Public Reading: A Skill You Can Master!

Public Reading: A Skill You Can Master!

With the invention of the written word came a new and challenging communication skill that many have a very difficult time mastering. It is the art of effective public reading. The act of reading words aloud that were created for the printed page

is not a natural thing. The written word often presents information differently then we would speak it, and the challenge intensifies if we are reading someone else's thoughts and expressions.

Conveying the meaning and flavor of the written passage effectively when reading aloud requires a special combination of skills and talent. It is, however, a valuable ability to develop, and it can be learned.

Preparation is the single most important factor in your success in public reading. If you have the opportunity to prepare before reading aloud, you will find the remaining key skills will be far easier to employ, and you will be more comfortable with the material as well. This will allow you to relax and let the thoughts and ideas flow as if no manuscript existed.

Enthusiasm is also required if you wish people to listen to you when you read aloud. No one wishes to listen to a drab, monotone reading that smacks of sedatives. The public reader must be warm and a

nimated in his delivery, keeping in mind the importance of appropriate volume, sense stress and pitch to convey the feelings expressed in the written word. This will add to the illusion that the information is coming off the top of your head, rather than the sheet of paper in front of you. Listeners are drawn in to a conversational delivery as opposed to a lecture.

Proper emphasis and pausing guarantees the listeners will get the point of the message without having to read it themselves. By emphasizing the main points through appropriate voice inflection (for example, raising the voice to stress the climax of an argument, or lowering it to provide a startling statistic) we control the audience's understanding of our message. Without the benefit of seeing the punctuation marks and format changes that break up a written page, the listener must rely on you to add the appropriate pausing to provide the proper understanding as well. Short pauses can help to group words in a meaningful way and draw attention to key ideas; longer pauses indicate the conclusion of a main part of the argument.

Together, these skills create a masterful blend that will allow you to take a section of written word and transform it in to a living breathing conversation between yourself and your audience. They will understand and appreciate the information as well as, or better than, they would have if they read it themselves.

Justin Lambert is the owner and toughest critic of CopyGhost, a freelance copywriting and ghostwriting firm serving businesses of all size. Public speaking, one of the CopyGhost's specialties, has proven itself effective in marketing all manner of businesses, and can do the same for you! Visit www.copyghost.com to subscribe to the FREE e-newsletter, Connexion, providing tips and tricks to improve your business communications, including public speaking!
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