VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF

SPOKEN AND WRITTEN

LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE VARIETIES
Also called “lects”, these refer to different
variants of language that can be sufficiently
delimited from one another in terms of
social, historical, or geo-spatial, forming a
language clusters.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE VARIETIES

PIDGIN
It refers to a new language that develops into situations
where speakers of different languages need to
communicate but do not share a common language.
Examples are Chavacano in the Philippines and Bislama, a
language spoken in Vanuatu.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE VARIETIES

CREOLE
It is a pidgin that becomes the first language of the
children, or the mother tongue of a certain community.
Examples are the Gullah and the Patwa, is a creole in
Jamaica.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE VARIETIES

REGIONAL DIALECT
It is not a language that is not distinct from a national
language, but rather a variety of a language spoken in a
particular area of a country.
Examples are as Cebuano, Waray, Ilocano, and
Hiligaynon in the Philippines.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE VARIETIES

MINORITY DIALECT
This is a variety used as a marker of identity, usually
alongside a standard variety, by the members of a
particular minority ethnic group.
Examples are the Sinama of the Badjaos in the
Philippines and the London-Jamaican variety in Britain.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE VARIETIES

INDIGINIZED VARIETIES
These are spoken mainly as second languages in
former colonies with multilingual populations.
A classic example is Singlish (or Singaporean
English).
LET’S DISCUSS!

How do you classify the 'conyo' language

in the Philippines? What do you think are
the unique characteristics of this language
variety? How do you feel about people
using this variety?
LANGUAGE REGISTERS

A language register is characterized by the way

a speaker uses language differently in different
social circumstances. These are determined by
such factors as social atmosphere, purpose of
communication, audience, and the general
context of the discourse.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE REGISTERS
FORMAL
These registers are used in professional, academic, or legal
settings where communication is expected to be
respectful, uninterrupted, and restrained to specific rules.
Slang is never used and contractions are rare. Examples
are registers used in research paper, government
documents, business letters, and in business presentations.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE REGISTERS

CASUAL
These registers are used when communicating with
friends, close acquaintances, colleagues, and family
members.
These are used in birthday parties or family
gatherings.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE REGISTERS

INTIMATE
Intimate language registers are reserved for
special occasions, usually between only two
people and often in private. Examples are an inside
joke between two high school friends or sweet
nothings whispered to your "special someone."
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE REGISTERS

FROZEN
It refers to historic language that is intended to
remain unchanged. Examples are the registers
used in the Philippine Constitution and the
Holy Bible.
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE REGISTERS
CONSULTATIVE
It is used in conversations when people are speaking with
someone who has specialized knowledge or is offering advice. Tone
is often respectful, such as the use of honorifics or courtesy titles,
but may be more casual if the relationship between or among the
communicators is friendly. Examples are registers used in local
television broadcast or in a conversation with a doctor during
medical examination.
W H AT D O Y O U T H I N K I S T H E N E X T
L I N G U I S T I C P H E N O M E N O N T H AT
W I L L E V O LV E I N T H E P H I L I P P I N E S ?
W H Y D O Y O U S AY S O

WRITTEN WORK