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LANGUAGE REGISTERS - Draft
LANGUAGE REGISTERS - Draft
Register is defined as the level of formality in language that's determined by the context
in which it is spoken or written. It can be formal or informal. Formal speech is proper, while
informal speech is conversational or casual.
1. Audience
- describes the group listening to the speaker.
- when it comes to this we need to understand that different audiences required
differing types of language.
2. Topic
- describes what is being discussed
- different subject areas in school and differing topic require different styles of speech
and writing.
3. Purpose
- describes the intentions of each speaker (both what they intend to communicate
and how they intend to communicate it).
- To inform, argue, persuade, describe, narrate, and share cause and effect.
4. Location
- can and often thus dictate the appropriate register to use.
Frozen/ Static
- This style of communications RARELY or NEVER changes. It is “frozen” in time and content. e.g.
the Pledge of Allegiance, the Lord’s Prayer, the Preamble to the US Constitution, the Alma
Mater, a bibliographic reference, laws .
Examples:
The Holy Bible, The United States Constitution, The Bhagavad Gita, and Romeo and Juliet
Formal
- is used in professional, academic, or legal settings where communication is expected to be
respectful, uninterrupted, and restrained. Slang is never used and contractions are rare.
- This language is used in formal settings and is one-way in nature. This use of language usually
follows a commonly accepted format. It is usually impersonal and formal. A common format for
this register are speeches. e.g. sermons, rhetorical statements and questions, speeches,
pronouncements made by judges, announcements.
Examples:
a TED talk, a business presentation, the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and Gray's Anatomy by Henry
Gray
Consultative
- is used in conversation when they are speaking with someone who has specialized knowledge
or who is offering advice. Tone is often respectful (use of courtesy titles), but may be more
casual if the relationship is longstanding or friendly.
Examples:
the local TV news broadcast, an annual physical examination, a service provider like a plumber
Casual
- is used when they are with friends, close acquaintances and co-workers, and family.
- Conversational in tone
- This is informal language used by peers and friends. Slang, vulgarities and colloquialisms are
normal. This is “group” language. One must be member to engage in this register. e.g. buddies,
teammates, chats and emails, and blogs, and letters to friends.
Examples:
Intimate Register
- is reserved for special occasions, usually between only two people and often in private.
This communications is private. It is reserved for close family members or intimate people. e.g.
husband & wife, boyfriend & girlfriend, siblings, parent & children.
Examples:
an inside joke between two college friends or a word whispered in a lover's ear.
- is more appropriate for professional writing and letters to a boss or a stranger -is impersonal,
meaning, it is not written for a specific person and without emotion.
Examples:
Business Letters
Letters of complaint
Some essays
Reports
Official speeches
Announcements
Professional emails
- Contractions are not usually used in formal writing, even though they are very common in
spoken English. In formal writing, you should spell out contractions.
- In formal writing, we usually do not use first person or second person unless it is a quote.
( that way it would seem more objective)
-Slang is common in informal writing and spoken English. Slang is particular to a certain region
or area.
When using acronyms, write the entire name out the first time it appears, followed by the
acronym. From then on, you can use the acronym by itself.
Examples:
Examples of slang:
awesome/cool
okay/ok
check it out
in a nutshell
7. Do not start sentences with words like and, so, but, also
- is conversational and appropriate when writing to friends and people you know very well.
Informal writing is written in the way we talk to our friends and family. We use informal
writing when we are writing to someone we know very well.
Examples:
c. short notes
Examples:
a. reviews
b. articles
Let's look closely at the three most common language registers used in the English language.
FORMAL LANGUAGE REGISTER
Formal writing is probably the most difficult type of writing. It is impersonal, meaning it
is not written for a specific person and is written without emotion.
Business Letters
Letters of complaint
Some essays
Reports
Official speeches
Announcements
Professional emails
There are many rules for writing in formal writing. We will discuss some of the most common
rules here..
Informal writing is written in the way we talk to our friends and family. We use informal
writing when we are writing to someone we know very well.
We use the neutral language register with non-emotional topics and information.
Some writings are written in a neutral register. This means they are not specifically
formal or informal.
JARGON
BIAS-FREE LANGUAGE
Here are some general principles to follow when referring to different groups or
categories:
Gender-biased examples: Each student should submit his term paper by Monday.
3. Age
4. Disabilities
When referring to people with disability, the focus should be on the person,
not the condition.
For example, the two sentences below, both conveying the same basic idea.
Abstract "Telling"
Concrete "Showing"
Abstract Diction
Abstract diction refers to words that do not appeal imaginatively to the reader's senses.
Concrete Diction
Concrete diction refers to words that stimulate some kind of sensory response in the
reader:
General Diction
What do you imaginatively "see" when you read the following sentence: "The
dog jumped on top of the car"?
Specific Diction
Now, what do you imaginatively "see" what you read this sentence: "The Saint
Bernard jumped on top of the red corvette"?
3) Be Specific!
Specific diction will help ensure that the meaning you intend is exactly the meaning that
readers receive.
Language varies from one location to another, from one culture to another and from one
situation to another. We use different varieties and registers of language to suit different
communication context. In writing, we need to use specialized features of words to clearly
convey the message. It is now the responsibility of reader or the receiver on how he/she will be
going to interpret the message.
This is not possible when it comes to speaking. The receiver can easily understand the message
through the speaker’s level of voice, facial expression and body language. Therefore, varieties
and registers of language is about appropriateness and context in speaking and grammatical
correctness of words in writing. It is also important to use appropriate varieties and registers of
language in a certain communication context in order for us to determine the level of
‘formality’. We can now easily know on how we are going to approach and deal with a certain
person in a certain situation with a certain purpose with the correct expression and correct
manner.
References:
http://genconnection.com/English/ap/LanguageRegisters.htm
https://www.really-learn-english.com/language-register.html