How can a student show awareness of audience in speaking tasks?

• A. Use the same style in all situations
• B. Avoid addressing the audience
• C. Adjust formality, tone, and lexical choice to fit the situation and interlocutor
• D. Speak in jargon-heavy language regardless of audience

Answer: (C)

Shaping how you speak for the audience means thinking about who is listening, what they know, and why you’re speaking. The best way to show audience awareness in speaking tasks is to adjust formality, tone, and word choice to fit the situation and the person you’re addressing. In practice, that means using a respectful, appropriate register for a class presentation or professional setting, choosing vocabulary that fits the listeners’ background, and moderating pace and emphasis so your message comes across clearly. When you’re talking to classmates, you can be more relaxed while staying clear and respectful; with experts, you can be more concise and include precise terms as needed. The key is aligning what you say and how you say it with who’s listening and the purpose of your speech.

Sticking to one uniform style ignores the needs of different listeners, avoiding the audience cuts off connection and feedback, and using jargon without regard to the audience can confuse or distance listeners.