In the seven elements of public speaking, which element is the person receiving the message?

• A. Speaker
• B. Situation
• C. Listener
• D. Channel

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that in public speaking the person receiving the message is the listener, the audience who processes what the speaker says. The speaker is the source who encodes and delivers the message, but it’s the listener who decodes it, interprets it, and decides how to respond. The channel is the path the message travels—speaking aloud, a microphone, or a video—while feedback is the listener’s reactions that help the speaker adjust. Interference, or noise, can distort the message, and the situation covers the setting and context of the speech. Focusing on the listener as the recipient highlights how the message lands and whether it achieves its purpose.