What do you need to do?

Vary your signing. In this study, we consider changes in signing space, pace, and intensity of facial expression.

Why is it important?

Proper modulation gives life to a talk, stirs emotions, and motivates to action.

Lack of modulation may give the impression that you have no real interest in your subject.

1 IMAGINE driving a tour bus through a scenic area. You might adjust your speed or even stop at certain points so that your passengers can take in the sights. Your goal is that they enjoy the ride and arrive at the final destination safely. Similarly, when you give a talk or speak to others, you want to make your delivery or conversation a pleasant experience. Your use of simple sense stress helps an audience to understand what you say. But when you vary the size of your signs and signing space, adjust your pace, and change the intensity of your facial expressions, your talk can be much more enjoyable to watch. More than that, it may tell your audience how you feel about what you are saying. Your attitude toward the material can influence how they feel about it. This is true whether you are speaking from the platform or to an individual in the field ministry.

2 The ability of humans to use their hands, face, and entire body to communicate in a great variety of ways is marvelous. Properly used, this ability can give life to a talk, touch the heart, stir emotions, and motivate to action. However, this cannot be achieved by simply marking your notes to indicate where to make your signs larger, where to change the pace, or where to vary the intensity of your facial expressions. Modulation in response to such cues will appear artificial. Instead of imparting life and color to your delivery, it may make your audience feel uncomfortable. Proper use of modulation springs from the heart.

3 When used wisely, modulation will not attract undue attention to the speaker. Instead, it will help the audience to enter into the spirit of the subject being discussed.

4 Adjust Your Signing Space. One way to vary your expressions is to adjust the size of your signing. But this does not mean simply making your signs larger without clear intent. That would distort the sense of what you are saying and the impression would be unpleasant.

5 Your use of signing space should be appropriate to the material. Whether you are signing an urgent command, such as that found at Revelation 14:6, 7 or at Revelation 18:4, or an expression of strong conviction, as recorded at Exodus 14:13, 14, appropriate increase in volume is indicated. Likewise, if you are signing a strong denunciation from the Bible, such as that found at Matthew 23:13-36, varying the size of your signs and signing space will make certain expressions stand out above the rest.

6 Consider, too, your objective. Do you want to motivate your audience to action? Do you want to make the main points of your presentation stand out? Key points may need to be signed with larger motions, with raised arms, or with more intensity. However, simply increasing your volume in these ways may defeat your purpose. How so? What you are saying may call for warmth and feeling instead of increased signing size. We will discuss this in Study 11.

7 When used with discernment, a drop in volume can stir up anticipation. But it most likely would require greater use of signing space immediately afterward. Signing with smaller motions but with increased intensity can convey anxiety or fear. A drop in volume may also indicate that what is being said is of secondary importance in comparison with what surrounds it. If you always sign in a small space, however, this may convey uncertainty or lack of conviction on your part or lack of real interest in your subject. Obviously, you need to use discretion regarding when to reduce the size of your signing to a very small space.

8 Change Your Pace. In everyday conversation, signs flow spontaneously as we express our thoughts. When we are excited, we tend to sign rapidly. When we want others to remember exactly what we say, the pace of our signing becomes more deliberate.

9 However, few speakers who are new to the public platform vary their pace. Why? They prepare their signing too carefully, perhaps writing down a word for each sign as if preparing a manuscript talk. They may try to memorize each sign while rehearsing. As a result, everything is delivered in a measured pace and may appear unnatural. Learning to prepare by using brief notes or drawings will help to correct this weakness. Drawing pictures for notes rather than writing down words has proved helpful to some. Doing this helps avoid the need to translate words into sign language during your talk. Yet, whether you use simple words or pictures, your notes should help you quickly call to mind the points you wish to make so that the pace of your delivery is natural and varied.

10 Avoid increasing your pace so abruptly that it reminds one of a strolling cat that suddenly leaps away when it spots a dog. And never “speed”—signing so rapidly that your clarity suffers and your audience misses the point.

11 To achieve variety in your pace, do not simply speed up and slow down at regular intervals. Rather than enhancing the material you are presenting, that style of delivery will detract from it. Changes of pace should be geared to what you are saying, the emotions you want to convey, and your objective. Consider where it would be fitting to speed up or slow down as you practice your talk. In general, deliver your talk at a moderate pace. To convey excitement, sign more rapidly, just as you would in everyday life. This is also appropriate when stating points of lesser importance or when narrating events in which details are not vital, much like driving a tour bus through an area where there is little to see. Signing at a quicker pace will add variety instead of making it seem that every point is equally important. On the other hand, weightier arguments, main points, changes in thought, and climaxes in delivery usually call for a slower pace. This could be compared to driving the bus slower so that the passengers have time to view sights of interest.

12 Vary Intensity of Facial Expressions. When you need to convey emotions such as excitement and enthusiasm, sign these parts of your talk with more intensity and at a quicker pace, as mentioned above. Emotions such as sorrow and anxiety may also be indicated by a more intense facial expression but by signing at a slower or more measured pace. The emotions mentioned here are ones that help the speaker touch the heart. When you want to express them, do not simply make the signs. Sign in a way that shows that you also feel them. Keep in mind, however, that the parts of your talk not conveying emotion should be delivered with less intensity.

13 Applying the above techniques—adjusting the size of your signs and signing space, changing your pace, and varying the intensity of your facial expressions—can add great variety throughout your talk. Other principles discussed in this publication, such as pausing and audience contact, will complement these techniques and will make your talks far more enjoyable.

14 Laying a Foundation. Where, then, does modulation begin? With selection of material for your talk. If you include nothing but argumentation or nothing but exhortation, you will have little opportunity for variety in your delivery. So analyze your outline, and make sure that you have the ingredients needed for a colorful, informative presentation.

15 Suppose that in the middle of your talk, you feel the need for greater variety because your presentation is dragging. What then? Change the nature of your material. How? One way is to show a scripture and invite the audience to watch it instead of simply signing all the material yourself. Or convert some statement into a question, adding a pause for emphasis. Insert a simple illustration. These are techniques used by experienced speakers. But regardless of the extent of your experience, you can use the same ideas when preparing your material.

16 It can be 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.

HOW TO DO IT

Modulation begins with your selection of material for your talk.

Adjust signing space when expressing urgent commands, strong conviction, or denunciations. Give careful thought to portions of your talk that call for signing with larger or smaller motions.

Change pace by signing faster on points of less importance and slower on weighty arguments and main points. To convey emotions, sign either more slowly or more rapidly.

Vary intensity of facial expression, if appropriate, to convey emotions and touch hearts.

EXERCISES: (1) Watch Matthew 14:1-34, taking note of variation in signing space, speed, and intensity. Then sign it yourself in a similar manner. Do this several times. (2) To develop flexibility, try to memorize a passage of scripture, such as verses 24-33, and sign it as rapidly as you can without stumbling. Without sacrificing articulation, sign it over and over, constantly increasing your pace. Then sign the same material as slowly as possible, copying the signs and facial expressions precisely. Next, speed up and slow down alternately until your hands and face will do what you want them to do.