Republic of the Philippines

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

Imus Campus
Cavite Civic Center Palico IV, Imus, Cavite
🕿🖷 (046) 471-66-07 / 4366584
www.cvsu-imus.edu.ph

Department of Languages and Mass Communication

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

MODULE 3
VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF
SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE
There are five parts in this module: 1] “Crafting our goal” talks about the learning
outcomes, 2] “Valuing ideas” provides learners with a motivation activity serving as
springboard to the lesson, 3] “Showing it off” would be a showcase of the learners’
schematic knowledge in relation to the topics being introduced, 4] “Unlocking the
concepts” expounds the topic, 5] “Initiating assessment” produces the main output of the
module (outcomes- based assessment). These parts reflect authorship in the module where
CvSU-I (Imus) can be decoded.

CRAFTING OUR GOAL!

Upon completion of this training module, learners will familiarize with the culturally
appropriate terms, expressions and images and make a list of everyday expressions for
application. Specifically, they should be able to:
a. Discuss various issues in local and global communication in multicultural settings;
b. Determine culturally appropriate terms, expression, and images;
c. Distinguish varieties and registers of spoken and written language;
d. Use culturally appropriate terms, expressions and images in oral and written
communication; and
e. Adopt cultural and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in communicating ideas

VALUING IDEAS!
This will be posted on your classroom.
SHOWING IT OFF!

This will be posted on your classroom.

UNLOCKING THE CONCEPTS

Introduction

Because of globalization, communication has become limitless, and more fluid and
boundless over time. This results to strengthening and reintroducing of multimodal and
multicultural tasks among learners. Despite its infinite characteristic, individuals are still
expected to communicate ideas appropriately especially when confronted with culturally
diverse situations. The use of culturally-appropriate language is a way to conforming to
another culture’s acceptable expressions, terms, images and standards of behaviors and
thoughts. Although diversity in language and culture has been embraced in this multicultural
world, they need to particularize strategies towards communicating effectively and
appropriately to a multicultural audience in a local or global context is strongly felt.

For Bary Tomalin, there is another way in understanding culture. This is how an
individual develop cultural sensitivity and cultural skill. This covers how an individual build
cultural awareness, what qualities you need to deal successfully with other cultures, and how
to operate successfully with people from other cultures. This is referred to as “cultural
competence.” Moreover, in this module, students are guided to learn to adopt cultural and
intercultural awareness and sensitivity in communicating ideas.

Varieties of Spoken and Written Language

There are two factors that distinguish spoken language from the written one. First,
the actual situation or context in which the language is used, and second, the purpose of
communication.

Characteristics of Spoken Language

1. The situation in which the spoken variety of language is used and in which it
develops presupposes the presence of an interlocutor.
2. The spoken language is mostly maintained in the form of a dialogue.
3. The spoken language utilizes the human voice and all kinds of gestures which give
additional information.
4. The spoken language is spontaneous but momentary. It vanishes after having fulfilled
its purpose, which is to communicate the thought, no matter how trivial or important.
5. The spoken language cannot be detached from the user of it.
6. The spoken language widely uses intensifying words. These are interjections and
words with strong emotive meaning, as oaths, swear-words, and adjectives which
have lost their primary meaning.
7. The spoken language is characterized by the insertion into the utterance of words
without any meaning, which are called “fill-ups” or empty words (as well, and all, so to
say, whatever).
5 Types of Spoken language:

1. Interactional – informal type of speech which aims to develop relationship between

interlocutors
2. Referential – providing the listener some information referring to objects or abstract
concepts
3. Expressive – showing speaker’s judgments or feelings about a person, event, or
situation
4. Transactional – getting information or making a deal; driven by needs and wants
rather than sociability
5. Phatic – engaging in small, plain talk; the use of minimal amount of language to
engage in the conversation

Characteristics of Written Language:

1. The written variety presupposes the absence of interlocutor.

2. The written language is mostly maintained in the form of monologue.
3. The written language more carefully organized and more explanatory. Most often, the
word choice is more deliberate.
4. The written language is able to live forever with the idea it expresses.
5. The written language can be detached and objectively looked at. The writer has an
opportunity to correct and improve what has been put on paper.
6. The written language bears a greater volume of responsibility than its spoken
counterpart.

Both spoken and written languages differ with regards to phonetics, morphology,
lexicon and syntax, more so, in vocabulary used. See the table below.

Colloquial Neutral Literary

daddy father parent
get out go away retire
go on continue proceed
chap fellow associate
guys friends comrades

Forms/Types of Spoken and Written Communication

SPOKEN WRITTEN
Face-to-face reports

Telephone conversation Memos

Dictating letters e-mails
Group discussions Fax messages
Meetings Business correspondence
Speech Illustrations
 Virtual Conferencing Notices

Ways on how to choose appropriate language

1. Notice and reflect on disrespectful language, thoughts, and actions.

2. Respect people of different races.
3. Use language that includes LGBTQIA+ people.
4. Avoid exclusionary, gender-specific language.
5. Avoid using explicitly religious terms in mixed religious company.
6. Avoid expressions that devalue people with physical or mental disabilities
7. Refrain from language that groups people into one large category.

Political Correctness

It promotes equality by demonstrating an

understanding that all people and groups are
valuable to society regardless of race, culture,
religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

For deeper understanding and use

avoidance in the future, the samples of politically
and non-politically correct terms are provided
below.

NON-POLITICALLY CORRECT POLITICALLY CORRECT

House wife Domestic Engineer
Global warming Climate change
Broken home Dysfunctional family
Slum area Economically deprived area
Foreign food Ethnic cuisine
Wanted criminal Person of interest
Lazy Motivationally deficient
Dustman Sanitation engineer
Insane Reality challenged
Caretaker Site engineer
Stupid Intellectually impaired
Chairman Chairperson/chair
Mother/Father Parent
Husband/Wife Partner
Immigrant New comer
Jungle Rain forest
Sex change Gender reassignment
Shoplifting Irregular shopping
Unemployed Economically inactive

Culturally (in)appropriate images, and

 Cultural appropriation of images is the adoption of iconography of another culture,
and using it for purposes that are intended by the original culture or even offensive to that
culture’s mores. Cultural sensitivity is an attitude and way of behaving in which you are
aware of and knowledge cultural differences. This is crucial for effective interpersonal
communication (Agustin et.al quoted Franklin and Mizell, 1995). See samples below.
INITIATING ASSESSMENT

This will be posted on your classroom.

Reference for this module:

Agustin, R., Feranil, B., Hernandez, R., Jimenez, K., Manaig, R., Mendoza, L., Mojica C.,
Communication in Multicultural Contexts Meanings and Purposes