Presented by Mrs. E.

Rochford
@ Bishop’s High School Tobago
1st December, 2009
MODULE 2 : LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY
 Define a language and language
 Describe the characteristics of language
 Purpose of language
 Define dialect
 Concept of Creole history in the West Indian context (influence of
colonisers)
 Characteristics of Creole languages
 Differences between Creole and Standard English
 Points on the Creole Continuum (Acrolect, Mesolect and Basilect)
 Register
 Influences on language eg historical, social, political, psychological
 Attitudes to language
 Technical advances and its impact on communication
Communication
 Always takes place within a context
 Is a process
 Is either Verbal or Non-verbal
 Verbal can be oral or written
 Non-verbal can be body movement/kinesics eg rolling eyes,
smiling, frowning, gesturing etc; Proxemics or the utilisation
of space; Paralangue/Vocalics or the ways in which we say
our words e.g the tone, volume, pitch, rate; Artefacts e.g.
jewellery, clothing, and Chronemisc or the use of time as
each culture appropriates its importance.
 Disadvantages of Non-verbal communication are:
contradictory; ambiguous; may not be consistent from
culture to culture; may not be conscious or intentional
THE PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION

 May be conscious or unconscious, recognizable or unrecognizable

 The five general purposes are:
*To discover about self and others
*To relate so as to establish and maintain close
relationships with others
*To help as you constructively criticize, empathize,
work in groups to solve a problem, etc
*To persuade as to change attitudes and behaviors
of others
*To play as in motives of pleasure, escape, and
relaxation
PURPOSE OR FUNCTION OF NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION

 TO SUBSTITUITE …NVC takes the place of

words (wave or nod)
 TO REINFORCE …to complement verbal
communication (nod as saying yes)
 TO REGULATE …controls the flow of
information, action and behavior. Signals when
one is to join in the conversation
 TO CONTRADICT… displaying an opposite non-
verbal behavior…can be purposeful, because of
nervousness
 TO MANAGE IMPRESSION…the way people
perceive us (we dress to impress)
PARALANGUE/VOCALICS

 Paralangue involves the vocal but nonverbal

dimensions of speech. It includes rate, pitch,
volume, rhythm and vocal quality as well as pauses
and hesitations. Paralangue helps us to make
judgments about people, their emotions and their
believability
ACTIVITIES FOR PARALANGUE
 Consider the following variations:
*Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?
*Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?
*Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?
*Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?

 Read aloud each of the following statements, first to

communicate praise and then to communicate criticism
*Now that looks good on you
*You lost weight
*You look younger than that
*You’re an expert
*You’re so sensitive: I’m amazed
TECHNIQUES TO AVOID BARRIERS…..(3)

 AS A RECEIVER..
 Give the in-coming message your undivided attention. Avoid
distractions as you focus on reading, looking, and listening to
the message.
 Check that the sender’s medium is up to your expectation. If
not, tactfully tell sender if medium is inappropriate
 Carefully interpret the message. If language is unfamiliar
seek clarification and explanation
 Avoid any temptation to deliberately misinterpret the
message.
 Provide the sender with feedback
NON-VERBAL CUES

 Facial expressions
 Gestures
 Posture and orientation
 Proximity and contact
 Movement and stillness
 Silence and sounds
 Appearance and grooming
 Response to norms and expectations
LEVELS/CONTEXTS OF COMMUNICATION
 Intrapersonal Communication where one communicates with oneself in
this case the sender and the receiver are the same person. Eg if you want
to remind yourself to do something, how do you go about it?
 Interpersonal Communication this takes place between two individuals, or
between a number of individuals on a personal level. Examples are:
* Individual to individual
* Individual to group
* Group to individual
 Impersonal Communication or mass communication in which the message
is directed to a large, diffuse audience, with no direct contact between
sender and receiver
 In Public Communication others inform and persuade you
 In Mass Communication you are entertained, informed and persuaded by
the media (TV, radio, newspapers, books)
 Intercultural Communication
ACTIVITIES FOR TYPES OF CONTEXTS OF COMMUNICATION

 Assume that you are in a conversation in your present surroundings.

