use this knowledge to help them to see the reasonableness of your arguments.

¹⁸ A classic example of establishing a common ground and maintaining it to the end, that is, helping the audience to reason, is the argument of the apostle Paul, as recorded in Acts 17:22-31. Notice how he established a common ground at the outset and tactfully maintained it throughout his entire talk. When he concluded he had convinced some of his audience of the truth, including a judge who was present.—Acts 17:33, 34.

19-23. Suggest methods by which points can be adequately developed.

¹⁹ Adequate development of points. In order for an audience to reason on a subject they must have at their disposal sufficient information presented in such a way that they do not reject arguments simply because they do not fully understand them. It is up to you to help them.

²⁰ To do it effectively, take care not to cover too many points. The good of your material will be lost if presented hurriedly. Take time to explain points thoroughly, so your audience will not only hear them but understand them. When you state an important point, take time to develop it. Answer such questions as Why? Who? How? What? When? Where? In this way help your audience to grasp the idea more fully. At times you can present arguments for and against a point to emphasize the reasonableness of your position. Likewise, after stating a principle, you may find it advantageous to illustrate it so the audience will see its practical application. Of course, discretion must be used. The extent to which any point is developed will depend on the time available and the relative importance of the point to the subject under discussion.

²¹ Questions are always good in helping an audience to reason. Rhetorical questions, that is, questions presented to the audience without expecting an answer from them, accompanied with appropriate pauses, will stimulate thinking. If you are talking to only one or two persons, as in the field ministry, you can draw them out with questions as you go along, and in this way be sure that they are grasping and accepting the ideas being presented.

²² Since you want to lead the mind of those in your audience, you must build on things they already know, whether from their own experience or from an earlier part of your own discussion. So, in determining whether you have adequately developed certain points, you must take into consideration what your audience already knew about the subject.

²³ It is always important to watch the reaction of your audience to make sure that they are following you. Where necessary, go back and clarify points before proceeding to the next argument. Unless you take care to help them to reason, they may easily lose your train of thought.

24. Making application of arguments for your audience serves what good purpose?

²⁴ Application made for audience. When presenting any argument, be sure to follow through by clearly pointing out how it bears on the issue under consideration. Also, include motivation in the talk, urging your hearers to take action consistent with the facts that have been presented. If they have truly been convinced by what you said, they will be ready to act.

Study 32

Sense Stress and Modulation

1, 2. What does sense stress do for a talk?

¹ Sense stress and modulation combine to make a talk meaningful and colorful. Without them, thoughts become distorted and interest lags. Since sense stress is usually the easier of the two to master, we will give it attention first.

² Keep in mind what sense stress is to accomplish. It is to emphasize words or thoughts in such a way as to convey accurate meaning and to indicate to your audience their relative importance. Sometimes the stress needed is simply heavy or light, but there are also times when it requires finer shades.

3-7. Tell how one can acquire good sense stress.

³ Thought-conveying words in sentences stressed. Placement of stress is basically a matter of which words are stressed. It involves the recognizing of those words that convey the thought and, by proper emphasis or stress, making them stand out in relation to the words surrounding them. If words other than those that carry the thought are stressed, the meaning will be obscure or distorted.

⁴ Most persons in normal, everyday speech will make their meaning clear. Unless you have a particular mannerism, such as emphasizing prepositions, this aspect should present no real problem. Any outstanding weakness in the matter of placement is usually the result of some such mannerism. If that is your problem, work at it diligently. Ordinarily such habits cannot be broken in a talk or two, so your counselor may not hold you back if your wrong placement is not so pronounced as to distort your meaning. But for the most forceful and effective speech, keep working until you have completely mastered proper placement of stress.

⁵ Usually more conscious thought must be given to sense stress in preparing for public reading than for purely extemporaneous speech. That is true of the reading of scriptures in a talk just as it is true of reading paragraphs at the congregation Watchtower study. The reason why more attention must be given to sense stress when there is reading to be done is that the material we read usually was written by someone else. So we need to study it carefully, analyzing the thought and repeating the expressions themselves until they become natural to us.

⁶ How is emphasis or sense stress accomplished? There are various means, often used in combination: by greater volume, by more intensity or feeling, by lowering the tone, by raising the pitch, by slow and deliberate expression, by increasing the pace, by pausing before or after a statement (or both), by gestures and facial expressions.

⁷ At first be concerned primarily with whether your emphasis is properly placed and of sufficient degree to make the key words stand out. So, in preparing your material, underscore the key words if you will be reading it. If you are speaking extemporaneously, get the thoughts clearly in mind. Use key words in your notes and then stress those words.

8, 9. Why is it important that principal ideas be stressed?

⁸ Principal ideas in talk stressed. This is the aspect of sense stress most frequently lacking. In such cases there are no peaks in the talk. Nothing stands out above everything else. When the talk is concluded it is often impossible to remember anything as being outstanding. Even if the main points are properly prepared to make them stand out, failure to give them proper emphasis in delivery can weaken them to the extent that they may be lost.

⁹ To overcome this problem, you must first analyze your material carefully. What is the most important point of the talk? What is the next most important? If you were asked to state the gist of the talk in one or two sentences, what would you say? That is one of the best ways to identify the highlights. After these are known, mark them in your notes or manuscript. You can now build to these points as climaxes. They are the peaks of your talk and, if the material is well outlined and you deliver it with strong degrees of emphasis, the principal ideas will be remembered. That is your purpose in speaking.

**********

10-12. Explain what modulation means.

¹⁰ Simple sense stress enables the audience to understand what you say, but variety in stress that modulation offers can make it enjoyable for them to listen. Do you make good use of modulation in your field ministry and in talks that you are privileged to give in the congregation?

¹¹ Modulation is an intermittent variation of pitch, pace and power designed to hold interest and demonstrate your progressive thoughts and emotions as speaker. To serve you best, your modulation should cover the full range of color that the material of any particular talk will allow. In the upper range of modulation you may have, in diminishing degree, excitement, enthusiasm and keen interest. In the middle range is mild interest, while in the lower range are seriousness and solemnity.

¹² In no instance would you want to appear theatrical by extremes of expression. Our speech should be colorful, not piously solemn like the orthodox clergy’s, nor hysterically violent like the tent-meeting evangelist’s. Proper dignity and respect for the Kingdom message will prevent any such unchristian displays.

13, 14. What is meant by variety in power?

