Communication and Audience Design in Sociolinguistics

Previously, I have discussed how sociolinguistics in public speaking works and what it is. Now it is time to dig deeper and discover how communication and audience design affects the message that is being heard.

What is audience design? Audience design is a sociolinguistic model outlined by Allan Bell in 1984. It proposes that linguistics and style-shifting occurs when responding to a speaker's audience.
Basically, what Bell is saying each speaker goes into their speech prepared. However, there will come a time when the audience is not engaged to the speaker's style. It is then the speaker needs to adjust his style and shift it to better serve his audience.

The speaker is addressing his audience as they look on with interest. Notice how the speaker is making eye contact with his audience to prepare to respond (audience design).

In this article, the author is indicating two approaches to styles in sociolinguistics; first, how the speaker expresses him or herself. It is important to understand how the audience will react to your speech. If there is no conviction or passion in your tone while you are speaker, the audience will fail to hear your point. This is why communication and audience design is crucial. As you are failing to communicate with your audience, if you take a look at the listener's body language and see they are not interested, then it is time to shift gears and try a new style. Bell explains that the speakers needs to use the correct phonology, or sound system of a language. Also remember to include syntax and semantics. Taking all of these terms into account, the communication will be affective and therefore the speaker will receive a positive audience design.

The second approach Bell demonstrates that the setting of the speech matters. For example, he used research from interviews to determine that when the speaker discussed the message or topic with someone else, the audience did not pay attention or they were not interested. However, when the interviewer answered the questions of the audience to them personally, they felt more engaged in the conversation and were more likely to pay attention.

In this journal written by William S. Horton and Richard J. Gerrig, the authors explain the importance of audience design and why speakers of all ages need to practice and disguise their utterances for particular addresses. First, speakers must understand how influential audience design really is. Second, they must overcome their own speech tendencies and understand the audience in which they are speaking to. If a speaker approaches a room full of men and starts discussing shopping or a new clothing line, the speaker must find a way to make the address relevant to the audience.

This journal written by Hans J. Ladegaard, takes the roles of each person in a speech into account, by looking at the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). Meaning, when speakers speak, their actions and voice change to resonate with the audience. If a speaker walks into a high school gymnasium to conduct a speech in front of the entire school, the speaker will adjust his or her gestures and vocal patterns to match the audience.

After doing research it makes me believe how important audience design is when discussing sociolinguistics in public speaking.