What kinds of noise can you identify?
 Do you agree that men and women use communication for different
purposes? Can you offer specific examples from your own
experience?
 In what ways are e-mail and whispering in chat groups similar to
interpersonal conversation? How are chat room communications
similar to face-to-face small group communication?
ACTIVITIES (1)
 Read the following and then answer the questions
1. Evelyn is waiting for her job interview. Five (5) minutes before she goes in she
receives a call on her cell phone. Her brother tells her that her grandmother has
passed on. As she ends the call she is called in for her interview. Evelyn does
not pass her interview.
a. Identify and discuss the barrier present in this situation
b. Discuss how you think Evelyn reacts during the interview
c. Discuss if/how this barrier could have been prevented.
2. Mrs White lives in an urban neighbourhood. She is a University lecturer. While
leaving for work she sees her gardener, Smokey. “Good morning, Mr Smokey.”
“Go’d mornin’ Missus Wite.”
‘I’m leaving now, so don’t forget to prune the hedge.”
“Sure ting.”
When Mrs White returned she sees her hedge filled with prunes. “What have you
done?”
“Jus what you said, Ma’m I prune it”
a. Identify and discuss the barrier present in this situation
b. What do you learn about Smokey’s background?
c. Discuss if/how this barrier could have been presented
ACTIVITIES (2)

3. Kaira is in the examination room. Outside the

grounds, men are mowing the lawn. The
instructions for the exam were called out by the
invigilator. Kaira finishes the exam early and
leaves the room. Later she found out that she
did four out of five questions.
 What are the barriers present here?
 Discuss if and how this barrier could be
prevented.
COMMUNICATION TOOLS

 Voice; face; body; dictaphone; audiotape;

recorder; videotape; camcorder; typewriter;
telephone; cellphone; intercom; pocket
calculator; word processor, computer;
fascimile machine/ fax machine; photocopier;
laptop; poster; noticeboard; microfilm; micro
fiche; photographs; dvd; cds; voice mail
 WHAT IS WRITTEN COMMUNICATION?

 Examples :letters, memorandum, minutes, press release,

articles, flyers, reports, abstracts
 ADVANTAGES:
 It provides evidence
 It relays complete ideas
 It provides analysis
 It provides evaluation
 It disseminates information
 It confirms
 It interprets and clarifies to avoid mix-up
 It forms the basis of contact or agreement
DISADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

 It is time consuming
 Can be expensive
 Tends to be formal and distant
 Instant feedback is not possible
 Once transmitted difficult to modify message
 Does not all for the exchange of opinions, views or
attitudes except over a period of time
 ORAL COMMUNICATION

 Examples : face to face conversation, interview, meeting, public

address, conference, oral presentation, telephone call, training
session
 ADVANTAGES:
 Direct medium of communication
 Allows for instant interchange of opinions, views, attitudes –
instantaneous feedback
 Easier to convince/persuade
 Allows for contribution and participation
 Advantage of physical proximity, both sight and sound of sender
and receiver
 No mechanical problems
 Not expensive
 DISADVANTAGES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION

 More difficult to hold ground in the face of

opposition
 More difficult to control especially when there are
many persons involved
 Lack of time to think things through
 Often there is no written record of what is said
 Sometimes there is dispute over what is said
 Noise, distortion, interferes with delivery
 VISUAL COMMUNICATION

 Examples: non-verbal such as expressions, gestures,

and diagrams, charts, tables, graphs, photographs,
film, slide, videotape, posters
 ADVANTAGES:
 Reinforces oral communication
 Provides additional visual stimulus
 Simplifies written and spoken word
 Illustrates techniques and procedures
 Provides visual record
 Provides idea in various forms
 DISADVANTAGES

 May be difficult to interpret without reinforcing

written or spoken word
 Requires additional skills of comprehension and
interpretation
 Can be costly and expensive to produce
 May be costly to disseminate and distribute
 Storage may be expensive
 No time for evaluation
 Technical difficulties
 Specific skills required
 AUDIO- VISUAL AIDS

 Overhead projector, audio-cassette, slide presentation,

computer presentation/ power point, flipcharts, chalkboard,
transparencies, film and video (ocassionally), interactive video
technology
 Audio visual aids all have an oral/talking element to them.
 AVs can supply added impact and clarity to your presentation.
 AVs can be used to visually reinforce the points made verbally
in your presentation or
 To summarise the point that you will make or have made
already or

