Ch. 4: Language Varieties
Effective language has:
Correctness
Well formed grammaticallyClarity
Writer's choices are understandableForcefulness
Finding the memorable or striking expression that reinforces the messageAppropriateness
Proper behavior according to circumstancesThree levels of appropriateness
Low
Conversational and colloquial -- everyday speaking language.Contractions, vulgar/obscene language, "he goes/I'm like," etc.
Middle
Neutral, fitted for straight narration and expositionNo one's native language -- must be learned
High
Very formal, used in the most serious topicsPolysyllabic words; long, complex sentence; elaborate connectives; heavy punctuation
English Varients
Regiolects
Different Englishes spoken in different geographic regions.Sociolects
Different Englishes spoken due to different social, racial or ethnic groupsIdeolects
each person develops a set of language habits unique to that personfavorite words, phrases, written and spoken tendencies and patterns
Registers
Subsets of language tied to a particular activity or situationDifferent registers are appropriate for different circumstances
Disciplinary Registers
Include a special lexicon and special ways of talking and writing in a field of learning -- such as in astronomy or accountingSubject Labels
Some words have different meanings for different peopleOccupational Registers
Fluid subset of the language, but recognizable because of the repeating who, where, when, and why of its use (Law enforcement talk)Specialists's register
The ability of an expert of a topic to talk about that topic in a way that many people cannot fully understand.Genres
A set of language that has consistent language features or registersFor example, sports stories tend to use a consistent lexicon and predictable sentence patterns
Shifting/Mixing Language Varieties
Swaying between language varieties, if done carefully, can be effective.Must take into account the ethos, audience, situation and genre. ("less politely known as bullshit")
Register Shift
Switching between registers in order to be understood by multiple sections of audience.Register Mixing (more extensive)
Involves writing part of a text in one language variety and part in anotherCommon in documents required by law to address several audiences.