¹³ Variety in power. Perhaps the simplest way to obtain modulation is to vary the power of your voice. This is one way of building climaxes and stressing the main points of your talk. However, simply increasing your volume will not always make the points stand out. In some cases it might make them more prominent, but the added force with which they are delivered may defeat your purpose. It may be that your points call more for warmth and feeling than an animated tone. In this case, lower your volume but increase your intensity. The same would be true if you were expressing anxiety or fear.

¹⁴ While variety in power is essential for modulation, care must be exercised not to speak so softly that some will not hear. Neither should volume be increased to the point of unpleasantness.

15-17. How does variety in pace enhance a talk?

¹⁵ Variety in pace. Few beginning speakers will vary their pace on the platform. We do it constantly in our everyday speech because our words flow out of us spontaneously just as we think of them or have need of them. But the new speaker on the platform will usually not allow himself to do this. He prepares his words and phrases too carefully, so all the words come out at the same rate of speed. Speaking from an outline will help to correct this weakness.

¹⁶ The main current of your talk should be a moderate pace. Minor points, narration, most illustrations, and so forth, will allow you to speed up. Weightier arguments, climaxes and main points usually call for a slower delivery. In some instances, for particularly strong emphasis, you could use slow, deliberate stress. You might even stop completely, in a pause, which is a total change of pace.

¹⁷ A few words of caution. Never speak so rapidly that your diction suffers. An excellent exercise in private practice sessions is to try reading aloud as rapidly as you can without stumbling. Repeat the same paragraph over and over, constantly increasing your pace without stumbling or muffling your articulation. Then try reading as slowly as possible, dr-aw-ing ou-t th-e v-ow-els rather than chopping off the words. Then speed up and slow down alternately and spasmodically until your voice is flexible and will do what you want it to do. Now when you speak, your changes in pace will come automatically, according to the sense of what you are saying.

18-20. Explain how one can acquire variety in pitch.

¹⁸ Variety in pitch. Change of pitch is probably the most difficult means of modulation, that is, in any degree. Of course, we constantly stress words by a slight raising of the pitch, usually accompanied by a slight increase of power. We hit the word, as it were.

¹⁹ But more change in pitch than this is called for if you are to get the most benefit from this aspect of modulation. Try reading aloud Genesis 18:3-8 and Ge 19:6-9. Notice the great variety of both pace and pitch called for in these verses. Excitement and enthusiasm always have their outlet in a higher pitch than sorrow or anxiety. When these emotions appear in your material, express them accordingly.

²⁰ One of the main causes of weakness in this aspect of speech is the lack of sufficient range in the voice. If that is your problem, work at it. Try an exercise similar to that suggested earlier in this study. In this case, though, work at raising and lowering the pitch rather than varying the pace.

21-24. Why must modulation fit the thought or the emotion?

²¹ Modulation to fit thought or emotion. From our discussion of this quality so far it becomes quite clear that variations of the voice cannot be made simply to obtain variety. Your expressions must fit the mood of what you are saying. Where, then, does modulation begin? Obviously, it begins with the material you have prepared to deliver. If you have nothing but argumentation or nothing but exhortation in your talk, you will have little variety in your delivery. So analyze your outline after you have finished it and make sure you have all the ingredients present for a colorful as well as meaningful presentation.

²² But sometimes in the middle of your talk you feel the need for a change of pace. You feel your talk is dragging. What can you do? Here again extemporaneous delivery has the advantage. You can change the nature of your material as you go. How? One way would be to stop talking and start reading a text from the Bible. Or you might convert some statement into a question, with a pause for emphasis. Perhaps you could insert an illustration, making it an adaptation of an argument in your outline.

²³ These techniques used during the talk, of course, are for experienced speakers. But you can use the same ideas in preparing your material in advance from your assignment.

²⁴ It is said that modulation is the spice in a talk. If the right kind is used and in the right amount, it will draw out the full flavor of your material and make it a delight to your audience.

Study 33

Manifesting Enthusiasm and Warmth

1. What will stimulate enthusiasm?

¹ Enthusiasm is the life of a talk. If you are not enthusiastic about what you say, your audience certainly will not be. If it does not move you, it will not move them. But for you as a speaker to manifest genuine enthusiasm, you must be firmly convinced that your audience needs to hear what you have to say. That means that you took them into consideration when you prepared the talk, selecting points that would be most beneficial to them and molding them in such a way that your hearers would readily appreciate their value. If you have done this, you will feel impelled to speak with earnestness, and your audience will respond.

2-5. How does an animated delivery express enthusiasm?

² Enthusiasm shown by animated delivery. Enthusiasm is most clearly manifested by the animation of your delivery. You cannot be indifferent or lackadaisical in attitude. You must be thoroughly alive in your facial expression, in your tone of voice and in your manner of speaking. That means you must speak with strength and vigor. You must sound convinced though not dogmatic. While you should be enthusiastic, you should never get carried away. To lose self-control means to lose your audience.

³ Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic about your talk, your audience will pick up that enthusiasm. In turn, with good audience contact, it will be reflected back to you and keep your own enthusiasm alive. On the other hand, if you are dead, your audience will die with you.

⁴ Paul says we should be aglow with God’s spirit. If you are, your animated delivery will cause God’s spirit to flow over into the audience and move your audience to activity. Apollos showed such spirit in his speaking, and he is called an eloquent speaker.—Rom. 12:11; Acts 18:25; Job 32:18-20; Jer. 20:9.

⁵ To be enthusiastic about a talk you must be convinced that you have something worth delivering. Work on the material you are going to present until you feel you have something that will first stimulate you as the speaker. It need not be new material, but your approach to the subject can be fresh. If you feel that you have something for your audience that will strengthen them in their worship, that will make them better ministers or better Christians, then you have every reason to be enthusiastic about your talk, and unquestionably you will be.

6-9. What bearing does the material in one’s talk have on enthusiasm in the delivery?

⁶ Enthusiasm appropriate to material. For the sake of variety in your talk and to benefit your audience, you must not carry your enthusiasm on too high a plane throughout your entire talk. If you do, they will be exhausted even before they begin to act. This emphasizes again the need to prepare material of sufficient variety to allow for variety in your delivery. It means that some points you discuss naturally call for more enthusiastic delivery than others, and they should be skillfully interwoven throughout your talk.

⁷ Main points particularly should be presented enthusiastically. There must be peaks in your talk, climaxes to which you build. Since these are high points of your talk, they will usually be the points designed to motivate your audience, to drive home the application of your argumentation, your reasons or your counsel. Having convinced your audience, you now need to stimulate them, to demonstrate the benefits of your conclusions, the joys and privileges that pursuing these convictions will bring them. This calls for enthusiastic delivery.

⁸ In spite of this, though, you should never lapse into indifference in your presentation at other times. You should never lose your strong feeling on behalf of your subject or manifest any loss of interest. Picture in your mind a deer grazing quietly in a little clearing. Though relaxed in appearance, there is latent power in his slender legs that can send him bounding away in tremendous leaps at the least hint of danger. He is at ease but constantly alert. So you can be, even when not speaking with all your enthusiasm.

⁹ What does this all mean then? That animated delivery is never forced. There should be a reason for it and your material must provide you with that reason. Your counselor will be concerned as to whether your enthusiasm was appropriate for your material. Was it too much, too little or out of place? Of course, he will take into account your own individual personality, but he will encourage you if you are shy and reserved and caution you if you seem overly excited about everything you say. So fit your enthusiasm to your material and vary your material so that your enthusiastic delivery will be balanced throughout.

**********

10-12. What is meant by warmth and feeling?

¹⁰ Enthusiasm is closely related to warmth and feeling. However, their expressions are prompted by different emotions and produce different results in your audience. As a speaker, you are usually enthusiastic because of your material, but you are warm when you think of your audience with the desire to help them. “Warmth, feeling,” listed on the Speech Counsel slip, deserves thoughtful attention.

¹¹ If you manifest warmth and feeling, your audience will sense that you are a person who shows love, kindness and tender compassion. They will be drawn to you as to a fire on a cold night. A spirited delivery is stimulating, but tender feeling is also needed. It is not always enough to persuade the mind; you must move the heart.

¹² For example, would it be fitting to read from Galatians 5:22, 23 concerning love, long-suffering, kindness and mildness without some reflection of those qualities in your own manner? Note, too, the tender feeling expressed in Paul’s words at 1 Thessalonians 2:7, 8. These are expressions that call for warmth and feeling. How should it be shown?

13, 14. How can warmth be shown in facial expressions?

¹³ Warmth evident in facial expression. If you have a warm feeling toward your audience, it should show in your face. If it does not, your audience may not be convinced that you are sincerely warm toward them. But it must be genuine. It cannot be put on like a mask. Neither should warmth and feeling be confused with sentimentality and emotionalism. A kind facial expression will demonstrate genuineness and sincerity.

¹⁴ For the most part you will talk to friendly audiences. Therefore, if you really look at your audience you will feel warm toward them. You will feel relaxed and friendly. Pick out someone in the audience with a particularly friendly face. Talk to that individual personally for a few moments. Select another and talk to that one. Not only will this give you good audience contact, but you will find yourself being drawn to the audience, and your warm facial expression in response will draw your audience to you.

15-19. Point out what will cause warmth and feeling to be manifest in a speaker’s voice.

¹⁵ Warmth and feeling evident in tone of voice. It has been well established that even animals can interpret your emotions to some extent by the tone of your voice. How much more, then, will an audience respond to a voice that expresses warmth and feeling by its very tone.

¹⁶ If you really feel detached from your audience, if you are thinking more of the words you are saying than of how your audience is going to respond to them, it will be difficult to hide it from an audience that is alert. But if your interest is centered sincerely in those to whom you are speaking and you have an earnest desire to convey your thoughts to them so that they will think as you do, your feeling will be reflected in every inflection of your voice.

¹⁷ Obviously, though, this must be a sincere interest. Genuine warmth can no more be simulated than can enthusiasm. Never should a speaker give an impression of hypocritical sweetness. Neither should warmth and feeling be confused with sentimentality or the assumed, quavering voice of the cheap emotionalist.

¹⁸ If you have a hard, coarse voice, it will be difficult to manifest warmth in your expression. You should endeavor conscientiously and diligently to overcome any such problem. It is a matter of voice quality and will require time, but proper attention and effort can do much to improve the warmth of your voice.

¹⁹ One thing that might help you from a purely mechanical standpoint is to remember that short, clipped vowels make speech hard. Learn to draw out the vowels. This will soften them and automatically make your speech warmer in tonal expression.

20, 21. In what way does material in a talk affect warmth and feeling in the delivery?

²⁰ Warmth and feeling appropriate to material. As in the case of enthusiasm, the warmth and feeling you put into your expression depend in a large measure on what you are saying. An example of this is the account of Jesus’ condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees at Matthew 23. We cannot imagine him expressing these scathing words of denunciation in a dull and lifeless way. But in the midst of this expression of indignation and wrath there is a phrase full of warmth and tender feeling, expressing Jesus’ compassion with the words: “—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But you people did not want it.” Here tender feeling is obviously indicated, but the next statement: “Look! Your house is abandoned to you,” does not carry this same emotion. The tone is one of rejection, disgust.

²¹ Where, then, would warmth and feeling be appropriate? Most of the things you would say in the field ministry or in a student talk would lend themselves to this expression but particularly when you are reasoning, encouraging, exhorting, sympathizing, and so forth. In remembering to be warm, do not forget to be enthusiastic when appropriate. Be balanced in all things, but give the fullest possible expression to everything you say.

Study 34

Fitting Illustrations

1, 2. Briefly show what illustrations do for a talk.

¹ When a speaker uses illustrations, he actually impresses meaningful pictures on the minds of his audience. Illustrations stimulate interest and highlight important ideas. They stir up one’s thinking processes and make it easier to grasp new thoughts. Well-chosen illustrations couple intellectual appeal with emotional impact. The result is that the message is conveyed to the mind with a force that is not often possible with simple statements of fact. But this is true only if the illustrations are fitting. They must fit your material.

² On occasion, an illustration can be used to sidestep prejudice or bias. It can sweep away objections before a controversial doctrine is introduced. For example, you might say, “No father would put his child’s hand on a hot stove as a means of punishment.” Such an illustration introducing the doctrine of “hell” would immediately make the false religious conception of “hell” repugnant and therefore more easily set aside.

3-6. From what sources may illustrations be drawn?

³ Illustrations can take many forms. They can be analogies, comparisons, contrasts, similes, metaphors, personal experiences, examples. They can be chosen from many sources. They can deal with animate or inanimate objects of creation. They can be based on occupations of the audience, on human traits or characteristics, household items, or such works of men as houses, ships, etc. Whatever illustration is used, however, it should be chosen because of the occasion and the material, not just because it is a favorite illustration of the speaker.