 AUDIO VISUAL AIDS CONTINUED

 To clarify important concepts and analogies

 Remember that AV are just aids that add a visual dimension
to the point that you make/made orally
 They cannot make these points for you
 GUIDELINES FOR USE OF AUDIO-VISUALS

 Overhead Transparencies can be used for displaying charts and

graphs to large groups.
 Flip Charts can be used in small groups
 Blackboards/Whiteboards are for spontaneous presentations
when no other media is available
 Slides can be used to display a series of high quality artwork or
photos
 IMPORTANTLY AVs must be chosen according to size and
nature of audience, size and nature of venue, an mount of time
you have to prepare, and your skills.
 All AV aids require imagination to make them effective.
 AUDIO VISUALS CONTINUED

 Flashcards have limited use, must be clear ,and must not be

dull
 Handouts must be given out after presentation as they are for
taking away. If given before the audience tend not to listen to
the presentation!
 Flipchart are good for audience involvement and are excellent
for providing responses to questions.
 COMPUTERIZED TELECOM

 Local/wide area networks, fax, telex,

teleconferencing,
 ADVANTAGES:
 Speed of transmission
 Versatility as it can be transmitted via text
messaging, numbers, pictures, artwork, graphics
 Computer conferencing allows for personal
exchange
 Accuracy
 Instant feedback
DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERIZED TELECOM

 Volume – increasing rate does not allow time

for absorption of data
 Can be expensive
 Has legal implications
 Instant delivery making it hard for any
retracting if messages were composed in
anger
 ADVERTISEMENTS

 The main functions: to inform and to persuade.

 Ways in which they inform are:
* By making us aware of the particular product or
service
* Tells us where to buy the product
* May correct erroneous claims made in previous ads
* May aim to convince you of the
superiority of their product and the
inferiority of the competition
* Often aims to get you to buy a product
 ADVERTISEMENTS

 By persuasion, advertising seeks to;

• Establish an image of the product (makes you think
and view a future image of ourselves)
• Associate a product with negative feelings( Cancer
Society ads against smoking using photos of wrinkled
and sick persons)
 WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN ADVERTISEMENTS

 Bold letterings which show emphasis

 Repetition of words or symbols
 Persuasive and Emotive words
 Short questions or personal questions
 Probing questions
 Solutions to problems/ issues/challenges
LANGUAGE IS…

 A vehicle of thought
 A system of expression
 The principal means used by humans to
communicate with one another
 Is primarily spoken but can also be written
 Transmits ideas, emotions, and desires
 LANGUAGE DEFINED
Is the ability that every normal human being has
that allows him/her to communicate not only with
others but self.
In its external form language is in the form of sound
and symbols
In its internal form it is seen as mental activity
 A LANGUAGE
 Different from “language”
 It is specific, recognisable, accepted by
community(ies) of speakers
 Is a set of elements and a system combined into
patterned sentences that can be used to
accomplish specific tasks
 Distinct system of verbal expression that
differentiates one language from another
OUR WEST INDIAN LANGUAGE IS ...
 Recognised by others based on how its shared
cultural, historical and political experiences
 Completely dominated by the structure of our
societies which in many instances were
influenced by slavery/colonialism/plantation
experiences and recently by political
independence
PURPOSES or FUNCTIONS OF
LANGUAGE
 To reflect or think
 To express thoughts, feelings etc
 To communicate by sending message, information,
ideas
 To perform rituals
 To identify self
 To persuade
 To question
 To direct
 To inform
 To provide aesthetic pleasure
STRUCTURE OF MANY WEST INDIAN SOCIETIES
 People were always changing and as they change
there was an impact on language of the society
 For example in Trinidad’s case when the British
came brought and wanted their language and so
too when the French and Spanish the same
happened
 Do you think it was the same with Tobago? Do you
think it was the same for the Africans? The Indians?
The Chinese? Are there similarities in these cases?
What are the differences?
REASONS FOR VARIATIONS IN LANGUAGES
 Constantly changing members of the societies
 There were language differences not only within a
society but also across societies e.g. Both Jamaica
and Barbados were under British rule but won’t you
say that there are recognisable language differences
between them. One is closer to the British dialect the
other isn’t. (Any ideas why?) Hint – who took more
Africans? Who took more Africans nearer the end of
slavery?
 Example in Trinidad there was an influx of East
Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Syrians amongst the
Africans and Europeans resulting in mixture of
languages...pirha, bhoughi, dhal, paisa nah baah,
khab hai (Hindi) how maan, chow saan (Chinese) etc
 CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
 Human
 Verbal
 Systematic; having rules
 Symbolic
 Dynamic; always changing
 Maturational
 Non-instinctive / Naturally Acquired ie humans are
preprogrammed/biologically made up to communicate
 Language is learned –learning is innate
 Arbitrary; cannot be predicted
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITTEN AND SPOKEN
LANGUAGE

 Writing is more explicit

 Speech makes use of non verbal
communication
 Writing has to use words to describe non
verbal communication
 In writing the sentence is the base unit
 In speech it is utterances
 Writing is more formal
 Writing is more deliberate to ensure
understanding
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITTEN AND SPOKEN
LANGUAGE (2)

 In speech there are ellipses, stops,

interruptions, etc
 Writing cannot transcribe these so there may
be misunderstanding
 Writing reflects planning
 Speech can be spontaneous
ACTIVITY

 With the use of personal illustrations, identify

and discuss three 3 significant functions of
language.
 What will you say is the function of language
in your life?
 What would you say is/are the difference (s)
between communication and language?
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

 Both humans and non-humans are constantly

involved are many forms of communication
 Language is a form of communication that only
human beings use
 Communication systems in general are groups of
ways in which humans and non-humans
communicate.
 Keep in mind that language is not only verbal and
that
 Communication is not only language or
verbal/spoken
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

 Unlike language, communication systems are not

unique to humans
 Among the animal species there are varieties of
communication systems
 Communication can take place by way of sounds,
body movements, body odor
 For example ants communicate via chemical scent,
birds use sounds, monkeys chatter, bees buzz etc
FEATURES OF ALL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

 Modes of communication; means may be vocal-auditory,

visual as in gestures and tactile or even chemical
 Have Semanticity; having meaning
 Have a Pragmatic function or purpose

SOME COMM’S SYSTEMS HAVE THESE…

 Interchangeability as individuals can both send and receive
messages.
 Cultural transmission as there’s always some aspect of a
comm’n system to be learned
 Arbitrariness having signals that are not logically related to
their meaning
DIALECT

 A variety of a language spoken by an identifiable

subgroup of people
 Can be characterised by geography, region,
ethnicity, socio-economic or gender groups
 Is any version of a language spoken by a
particular geographic or social sub group
 Examples Cockney English, Trinidad Standard
English, American English,
CREOLE
 A new language formed from the contact between different
languages
 Based on a combination of features of the original languages
along with its own new features
 Can be created in situation of forced contact such as existed
in Caribbean during slavery where the speakers of the
original languages (Europeans on the one hand and the
Africans and the indigenous peoples on the other hand,
these were not Creoles)
 The descendants of the slaves born in the Caribbean
developed their own native languages from a combination of
features from the Africans and the European languages.
These were the Creoles.
CREOLE IN THE CARIBBEAN CONTEXT
 The term Creole refers to the languages developed as
communication systems between Europeans and West
Africans during the period of European colonial expansion,
trade of African slaves and the plantation phase of Caribbean
economy. The early versions of these languages (pidgins)
were necessary in the multilingual situation. The social
setting that demanded their use also stabilized these
languages into indispensable languages of the Caribbean
societies.
All of the recognized Creoles of our region have vocabularies
that are overtly and predominantly drawn from some
European language. All of the Caribbean Creoles have
elements of syntax, semantics and phonology, which show
similarities to those languages of the slaves from West
Africa. These similarities are partially responsible for
common linguistic features of Caribbean Creoles despite
their base language.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS CREOLE LANGUAGES
• Public and personal attitude have been changing.
 The prestige of the Creole languages has been lower than
that of the European languages that function in the region.
Factors which cause this are:
*their origins as the forms of speech produced by the group
that was on the lowest social scale of the plantation
society i.e slaves
*their grammars do not show the commonly known
features of the European languages to which they are so
obviously lexically related
*their limited geographical distribution
*the absence of widely available, readily comprehensible
grammatical descriptions, dictionaries, and other
scholarly evidence of their statuses as languages
ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CREOLE
*they are primarily oral media and not normally written by
their speakers
*their exclusion for the education system
*the association of the European languages with power and
control of societies
*Creole languages have no grammar and structure

• Are merely corruptions of Standard languages

• That Creole is a slang
• It’s the language of the poor, backwards, uneducated,
rural, to tell jokes therefore not to be taken seriously
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF CREOLE

 Non Standard English

 Informally used (medium of jokes and stories)
 Has pronunciation and grammatical/syntactic
systems that are different from those of Std Eng
 Appears simpler to understand
 ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE STANDARD LANGUAGE

 Language of power; prestige, position, authority, high

socioeconomic status
 Language of the educated
 Language of the urban areas
 Language that is superior
 Language of the cultured
 Good English therefore is better than Creole
 Formal language
 Different from Creole in that there’s structure, rules, etc
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF SE
 Has oral and written modes, but written is dominant
 Unlike Creole the written mode is typically non
conversational and non face to face
 Artificial even though based on natural speech
 Complex grammatically/syntactically on the surface
ATTITUDE…SUMMARY

 Attitudes to the varieties of English spoken in the Caribbean result

from a number of factors including historical and social ones. Crucial
to the attitude one adopts are two considerations – the association
of education, formality and good taste with standard English and
the question as to whether creole English is fitting and appropriate
for certain uses. Attitudes to the use of language may include pride,
confidence, and celebration on the one hand and contempt, shame
and even ridicule of the language one speaks. CODE SWITCHING or
adopting the variety of English spoken by others can be the sign of
lack of confidence and pride in one’s mother tongue.
STANDARD ENGLISH & CREOLE

 SHARE:
 majority of common vocabulary
 Some aspects of pronunciation
 Some aspects of grammar/syntax

 DIFFER:
 Some aspects of vocabulary, especially idioms
 Some aspects of pronunciation especially vowels
and intonation
 Some aspects of grammar/syntax
ACTIVITIES FOR STANDARD ENGLISH

 How do you respond to the claim that Standard English

marginalises the masses in the Anglophone Caribbean?
 What are the functions of standard English in the
Caribbean?
 ‘Standard English is difficult to learn’. Discuss
 CHARACTERISTICS OR FEATURES OF CREOLE
LANGUAGES
 Number …no sign of plurality once the context is clear. If not clear
Creole uses the third person pronoun “dem”. Give examples
 Possession…by juxtaposing ie is by following one noun immediately
after the other, the first being the possessor and the second the
possessed. E.g the student book. Give some examples
 Double comparatives for emphasis e.g. more bigger than mines
 Absence of the verb ‘to be’ before present participle,e.g. ‘he eating’
 CHARACTERISTICS OF CREOLE LANGUAGES
 Verbs vs Adjectives, in Creole what are adjectives in Standard
English, may function as predicates just as verbs e.g Di driver dead
or Di cat fat, yuh ent see dat?
 Double negatives are used for emphasis
 Do not add suffixes to show past, but can add some other word e.g.
Yesterday she fall down or Yesterday she did fall down
 Does not recognise the subject –verb agreement e.g. It drop
 Confusion between “will” and “would” e.g Come for me tomorrow
and I would go (Creole) “will” in Standard English
 Does not used participial endings- d
SE increased airfares C increase airfares
 “th” is replaced by either “d” or “t”
 Reduces either initial and final consonants e.g rest=res, just =jus,
singing =singin
cont’d
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME CREOLE LANG’S
 Many differences exist between Creole and English pronunciation. For
example:
 The sound “v” is replaced by “b” in some Creole. (Can you identify?) e.g. “vex”
to “bex”
 A reduction of word-initial consonant clusters and/or word-final consonant
clusters: “world” “worl”
 In some Creoles (Jamaican) the “h” is not a significant sound and may be
added or dropped at the beginning of a word: “ham” “am”, “house” “ouse”
 Two consonants after a vowel is reduced to one consonant as the last one is
dropped eg. “blind” “blin” “find” “fine”
 Inclusion of the Palatal [y] after velar consonants of [k] and [g] eg. “car” ‘kyar’ ,
‘can’t’ [kyar]
 Creole does not favor impersonal constructions. Many introductions begin
with “it”. Example “It is raining” becomes “It raining”
 The use of the word ‘go’ to indicate future . “ah go eat jus now”
“ah go go and see what he want’, ‘I go do it tomorrow’
JAMAICAN CREOLE FEATURES

 Omission or Inclusion of the [h]

 Insertion of [w] after [p] eg. [pwayl] for the word ‘spoil’
[w], [b] before [ay] eg. [bway] for ‘boy’ and [bwayl] for ‘boil’
 [t] and [d] replace [l], [k], [g] eg. [likl] for ‘little’ and [nigl] for ‘needle’
 (h)im used in the subject position instead of (he)
 Specific words… pikni for children
maasta for mister
jinal for smartman or trickster
DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES

 Identify and explain 3 factors which contribute to variation in

language. Introduce relevant examples to support your explanation.
 Define these two terms Creole and Standard English, illustrate with
relevant examples
 With special reference to the Caribbean linguistic situation, show
how the culture and the history of a people are reflected in their
language. Give examples to support.
 Lawyers, doctors, writers, and politicians in the Caribbean have to
be familiar with the various language varieties used in their
respective countries. Why is this so and what steps would you take
to ensure that the first three, at least, be trained in this respect.
LANGUAGES IN THE CARIBBEAN

 The pre Columbus situation:

*Arawakan and Cariban languages spoken in
mainland territories spread into the island
territories.
* Contact and conflict resulted in an Arawakan
language that incorporated the Carib
elements.
LANGUAGES IN THE CARIBBEAN (2)

 The effects of the European colonization on

this situation:
*The demise of indigenous languages; Black
Caribs deported to Brazil
*The introduction of European languages
*The introduction of African languages
*the introduction of Asian languages
LANGUAGES IN THE CARIBBEAN TODAY

 The indigenous languages survive in the

mainland territories, but are under threat. Eg.
Guyana, Belize
 The Caribbean is divided into Spanish-speaking,
English-speaking, French-speaking and Dutch-
speaking.
 English, French and Dutch are elite/minority
languages.
 The Spanish legacy consists mainly of
indigenized standard varieties-Papiamento in
Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Palenquero
LANGUAGES IN THE CARIBBEAN TODAY

 In several Caribbean territories, Creole languages are

majority languages.
 In several Caribbean territories, change in colonial ownership
has resulted in a modern situation where the official
language and the Creole language do not match.
 Dutch Creoles, once spoken in Guyana (Berbice Dutch and
Skepi Dutch) and St. Thomas and St. John have not survived
the 20th century. English based lexicon has spread at their
expense.
 In Dutch Caribbean territories, Creole languages are spoken
of English, mixed English-Portuguese and mixed Spanish-
Portuguese lexical base.
REGISTER IS…

 The form or subset of a language which one chooses to

speak or the kinds of English appropriate to a particular
purpose or situation
 This form or subset uses a specific jargon or phrases
 Register refers to the levels of “formality” and
“informality” and the tone that are correct for a specific
context
 Examples Standard English can be formal and Jamaican
Creole can be casual
 Registers can be written or spoken language.
TYPES OF REGISTERS

 Speakers can use the varieties of languages available in the

Caribbean ( Standard, colloquial, dialects/non-standards, slang,
jargon and Creoles) when they choose their register, which can be:
 Formal
 Frozen
 Consultative
 Casual
 Intimate
NB. In any given situation a speaker if free to switch from one register
to another. This is known as Code Switching.
 REGISTERS EXPLAINED

 FROZEN –print and declamation needing no direct response from

the reader or listener eg. texts, newspapers, journals, public
speeches, sermons
 FORMAL –used in socially formal contexts, conversations between
strangers, at ceremonial occasions eg. Guest speakers, meetings,
graduations. Always involves the use of Standard languages.
 INTIMATE –for use between persons who are very close. Usually
marked by minimal sentence structure, ellipsis, non-verbal elements
of communication and specialized words/expression restricted in
meaning to those involved in this intimate relationship. Eg lovers,
gangs, cliques
REGISTERS EXPLAINED (2)

