Suggestion of structure: An experiment with transition sentences

Readers can skip words or track back to an earlier point in the paragraph; listeners have to rely on the speaker to provide them with help to build a coherent structure of the message. In general it is recommended that a speaker should make the transition between topics explicit by using transition sentences. Such sentences bridge ideas and aid understanding. This paper investigates whether the use of transition sentences has the effects that modern advisors predict. Does the use of transition sentences result in a more coherent representation of the message of the speaker and in a higher appreciation of the speech itself? To explore these questions three variants of one 13-minute lecture were constructed; the only difference among the three was the presence (and place) of a series explicit transition sentences. The results show that the power of such sentences is restricted. But-when well placed-they enhance the perception of the presentation by the audience.