Adapt to Audiences
Objectives
Listening Objectives:
- Understands major elements of the term language pragmatics
- Interprets effects of hedging, value/judgment words, and over-generalizations
- Recognizes verbal and nonverbal signals which introduce supporting details
Speaking Objectives:
- Articulates how Americans adapt directness, politeness, and deference to different listeners.
- Discerns salient minor details from listening passages
Adapting to Audiences
Communication is more than the words we speak. It includes the way we say the words, meaning our intonation, stress, and directness. Communication also includes the nonverbal cues we use, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and body language, which can add a layer of meaning to what is said.
As we discuss in the lesson Listening Strategy: Recognize Organizational Patterns understanding your audience and their expectations is an essential part of communication. In addition to impacting those global organization patterns for speaking, we should also be aware of these other aspects of language that can make or break a conversation.
Consider the following situation:
Imagine you just had a bad experience with a coworker taking credit for your work. How might your word choice, formality, tone of voice, and body language differ during the following interactions?
- Talking directly with the coworker to address the issue
- Reporting the situation to your boss
- Relaying the situation later to a friend
- Explaining what happened to your child, who noticed you were upset
Hedging
One of the greatest distinctions between spoken American English and many other languages is the tendency to avoid directness with the purpose of being more polite and/or professional. We soften or hedge spoken language in a variety of ways. When expressing an opinion, using hedging devices can help you appear more logical than emotional. They show respectful consideration of varying ideas.
Hedging Device | Explanation |
Modals: can, could, may, might | These modals soften expressions and convey caution. |
Adverbs of approximation: perhaps, possibly, presumably, probably, arguably, likely | These verbs allow for uncertainty in your opinion. |
Distancing verbs: appear, indicate, look like, seem, suggest, tend | These words allow you to present an informed opinion. They can be useful for introducing a quote. “Research suggests…” |
Compound hedges: seems reasonable, seems/ looks… probable/likely/unlikely | These devices communicate openness to other opinions. |
Avoiding Value and Judgement Words
Another tendency of American English speakers is to not be direct when an opinion is asked. Value and judgment words are often avoided, as they can cause an emotional response in the listener.
Examples:
Good/Bad
Wrong/Right
Perfect/Ideal
Ordinary/Outrageous
Unnecessary/Useless
Appropriate/Inappropriate
Nonverbal Communication Tips
Eye Contact:
Eye contact is very important to Americans, and can communicate confidence, respect, and honesty. Though in some countries, lack of eye contact can convey respect for an elder or someone with higher social status, Americans may see lack of eye contact as one of the following:
- Evidence of dishonesty
- Lack of confidence
- Embarrassment
Nodding:
Americans may shake their head up and down (nodding) a few times while listening. This is a way of showing they are paying attention, and does not always mean they agree with the speaker.
Personal Space:
Americans value their personal space greatly. Observing others around you will help you adjust your spacing for the situation. Watch for the following signs that you are too close when speaking to an American.
- Them taking a step away from you
- Them leaning away
- Them sighing or crossing their arms with annoyance
Here is a video that explains body language in more detail:
Exercise 1: Listen & Speak
In this TED talk, the speaker explains three different main categories of body language: lookers, listeners, and touchers.
Speaking Practice
- Do the activities she suggests to identify which category you are in. Which type are you? How do you know? How is it the same or different than the people you interact with every day?
- Culture can have a big impact on our body language and our interpretation of body language. How do you think your culture influences body language differently than other cultural groups?
- Have you experienced a need to change your body language to match the expectations of your work environment, a classroom, friends, or coworkers? Has your expression of body language changed in interactions with people of other cultures? How would you describe those changes?
Exercise 2: Partner Activity - Compare Body Language
- Watch the example videos from the lesson Listening Strategy: Recognize Organizational Patterns.
- Focus on watching the nonverbal cues the speakers give the listener.
- Discuss how body language changes between the examples.
Exercise 3: Class Activity - Cultural Differences Mini Presentations
- The class will be divided into groups with similar cultural backgrounds. You may not be from the same country depending on the class.
- Discuss cultural differences you believe are unique to your group. These might be just untrue stereotypes you hear about people from your country, or they might be real patterns you have observed.
- Be prepared to share with the class about some of the nonverbal cues, hedging, or other audience adaptations that are common in your culture.
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