 CASUAL- for use between friend/acquaintances in a non-

formal setting. Marked by slangs and ellipsis. Eg. School
friends, teams, social groups
 CONSULTATIVE –for use in a situation in which the
listener is expected to give some form of continuous
feedback based on the information provided by the
speaker. Eg workshop, seminar
CHOICE OF REGISTERS DEPENDS ON

 Suitability * Your Situation

 The Audience * Your Purpose
 The Subject matter or topic
 The Medium
 The writer’s attitude toward the topic

 NB The knowledge of both the Standard languages

and non-standards permits a person to switch from one
to the other
 NB both these languages are highly structured
TYPES OF REGISTERS (1)
 Formal: to be used in formal setting e.g
Ceremonies, services, conversation between
strangers. It almost always involves the use of
Standard English.
 Casual: for use between friends and acquaintances
in a non-formal setting. Usually marked by the use
of slangs and ellipses.
 Frozen: for use in the print and public speeches,
sermons and recitations for which direct response
from a reader/listener is expected
TYPES OF REGISTERS (2)

 Intimate: for use between people who are very

close. Usually marked by minimal sentence
structure, ellipsis, non-verbal elements of
communication and specialized
words/expression restricted in meaning to those
involved in this intimate relationship
 Consultative: for use in situation in which the
listener is expected to give some form of
continuous feedback based on the information
provided by the speaker
ACTIVITIES FOR REGISTER AND CREOLE

 Consider the language attitudes in T&T and try to decide

whether traditional views on Creole languages are changing
 Can you think of two possible causes for changes in the
traditional view of the Creole language
 Create the following into a Caribbean model that describes
the level of formality ranging from most to least formal
*Frozen All visitors are invited to proceed upstairs
immediately.
*Formal Ladies and gentlemen, would you please proceed
upstairs at once.
*Consultative
*Casual
*Intimate
TRINIDADADIAN CREOLE

 The speech of Trinidad did not originate here but resulted

from the several varieties of Creolised English brought by
immigrants, the languages of the Amerindians and the
North American varieties of the standard
 The local languages that have the strongest direct effect
on Trinidad English have been French Creole/Patois, Hindi
and Spanish
 Examples of the surviving Patois influence: ‘zaboca’,
‘immortelle’, ‘zandoli’, ‘corbeau’, ‘picong’
 Calques- a combination of basic words to achieve
specialisation and abstraction. Eg male dog, cry water,
bush tea, hard ears, sweet mouth, big eye, big man, hard
head
FEATURES OF TRINIDADIAN CREOLE
 Habitual present tense = does + verb eg. Nurses does work
hard.
 Simple past tense = verb and auxiliary and did
WHEN WRITNG ABOUT ATTITUDE TO LANGUAGE
 Write about the fact that these attitudes came about as a
result of historical, and social factors.
 Crucial to the attitude one adopts are two considerations –
the association of education, formality and good taste
with the standard English and the question as to whether
creole English is fitting and appropriate for certain uses.
 Attitudes may include: pride, confidence, celebration on
the one hand and contempt, shame, and ridicule on the
other.
 Code switching can be a sign of lack of confidence and
pride in one’s mother tongue
ACTIVITIES
Look at the following field of words that all mean
“insane”. Try to think of situations in which some
may or may not be appropriate.
Mad of unsound mine nuts
Possessed demented unhinged
Bereft of reason mental barmy
Cuckoo batty potty flaky
Loony daft round the bend
Bonkers bananas maladjusted
Psychotic neurotic
ACTIVITIES

Now draw up a field of words for a term of your choice

e.g. unintelligent, curious, childish, dead etc.
Remember, all the words must actually mean
“unintelligent”, although they may not be
appropriate in the same situations.

Why do you suppose that Creole is not frequently

written? List three reasons.
ACTIVITIES

 BSE or British Standard English and ASE or

American Standard English differ in vocabulary
From the following below identify which is ASE OR BSE.
petrol gas pavement sidewalk autumn
fall tap faucet nought zero
sofa couch car park parking lot
garage service stationlift elevator call box
telephone booth chemist pharmacy
taxi cab
PROBLEMS LEARNING SE
 Students are fluent speakers of country’s Creoles
 SE is not the normal/first language of average T&T