MT_PRPCOM1_LESSON1 PDF - Register of Spoken and Written Language

UNIT IV. VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE Lesson1: Register As you go through your normal day, you engage in conversations and read different types of texts which means you deal with different types of registers—spoken and written. You may listen to the news before you...

UNIT IV. VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE Lesson1: Register As you go through your normal day, you engage in conversations and read different types of texts which means you deal with different types of registers—spoken and written. You may listen to the news before you go to school, watch a You Tube video, read a daily paper, or prepare a report for your subject. All these are situations when you use a specific variety of language. Michael Halliday categorized register based on context. Register is characterized by “differences in the type of language selected as appropriate to different types of situation” (Halliday, 1964, 87). Halliday identified three parameters that can be used to specify the context of situation in which language is used. Field of discourse is “the total event, in which the text is functioning, together with the purposive activity of the speaker or writer; it thus includes the subject-matter as one element in it” (Halliday 1994, 22). The field describes activities and processes that are happening at the time of speech. The analysis of this parameter focuses on the entire situation, e.g. when a mother talks to her child. The mode of discourse refers to “the function of the text in the event, including therefore both the channel taken by the language – spoken or written, extempore or prepared – and its [genre], or rhetorical mode, as narrative, didactic, persuasive, ‘phatic communion’ and so on” (Halliday 1994, 22). This variable determines the role and function of language in a particular situation. When analyzing the mode of a text, the main question is ‘What is achieved by the use of language in this context?’ For example, a fairy tale (in written form) may have a narrative or entertaining function. A spoken conversation can be argumentative (in a discussion) or phatic (e.g. to contact someone or to keep in touch with someone). Tenor of discourse (sometimes also referred to as style; cf. Esser 2009, 78) describes the people that take part in an event as well as their relationships and statuses. “The tenor refers to the type of role interaction, the set of relevant social relations, permanent and temporary, among the participants involved” (Halliday 1994, 22.). There might be a specific hierarchy between the interlocutors, e.g. when the head of a business talks to an employee, or they may have only a temporary relationship, e.g. when a person asks an unknown pedestrian for the time. In addition, Biber and Conrad (2009) define register and genre as varieties associated with particular situations of use and particular communicative purposes. Taken together, register/genre variation is a fundamental aspect of human language. All cultures and languages have an array of registers/genres, and all humans control a range of registers/genres. Biber and Conrad categorized register based on texts. Biber (1999) considers four major registers: conversation, fiction, newspaper language, and academic prose. He states that these register share common language features such as nouns, pronouns, verbs and adjectives. Spoken Registers Spoken registers differ from written registers in several fundamental ways. The most obvious, of course, is that they are produced in the spoken mode. This difference also entails less opportunity for planning what you are going to say, and no possibility of editing or revision. A speaker can say something again in speech, but he cannot erase the original utterance. Additionally, there are differences in the typical communicative functions of many spoken registers when compared to written registers. Many previous studies in linguistics have focused on the ideational function of language: how speakers use language to communicate ideas and information. Language is intimately connected to ideational functions: it is nearly impossible to communicate a new idea without using language. Ideational functions are also important for the description of registers. However, in everyday speech, speakers are often more concerned about conveying their own feelings and attitudes than describing or explaining factual information. In addition, spoken registers are usually interactive; most of the time when we talk, we are using language to communicate with a specific person – the interlocutor – who responds directly to us. In this PROPERTY OF UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION case, we use language to support and develop the relationship with our interlocutor. These uses of language – the interpersonal functions – are fundamentally important in most spoken registers (Biber & Conrad, 2009). Conversation is the most basic register of human language. Most of us spend much more time participating in conversations than any other use of language. Conversation is acquired naturally; all children learn how to participate in conversations, and all cultures and languages have a conversational register. In contrast, relatively few adults ever learn how to produce written registers like newspaper editorials or legal opinions. In fact, many adults never write extended prose of any type, and some cultures / languages have no written registers at all. Other spoken registers are also much less basic than conversation. Although adult speakers of English readily recognize spoken registers like radio news reporting, sports broadcasts, political speeches, and classroom teaching, few speakers are actually required to produce the language of those registers. But conversation is universal and can be regarded as the basic register of human communication. Conversation is a general register category, and it is possible to distinguish among specific subregisters such as telephone conversations or workplace conversations. One basic characteristic of all conversation is that it takes place in the spoken mode. As a result, conversational participants can utilize paralinguistic devices to communicate including loudness, pitch, and length. Topics in conversations are much more concerned with the participants’ own personal feelings, attitudes, desires, likes, and dislikes: what we refer to as the expression of personal stance. Style of Spoken English: Preston and Shuy (1988) stated five styles of spoken register. 1. Frozen- the most careful and elegant variety, reserved for very important or symbolic moments. Examples include biblical verse, prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and so forth. 