MODULE 2 NOTES

Module 2 focuses on Language and Community

For the exam the following will be tested for:
-Communicative behaviors
-Attitudes to Language
-Language Registers
-Dialectal Variations

Language vs A Language
Language is a broad term which refers to the use of a system of symbols and rules that
humans use to communicate with each other. It could be defined as a set of utterances, that
could be understood by a linguistic community.
A language is a system of symbols and rules that humans use to communicate to each other. A
language is also specific to a particular community.
Characteristics of Language
Living languages are in a state of continuous change. They are:
-dynamic
-creative
-communicate information
-facilitate interpersonal relations
-verbal and nonverbal
-community specific
-arbitrary
Functions of Language
-reflection, expression, communication, passing on of traditions and rituals, identity marker
Language Registers
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 order of his or her speech
or writing act in a particular context and or referred to as register. Register is socially
motivated by considerations of what is appropriate in speech or writing for a given situation.
(code switching). It refers to the level of formality or informality and tone in a specific
context. What Is considered appropriate is a matter of negotiation among those involved in a
written or verbal discourse. Language registers can be defined as the kind of language that is
appropriate to a particular situation of context. In deciding which register is suitable for a
given situation or considering factors such as: the audience, the subject matter, the medium,
the writer’s attitude and the purpose.

Types of Register
Formal Informal
Formal Casual/Informal
Frozen (rehearsing something) Intimate (close relationship)
Consultative Private (talking to yourself

1. Frozen- normally used in official documents (governmental), constitution of a country

print services. No direct response from the reader is expected. Wedding vows, pledges
of allegiance, the court system (correspondences and letters)
2. Consultative- doctor and patient, therapist, and client.
3. Intimate- husband and wife; boyfriend and girlfriend (close relationships). Conveys
deep personal thoughts and feelings.
4. Private- communicating with oneself.
Code Switching
The ability to move from one language to another, from one dialect to another and from one
register to another is called code switching. Codeswitching is mixing your language during
communication. This phenomenon occurs when biological or multilinguistic persons
substitute a word or phrase from one language with a word or phrase from another language.
People code switch as a strategy to be better understood and to enhance the listener’s
comprehension. If this mixing is not done on purpose but rather involuntarily and
subconsciously it is called interference.
Purposes of Language