It is unusual for a speaker to conduct a formal audience analysis. What informal audience analysis methods are available, and what can a speaker learn from them? What would an informal analysis include that a formal analysis would not? What would a formal analysis include that an informal one would not?
What will be an ideal response?
- Informal methods include (1) considering what classmates have said about their interests, backgrounds, or attitudes; (2) asking the host about audience interests and motives; (3) interviewing a few people with similar demographic characteristics about their interests, values, and attitudes; (4) asking other speakers who have addressed the audience about their characteristics and responses; (5) reviewing newspapers or journals the audience reads for ideas and potential allusions; (6) doing library research about the audience's attitudes and opinions; and (7) observing the audience directly to learn about demographics and demeanor.
- Formal methods involve surveys or in-depth interviews; it should be noted that much information overlaps (for example, library research), but informal analysis includes the opinions of other speakers and host perceptions.
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