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Registers of Language
Some Definitions and Descriptions:
The concept of register is typically concerned with variations in language conditioned by uses rather
than users and involves consideration of the situation or context of use, the purpose, subject-matter
and content of the message, and the relationship between the participants.
Suzanne Romaine, 1994

A preference for particular syntactic patterns, lexical devices or rhetorical devices in certain
situations.
A stylistic variant of a language appropriate to a particular social setting, also called style.
(V. Fromkin and R. Rodman, An Introduction to Language)

Varieties of language associated with people's occupation.

May be narrowly defined by reference to subject matter (field of discourse), to medium (mode of
discourse) and level of formality, that is style (manner of discourse).

Register refers to the variations in language which reflect:

o the particular situation
o the goals of the communication
o the relationship between the speakers
power
education
intimacy

The concept of register has been around a long time:

Introduced by linguist Thomas Bertram Reid in 1956.
Martin Joos outlined it clearly in his 1961 book, The Five Clocks.
Quoted, referred to by: Cheryl Carter, Suzanne Romaine, and also Ruby Payne in her
book A Framework for Understanding Poverty.

Continuum/Scale of Language Registers

Sources: Montano-Harmon, M. R. Developing English for Academic Purposes California State

University, Fullerton; A Framework for Understanding and Working with Students and Adults from
Poverty (Copyright, 1995, Ruby K. Payne, RFT Publishing); Joos (1961)

Frozen
Printed, unchanging language, ultra-formal, almost scripted phrases that do not vary. This is standard
business and educational language which features complete sentences and specific word choice,
often contains archaisms. This style of communications RARELY or NEVER changes.
Examples: The Bible, Pledge of Allegiance, Preamble to the US Constitution, Lords Prayer, laws,
set" speech which is often scripted.

Formal/Academic

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One way communication, no interruptions, used in impersonal, formal settings, one-way in nature,
follows a commonly accepted format - complete sentences, more complex syntax and specific word

usages, exact definitions are important, technical vocabulary; often used to show respect. It is often
used to show respect. Word selection is more sophisticated and certain words are always or never
used depending on the situation. In formal register, the story structure focuses on plot: it has a
beginning and ending, and it weaves sequence, cause and effect, characters, and consequences into
the plot.
Examples: Rhetorical statements and questions, standard for work, school, public offices and
business settings, speeches, pronouncements made by judges, announcements, introductions between
strangers

3. Consultative
This is a standard form of communication. Users engage in a mutually accepted structure of
communications. It is professional discourse. Formal register used in conversation. Societal
expectations accompany the users of this speech. This register can be described as two way
participation, professional setting, background information is provided (prior knowledge is not
assumed), interruptions and feedback fillers allowed (uh-huh, I see), more complex syntax,
longer phrases. Sentence structure need not be complete, since non-verbal assists, hand movements
and body language, are often used to convey meaning.
Examples: Doctor:patient, lawyer:client, lawyer:judge, teacher:student, superior:subordinate,
counselor:client, colleagues, peers, when strangers meet

4. Casual/Informal
Language used in conversation with friends. Casual register is characterized by a 400- to 500-word
vocabulary, broken sentences, and interruptions common. Very informal language, idioms, ellipsis
and slang are common, no background information provided, group language must be a member
to use, interruptions common, context and non-verbal communication important, word choice is
general, and conversation is dependent upon non-verbal assists. The focus of the story is
characterization. It is an episodic, random approach with many omissions and does not have
sequence, cause and effect, or consequence. Casual Register for a group of white suburban teenagers
is quite different from the casual register of a group of African Americans, or a group of Native
Americans. There would be differences in vocabulary (slang), grammar, intonation and usage and
the differences might be quite fluid, changing often.
Examples: conversations, chats, and blogs with friends and acquaintances, family, teammates

5. Intimate
This communications is private. It is reserved for close family members or intimate people. It is non-
public, intonation as important as wording and grammar, often a private vocabulary full of
codewords. Interesting to note: this is the language of sexual harassment as well.
Examples: husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, twins (siblings), pets.

Some Examples:
Greetings
1. Frozen - Welcome to the Hugh Brothers Industrial Center. Where tomorrow's world meets
today's. Please remember that no flash photography is allowed during this tour...
2. Formal - Good morning. May I speak to the director, please?
3. Consultative - Hello, Mr Smith. How are you this morning?
4. Casual - Hey, Jack. What's up?
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5. Intimate - How's my little snuggy wuggy?

Complaints:
1. Frozen - This is a complaint for damages and injunctive relief arising out of manipulative
activities in the gold market from 1994 to the present time ...
2. Formal - I hope you don't mind my stating that the service is unsatisfactory. I would like a
refund.
3. Consultative - Excuse me Ms Anderson. As I understand the task, we need to focus on
improving our delivery times rather than blaming our suppliers.
4. Casual - Oh, Bob. Just a moment! Listen, you know... well... what was with that off-key
comment last night?
5. Intimate - I'm sick and tired of your crap!