⁴ A word of caution. Do not overseason the talk with too many illustrations. Use them, but do not overuse them.

⁵ Proper use of illustrations is an art. It requires skill and experience. But their effectiveness cannot be overstated. To learn to use illustrations you must learn to think in terms of illustrations. As you read, note illustrations that are used. As you look at things, think of them in terms of Christian living and the ministry. For instance, if you see a potted flower that looks dry and wilted, you might think, “Friendship is like a plant. To flourish it must be watered.” Some persons today look at the moon only in terms of space travel. The Christian looks at it as God’s handiwork, a satellite of His creation, an object that endures forever, something that affects our everyday lives, causing the tides to ebb and flow.

⁶ In preparing a talk, if simple illustrations do not come readily to mind, check related material in the Watch Tower Society’s publications. See if illustrations are used there. Think of key words in the talk and pictures they convey to your mind. Build on these. But remember, an illustration that does not fit is worse than no illustration at all. When considering “Illustrations fit material,” which is listed on the Speech Counsel form, there are several aspects of the matter to keep in mind.

7-9. Why are simple illustrations so effective?

⁷ Simple. A simple illustration is easier to remember. It contributes to the line of argument rather than detracting by reason of its complicated nature. Jesus’ illustrations were often no more than a few words. (For example, see Matthew 13:31-33; 24:32, 33.) To be simple, the terminology must be understood. If an illustration needs much explanation, it is excess baggage. Discard it or simplify it.

⁸ Jesus used little things to explain big things, easy things to explain hard things. An illustration should be easily visualized, with not too many elements presented at one time. It should be pointed and concrete. Such illustrations are not easily misapplied.

⁹ An illustration is best if it is completely parallel to the material it is designed to illustrate. If some aspect of the illustration is not appropriate, it may be better not to use it. Someone will think of the inappropriate features and it will lose its effect.

10, 11. Show why the application of illustrations must be made clear.

¹⁰ Application made clear. If the application of an illustration is not made, some may get the point but many will not. The speaker must have the illustration clearly in mind and know the purpose of it. He should state simply wherein the value of the illustration lies. (See Matthew 12:10-12.)

¹¹ An illustration can be applied in a number of ways. It can be used to establish a principle that is simply stated either before or following the illustration. It can be applied by enforcing the consequences of the argument demonstrated by the illustration. Or it can be applied just by drawing attention to the similarities of the points of the illustration to the argument.

12-14. What will help to determine what is a fitting illustration?

¹² Important points emphasized. Do not use an illustration simply because you happen to think of one. Analyze the talk to know what the main points are and then select illustrations to help drive them home. If forceful illustrations are used on minor points, the audience may remember the minor points rather than the main ones. (See Matthew 18:21-35; 7:24-27.)

¹³ The illustration should not eclipse the argument. It might be what the audience remembers, but as the illustration comes to mind the point it was intended to highlight should also come back to mind. If it does not, the illustration has become too prominent.

¹⁴ In preparing a talk and selecting illustrations, weigh the value of the illustration in comparison to the points to be stressed. Does it reinforce these points? Does it make them stand out? Does it make the points easier to understand and remember? If not, it is not a fitting illustration.

**********

15, 16. Explain why illustrations must fit the audience.

¹⁵ Not only must illustrations fit the material but they must be adapted to your audience. This is listed separately on the counsel form as “Illustrations fit audience.” When Nathan was called upon to correct David in his sin with Bath-sheba, he chose the illustration of a poor man and his one little lamb. (2 Sam. 12:1-6) Not only was this illustration tactful, but it fit David, since he had been a shepherd. He got the point immediately.

¹⁶ If most of the persons in the audience are elderly, illustrations should not be used that would appeal only to young persons. But to a group of college students, such illustrations might be perfectly appropriate. Sometimes illustrations can be approached from two opposite views for those in an audience, such as old and young, men and women.

17-19. For illustrations to appeal to your audience, from where should they be drawn?

¹⁷ Drawn from familiar situations. If you use things at hand in making illustrations, they will be familiar to your audience. Jesus did this. To the woman at the well he likened his life-giving qualities to water. He drew on the little things in life, not the exceptional. His illustrations readily conveyed a picture to the minds of those in his audience, or they reminded them immediately of some personal experience in their own lives. He used illustrations to teach.

¹⁸ Likewise today. Housewives may know about the business world, but you do better if you illustrate your remarks with things that are in their everyday life, their children, their household duties and items used about the home.

¹⁹ Effective too are illustrations based on something that is definitely local, native perhaps only to that particular locality. Current happenings well known in the community, such as items in the local news, are also apt if they are in good taste.

20-22. Name some pitfalls to be avoided in use of illustrations.

²⁰ In good taste. Any illustration used should be fitting to a Bible discussion. Obviously, illustrations should not be “off-color,” that is, in regard to morals. Avoid statements with a double meaning if they might be misconstrued. A good policy to follow is: If in doubt, leave it out.

²¹ Illustrations should not needlessly offend any person in your audience, especially those newly associated. For this reason, it would not be good to raise doctrinal or controversial matters that are not really at issue in your discussion. For instance, you would not use an example such as blood transfusion or saluting a flag if such were not the main point of the discourse. Someone might be drawn aside and even stumbled. If a point of your talk is to discuss such matters, that is different. Then you have an opportunity to reason on them and convince your audience. But do not defeat your purpose by allowing your illustrations to prejudice your audience against the important truths that you are discussing.

²² So use discernment in selecting your illustrations. Be sure they are appropriate. They will be if they fit both your material and your audience.

Study 35

Material Adapted for Field Ministry

1-3. Why is it valuable to learn to adapt our material for field ministry?

¹ A large part of our work as Christian ministers today involves preaching and teaching God’s Word to persons who know very little about the Bible. Some of them have never had one in their possession; others merely have a copy on the shelf. This means that, if they are going to get the full benefit from what we tell them, we need to adapt it to their circumstances. Not that we change the message, but we put forth a special effort to express it in language that they will understand. Actually, being called on to adapt our material in this way is a test of how thoroughly we understand it ourselves.

² To adapt means to modify to meet new conditions, to conform. It means to reconcile something to one’s own or to another’s satisfaction. Consideration of the matter of adapting material for the field ministry should emphasize the need to make presentations in the field ministry or any other talk simple and understandable to a specific audience and particularly to newly interested persons met in the field ministry. In working on this quality in the school, therefore, you should always view your audience as you would those persons that you meet in house-to-house witnessing.

³ This does not mean that your talk must take the form of a door-to-door presentation while you are working on this quality. All talks will be the same in manner of presentation as outlined in your current instructions for the school. What it does mean is that, regardless of the type of presentation you are making, the arguments you develop and the language you use will be the kind that you would use with persons met in the field. Since most of our speaking is done in the field ministry, this should help you to become aware of the need to speak simply, on a level that most persons met in the field service could understand. You have had some preparation for this quality in Study 21. Now it is to be treated separately because of its outstanding need and importance.

4, 5. Explain why our expressions must be made understandable for the public.

⁴ Expressions made understandable for the public. The need for this quality is demonstrated by the expressions some of the brothers use in the house-to-house ministry and on new studies. Our understanding of the Scriptures has given us a vocabulary that is not commonly known. We use such words as “remnant,” “other sheep,” and so forth. If we use them in our speaking, such expressions usually convey no meaning whatsoever to those persons we meet in the field service. They must be clarified by the use of a suitable synonymous expression or explanation to be understandable. Even allusions to “Armageddon” and “the Kingdom’s establishment” convey little meaning without some explanation as to their significance.

⁵ In considering this aspect, your counselor will be asking himself, Would a person unacquainted with the Bible truth understand that point or expression? He will not necessarily discourage you from using such theocratic terms. They are a part of our vocabulary and we want newly interested persons to become acquainted with them. But if you do use any of these terms, he will observe whether they are explained.

6-8. In preparing our talks, why must we be careful to select appropriate points?

⁶ Appropriate points selected. Your selection of ideas to present in the field service will vary just as the terms you use vary, depending upon the setting. That is because normally there are some things we would not select to discuss with a newly interested person. In such circumstances the choice of material is entirely up to you. But when you are given an assignment in the school, the material you are to cover is preselected for you. The only choice you have is from what is contained in the assignment. What should you do?

⁷ First of all, since you are limited in the points you can use, you should decide upon a setting for your talk that will allow for the largest selection of appropriate points. Your counselor will be interested in the points you select and how they fit the circumstances of your talk. That is because you are demonstrating, in this quality being considered, that different features of field service call for different kinds of material. For example, you would not use the same material in inviting a newly interested person to a meeting as you would in giving a door-to-door presentation. So, whether your assignment calls for a discussion with a householder or is to be a regular platform talk, identify the particular audience you are addressing by the things that you say and by the points that you select from the assigned material.

⁸ In order to determine whether points are appropriate or not, your counselor will consider the objective of your talk. In a house-to-house visit your purpose generally is to teach and to stimulate the householder to study more. On a return visit your objective is to develop the interest and, if possible, start a home Bible study. If it is a presentation following a study, then it is to get the householder to attend a meeting or to engage in field service, and so forth.

9, 10. How can we determine if the points we selected are appropriate?

⁹ Of course, even in the same feature of service, your selection of points might vary due to your audience. So this should be taken into consideration too. Those points in your assigned material that are not appropriate to your objective should not be brought into your talk.

¹⁰ In view of these factors the setting must be selected before the talk is prepared. Ask yourself: What do I want to accomplish? What are the points needed in order to accomplish this purpose, and how must these points be modified in order to suit the circumstances of the talk? Once you have decided these matters, appropriate points can be selected without difficulty and presented in such a way as to adapt the material for field ministry.

11-13. Why is it important to point out the practical value of the material we have presented?

¹¹ Practical value of material highlighted. Highlighting the practical value of the material means to show the householder clearly and unmistakably that it concerns him, that it is something he needs or can use. From the very beginning of the talk the householder must realize that “this involves me.” This is necessary to gain audience attention. But, to hold that attention, it is necessary to continue that same personal application of the material consistently throughout the talk.

¹² This involves more than just audience contact and helping your audience to reason. Now you must go farther and actually fit your householder into the application of the material. Our purpose in the field ministry is to teach persons the truth of God’s Word and to help them learn the way to salvation. So, with tact and consideration, you must show your householder the practical benefits to him of listening and of acting on what you have to say.

¹³ Although this aspect of the quality is mentioned last, it is not because it is the least important. It is a vital point and should never be overlooked. Work on it, because it is important in the field ministry. Seldom will you be able to hold the attention of a householder for any length of time unless he can clearly see that what you are saying is of some value in his own life.

Study 36

Appropriate Conclusion and Your Timing

1-3. How can you make the conclusion relate to the theme of your talk?

¹ What you say last is often remembered first. So the conclusion of your talk deserves careful preparation. It should draw into sharp focus the principal points that you want remembered and drive home the theme with finality. As a result of both your composition and the delivery it ought to stimulate the audience to action. It is to this that we urge you to give attention when you come to “Conclusion appropriate, effective” on the Speech Counsel form.

² Conclusion in direct relation to theme of talk. For ideas on how to relate the conclusion to the theme of the talk, we suggest that you review Study 27. Your conclusion does not need to restate the theme of the talk in so many words, although some students, especially those who are new, may find it a help; but it should draw attention to it. Then, on the basis of the theme, show what the audience can do.

³ If the conclusion is not directly related to the theme, it will not round out the material and tie it together. Even if you use a straight summary conclusion, presenting a skeleton of the main points, still you will no doubt want to add a final sentence or two, expressing the central idea or theme of the talk.

4-9. Why must your conclusion show your hearers what to do?

⁴ Conclusion shows hearers what to do. Since ordinarily your purpose in speaking is to stimulate to some type of action or to persuade to a certain viewpoint, certainly, then, the concluding thoughts of the talk should drive home those points. The main purpose of the conclusion, therefore, is to show the audience what to do and encourage them to do it.

⁵ For this reason, in addition to making clear the purpose of your talk, the conclusion should have earnestness, conviction, a motivating force. Often it will be found that short sentences are advantageous in giving force to the conclusion. But, regardless of sentence structure, sound reasons for acting should be given, including the benefits that will be derived from taking such a course.

⁶ The conclusion should follow logically what has already been stated in the talk. Thus, what you say in your conclusion is to move your audience to act on what has already been stated in the body of the talk. Your conclusion will clarify and emphasize what they are to do so that they will act on the basis of those things covered in the talk and will be particularly moved to do it by the forcefulness of your conclusion.

