Crafting Your Writing for Specific Audiences: A Mini Lesson
Essential Questions
1. How does considering the rhetorical triangle shape what we write?2. How do we write differently for different audiences?
Audience: A Key Component of the Rhetorical Triangle
When a good writer writes, she keeps her audience forefront in her mind as she chooses her topic, her words, and even the details to include. Consideration of audience is so important that it is only one of three elements in Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle.In order to write effectively, one must first know who (s)he is potentially Writing for, considering their values, core beliefs, level of knowledge on the topic, and so forth, or, in other words, considering the demographics of their audience. This mini-lesson will help you (or your students) understand just how important it is to write for specific audiences.
Following the instructions below to explore how we naturally code switch, shifting registers when writing for or talking to different people.
For example, I talk very differently with my skydiving friends at the dz than I do with my teacher friends at school. You code switch, also.
Audience Mini Lesson Instructions
Analysis of Letters
After writing your letters, use the guide above to analyze them (alone or in groups depending on your situation) to extrapolate how our writing changes when our audience changes. Below is the analysis from letters written in my class. Did you notice the same or similar characteristics about the writing for each audience?Sample Letters
After writing your letters, check out the sample letters below. Or show these to your class as models/examples and/or to foster discussion if you are a teacher or writing workshop leader.I invite you to share your letters and your thoughts about how our writing does and should shift depending on audience in the comments.
Teaching Tools
Use this PowerPoint to direct this activity in your class if you would like.
