Audience Awareness
Audience Awareness
Knowing your audience—whether readers or listeners—will help you determine what information to include in a document or presentation, as well as how to convey it most effectively. You should consider your audience when choosing your tone, content, and language—or else your message may seem unfocused or inappropriate.
In the classroom, your audience is often your professor. However, some assignments are designed so that you are addressing a secondary audience such as an expert in the field or the general public. Even when your audience is your instructor, tailor your communication to meet expectations. For example, your professor may expect you to demonstrate critical thinking or to employ an academic style.
Here are some questions to ask when analyzing your audience:
• How much does the audience know about the subject? The level and type of knowledge your audience already has determines how much background you need to provide, which terms will need definition or explanation, and whether you’ll use an academic or familiar tone.
• How does the audience feel about your topic? You may need to convince a skeptical audience that your views have merit. If the audience is biased against your stance, you’ll have to find ways to bring them around to your viewpoint. In that case, finding common ground might be a good place to start.
• What new information can you provide? Consider why your topic is important to your audience and what they can gain by giving you their attention. Can you motivate them to think more about your issue? To take action?
• What is your relationship to the audience? Are you giving orders, suggestions, or advice? Your tone may be more personal with a peer. If you’re an authority, you need to sound sure of yourself; if you’re a subordinate, you need to show respect.
Your style is determined in part by your audience. Together, the following elements constitute style; adjust them to reach your intended audience:
• Message.
Knowing your audience—whether readers or listeners—will help you determine what information to include in a document or presentation, as well as how to convey it most effectively. You should consider your audience when choosing your tone, content, and language—or else your message may seem unfocused or inappropriate.
In the classroom, your audience is often your professor. However, some assignments are designed so that you are addressing a secondary audience such as an expert in the field or the general public. Even when your audience is your instructor, tailor your communication to meet expectations. For example, your professor may expect you to demonstrate critical thinking or to employ an academic style.
Here are some questions to ask when analyzing your audience:
• How much does the audience know about the subject? The level and type of knowledge your audience already has determines how much background you need to provide, which terms will need definition or explanation, and whether you’ll use an academic or familiar tone.
• How does the audience feel about your topic? You may need to convince a skeptical audience that your views have merit. If the audience is biased against your stance, you’ll have to find ways to bring them around to your viewpoint. In that case, finding common ground might be a good place to start.
• What new information can you provide? Consider why your topic is important to your audience and what they can gain by giving you their attention. Can you motivate them to think more about your issue? To take action?
• What is your relationship to the audience? Are you giving orders, suggestions, or advice? Your tone may be more personal with a peer. If you’re an authority, you need to sound sure of yourself; if you’re a subordinate, you need to show respect.
Your style is determined in part by your audience. Together, the following elements constitute style; adjust them to reach your intended audience:
• Message.