⁷ In the house-to-house ministry conclusions are often weak. This happens when the householder is not shown definitely the course we expect him to take, either in obtaining one of the publications, agreeing to a return call or something similar.

⁸ Conclusions on assignments in the school will also be weak if they are simply summaries of the material and do not move the audience to action. Some application of the material should be given, or in some other way the material should be shown to be of particular value to the audience.

⁹ Some speakers find it very helpful to conclude a talk on a Bible theme with a short summary of the entire talk, using the key texts and theme of the talk as the basis for it. By epitomizing the talk in this way with a few texts discussed as you would at the door, you will not only make the point of the talk clear but you will give the audience something they can carry away with them and use in repeating the highlights of the talk. That is the primary purpose of the conclusion, and this method is not only appropriate but effectively accomplishes that purpose.

**********

10-14. Give suggestions as to the length of a conclusion.

¹⁰ Conclusion of proper length. The length of the conclusion should not be determined by the clock, though that often happens. A conclusion is of proper length if it is effective and accomplishes its purpose. Therefore, the appropriateness of its length should be determined by the results. This is what your counselor will do when you are working on “Conclusion of proper length,” on the Speech Counsel slip.

¹¹ For a comparison of conclusions in proportion to the length of the body of material, notice the brief conclusion to the entire book of Ecclesiastes as found at Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, and compare it with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and his conclusion at Matthew 7:24-27. Here are two different types and lengths of conclusions, yet both accomplish their purpose.

¹² A conclusion should not catch the audience unawares. Not only should the words spoken point obviously to the end of the talk, but they should also have a note of finality. What you say and how you say it should end your discussion. It should not drag on unnecessarily. If you are not able to tie your talk together and still hold interest throughout the conclusion, then it should be reworked. It is still too long.

¹³ If you are a beginning speaker, it is often best to make your conclusion shorter than you feel might be needed. Make it simple, direct and positive. Do not let it run on endlessly.

¹⁴ If you are giving one talk of a symposium, or if you are speaking on a service meeting, then your conclusion will tie in with the introduction of the next talk and therefore can be briefer. Nevertheless, each individual part should have a conclusion that accomplishes the purpose of the talk. If it does, then it is of proper length.

**********

15-18. If timing does not receive careful attention, what results?

¹⁵ Timing. Not only is length of the conclusion important; the timing of every part of the talk deserves attention. For that reason there is a separate entry on the Speech Counsel slip for “Timing.”

¹⁶ The importance of proper timing of a talk should not be minimized. If the talk is properly prepared, the timing will also have been considered, but if the speaker, in an endeavor to squeeze in all the material, runs overtime, he is actually not accomplishing his objective. This is because those in the audience will begin to fidget and look at their watches and not really pay attention to what he is saying. The conclusion, which should embody the application and motivation that are vital to accomplishing the purpose of the talk, will be lost. Even if it is presented, in many cases the audience will fail to get the benefit from it because the speaker is going overtime.

¹⁷ Not only is the audience ill at ease when the speaker goes overtime, but the speaker is too. When he sees that his time is running out and he has too much material, he may endeavor to cram in too much, destroying its effectiveness. This often results in lack of poise. On the other hand, if the speaker finds that he does not have sufficient material to fill in the allotted time, in an endeavor to stretch it out he may well become incoherent and ramble in his presentation.

¹⁸ While it is true that the school overseer will indicate to the student when his time is up, it is disappointing, both to the student and to the audience, when a talk must be cut off before it is finished. The speaker should have sufficient interest in his material to want to present it. The audience will feel as if they have been left hanging in midair if they fail to hear the conclusion. One who consistently goes overtime on his talks shows that he is inconsiderate of others or gives evidence of lack of preparation.

19, 20. Why is timing particularly important on service meetings and convention programs?

¹⁹ When a number of speakers have part in a program, proper timing is of particular importance. For example, there may be five parts on a service meeting. If each speaker talks only one minute over his allotted time, it would make the meeting five minutes overtime. Yet each one was only a very little overtime. The result may be that some have to leave before the meeting is over in order to catch a bus home, or unbelieving mates who have come to pick up one at the meeting and who are kept waiting may become irritated. The general effect is not good.

²⁰ Difficulties can also arise if a speaker on a symposium does not fill his allotted time. If, for example, a brother assigned a half-hour discourse on a convention program were to stop after twenty minutes, it might cause a disruption in the program if the next speaker did not happen to be ready to start immediately.

21-24. Briefly relate some of the problems with regard to timing and their causes.

²¹ Of course, one of the basic causes for running overtime in a talk is having too much material. This is something that should be corrected when the talk is being prepared. If the other points, the earlier points on the Speech Counsel form, have been mastered up to this point, however, timing will not be a problem. If you have already learned how to isolate your main points and prepare a proper outline, you will find that good timing follows naturally. Timing is being considered near the end of the counsel form because it is to a large extent dependent on the earlier qualities of speech that have been discussed.

²² Generally the problem in timing is going overtime. A well-prepared speaker usually has plenty of informative material, but he must exercise care so as not to use more than the allotted time will allow for.

²³ However, new or inexperienced speakers are at times inclined to run short. They will want to learn to make full use of the available time. At first they may find it a little difficult to gauge their talks so as to make them come out exactly the length that is desired, but they should endeavor to come as close to the allotted time as is possible. Nevertheless, unless the talk falls considerably short of the allotted time, the timing would not be counted weak if the student prepared and presented a well-rounded-out, satisfying talk.

²⁴ Whether a speaker’s timing should be considered weak or not can best be determined by observing the effect of the presentation on the audience. When the school overseer indicates that the time is up, the student should feel free to finish his sentence. If with that sentence he can bring his talk to an effective conclusion so that the audience feel that they have heard a well-rounded-out discussion, then the timing should not be considered weak.

25-29. How can a person make certain his talk is properly timed?

²⁵ How can proper timing be achieved? Fundamentally it is a matter of preparation. It is important to prepare, not only the material that will go into a talk, but the presentation of the talk. If there is adequate preparation for delivery, timing will usually be correct.

²⁶ In outlining your talk indicate clearly which are your main points. Under each main point you may have several sub-points to be covered. Some, of course, will be more important than others. Know which ones are vital to the presentation and which ones can be deleted if necessary. Then if, during your presentation, you find that you are getting behind time, it will be a simple thing to present only the principal arguments and delete the secondary ones.

