To: Nancy Myers

From: Eduardo Juarez

Date: April 13, 2021
Subject: APLED 121-Chapter 5 Summary-Outline

CHAPTER 5
Audience Recognition

Audience Variables
 Knowledge of Subject Matter- What does your audience already know about the subject
you are going to be talking about.
 High-Tech Audience- Are highly educated experts in the field, and need little to no
explanation about the terminology and background information about the subject.
 Low-Tech Audience- Are familiar with the field but will require some additional
information about terms and processes that relate to the subject.
 Lay Audience- Have little to no understanding of the processes, terms, and lingo of the
subject and require detailed explanations in order to understand the subject.
 Multiple Audiences- Be prepared to write to an audience that has multiple levels of
understanding of the subject, so your message is not misinterpreted or lost.
 Writing for Future Audiences- Write with clarity and purpose, this will help any future
audiences understand your intended message.
Defining Terms for Audiences
 Defining Terms Parenthetically- You can use parentheses to add clarity to acronyms, such
as L.O.L (League Of Legends).
 Defining your terms in Sentence- Makes use of a term in a sentence to define it for your
audience.
 Using Extended Definitions of One or More Paragraph- This technique is used when you
need to clarify a process, distinguish characteristics, and explain complex procedures for
a subject.
 Using a Glossary- an alphabetized list of definitions that can be placed at the end of your
conclusion in order to clarify acronyms and terms in your writing.
 Providing Pop-Ups and links with Definitions - Hyper text links that allow your audience to
learn more about the subject or specific terms.
Audience Personality Traits
When the target audience is known to the writer, they can effectively write to the style, tone
and personality of the group in order to communicate clearly.
Biased Language—Issues of Diversity
 Diversity is Protected by Law- Prejudice and discrimination in technical writing can lead to
severe consequences both legally and financially.
  Respecting diversity is the right thing to do- Treat your audience with respect, regardless of
who they may be.
 Diversity is good for Business- Inclusive businesses bring in a wealth of customers and
employees who benefit from being respected and valued.
 A diverse workforce keeps companies competitive - Diversity offers talent from all regions
of the world, this allows companies to remain competitive along multiple channels.
Multiculturalism
 The Global Economy- Writing for audiences outside your country is a necessity in many
large organizations. Multicultural teams exist in every day work, and communicating
between cultures effectively will take patience and understanding.
 Cross-cultural Workplace Communication- Over coming Ethnocentrism, or the belief that
one’s own culture represents the nom, is key to communication in a cross-cultural
workplace.
Guidelines for Effective Multicultural Communication
 Define Acronyms and Abbreviations- Clarify acronyms to avoid confusion, different languages
have different spellings and can make no sense to a cross-cultural reader (CCR).
 Avoid Jargon and Idioms- Idioms and Jargon are meaningless to CCRs and should be
avoided.
 Distinguish Between Nouns and Verbs- Making the distinction between a noun and a verb will
help your CCR better understand your verbal intent.
 Watch for Cultural Biases/Expectations- Terms and phrases that work in one language do
not work in all others. What is negative is one country may be positive in another.
 Be Careful When Using Slash Marks- Not all audiences will understand the meaning of
using slashes to denote a difference.
 Avoid Humor and Puns- Humor is not universal, and should be avoided in technical
writing for CCRs.
 Realize that Translations may Take More or Less Space- Sizes of paper, as well as the need for
more space for translation may affect the printing and presentation of physical prints.
 Avoid Figurative Language- Much like Humor, figurative language does not always translate
across cultural barriers and should be avoided.
 Be Careful with Numbers, Measurements, Dates, and Times- The manner in which
documents are dated, and the conversion of standard measurements to metric must be
accounted for in all writings.
 Use Stylized Graphics to Represent People- Avoid depicting race, skin colors, and even
gender in graphics when possible. Abstract representations of people and places will
help prevent cultural conflict.
Avoid Biased Language
 Ageist Language- Avoid references to age when possible, but if it can not be avoided use
terms that do not imply frailty.
 Biased Language About People with Disabilities - Avoid using language that belittles or
degrades people with disabilities.
  Sexist Language- Avoid writing offensive and discriminatory language, using pronouns
that treat people equally like they or their.
Audience Involvement
 Personalized Tone- Use “We”, “You”, “Your”, “I”, “Me”, and “My” in order to add a personal
tone to your writing.
 Reader Benefit- Motivate your audience through involvement and explain the benefit of your
writing. This will interest your readers and ensure they continue to read your document.

The Writing Process at Work

• Prewriting– Brainstorm and write an outline.
  • Writing– Write your draft.
  • Rewriting – Correct the problems.