Spy Tip 2: Lip Reading

This tip is a little tougher than our first one, but it's an invaluable skill and a really neat trick once you get it down. Lip reading can make you better at espionage and general sneakiness, plus it will also allow you to communicate better. It's another rare talent that has fallen out of style, but now I'm bringing it back!

The best way to start is with DVDs:

1. First watch movies on really low volume. See how low you can go before you can't understand every third word or so.
2. Then turn on the subtitles and turn off the sound. Try to watch the characters' mouths as often as possible while still getting most of the words they're saying.
3. Begin imagining the speakers talking as you read the subtitles and watch the movie.
4. The most important thing to learn is to "hear" the speakers in your head just by seeing their lips move.
5. Start practicing with your friends and a pair of earplugs when you get confident as a beginning lip reader. Ask your friends to repeat or rephrase themselves while speaking normally if you don't get what they're saying.
   
6. The key to mastering this skill is understanding context, facial gestures, and body language. Only about 35% of speech can be discerned from lip movements and everyone has small differences in their speech.

You're on your way to reading lips.
That's all for now!