²⁷ This is something that we are constantly called on to do in the field ministry. When we go to the doors of the people, if they will stay and listen we will talk to them for several minutes. But we are also ready to give that same presentation in condensed form, taking perhaps only a minute or two if necessary. How do we do it? We have in mind our key point or points and the most important material needed in support. We also have in mind other information of secondary importance that can be used to enlarge the discussion, but we know that when the situation calls for it this can be dispensed with. This same procedure can be followed in presenting a talk from the platform.

²⁸ It is often helpful to a speaker to make a note in the margin of his talk to indicate how much he should have covered when half his time is up, or, if it is a longer discourse, he may want to divide it into quarters. Then when he passes those time markings on his outline, he should check the clock and see how he is doing. If he is running behind time, that is the time to start deleting material of secondary importance rather than waiting till the last minute and cramming the conclusion and so destroying its effectiveness. However, it is very distracting if a speaker is constantly making reference to his watch or if he does it in a very conspicuous way, or if he tells the audience that his time is running out and so he must rush through his material. This is something to be handled in a natural way without disturbing the audience with it.

²⁹ Achieving proper overall timing requires that the introduction be of appropriate length, that each of the key points be developed in proper proportion, and that sufficient time be left for the conclusion. It is not something to be considered simply when you see that your time is running out. If you watch your timing right from the start, the result will be a well-proportioned presentation.

Study 37

Poise and Personal Appearance

1-9. Define poise and confidence, and tell how these can be attained.

¹ A poised speaker is a relaxed speaker. He is calm and composed because he has the situation under control. Lack of poise, on the other hand, shows a certain lack of confidence. The two go together. That is why “Confidence and poise” is listed as just one point on the Speech Counsel slip.

² While confidence and poise are desirable on the part of a speaker, they are not to be confused with overconfidence, which is manifested by swaggering or strutting or slouching in an overly relaxed manner if seated or too casually leaning against a doorpost if preaching from house to house. If something in your presentation suggests an overconfident attitude, your school overseer will no doubt give you private counsel, because his interest will be to help you overcome any such impression you may be giving that might impede the effectiveness of your ministry.

³ However, if you are a new speaker, it is more likely that you will feel timid and shy as you approach the platform. You may have a real nervousness and uneasiness that could cause you to believe you will give an ineffective presentation. This need not be so. Confidence and poise can be acquired by diligent effort and a knowledge of why they are lacking.

⁴ Why do some speakers lack confidence? Generally for one, or both, of two reasons. First, lack of preparation or wrong view of their material. Second, a negative attitude toward their qualifications as speakers.

⁵ What will give you confidence? Basically, it is the knowledge or belief that you will be able to accomplish your purpose. It is the assurance that you do have the situation in hand and can control it. On the platform this might require some experience. Having given a number of talks, you can be reasonably sure that this one also will be successful. But even if you are relatively new, your earlier talks should encourage you, so you should soon be able to manifest this quality to a reasonable degree.

⁶ Another vital requirement for confidence, whether you are experienced or not, is a knowledge of your material and conviction that this material is worth while. That means not only thorough advance preparation of your subject but also careful preparation for delivery. If you realize that it is for your own theocratic advancement as well as for the instruction of the brothers in attendance, you will approach the platform in a prayerful attitude. You will become absorbed in the subject and you will forget yourself and your nervousness. You will be thinking of pleasing God, not men.—Gal. 1:10; Ex. 4:10-12; Jer. 1:8.

⁷ This means you must be convinced of everything you are going to say. Make certain in your preparation that this is so. And after you have done all that you can to prepare an interesting and lively talk, if you still feel that the talk lacks color or is dead, remember that a live audience will warm up your talk. So make your audience alive by your own presentation, and their interest will give you confidence in what you have to present.

⁸ Just as a doctor looks for symptoms of illness, so your counselor will notice signs that point unmistakably to lack of composure. And just as the good doctor will work on the cause of your illness rather than the symptoms, so your counselor will endeavor to help you overcome the real causes of lack of confidence and poise. However, knowing the symptoms and learning to control them will actually help you to overcome the underlying causes of those symptoms. What are they?

⁹ Generally speaking, there are two outlets for pent-up emotions or tenseness. They can be classified as physical or bodily evidences and vocal manifestations. When these are displayed to any degree, we say that person lacks poise.

10, 11. How can physical bearing expose a lack of confidence?

¹⁰ Poise manifest in physical bearing. The first evidence of poise, then, is manifest in your physical bearing. Here are some things that will betray you if you lack confidence. Consider first the hands: hands clasped behind the back, held rigidly at the side or tightly clutching the speakers’ stand; hands repeatedly in and out of pockets, buttoning and unbuttoning a coat, aimlessly moving to the cheek, the nose, the eyeglasses; incompleted gestures; toying with a watch, a pencil, a ring or notes. Or consider a constant shuffling of the feet, a swaying of the body from side to side; back like a ramrod or sagging of the knees; frequent moistening of the lips, repeated swallowing, rapid and shallow breathing.

¹¹ All these evidences of nervousness can be controlled or minimized by conscious effort. If you make that effort you will give an impression of poise in your physical bearing. So breathe naturally and evenly, and make a definite effort to relax. Pause before you begin speaking. Your audience is bound to react favorably, and this, in turn, will help you to gain the confidence you are seeking. Concentrate on your material, not being concerned about the audience or thinking about yourself.

12-14. If one’s voice betrays lack of confidence, what can be done to acquire poise?

¹² Poise shown by controlled voice. Vocal evidences displaying nervousness are an abnormally high pitch, a trembling of the voice, repeated clearing of the throat, an unusual thinness of the tone caused by lack of resonance due to tenseness. These problems and mannerisms also can be conquered by diligent effort.

¹³ Do not hurry while walking to the platform or arranging your notes, but be relaxed and happy to share the things you have prepared. If you know you are nervous when you begin to talk, then you must make a special effort to talk slower in the introduction than usual and with a lower pitch than you might feel is normal for you. This will help you to control your nervousness. You will find that both gesturing and pausing will help you to relax.

¹⁴ But do not wait until you go on the platform to practice all these things. Learn to be poised and controlled in your daily speech. It will go far toward giving you confidence on the platform and in your field ministry, where it is most essential. A calm delivery will put your audience at ease so they will be able to concentrate on the material. Commenting regularly at meetings will help you to become accustomed to speaking before a group.

**********

15. Why is good personal appearance so important?

¹⁵ Good personal appearance can aid you to have poise, but it is also important for other reasons. If it is not given adequate attention, the minister may find that his appearance distracts his audience so that they really do not pay attention to what he is saying. Rather, he is focusing attention on himself, which, of course, he does not want to do. If a person is extremely careless about his personal appearance, he may even cause others to look down on the organization of which he is a part and to reject the message that he is presenting. This should not be. So, while “Personal appearance” is listed last on the Speech Counsel form, it should not be viewed as of least importance.

16-21. What counsel is given on proper attire and grooming?

¹⁶ Proper attire and grooming. Extremes in attire should be avoided. The Christian minister will not follow the fads of the world that draw attention to oneself. He will avoid being overdressed, or dressing in too flashy a manner so that attention is directed to the clothing. Also, he will exercise care so as not to be dressed in a slovenly way. Being well dressed does not require that one wear a new suit, but one can always be neat and clean. Trousers should be pressed and the necktie worn straight. These are things that anyone can do.

¹⁷ The counsel concerning attire that the apostle Paul recorded, as found in 1 Timothy 2:9, is appropriate for Christian women today. As is true of the brothers, they should not dress in such a way as to draw attention to themselves, nor would it be appropriate for them to go in for extremes in worldly styles of dress that give evidence of lack of modesty.

¹⁸ Of course, it should be kept in mind that not all persons will dress alike. They should not be expected to. People have different tastes, and this is quite proper. What is considered proper dress also varies in different parts of the world, but it is always good to avoid dressing in such a way as to convey unfavorable suggestions to the minds of those in the audience and to avoid stumbling those who come to our meetings.

¹⁹ As for proper dress on the part of the brothers when giving talks in the school or on the service meeting, it might be said that they should be attired in the same general way as the brother who delivers a public talk. If it is customary in your locality for those who deliver the public talks to wear a necktie and suit coat, then that is also proper attire when giving talks in the Theocratic Ministry School, since you are being trained for public speaking.

²⁰ Proper grooming also should receive attention. Uncombed hair can leave a bad impression. Reasonable care should be exercised to see that one presents a neat appearance in this regard. Likewise, when men in the congregation have assignments on the meetings, they should see that they are properly shaved.

²¹ As to counsel on this matter of proper attire and grooming, where there is room for commendation this may always be properly given from the platform. In fact, when commendation is given to those who give proper attention to their attire and grooming, this encourages others to follow that good example. However, when there is need for improvement in regard to attire and grooming, it might be better for the school overseer to offer these suggestions in a kindly way in private, rather than counseling the student from the platform.

22-28. Discuss how posture can affect one’s personal appearance.

²² Proper posture. Proper posture is also involved in personal appearance. Again, not everyone carries himself in the same way, and no endeavor should be made to make the brothers conform to a certain rigid pattern. However, extremes that are undesirable and that draw attention to the individual and away from the message should receive some attention so that they can be corrected or eliminated.

²³ For example, not everyone places his feet just the same, and generally speaking, it makes little difference how you do stand, as long as you are standing erect. But if a speaker stands with his feet so far apart that it gives the audience the impression that he thinks he is on a horse, that can be very distracting.

²⁴ So, too, when a speaker is slumped over, not standing erect, it elicits a feeling of pity on the part of the audience toward the speaker because he does not appear to be well, and this, of course, detracts from the presentation. Their thoughts are not on what he is saying but on him.

²⁵ Standing on one foot, with the other leg wound around behind it, gives evidence of obvious lack of poise, as does standing with one’s hands shoved into one’s pockets. These are things to be avoided.

²⁶ Likewise, while it is not wrong for a speaker occasionally to rest his hands on the speakers’ stand, if there is one, he certainly should not lean on the speakers’ stand, any more than a publisher in the field ministry would lean against the doorframe. It does not present a good appearance.

²⁷ It must be reemphasized, however, that individuals are different. Not everyone stands the same way, and it is only undesirable extremes that detract from one’s presentation that should receive attention in the Theocratic Ministry School.

²⁸ Correcting one’s posture is definitely a matter of preparation. If you have a need to improve along this line, you must think ahead and know that when you mount the platform you should assume the proper posture before you begin speaking. This is also something that can be corrected by practicing proper posture every day.

29-31. Why should our equipment be neat?

²⁹ Neat equipment. If, when one is conversing at the door or giving a talk from the platform, some papers fall out of the Bible one is using, this obviously is distracting. It gives a bad appearance. This does not mean that nothing should ever be put in the Bible, but when difficulties begin to arise that detract from one’s talk, then it indicates that more attention must be given to proper appearance. It is good also to examine the appearance of your Bible. Due to much use it can become soiled or worn out and look unkempt. So it would be good to determine if the Bible used on the platform or in the field ministry would offend the ones we are desiring to assist.

³⁰ The same is true of one’s literature case. There are many ways in which a literature case can be packed neatly, but if, when we go to the door and reach for a publication in our case, we have to feel through a mass of papers in order to find it, or if, when we pull out a magazine, other things fall out on the doorstep, something definitely needs to be done about it.

³¹ It can also be quite distracting to the audience if the speaker has his outside pockets loaded with pens and pencils and other equipment that are clearly in evidence. No rule should be made as to where a person keeps these things, but when they begin to draw attention to themselves and away from the talk, then some adjustment needs to be made.

32-34. What part do facial expressions play in our appearance?

³² No inappropriate facial expression. When preparing a talk it is advisable to consider the mood that the material calls for. For example, when speaking about death and destruction, it would be inappropriate to have a broad smile on one’s face. Likewise, when speaking about the happy conditions of the new system of things, it would hardly be fitting to scowl at the audience.

³³ Facial expression generally is not a problem, and, of course, some persons are more inclined to be serious in expression than others. What is to be guarded against, however, is the extreme that detracts from the talk. If the facial expression would raise a question in the minds of the audience as to the sincerity of the speaker, this definitely would be undesirable.

³⁴ So it is good when preparing a discourse to consider the mood in which it should be delivered. If it is a serious subject, dealing with the destruction of the wicked, then it should be delivered in a serious way. And if you are thinking of the material and keep it in mind, your facial expression in most cases will naturally reflect that. If it is a happy subject, one that should elicit joy on the part of the audience, then it should be delivered in a happy way. And if you feel at ease on the platform, your facial expression will usually radiate that joy.