3 ms·

Why You Should Read This Out Loud

8 points by clouddrover 6y ago

cafard 6y ago
I have recently found it curious how the voice is tied into the emotions, at least for me. A few years ago, when reading a section of a novel to my wife, I found it hard not to start crying at a passage I found moving enough when reading silently, but that did not nearly bring on tears. And more recently I repeatedly revised and reread a eulogy for a friend dry-eyed, then found myself struggling not to break down when I delivered it a the memorial service.
- hombre_fatal 6y ago
  I've often wondered if I had the strength to read a eulogy in front of a crowd. But I realize it's something that my loved ones would deserve. Kind of like deciding to hold your pet when it's euthanized even though it's emotionally easier for you if they are taken into the next room at the vet office to die alone, scared.
Wowfunhappy 6y ago
I like reading aloud—but I find that when I do it, my actual reading comprehension goes down. I noticed it just now, again, when I tried to do as the title suggested and read the BBC article allowed. I had to re-read several paragraphs, because they went in one ear and out... well, my mouth. I wonder if the word recall task they mentioned in the article would continue to hold true for remembering larger paragraphs. Because I think that's the problem—I have to spend two much mental energy reading the whole sentence without tripping up. If it was just a list of words, I can see how it might be different.
- vimjim 6y ago
  Do you think maybe the issue is that not only you’re reading out loud, but you are also thinking about the fact that you are reading out loud? By the was “allowed” a typo or a joke? Genuine question.
  - Wowfunhappy 6y ago
    > By the was “allowed” a typo or a joke? Genuine question. Typo, thank you for allowing me to catch it while I was still in the edit window!
- hombre_fatal 6y ago
  I think the reason is because we read aloud so infrequently that we're just out of practice, so our time is spent focusing on the mechanical process of creating the words rather than retaining the text. I happened to accidentally run this experiment when I was reading Spanish aloud for months to get my pronunciation skills back in order. It started off rocky like you say—constantly forgetting what I'd just read—but it definitely improved like a muscle I was working out.
- juancn 6y ago
  I'm actually the opposite. When I'm reading something difficult, such as a paper, and I'm having trouble with an information dense paragraph, I read it aloud slowly and with emphasis on the most important words to be able to peel it apart. I go back and re-read it many times, changing my speaking pattern. Maybe it's not universal?

8 points by clouddrover 6y ago

I have recently found it curious how the voice is tied into the emotions, at least for me. A few years ago, when reading a section of a novel to my wife, I found it hard not to start crying at a passage I found moving enough when reading silently, but that did not nearly bring on tears. And more recently I repeatedly revised and reread a eulogy for a friend dry-eyed, then found myself struggling not to break down when I delivered it a the memorial service.

hombre_fatal 6y ago
I've often wondered if I had the strength to read a eulogy in front of a crowd. But I realize it's something that my loved ones would deserve. Kind of like deciding to hold your pet when it's euthanized even though it's emotionally easier for you if they are taken into the next room at the vet office to die alone, scared.

Wowfunhappy 6y ago

I like reading aloud—but I find that when I do it, my actual reading comprehension goes down. I noticed it just now, again, when I tried to do as the title suggested and read the BBC article allowed. I had to re-read several paragraphs, because they went in one ear and out... well, my mouth. I wonder if the word recall task they mentioned in the article would continue to hold true for remembering larger paragraphs. Because I think that's the problem—I have to spend two much mental energy reading the whole sentence without tripping up. If it was just a list of words, I can see how it might be different.

vimjim 6y ago
Do you think maybe the issue is that not only you’re reading out loud, but you are also thinking about the fact that you are reading out loud? By the was “allowed” a typo or a joke? Genuine question.
- Wowfunhappy 6y ago
  > By the was “allowed” a typo or a joke? Genuine question. Typo, thank you for allowing me to catch it while I was still in the edit window!
hombre_fatal 6y ago
I think the reason is because we read aloud so infrequently that we're just out of practice, so our time is spent focusing on the mechanical process of creating the words rather than retaining the text. I happened to accidentally run this experiment when I was reading Spanish aloud for months to get my pronunciation skills back in order. It started off rocky like you say—constantly forgetting what I'd just read—but it definitely improved like a muscle I was working out.
juancn 6y ago
I'm actually the opposite. When I'm reading something difficult, such as a paper, and I'm having trouble with an information dense paragraph, I read it aloud slowly and with emphasis on the most important words to be able to peel it apart. I go back and re-read it many times, changing my speaking pattern. Maybe it's not universal?