2. Formal- the generally serious level of language use. This is the register used for most academic and scientific publishing. Example: “have not” instead of “haven’t” 3. Consultative- the plain everyday style. Some sources say this register is the formal register used in conversation Example: “Doctor”, “Mr.” or “Mrs.”. 4. Casual – normal, relaxed style, appropriate to conversations with friends Example: sis, bestie, girl 5. Intimate- the most grammatically and phonologically reduced style Written Register Unlike speech, writing allows you to sit and think about what you want to say, look over what you have written, and revise it. These characteristics have important consequences for the language of written registers generally. But writers can also and this chapter also illustrates some of the variation that exists among different written registers. One major situational characteristic shared by many written registers is a primary focus on communicating information rather than on developing a personal relationship. Of course, there are few uncontestable “facts,” and so most communication – in writing or speech – reflects some ideological perspective. Further, it is possible in writing to be interpersonal, and registers like personal letters or e-mail messages can be focused more on sharing personal feelings and attitudes than conveying information (Seligmann,2012). Formal Registers A formal register is often used in academic writing. It is a register where strong opinions can be expressed objectively. It does not break any of the written rules of grammar and often has a set of rules of what not to do when using this register. PROPERTY OF UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Academic writers need to select the words and structures that are most appropriate for the situation and most likely to achieve the desired effect. Ten linguistic parameters of register variation in professional communication (Gimenez- Moreno, 2011a:19) A- Informal/Casual (showing commitment, B Formal/Ritual involvement and Closeness) (Showing deference, neutrality and objectivity) Personal expressions Impersonal expressions Active verbs/expressions Passive verbs/expressions Direct speech Indirect speech Ordinary reporting verbs (e.g. say) Specific reporting verbs (e.g. mention) Ordinary connectors (e.g. so) More elaborate connectors (e.g. furthermore) General terms/expression (e.g. man) Precise terms/ expressions (e.g. technician) Emotive/subjective/ attitudinal terms (e.g. Neutral/objective terms (e.g. inform) guess) Phrasal verbs and informal idiomatic Latin terms and standard formal expression expressions Use of contractions, abbreviations and “fast Detailed and concrete expressions without language” contractions using nominalization and modifiers Take a look at the following statements and observe the degree of formality in each statement. 1. Research, I guess, is about trying to find out something new about a topic. 2. Research is a careful study in order to learn about new facts or information. 3. Research is an intellectual journey that sets out to create new knowledge. 4. Research is a critical course investigation that endeavours to discover facts by scientific study of a subject. PROPERTY OF UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Lesson2: Varieties of the English Language World English vs. World Englishes World English refers to the English language as a lingua franca used in business, trade, diplomacy and other spheres of global activity, while World Englishes refers to the different varieties of English and English-based creoles developed in different regions of the world. World Englishes is also a term for emerging localized or indigenized varieties of English, especially varieties that have developed in territories influenced by the United Kingdom. Braj Kachru’s Three Concentric Circles of Asian Englishes According to Kachru (1992a) the global spread of English can be explained in terms of two diasporal transportations. 1. The first dispersal was within the Inner Circle where a monolingual English-speaking population migrated on a relatively large scale to countries like North America, Australia and New Zealand. 2. The second diaspora of the Outer and Expanding circle was the result of the colonization of Asia and Africa by the British. Figure 1: The Three Concentric Circles The English varieties in each circle have their own characteristics. The Inner Circle of English took shape first and spread across the world in the first diaspora. In this early spread of English, speakers from England carried the language to the colonies, such as Australia, New Zealand, North America, and so on. The English language in this circle represents the traditional historical and sociolinguistic bases in the regions where it is now used as English as the Native Language (ENL): the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, and some of the Caribbean territories. In these countries, English is the native language or mother tongue for most people. The total number of English speakers in this circle is estimated to be as many as around 380 million. The Outer Circle of English was made during the second diaspora of English, which diffused the language through the The Expanding Circle includes the countries in expansion of Great Britain. In the areas such which English plays no historical or as Asia and Africa, English is not the native governmental role but is widely used as a language, but it serves as a useful lingua medium of international communication. This franca between various ethnic and includes much of the rest of the world's language groups. Some people with higher population not categorized as either of the education, the legislature and judiciary, other two circles: China, Russia, Japan, most of national commerce, and others may speak English for practical purposes. The countries Europe, Korea, Egypt, Indonesia, etc. It is difficult in this circle include India, Nigeria, to estimate the total number of people in the Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Tanzania, Expanding Circle, but the estimates range from Kenya, non Anglophone South Africa, the 100 million to one billion. Philippines and others. The total number of English speakers is estimated to range from 150 million to 300 million. The English language has a lot of varieties. The British and American English have been recognized as the standard varieties of English, and for years Filipinos have used the American English. But the Filipinos have formed their own variety of the English language which is Philippine English. These are the some examples of the differences of the British English and American English. PROPERTY OF UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION  British American angry mad autumn fall boot (of a car) trunk chemist’s drug store cupboard closet flat apartment lift elevator pavement sidewalk nappy diaper petrol gas/gasoline rubbish trash tap faucet trousers pants PROPERTY OF UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION