LESSON 4

Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

Content
I. Language Variety

• refers to any variant of a language which can be sufficiently delimited from

another one

A. Different kinds of language varieties:

1. Pidgin – it is a new language which develops in situations where speakers of the

different language need to communicate but don’t share a common language.

2. Creole – it is a distinct language which has taken most of its vocabulary from
another language.

3. Regional dialect – it is a variety of a language spoken in a particular area of a

country.

B. Differences in Varieties of English language

There are many varieties of English and among those are the American English and
British English. It is agreed that no one version is “correct” however they possess three
(3) major differences such as pronunciation, vocabulary, and spelling (Beare, 2017).

In the case of vocabulary, let us use the word “mean” as an example. It means “angry”
or “bad humored” in American English but it means “not generous” or “tight-fisted” in
British English.

o American English: Don’t be so mean to your sister!

o British English: She’s so mean she won’t even pay for a cup of tea.

Words such as color, center, and recognize were spelled in American English way while
it is spelled as colour, centre, and recognise in British English.
II. Language Register

• It refers to the level and style of one’s writing. We use different language
registers for different types of writing, just as we speak differently to different people.

• There are three (3) common registers in writing: formal, informal, and neutral.

A. Formal – it is appropriate for professional writing and letters to a boss or a

stranger. This type includes business letters, letters of complaint, academic essays,
reports, official speeches, announcements, and professional emails.

Rules of the formal language register:

1. Do not use contractions.

Example: use cannot instead of… can't

Contractions can only be used if you are quoting someone’s exact words in your writing.

2. Spell out numbers less than one hundred.

Examples:

• three

• sixty-four

• ninety-nine

3. Write in third person point of view.

We usually do not use first person or second person unless it is a quote. Use he, she, it,
or they instead of I, we, you, and us.

4. Avoid using too much passive voice.

Examples:

5. Avoid using slangs, idioms, exaggerations, and clichés.

Slangs like awesome, cool, okay/ok, howdy, and clichés like in a nutshell, at the end of
the day, and think outside the box

6. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.

Write the entire name out the first time it appears, followed by the acronym. From then
on, you can use the acronym by itself.

Example:

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a travel ban for the following
countries… The DFA spokesperson concluded that…”

For abbreviations, write the complete word the first time, then use the abbreviation (e.g.
influenza > flu). Only use the commonly known abbreviations and not the slang
abbreviations or symbols that you would use in friendly emails and texts (e.g. LOL,
BTW, w/o).

7. Do not start sentences with words like and, so, but, and also.

Transition words such as nevertheless, additionally, however, in addition, as a result of,

and although are more advisable to use in formal writing.

8. Always write in complete sentences.

Make sure that you are writing a full sentence and not in fragments.

A. Informal – it is conversational and appropriate when writing to friends and people

you know very well. This type includes personal emails, short notes, friendly
letters, and diaries. There are no major rules to informal writing.
B. Neutral – it is non-emotional and sticks to facts. Neutral writing is most
appropriate for technical writings as it is used to deliver facts.
LESSON 5
Communication Aids and Strategies using Tools of Technology

Content

I. Technology and Communication

A. Key Tools and Platforms in Digital Communication

1. Social Network Platforms

• A social platform, as defined be Techopedia, is a web- based technology that

enables the development, deployment, and management of social media solutions and
services.

• Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and LinkedIn are among the top social network
platforms that can be used by different organizations, company, and businesses.

• For example, Facebook can be used to post infographics, interesting pictures, or

engage the viewers in surveys or contests. Twitter can be a medium for spreading links,
promoting people or organization, posting announcements, and asking or entertaining
questions.

2. Content Publishing Platforms

• Content publishing platforms are used to prepare and deliver content to the
audience. A content may be an information about a certain individual, company,
product, event, social issue, etc.

In spite of the advantages that these tools can bring, keep in mind that it can also bring
harm if it not used appropriately. These tools are not for internal departmental
conversation and knowledge sharing and should not be used for debate and conflict
resolution.

3.Multimodal refers to the strategic use of two (2) or more communication modes within
the same text and where all modes are attended to as part of meaning-making. A
multimodal text can be printed (books, comics, posters, and print ads), digital (slide
presentations, e-books, e- posters, blogs, web page, film, and social media), live
(performance and events), and transmedia (using a combination of printed, digital, etc.
to tell a story)

II. Tips in Delivering Presentations

1. Prepare

Know whom you are about to speak and what they are expecting or needing from the
presentation. Also, it is important to prepare your equipment and handouts.

2. Start with a bang, not a whimper

Many presenters begin by giving their name, and the title of the program. If you use this,
you might lose your audience before you start.

3. Keep it short

Humans have short attention span if they are only sitting and listening to a speaker. It is
better to have the audience wanting more of you than to feel that they have had more
than enough.

4. Use stories

Use stories to illustrate your key points. This makes the presentation much more
memorable.

5. Be courteous, gracious, and professional at all times When audience members

give questions or comments, you should thank them for their input. A true professional
can always remain cool and in control even with the most challenging audiences.
6. Evaluate

You may ask a trusted colleague to observe your presentation and give you feedback. If
that is not possible, at least take time after every presentation to review what you
believe went well and what could be improved.

LESSON 6
Communication for Various Purposes

Oral Communication

1. Types of Speech According to Purpose

a. Informative Speech

Three (3) Types of Informative Speech (Mercado et al., 2018, p. 96)

 Speech of Description

This type of speech answers the questions "who," "what," and "where." The main points
in this type of speech are usually placed in a chronological, topical, or narrative pattern.

 Speech of Explanation

It answers the question "why" and follows a topical, causal, narrative, or comparison-
contrast pattern.

 Speech of Demonstration

It answers the question "how" and follows a chronological pattern to reveal the steps
about a process or a procedure.

b. Persuasive Speech
The speaker in a persuasive speech has one (1) goal: convince the audience to accept
his/her idea, stand, or claim. This type of speech is commonly used by politicians,
periodical editors, sales agents, and marketing strategists.

Useful Tips in Preparing a Persuasive Presentation (lifted and modified from Bernales,
Balon, & Biligan, 2018, p. 114)

• Be objective but subjective

The facts and data should be integrated and organized in the speech in a manner that
will influence the listeners to act in favor of the speaker.

• Use your brain and heart

According to Westside Toastmasters (n.d.), the brain and the heart should be used in a
balanced manner.

"A speaker should learn how to determine what types of emotions his/her audience
have and how to use these emotions in a persuasive process. A master persuader
should know what emotion to use, when to use it, how to trigger specific emotions, and
how to balance the audience's emotion with logic."

• Cite, cite, and cite

A speaker should always cite his/her resources. According to Massachusetts Institute of

Technology Libraries (n.d.), there are several reasons why citing should be done:

 To show your listener that you've done proper research by mentioning sources
you used to get your information
 To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and
acknowledging their ideas
 To avoid plagiarism by quoting words and ideas used by other authors/speakers
  To allow your listener to track down the sources you used by citing them
accurately in your manuscript by way of footnotes, a bibliography, or a reference
list.

c. Argumentative Speech

It shows a disagreement or a conflict and tries to make the listeners believe that the
speaker's idea is better based on the reasons at hand. In argumentation, a speaker
needs to make a claim and defend by supporting it with facts and pieces of evidence
from varied and credible sources (Bernales et al., 2018, p. 117).

According to Vermont Reads Institute, as cited by Hanes (2014), unlike a persuasive

speech, an argumentative speech contains any of the following:

• Warrants – statements about how the evidence supports the claims

• Backing – support for warrants

• Counterclaim – an opposition to a certain argument

• Rebuttal – a response to a claim, counterclaim, backing, or warrant with an aim

to refute it

1. