Job Discussion Forums

[dermo]

When is it correct or approprate to pause during speech? I know this is a pretty basic question but for the life of me I couldn't think of an easy and accurate way of explaining it to a student today. Could anyone help suggest the easiest way of explaining it?

[Chancellor]

[Tantris]

As stated above, there's no exact answer. When it makes the speech more easily spoken and understood it should sound most natural.

[spiral78]

It's not an exact answer, but one general rule of thumb for planning pauses into prepared speech is

1. after your main points
2. after any numbers or statistics

The reason being that a pause of several seconds heightens attention. It can also be done judiciously before or in the midst of a complex and important point.

This is not the milisecond pause for punctuation, like commas, but a planned pause of several seconds.

[Glenski]

Strange question. Do Chinese speak so fast and without pauses that your student finds it hard to adjust?

Teach the use of a comma in written language, emphasize it means a pause, and practice reading aloud. Maybe even use playscripts.

One other rule of thumb when to pause... whenever your listener seems totally lost (deer in the headlights look).

[dermo]

Thanks for the help. Like some of you said I don't think there is a single correct answer I could give and I think that was partially my problem. Anyway I will explain the best I can using some of your points. Thanks