The Art of Public Speaking 第五单元教学文稿.docx

The Art of Public Speaking 第五单元教学文稿.docx

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TheArtofPublicSpeaking第五单元教学文稿

5.AnalyzingtheAudience

Audience-Centeredness

ThePsychologyAudiences

FactorsinAudienceAnalysis

Size

PhysicalSetting

DemographicTraits

DispositionTowardtheTopic

DispositionTowardtheSpeaker

DispositionTowardtheOccasion

GettingInformationAbouttheAudience

AdaptingtotheAudience

AudienceAdaptationBeforethespeech

AudienceAdaptationDuringthespeecj

AudienceAdaptationAfterthespeech

Inthemidstoftheheated2008campaignfortheU.S.Democraticpresidentialnomination,BarackObamafacedoneofthebiggestchallengesofhispoliticalcareer.Hisformerminister,JeremiahWright,hadmadecontroversial,raciallychargedcommentsthatcirculatedwidelyinthenationalmedia.Suddenly,ObamawasforcedtodealwithWright’sremarks,theissueofraceinAmerica,andthefutureofhispresidentialcampaign.Indoingso,hehadtoaddressmultipleaudiences,includingthewhitecommunity,theblackcommunity,hissupporters,backersofrivalHillaryClinton,undecidedvoters,andthenationingeneral.

OnMarch18,2008,ObamaspokeonnationaltelevisionfromPhiladelphia,thebirthplaceoftheAmericanrepublic.Wellawareofthesituationhefaced,hecraftedaspeechthatdealtthoughtfullywiththeconcernsofhisvariousaudienceswhilestressingthefundamentalunityoftheAmericanpeople.Onlybyworkingtogether,hesaid,canwe“movebeyondofouroldracialwoundsand…continueonthepathofamoreperfectunion.”

Thespeechgarneredalmostuniversalpraiseacrossthepoliticalspectrum.Obamawashailedforhiscapacityto“leadpublicopinion”byexplainingissues“sobothsidescanseeeachother’spointofview.”Hepushedthenation“tomovebeyondraceandgender,beyondDemocratandRepublican,beyondpoliticsandintorevivingthespiritofthenationitself.”Itwas,byanymeasure,astrikingachievement.

Audience-Centeredness

Obama’sspeechpointsupanimportantfact:

Goodpublicspeakersareaudience-centered.Theyknowtheprimaryofspeechmakingisnottobrowbeattheaudienceortoblowoffsteam.Rather,itistogainadesiredresponsefromlisteners.BarackObama’spurposeinhisspeechwastogainafavorableresponsefromthemajorgroupsinhisaudience.Hedidthatbypresentinghimselfandhisideasinwaysthatconnectedwiththeaudience’sgoals,values,andbeliefs.

Beingaudience-centereddoesnotinvolvecompromisingyourbelieftogetafavorableresponse.Nordoseitmeanusingdevious,unethicaltacticstoachieveyourgoal.AsdidBarackObama,youcanremaintruetoyourselfandspeakethicallywhileadaptingyourmessagetotheneedsofyourlisteners.

Tobeaudience-centered,youneedtokeepseveralquestionsinmindwhenyouworkonyourspeeches:

TowhomamIspeaking?

WhatdoIwantthemtoknow,believe,ordoasaresultofmyspeech?

Whatisthemosteffectivewayofcomposingandpresentingmyspeechtoaccomplishthataim?

Thischapterwillintroducethebasicprinciplesofaudienceanalysisandadaptation.Chapters13-14willdealwiththosefeaturesofaudienceanalysisuniquetoinformativeandpersuasivespeaking.

ThePsychologyofAudiences

Whatdoyoudowhenyoulistentoaspeech?

Sometimesyoupaycloseattention;atothertimesyouletyourthoughtswander.Peoplemaybecompelledtoattendaspeech,butnoonecanmakethemlisten.Thespeakermustmaketheaudiencechoosetopayattention.

Evenwhenpeopledopayattention,theydon’tprocessaspeaker’smessageexactlyasthespeakerintends.Auditoryperceptionisalwaysselective.Everyspeechcontainstwomessages—theonesentbythespeakerandtheonereceivedbythelistener.AswesawinChapter1,whataspeakersaysisfilteredthroughalistener’sframeofreference-thesumofhisorherneeds,interests,expectations,knowledge,andexperience.Asaresult,welistenandrespondtospeechesnotastheyare,butasweare.

Peopleareegocentric.Theypayclosestattentiontomessagesthataffecttheirownvalues,beliefs,andwell-being.HarryEmersonFosdick,thegreatAmericanpreacher,oncesaid:

“Thereisnothingthatpeoplearesointerestedinasthemselves,theirownproblems,andthewaytosolvethem.Thatfactis…theprimarystartingpointofallsuccessfulpublicspeaking.”

Whatdothesepsychologicalprinciplesmeantoyouasaspeaker?

First,theymeanyourlistenerswillhearandjudgewhatyousayonthebasisofwhattheyalreadyknowandbelieve.Second,theymeanyoumustrelateyourmessagetoyourlisteners-showhowitpertainstothem,explainwhytheyshouldcareaboutitasmuchasyoudo.AsSaulAlinksy,thenotedcommunityorganizer,advises,“Peopleonlyunderstandthingsintermsoftheirexperience,”whichmeansthattocommunicatewiththem,“youmustgetinsidetheirexperience.”

