2. 5. Farewell, and godspeed.
1. Goodbye. We
look forward to
seeing you again.
4. Goodbye. Have
a good weekend.
2. Bye now – take care.
3. later, darlin’.
3. 1. Farewell, and godspeed.
2. Goodbye. We
look forward to
seeing you again.
3. Goodbye. Have
a good weekend.
4. Bye now – take care.
5. later, darlin’.
6. Sociolinguistic
s the intersection of
language and society
How does language reflect society?
How does language shape society?
“Questions of language
are basically questions
of power.”
Noam Chomsky, quoted by S. Romaine
REGISTER defined
8. Depending on the situation,
we use
different words and phrases
For example, to refer to death:
died, passed away, passed, passed on, moved on,
expired, croaked, bought the farm, passed from life temporal
to life spiritual, went to meet her Maker, be taken, meet
one’s end, perish
different grammatical patterns
Gimme a dime.
Could I trouble you for the time?
Do call me.
10. The concept of register is
typically concerned with
variations in language
conditioned by uses rather
than users and involves
consideration of the situation
or context of use, the purpose,
subject-matter and content of
the message, and the
relationship between the
participants. (ROMAINE, 1994)
11. How do you decide which
language register is appropriate
to use?
Deciding which
language
register is
appropriate
depends on
the:
12. How do you decide which
language register is appropriate
to use?
Deciding which
language
register is
appropriate
depends on
the:
oAudience
oTopic
oSituation
14. Frozen
• printed, unchanging language, formal, almost scripted
phrases that do not vary
• Examples:
• The Bible
• The Lord’s Prayer
• The Pledge of Allegiance
• Laws
• Preamble to the US Constitution
15. Formal
• One way communication, no interruptions
• Used in impersonal, formal settings
• Follows a commonly accepted format - complete
sentences, more complex syntax and specific word
usages
• Often used to show respect
• Examples:
• Introductions between strangers
• Rhetorical statements and questions
• Speeches, pronouncements made by judges,
• announcements
• standard for work, school, public offices and business settings
16. Consultative
• Two way participation, professional setting
• Background information is provided (prior knowledge is
not assumed).
• Interruptions and feedback fillers allowed (“uh-huh”, “I
see”).
• More complex syntax, longer phrases
• Examples
• Doctor:patient, lawyer:client, lawyer:judge,
• Teacher:student,
• Superior:subordinate
• Colleagues, peers
17. Casual
• Very informal language, ellipsis and slang are common
• No background information provided
• “group” language – must be a member to use
• Interruptions common
• Context and non-verbal communication important
• Examples:
• friends and acquaintances
• family
• teammates
• chats and blogs
18. Intimate
• Non-public
• Intonation as important as wording and grammar
• Often a private vocabulary
• Examples:
• husband, wife
• boyfriend/girlfriend
• twins (siblings)
• pets, I would also add
Interesting to note here, this is the
language of sexual harassment as well.
19. Some rules of register use:
Moving from one register to another is
OK – as long as you only go to the
adjacent level.
More than that and you are in trouble –
your language use is seen as
inappropriate or even offensive.
20. Greetings in different registers
• Frozen: I want to welcome you to the Closer Connections
Conference, sponsored in part by Dakota TESL and
SDALL.
• Formal: Good morning. I’ll let Dr. Jones know you are
here.
• Consultative: Hello Mr. Smith. How are you doing this
morning?
• Casual: Hey, Jack. What’s up?
• Intimate: How’s my little puppy today?
21. Requests in different registers
• Frozen: Please submit the information at your earliest
convenience.
• Formal: Could you possibly type this up for me by
tomorrow?
• Consultative: Can you finish this after lunch?
• Casual: Watch the door for me, OK?
• Intimate: Hey, darlin’, pour me a cuppa joe.
22. Encouragement in different registers
• Frozen: As you commence this endeavor, I offer you all
my prayers and support.
• Formal: Thank you for applying for this position. We will
let you know in a week if you have been chosen for an
interview.
• Consultative: Thanks for following up on the Jones
account. Great job!
• Casual: Whoa, way to go! Nice catch!
• Intimate: You are so sweet. I’m crazy about you, honey!
23. Partings in different registers
• Frozen:
Farewell, and godspeed.
• Formal:
Goodbye. We look forward to seeing you again.
• Consultative:
Goodbye. Have a good weekend.
• Casual:
Bye now – take care.
• Intimate:
later, darlin’.