MODULE 4 VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND

WRITTEN LANGUAGE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, the students must be able to:

1 Determine the indicators of formal/informal registers.

2 Analyze the effectiveness of the spoken/written ideas using appropriate registers.
3 Create materials reflective of one’s inclination during exchange of ideas.

CONTENT

A. LANGUAGE VARIETIES
In present-day linguistics, the term variety is used to refer any variant of
the language which can be sufficiently eliminated from another one. The grounds
for such differentiation may be social, historical, spatial or a combination of these.
Language varieties simply refers to a distinguishable variant of a language.

 A pidgin is a new language which develops in situations where speakers

of different languages need to communicate but don't share a common
language. The vocabulary of a pidgin comes mainly from one particular
language (called the 'lexifier'). An early 'pre-pidgin' is quite restricted in
use and variable in structure. But the later 'stable pidgin' develops its own
grammatical rules which are quite different from those of the lexifier. Once
a stable pidgin has emerged, it is generally learned as a second language
and used for communication among people who speak different
languages. Examples are Nigerian Pidgin and Bislama (spoken in
Vanuatu).

 When children start learning a pidgin as their first language and it

becomes the mother tongue of a community, it is called a creole. Like a
pidgin, a creole is a distinct language which has taken most of its
vocabulary from another language, the lexifier, but has its own unique
grammatical rules. Unlike a pidgin, however, a creole is not restricted in
use, and is like any other language in its full range of functions. Examples
are Gullah, Jamaican Creole and Hawai`i Creole English. Note that the
words 'pidgin' and 'creole' are technical terms used by linguists, and not
necessarily by speakers of the language. For example, speakers of
Jamaican Creole call their language 'Patwa' (from patois) and speakers of
Hawai`i Creole English call theirs 'Pidgin.'

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  A regional dialect is not a distinct language but a variety of a language
spoken in a particular area of a country. Some regional dialects have been
given traditional names which mark them out as being significantly
different from standard varieties spoken in the same place. Some
examples are 'Hillbilly English' (from the Appalachians in the USA) and
'Geordie' (from Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK).

 Sometimes members of a particular minority ethnic group have their own

variety which they use as a marker of identity, usually alongside a
standard variety. This is called a minority dialect. Examples are African
American Vernacular English in the USA, London Jamaican in Britain, and
Aboriginal English in Australia.

 Indigenized varieties are spoken mainly as second languages in ex-

colonies with multilingual populations. The differences from the standard
variety may be linked to English proficiency, or may be part of a range of
varieties used to express identity. For example, 'Singlish' (spoken in
Singapore) is a variety very different from standard English, and there are
many other varieties of English used in India.

B. LANGUAGE REGISTERS
According to Nodquist, register is defined as the way a speaker uses
language differently in different circumstance. Think about the words you choose,
your tone of voice, even your body language. You probably behave very
differently chatting with a friend than you would at a formal dinner party or during
a job interview. These variations in formality, also called stylistic variation, are
known as registers in linguistics.
Registers are determined by such factors as social occasion, context,
purpose, and audience. They are marked by a variety of specialized vocabulary
and turns of phrases, colloquialisms and the use of jargon and a difference in
intonation and pace. They are used in all forms of communication, including
written, spoken, and signed.

Five Distinct Registers:

 Frozen. this form is sometimes called the static register because it refers to
historic language or communication that is intended to remain unchanged, like a
constitution or prayer. Example, the Bible, the Philippine Constitution and Romeo
and Juliet.
 Formal. Less rigid but still constrained, the formal register 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. Examples: TED talk, business presentation, the Encyclopedia
Britannica and Gray’s Anatomy by Henry Gray.

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  Consultative. People use this to register often 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 (a family doctor). Slang is sometimes
used. People may also pause or interrupt one another. Examples: the local TV
news broadcast, an annual physical examination, a service provider like a
plumber.
 Casual. This is the register people use when they are with friends, close
acquaintances and coworkers, and family. It is probably the one you think of
when you consider how you talk with other people, often in a group setting. Use
of slang, contraction and vernacular grammar is all common, and people may
use expletives or off-color language in some settings. Examples: a birthday party
or a backyard BBQ party.
 Intimate. Linguists say the register is reserved for special occasions, usually
between only two people and often in private. Intimate language may be
something as simple as an inside joke between college friends or a word
whispered in a lover’s ear.

Language registers may be classified as either formal, informal or neutral. The

formal register is more appropriate for professional writing and letters to a boss or a
stranger; The informal register (also called casual or intimate) is conversational and
appropriate when writing to friends and people you know very well; and the neutral
register is non-emotional and sticks to facts. It is most appropriate for technical
writings.

1. Formal Language Registers. 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.

Some kinds of writing are always written in formal English. Formal writing
includes:

 Business Letters
 Letters of complaint
 Some essays
 Reports
 Official speeches
 Announcements
 Professional emails

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 There are many rules for writing in formal writing. We will discuss some of the most
common rules here.

Rules of the formal language register:

1. Do not use contractions. 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.

Examples:

In formal writing, you should use:

cannot instead of can’t have not instead of haven’t could not
instead of couldn’t
will not instead of won’t is not instead of isn’t
Contractions CAN be used if you are quoting someone’s exact words in your
writing. Example:
“Two-thirds of my eighth grade students can’t read at grade level,” the professor
stated.

Keep in mind that an apostrophe does not always make a contraction.

Apostrophes are also added to nouns to show ownership. These are used in all
language registers, including formal.

Examples:
children’s classroom professor’s report elephant’s trunk

2. Spell out numbers less than one hundred

Examples:
nineteen twenty-two seventy-eight six

3. Write in third person point of view

In formal writing, we usually do not use first person or second person unless it is a
quote. Avoid using:
I You We Us
Examples:
Informal: You can purchase a car for under PhP10,0000.
Formal: One can purchase a car for under PhP10,0000.

Formal: You will probably see an elephant on an African safari.

Informal: One may see elephants on an African safari.

4. Avoid using too much passive voice. In formal writing it is better to use an active
voice.
Passive sentences:
The bone was eaten by the dog.
The research was completed by the students in 2009.

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 Active sentences:
The dog ate the bone.
The students completed the research in 2009.
In 2009, the students completed the research.

5. Avoid using slang, idioms, exaggeration (hyperboles) and clichés. Slang is

common in informal writing and spoken English. Slang is particular to a certain region or
area. Examples of slang:
awesome/cool okay/ok check it out in a nutshell

A cliché is a phrase that is overused (said too often). Common clichés:

too much of a good thing moment of truth
Time is money. Don’t push your luck.
Beauty is only skin deep.

6. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms

If you use an acronym or abbreviation, write it out the first time. 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:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)

For abbreviations, write the complete word the first time, then use the
abbreviation. Examples:
influenza => flu
United States of America => U.S.A or USA
tablespoon => tbsp.
Kansas => KS

Do not use slang abbreviations or symbols that you would use in friendly emails
and texts. Examples:
LOL (laugh out loud) ttyl (talk to you later) & (and)
b/c (because) w/o (without) w/ (with)

7. Do not start sentences with words like and, so, but, also. Here are some good
transition words and phrases to use in formal writing:
Nevertheless Additionally However
In addition As a result of Although

8. Always write in complete sentences.

9. Write longer, more complex sentences.

Informal Language Register. 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.

Some kinds of writing can be written in an informal style. Informal writing includes:
Personal e-mails Phone texts Short notes
Friendly letters Most blogs Diaries and journals

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 There are no major rules to informal writing. With informal writing, you can include things
such as:
Slang and clichés Figurative language
Symbols and abbreviations Acronyms
Incomplete sentences Short sentences
First person, second person, and third person Jokes
Paragraphs or no paragraphs Personal opinions
Extra punctuation (Hi Bob!!!!!!!) Passive and active voice
Neutral Language Register

Neutral Language Registers. We use the neutral language register with non-emotional topics
and information. Neutral writing is not necessarily formal or informal. It is not usually positive or
negative. A neutral register is used to deliver facts. Some writings are written in a neutral
register. This means they are not specifically formal or informal.

Writing in the natural language register includes:

Reviews Articles Some letters
Some essays Technical writing

SKILL BUILDER 7
Direction: Read the blog below and answer the following questions.

Which variety of English should you speak?

Urszula Clark

You are what you speak: place of origin most important identity factor

My research took place in the West Midlands region of the UK and looked at
variations in the use of English in creative spoken performance such as comedy,
drama and poetry, as well as in written texts such as letters to local newspapers,
stories and poems written in dialect.

The results suggest that people are increasingly and deliberately using English in a
way that identifies them with a particular place. They do this by incorporating into
their speech a set of linguistic features drawn from a particular variety of English.
In the West Midlands, for example, people may pronounce ‘you’ as ‘yow’, use
‘Brum’ for ‘Birmingham’ and ‘cor’ for ‘cannot’ or ‘can’t’. By using features in this
way, people emphasise their place of origin over other factors such as age,
gender, social class and ethnicity.

Is there a ‘correct’ variety of English?

The research highlights how dynamic, fragmented and mobile the English
language has become. At the same time, the influence of traditional gatekeepers of 6
‘standard’ English, such as the BBC, is weakening.

We live in a world where English crosses national boundaries and migration brings
In parts of Birmingham in the UK, for example, there are primary and secondary
schools where nearly 100 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language;
in many others, 40 per cent is the norm.

The implications of this for education policy is that we can no longer speak of the
‘superiority’ of one variety of English over all others. Instead we need to recognise
the roles and functions that different varieties of English, including that of standard
English, fulfil.
Which variety of English should we teach?
A common and long-held belief among many in the English teaching profession is
that the best people to teach spoken English are ‘native’ speakers of the language,
especially the teaching of pronunciation. But we know from research that linguistic
variation is a characteristic of all languages, and all varieties have their own rules
and systems. Often these leak from one variety to another. Once we accept that
English comes in many varieties, such concerns become redundant.

Successful communication is more a question of understanding, and being able to

engage successfully, in the contexts of use rather than whether one is a ‘native’ or
‘non-native’ speaker. This is as true of English taught in the UK as it is in other
contexts around the world.

Questions:

1. Why did the blogger say you are what you speak?
2. Is there really a correct variety of English? Explain your answer.
3. Which variety of English should schools teach? Explain.

SKILL BUILDER 8

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