What is an audience?

An audience is a group of people who are spectating or listening to a performance, media or show. When we are discussing the audience of a particular form of media, we may discuss the intended audience. For example, a film or TV show may have an intended young audience.

Similar to audience, we may refer to the audience of a book, narrative, or text as the 'readership'. When learning to write in different narrative formats (both fiction and non-fiction), students will need to consider the intended audience or reader that will read their final work.

How do you write for different audiences?

When you are teaching your young students how to write for different audiences, there are a number of different factors that they will need to consider.

Different audiences are interested in different things, so writers change how they write to make sure their words are suited to their particular readers. Read on to learn more!

• Language: The language your students use will very much change depending on the audience or readers that they are appealing to. Your young writers should use vocabulary that is suited to the age and reading level of their audience.

• Tone of voice: To write and appeal to different audiences, your students will need to alter their tone. For example, when writing letters to a person of authority, students will use a formal tone of voice to suggest authority. On the other hand, if you are writing a non-fiction story for children, a more informal tone would be appropriate.

• Intention/ purpose: To understand how to appeal to your audience, you will need to consider what kind of reaction you want from your audience. For example, should your writing make them laugh, cry, or share an opinion? Knowing what the purpose of your writing is will help you to imagine who you think will read it and choose language they will understand.