Transcript language register

LANGUAGE
COMMUNICATION 1
WHAT IS A LANGUAGE COMMUNITY?
• The term language community is used in reference to all the
speakers of a particular language. This means that they do not
have to reside within the same geographical location
LANGUAGE COMMUNITY CONTINUED
• Now, the Spanish/English in each of these locations vary in
structure and vocabulary, these variations are known as dialects.
So a dialect is one of the various forms of a particular language,
spoken by a group in the language community. For example,
Jamaican Standard English, American Standard English and
British Standard English are all dialects of English. There are also
non-standard dialects, such as Black English/Ebonics in the USA
and Cockney in England.
LANGUAGE REGISTERS
• Variation is not only among dialects but also within an
individual dialect of a language. A speaker of any language can
choose to speak in a form which may range from a level of
formality to one of informality. This form (formality to
informality) is referred to as a register. For example, in Jamaica,
Standard English is a formal register and Jamaican Creole
(Patois) is a more informal register. The words colloquial and
vernacular are used to label some informal registers.
LANGUAGE REGISTER
• The language choices that a speaker makes are
primarily the result of the social situation in which the
language is used. A speaker’s word choice and
syntactic ordering of his or her speech act in a
particular social context is referred to as register.
• .
LANGUAGE REGISTERS
• In deciding which register is suitable for a given
situation, one has to consider factors such as the
audience for which the communication is intended,
the nature of the subject matter being spoken or
written about, the medium which may or may not
include non-verbal elements of communication
and the writer’s attitude towards the content he or
she writes about.
LANGUAGE REGISTERS
Types of Register Intended
Audience
Content
Communicated
Linguistic
Features
Formal
Strangers/
persons in
socially formal
situations such
as at
ceremonies
General
information;
carefully
screened
thoughts and
feelings
Use of standard
language;
complete
sentences
Casual
Acquaintances
and people not
personally
known
General info.
And nonpersonal
thoughts and
feelings.
Incomplete
sentences and
ellipsis; use of
slang; use of
coded
language and
specialised
vocabulary
LANGUAGE REGISTERS CONT
Types of Register Intended
Audience
Content
Communicated
Linguistic
Features
Intimate
Very close
acquaintances
and relatives
Personal
thoughts and
feelings
Incomplete
sentences and
ellipsis; use of
slang; use of
coded
language and
specialized
vocabulary
Private
Intra-Personal;
self
Innermost
thoughts,
impressions and
feelings kept
within the self
Use of standard
and nonstandard
structures; ellipsis
and slang
Types of Register Intended
Audience
Content
Communicated
Linguistic
Features
Frozen
Can be
appropriate for
formal and
informal
situations
Can be
appropriate to
communicate
general
information or
personal
thoughts
May possess
standard and
non-standard
features of
language
Consultative
Can be
appropriate for
formal and
informal
discourse in
which the
listener is
expected to
give continuous
feedback to the
speaker
Appropriate for
general info. as
in context of a
teacher/pupil
conversation or
personal
information as in
context of a
doctor’s visit or
business
transaction.
May possess
standard or nonstandard
features
depending on
the context.
May involve
non-verbal
elements.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE