Session 2:

Analysing the Language of the Character

Context: Age, Gender, Class
Language Features: Diction and Syntax
Guide Questions
Purposes for Using Language
 taking apart a particular passage
and dividing it into its basic
components for the purpose of
examining how the writer develops
his or her subject.
 The of the
character includes age,
gender, class, etc.
 is the language of the sender
and receiver. The competence in
language (diction, syntax, etc.)
can affect the way the message
is received.
 pertains to word choice,
the conscious selection of words to further the
purpose

High/ Formal cultured, scholarly,

elegant, archaic,
sophisticated
Neutral simple, unadorned,
plain, detached
Low/ Informal colloquial, vulgar,
slang
 pertains to word choice,
the conscious selection of words to further the
purpose

is the literal, exact,

journalistic and straightforward
meaning

is the figurative or
symbolic meaning
 pertains to word order, the
deliberate sentence structure to achieve
purpose

Low/ Informal abrupt sentences,

fragment, phrases
Neutral simple sentences
High/ Formal complex, compound,
and compound-
complex sentences
 pertains to word order, the
deliberate sentence structure to achieve
purpose

Declarative to make a statement

Interrogative to ask a question
Imperative to give a command or
request
Exclamatory to express strong
emotions
“ may either influence or
determine …”
(Wardhaugh, 1998)
 is the number of years a
person has lived. It is measured in years,
months, and days from the date the
person was born.

is an estimate of a
person's capabilities in social situations
that are relative to normal standards.
denotative situational, a lot situational,
, limited of slang and usually
vocabular vulgar words, deliberate,
y, informal highly denotative and
influenced by connotative,
media, informal neutral to
to neutral formal
interrogati exclamatory, Can be
declarative, complex,
ve, usually
usually not compound,
fragments deliberate,
and and
fragments to
compound-
phrases simple sentences,
complex
informal to
neutral sentences
1. What are the characteristics of the language
(diction, syntax) associated to the character’s
biological age?
2. Does the character’s biological age
correspond to his/her behavioural age?
3. Does the character conform to or deviate
from what is attributed to his/her biological
age?
4. For what purposes does the character
conform to or deviate from the language s/he
is expected to use?
 is social elaboration of
biological sex - gender as social
construction

is the biological categorization

based primarily on reproductive
potential
 widely held but fixed and
oversimplified image or idea of a
particular type of person or thing
 highly highly connotative,
denotative, emotional, hedged,
profane, slang, usually neutral to
taboo, informal formal
imperative interrogative,
(command), exclamatory, usually
declarative, follows standard,
usually abrupt hypercorrected,
sentences, usually formal
informal
1. What are the characteristics of the language
(diction, syntax) attributed to the character’s
gender?
2. Are gender stereotypes present? How is the
man presented? How is the woman presented?
How are other genders presented?
3. Does the character conform to or deviate from
what is attributed to his/her gender?
4. For what purposes does s/he conform to or
deviate from the language s/he expected to
use?
 is “a group sharing the
same economic or financial
status.”
Upper classes
Upper upper - old money
Lower upper - new money

Middle classes
Upper middle - professionals
Lower middle - white collars and entrepreneurs

Lower classes
Upper lower - blue collar
Lower lower - unemployed
Class A-B
1% of the families in the Philippines population,
barely 1 million
Class C
9% of the families in the Philippines population
Class D
60% of the families in the Philippines population,
largest bulk of families, classified as the “masa”
Class E
30% of the families in the Philippines population,
below poverty line
 usually usually not
deliberate, deliberate, informal
standard is to neutral
usually
observed
can do exclamatory, usually
complex, abrupt to simple
compound, sentences
and
compound-
complex
sentences
1. What are the characteristics of the
language (diction, syntax) associated to the
character’s class?
2. Is class difference present in the
environment?
3. Does the character conform to or deviate
from the language attributed to the social
class s/he belongs to?
4. For what purposes does the character
conform to or deviate from the language
s/he is expected to use?
to persuade – to change another character's
opinion
to advise – to help other characters to decide
what to do
to argue – to make the case for something
describe – to give details about a person,
place, event or thing
to explain – to make clear why or how
something works
to inform – to tell a reader about something
to instruct – to tell how to do something
to inform – to impart or relay information or
knowledge
to express feelings – to articulate emotions
to influence – to affect a person or event
to meet social expectations – to conform to
the conventions set by society
to comment on social expectations – to
express disapproval of conventions set by
society
 “Language is a process of free
creation; its laws and principles are
fixed, but the manner in which the
principles of generation are used is free
and infinitely varied. Even the
interpretation and use of words involves
a process of free creation.”