What do you need to do?

Be yourself—conversational, sincere, and unaffected.

Why is it important?

If you are nervous, stiff, or awkward in your signing because of being self-conscious, others may be distracted from what you say.

1 EXPRESSING yourself in a natural manner helps you win the confidence of others. Would you put your confidence in something said by someone who spoke to you from behind a mask? Would it make a difference if the face on the mask was more handsome than the speaker’s own face? Not likely. So rather than using a disguise, be yourself.

2 Naturalness should not be confused with carelessness. Poor grammar, incorrect signs, and slurred signing are not appropriate. Slang should also be avoided. We always want to manifest appropriate dignity, both in our speech and in our bearing. Someone who manifests such naturalness is neither overly formal nor overly concerned about impressing others.

3 In the Field Ministry. When you approach a house or step up to someone in a public place with a view to giving a witness, do you feel nervous? Most of us do, but for some the feeling is more persistent than for others. Tension may cause your body and face to appear strained or your hands to shake, or nervousness may manifest itself in awkward movements of the hands or the head.

4 A publisher may encounter this problem for a number of reasons. Perhaps he is thinking about the impression he will make or wondering whether his presentation will be successful. None of this is unusual, but problems arise when too much attention is given to such things. If you get nervous before engaging in the ministry, what can help? Careful preparation and fervent prayer to Jehovah. (Acts 4:29) Think about Jehovah’s great mercy in inviting people to enjoy perfect health and eternal life in Paradise. Think about those whom you are endeavoring to help and their need to hear the good news.

5 Remember, too, that people have free will, so they can either accept or reject the message. The same was true when Jesus witnessed in ancient Israel. Your assignment is simply to preach. (Matt. 24:14) Even when people do not let you talk, your very presence will give a witness. You will have succeeded because you let Jehovah use you to accomplish his will. On those occasions when you do have opportunity to talk, what will characterize your presentation? If you learn to focus your thoughts on the needs of others, your speech will be appealing and natural.

6 When giving a witness, if you act and speak as you do every day, this will put your listeners at ease. They may even be more receptive to the Scriptural thoughts that you want to share with them. Rather than giving them a formal discourse, converse with them. Be friendly. Show an interest in them, and welcome their comments. Of course, where the language or local culture calls for certain protocols to show respect when speaking to strangers, you would want to observe these. But you can always be ready with a relaxed smile.

7 On the Platform. When you speak to a group, a natural, conversational style of delivery is usually best. Of course, when the audience is large, you need to utilize a larger signing space. If you try to memorize your talk or if your notes are too detailed, you are probably overly concerned about being exact in your signing. Or if you are self-conscious about signing in a natural way, your delivery may become stiff and formal. Naturalness is lost. Your ideas should be carefully thought out in advance, but give most of your attention to the ideas, not the exact signs.

8 The same is true when you are being interviewed at a meeting. Be well prepared, but do not read or memorize your answers. Deliver them with natural modulation so that your comments will have an appealing spontaneity.

9 Even desirable speech qualities taken to an extreme may strike an audience as being unnatural. For example, you should sign distinctly using all aspects of proper signing, as discussed in Study 3, but not to the extent that your signing is stiff or artificial. Emphatic or descriptive signing, when done well, can enliven your talk, but signing that is stiff or grandiose will detract from what you are saying. Use signing space that is ample, but not excessively large. It is good occasionally to put fire into your delivery, but you should avoid being bombastic. Modulation, enthusiasm, and feeling should all be used in a manner that does not draw attention to yourself or make your audience feel uncomfortable.

10 Some people naturally have a precise way of expressing themselves, even when they are not giving a talk. Others are more colloquial in their speech. The important thing is to speak well every day and to conduct yourself with Christian dignity. Then when on the platform, you will more readily sign and act with appealing naturalness.

11 When Signing From Theocratic Videos. Naturalness when signing from video requires effort. To achieve it, identify the principal ideas in the material that you are going to sign, and observe how these are developed. Have these clearly in mind; otherwise, you will simply be making signs. Check the proper way to sign unfamiliar words. Practice signing so as to get proper inflection and to group the signs together in a way that conveys thoughts clearly. Do it again and again until your signing is fluent. Get to know the material well enough that when you sign it, your signing looks like a spirited conversation. That is naturalness.

12 Of course, most of our signing from video is from the Bible. Apart from talk assignments, we might sign scriptures in the field ministry and when giving talks from the platform. Whether you sign from the Bible or other material, sign portions that embody quotations in a way that makes the material live. If a number of characters are quoted, alter your signing and your body and facial expressions somewhat for each one. A word of caution: Do not be overly dramatic, but do put life into the signing in a natural way.

13 Signing from video that is natural is conversational. It does not look artificial but has conviction.

HOW TO DO IT

Sign in your everyday manner. Focus your thoughts, not on yourself, but on Jehovah and on the need for people to learn about him.

When preparing a talk, give principal attention to the ideas, not to the exact signs.

When delivering a talk and when signing in everyday conversation, avoid careless habits as well as the tendency to sign in a manner that draws attention to yourself.

Prepare well when signing from video. Sign with feeling and a keen awareness of meaning.

EXERCISES: (1) Watch Matthew 14:1-13, and take note of those who are speaking. Now sign it with appropriate expressiveness. (2) On three separate occasions before sharing in the field ministry, watch the first two paragraphs of this lesson as well as the material under the subheading “In the Field Ministry.” Make an effort to apply the counsel.