Audience design is the practice of adjusting language to suit a specific audience, with four types of audiences identified by Alan Bell. It has been used by speakers, politicians, activists, and television companies to target audiences. Bell’s research found that language changes based on the audience’s perceived socioeconomic background, age, and voting patterns. Audience design is also important for language tutors. Television and media companies use audience design to tailor their content and style to maximize viewership.
Audience design is the practice of shaping language to account for a speaker’s audience. This often requires speakers to shift their stylistic choices. As a sociolinguistic model, audience design was first proposed by Alan Bell in 1984. Since then the idea has been used not only by various speakers, from activists to politicians, but also by television companies, to better target audiences. their television programs. In fact, the principles behind audience design can be applied to any situation where people are listening to others speak.
Alan Bell has theorized four basic types of audiences. First, there are audiences known as addressees, which are known to the speakers and are directly addressed. Secondly, there are those reviewers named Bell; these listeners are not addressed directly, but are recognized by the speakers. Listeners, on the other hand, are not addressed or recognized, but speakers are aware of this. Those in the final category are interceptors, according to Bell; the speakers are virtually oblivious to the listeners in this group.
These audiences were conceived as a result of Bell’s research of radio stations in New Zealand. It compared two radio stations that shared a studio and some of the same presenters, but targeted their content to different listeners. Using this data, he examined the changes in the language of broadcasters from station to station. Audiences were the only variable in the experiment, so he was able to conclusively attribute changes in their styles to differences in audiences.
Bell’s research also looked at other elements of audience design, including changes in the language of speakers based on the audience’s perceived socioeconomic background. Other factors that can influence spoken language include the age of the audience and their perceived tastes or voting patterns. Another factor that is particularly important for language tutors is the language skills perceived by the public.
For example, an English teacher working with low-performing non-native students will moderate their language for those students. This is done in several ways. Sentences can be simplified by reducing the number of clauses and words or by choosing simpler words. Speakers can also slow down their speech while enunciating with clearer diction.
Audience design has become an important element of television programming research. Before commissioning a show, during production, and especially while the show is on the air, companies poll viewers about their feelings about the shows. Television and media companies then tailor their content and style to the needs of the majority of audiences, in order to maximize the number of views.
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