How can speakers use language to increase audience understanding? Be sure to describe at least three specific strategies in your response.

What will be an ideal response?

- It is extremely important to match your level of language to the knowledge your audience already has about your topic.
- If you are speaking with experts or with people who are familiar with your topic, feel free to use technical terms without explaining them, but if your audience is unfamiliar with your subject, you will need to choose your words carefully and define any special terms. In some cases, you should avoid technical terms altogether. This may be necessary when such terms would confuse your listeners or when your audience lacks the ability or background to understand them. Sometimes a speaker's use of too many technical terms turns an audience off or even creates hostility. Choose language carefully to avoid creating unnecessary problems.
- Use concrete words. To increase understanding, try to use as many concrete words as possible.
- Use description. To make something more concrete, a speaker might describe its size, quantity, shape, weight, composition, texture, color, age, strength, or fit.
- Use definitions. One way to ensure your audience's understanding is to define all potentially unfamiliar and complex words.
* The most common form of definition used by speakers, the logical definition, usually contains two parts: the dictionary definition and the characteristics that distinguish the term from other members of the same category. An operational definition explains how an object or concept works, and a definition by example explains a term or a concept by using examples, either verbal or actual, to illustrate a point. In addition, four other methods can clearly define a term for your listeners: using contrast definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and etymologies.
- Use synonyms. A synonym is a word, phrase, or concept with exactly the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, term or concept.
- Use antonyms. In contrast, an antonym is a word, phrase, or concept that has the opposite meaning of another word, phrase, or concept.
- Use etymologies. An etymology is a form of definition that traces the origin and development of a word.