Communication Studies- Group 2 Essay
You are a school counselor who has been asked to make separate addresses to parents and
guardians of teenagers aged 14 – 17, and to teenagers themselves. The address would be based on
the sensitive subject of sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
.
Identify and justify the difference in approach that you would use in your address to BOTH
audiences. Your response should focus on your use of content, language, and register.
a.
Describe those strategies and visual aids that could be used to enhance your presentation
to BOTH audiences.
Communication is the process of sending a message to a receiver. Communication largely depends on
several factors for it to be effective. This essay will highlight how the age of the target audience would
affect how a message would be conveyed.
In the case of communicating to the parents on the topic of sexual activity and sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), a formal approach by the school counselor would be taken to enhance the content being
delivered.
The content in the address to the parents would be one of higher maturity. This would entail the use of
relevant statistics to allow parents to visualize the extent to which teenagers are affected by sexually
transmitted diseases. Additionally, medical jargon would be inserted at certain points, as this would
appeal to the parents' emotional sense. Moreover, the content will be formatted using a formal register.
A formal register would be most appropriate for the parents since they have a higher level of
understanding and maturity as opposed to teenagers. Consequently, the address would be formatted in
Standard English as the setting is one of an English nature. However, it is important to inject creole at
certain points as a method to keep all of the parents engaged, since the audience would contain persons
of diverse backgrounds.
On the other hand, when addressing teenagers, it is necessary to adapt a change in register and language
used. This is due to the difference in age and understanding of the teenagers as opposed to the parents
The content in the address to the teenagers would be similar to that of the parents. However, when
addressing the teenagers on the topic, a semi formal to informal register will be used.
An informal register is most appropriate when communicating with teenagers as a method to make them
feel comfortable. In society, there is often a stigma surrounding the topic of sexual activity and sexually
transmitted diseases. Consequently, as a result the use of inclusive words and slang which the teenagers
relate to, will be beneficial coupled with a lighter tone of voice.
When delivering an address, the usage of particular strategies and visual aids would aid in the overall
conveyance of the message. Visual aids are the visual additives in a speech that would help the audience
to understand and remember the information shared in an address. Therefore, in an address to the
parents, PowerPoint presentations including pictures and short videos highlighting the effects of sexual
activity can be portrayed. Similarly, with teenagers, strategies and visual aids can be utilized.
When addressing the students, the use of trending songs and jingles can be included. These songs and
jingles will make the address more appealing to teenagers and allow them to have a sense of inclusion.
Lastly, visual aids such as colorful posters and comic strips describing the topic would be advantageous,
as the students would have a deeper understanding of the topic.
In conclusion, through the consideration of the age of the target audience, the speaker can effectively
portray a message by using the relevant registers and language strengthened by appropriate strategies
and visual aids.