Encouragement:
1. Frozen - I offer You all my prayers, works, joys and suffering of this day ...
2. Formal - Thank you for applying for this position. We'll let you know within a week if you have been
chosen for an interview.
3. Consultative - Thanks for following-up on the Jones account. Great job!
4. Casual - Whoa, way to go! Nice catch!
5. Intimate - You're so good. I'm crazy about you, Honey.

So what is the problem? The problem is the people, and especially children from generational
poverty, often lack the use of the formal register and do not understand when it is necessary. Since
formal register is used in school, children from poverty often do not understand and have difficulty
communicating at school. Children from poverty often do not hear or learn formal register at home,
so they are unprepared for school and work. Tests and evaluations are done in formal register, so
they are not understood by those who lack formal register and they perform poorly on them. In
interviews, use of the inappropriate register is noted in a few minutes, and knocks the applicant out
of contention for the position. For example, the teacher and the parent may be speaking virtually
two different languages at a parent-teacher conference.

Learning formal register is a KEY to moving out of poverty. Learning formal register is not that
easy. It is like learning a new language. How many of us would learn a foreign language without a
reason? If we move to a foreign county, and are immersed in the language, we are likely to be more
interested in learning a new language, compared to going for a short visit. Is not this exactly what
happens when we go to school? We go for a short visit, and then return to our own land. For
people, and especially children, in poverty, they are often not exposed to formal register at home and
consequently do not acquire it. Formal register in this situation must to be taught.

Recognition and withheld judgment, by teachers and other helping professionals, that some people
and children lack the knowledge and use of formal register, is necessary for those teachers and
helping professionals to help build the bridges necessary to move.
(http://arcomoore.communityblogs.us/2009/04/12/understanding-poverty-language-register/)

What is the Importance of Registers in Schools? For Standard English Language Learners
(SELL)?

Formal register needs to be directly taught.

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Casual register needs to be recognized as the primary discourse for many students.
Discourse patterns need to be directly taught.
All types of registers need to be explained as part of classroom instruction.

Discipline that occurs when a student uses the inappropriate register should be a time for
instruction in the appropriate register.
Students need to be told how much the formal register affects their ability to get a well-
paying job.

In A Framework for Understanding and Working with Students and Adults from Poverty (Copyright,
1995, Ruby K. Payne, RFT Publishing), Dr. Payne purports that the ability to use formal register is a
hidden rule of the middle class. Those in the middle class know when and how to use formal register,
whereas those in poverty have limited access to it. This inability to use formal
register has several ramifications. All state tests are written in formal register. Writing is expected to
be done in formal register. Comprehension can suffer because story structure uses formal register. Of
course, as is always pointed out, people are expected to use formal register in work situations.

One must master the upper registers if you want to get to certain upper positions in US society.
A California researcher, Montano-Harmon, M. R. Developing English for Academic Purposes
California State University, Fullerton, has found that many low-income students do not speak formal
register and only know casual register. State assessments test at the formal register level. Most of the
discipline referrals occur because the student has spoken in casual register. For example, if a student
tells the teacher that an assignment "sucks," the teacher most probably will issue a reprimand. Yet, if
a student tells the teacher that the assignment is not congruous with her earlier purpose, the student
will most probably not be reprimanded. Yet, both students expressed the same notion. Because the
structure and specificity of language is not available to those students who only know casual register,
their achievement lags. This is complicated by the story structure used in casual register.
In the United States, the schools' failure to teach Standard English is reflected in the poor
performance of nonstandard English speakers on achievement, aptitude and diagnostic tests.

Perhaps the most alarming evidence of this failure is the low performance of nonstandard English
speakers on tests used to place students in remedial or gifted programs. Virtually all of these tests
presume competence in Standard English (Oakland, 1977). Many African American children, usually
from working class homes or communities, speak a nonstandard variety of English. This variety,
often referred to as Black English Vernacular, is thought by many sociolinguists to reflect African
influences on American English, and is reinforced by social isolation, segregation and group identity.

For English Language Learners (ELLs) need to know more than the content area assessed by the test
or the language in which it is administered. It also requires from them the use of the register of that
discipline and the register of tests. This combined register is defined by the activity in which
individuals are engaged at a given time (e.g., taking a test). Among other things, this register differs
from other registers on features such as semantics (e.g., root has different meanings in colloquial
language and in mathematics); word frequency (e.g., ion is mostly restricted to the content of
science); idiomatic expressions (e.g., the phrase None of the above is used almost exclusively in
multiple-choice tests); notation (e.g., A divided by B is represented as A/B); conventions (e.g.,
uppercase letters are used to denote variables); syntactical structures (e.g., the structure of multiple
choice items in which an incomplete sentence [the stem] is followed by several phrases [the
options]); and ways of building arguments (e.g., Let A be an integer number).

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