question#2

Discuss the importance of audience analysis and audience adaptation in the speech development process. Also, discuss how YOU plan on using audience analysis in your speech.


According to the text audience analysis is anticipating your audience’s needs and interests and designing a strategy to respond to them (pg 101, Coopman, Lull). A good successful speaker sees his/her audience as partners in public speaking. The listeners are always asking themselves “how does the topic of what is being talked about apply to me?” This is where audience analysis becomes important. By one becoming knowledgeable of their audience one can better adapt to their audience. The responsibility of the speaker is to recognize the different backgrounds, knowledge, and opinions in an audience. The book gives some tips on how to meet the challenges of the audience diversity as fallows: 1) Promote a more supportive communication climate that welcomes differing perspectives on topics and issues, 2) Draw from a wider pool of knowledge and information that contributes to better learning experience for all participants, 3) better articulate your own cultural identity and understand those of others, and much more (pg 103 Coopman, Lull). I will use audience analysis in my speech to help me understand who my audience is beforehand, and to promote a better communication climate between my audience and me.