• https://www.bbc.co.
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y Video • Take notes while we watch the
video
What is an audience?
The audience of a text refers to the intended readers. An audience can be defined in many ways. It could
be:
• an age group, for example teenagers or adults
• people from a specific area, for example a national audience or a local audience made up of one village
• people with specific interests or jobs such as cyclists or teachers
• When writing it is always important to think about who you are expecting, or wanting, to read it.
• This can be straightforward, for example a children's story book is written for an audience of children,
so the topic and the language has to be suitable and appealing for them.
• Other times it will require more thought. For example, a charity seeking to raise funds and awareness
after a flood will target audiences that can afford to donate and who care about environmental causes.
What is purpose?
• A text’s purpose is why it was written and what the author wants it to achieve. Texts can
be produced to:
• promote and showcase – for example, a tourist guide
• inform and explain – for example, an instruction manual
• argue and persuade – for example, an essay
• advocate and support – for example, a charity leaflet
• entertain – for example, a celebrity gossip web page
• A piece of writing can also have more than one purpose. For example, a school newsletter
showcasing the year’s achievements might be written to appeal to teachers, parents and
students.
• The type of writing, as well as the intended audience will shape and direct the purpose of a
text.
Identifying audience through language
To identify the audience of a text look at its language and ask the following questions:
What type of vocabulary is used?
Is it simple short words, long sophisticated words, technical words, jargon, text-speak or slang? Each of
these choices provides clues as to who the intended readers are, their age group and their level of
understanding or expertise on a particular topic.
What is the tone of the language used?
The tone of the writing, whether it is serious, humorous, friendly, sarcastic, instructional, formal or informal
gives clues as to who the intended reader is.
• For example, the language, vocabulary and tone of this anti-bullying poster shows its intended audience:
• See, hear or experience bullying? Don’t worry, we got you.
Get some help from a trusted teacher or friend.
#notobullies
• The writing is clearly aimed at pupils in the school witnessing or experiencing bullying. The writer has
chosen to use an informal tone and language ‘we got you’, a hashtag ‘#notobullies’ and straightforward
language that would appeal to teenagers.
Form refers to how and where a piece of writing will appear
•The form influences decisions Novel:
writers make about language, •Follows a narrative arc
tone and structure.
•Includes imaginary
•Each form of writing has its characters
own conventions. For example: •Is divided into chapters
Text message: Newspaper article:
• Often more informal than a •Has a bold headline
letter •Divided into short
• Might include pictures or paragraphs
emojis •Reports a factual event
• Usually short in length •Informal vs formal writing
Specific message
The specific message is an idea an advertiser wants to communicate to
their target audience.
For a creator to design a message, they need to focus on:
- Their target audience
- Find their customer’s pains
- Decide on the best advertising channel/form
What is the slight difference between purpose and the message?