Ofcourse,youcan’tactuallygetinsideanotherpeople’sexperience.Butyoucanlistenenoughaboutyouraudiencetoknowwhatyoushoulddotomakeyourideasclearandmeaningful.Howyoucandothisisournexttopic.

FactorsinAudienceAnalysis

Anythingcharacteristicofagivenaudienceispotentiallyimportanttoaspeakeraddressingthataudience.Inmostcases,however,youraudienceanalysiswillprocessedinlightofsixbroadcategories:

size,physical,demographictraits,dispositiontowardthetopic,dispositiontowardthespeaker,anddispositiontowardtheoccasion.Letuslookateachinturn.

SIZE

WiththeaidoftelevisionandtheInternet,audiencescanrangeinsizefromafewpeopletothousandsorevenmillionsofpeople.Atthisstageofyourspeakingcareer,youmaybeterrifiedattheprospectofaddressingahugecrowd,butasyougainmoreexperience,youmaywelcomethechallengeoffacingabiggroup.Somespeakersactuallypreferalargeaudiencetoasmallone.

Nomatterwhatsizegroupyouareaddressing,bearinmindonebasicprinciple:

Thelargeyouraudience,themoreformalyourpresentationmustbe.Audiencesizemayalsoaffectyourlanguage,choiceofappeals,anduseofvisualaids.

PHYSICALSETTING

Whichofthefollowingwouldyouratheraddress?

Anaudienceassembledimmediatelyafterlunch,crammedintoanoverheatedroomwithinadequateseating

Anaudienceassembledat10:

00inthemorning,comfortablyseatedinanairy,well-lightedroom.

Undoubtedlyyouchosethesecondoption.Anyoftheadverseconditionslistedinthefirstoptioncouldseriouslyimpairyouraudience’swillingnesstoacceptyourideasorevenlistentoyouatall.

Whenyoufaceanyspeakingsituation,itisimportanttoknowinadvanceiftherewillbeanydifficultieswiththephysicalsetting.Whenyouareinvitedtospeak,don’tbeshyaboutaskingquestionsofthepersonwhoarrangedthespeech.Ifpossible,lookovertheroomafewdaysinadvance,orelsearriveearlyonthedayofyourspeechtoinspecttheroom.Ifitistoowarmortoocold,seeaboutadjustingthethermostat.Checktheseatingarrangementsandthelocationofthelecterntobesureyouraudiencecanseeyou.Inshort,doeverythingyoucantocontroltheinfluenceofphysicalsettingonyouraudience.

Whataboutcircumstancesyoucan’tcontrol?

Yourspeechisscheduleddirectlyafterlunchordinner.Theroomistoosmallfortheaudienceexpected.Theheatcannotberegulated.Thenyouaresimplygoingtohavetoworkhardertoadapttotheseaspectsofyourlistener’sdiscomfort.Aboveall,don’tbeinfluencedyourselfbythepoorphysicalsetting.Ifyouraudienceseesthatyouareenergetic,alert,andinvolvedwithyourtopic,chancesaretheywillforgettheirdiscomfortandcomerightalongwithyou.

DEMOGRAPHICTRAITS

Thereceptivityoflistenersisstronglyinfluencedbydemographytraitssuchasage,gender,education,economicstanding,culturalbackground,andthelike.Ideasthatattractyoungerlistenersmayoffendolderlisteners.Topicsthatareappealingtowomenmaybeoflessinteresttomen.Peoplewhoareprosperoususuallyviewtheworlddifferentlythandothosewhoaremiredinpoverty.Andnothingaffectsanaudiencemorethanculturalbackground.Speakerswhofailtotakesuchfactorsintoaccountwhenplanningatalkarealmostsurelydoomedtofailure.

Keepinmind,however,thattherecanbeagreatdealofdiversityamonglistenerswithsimilardemographiccharacteristics.Notallyoungpeoplethinkalike;notdoallolderpeople.Menandwomenoftenhavedifferentpersonalinterests,yettheycanbeofonemindonpoliticalandeconomicissues.Europeanshavemanycommonbeliefs,buteachcountryinEuropehasitsownnationalidentity,values,andinterests.Theimportanceofanygivendemographicfactorwillvaryfromaudiencetoaudiencedependingontheoccasionandthespeechtopic.

Themostimportantthingtokeepinmindaboutdemographicaudienceanalysisisthatitisnotanendinitself.Youraimisnotjusttolistthemajortraitsofyourlisteners,buttofindinthosetraitscluesabouthowyourlistenerswillrespondtoyourspeech.Whenusedsensiblyandresponsibly,demographicaudienceanalysiscanbeofgreatbenefittoaspeaker.

DISPOSITIONTOWARDTHETOPIC

AswesawinChapter4,youshouldkeepyouraudienceinmindwhenchoosingatopic.Ideally,youwillpickatopicthatsuitsthemasitsuitsyou.Onceyouhaveyourtopic,however,youmustconsiderinmoredetailhowyourlistenerswillreacttoit.Inparticular,youneedtoassesstheirinterestinthetopic,theirknowledgeaboutit,andtheirattitudestowardit.

Interest

Peopledonotusuallyexpendthetimeandefforttoattendaspeechunlesstheyhavesomeinterestinthetopic.Yetsomelistenerswillinevitablyhaveahigherinterestlevelthanwillothers.oneofyoutaskasaspeakeristoassesstheirinterestinadvanceandtoadjust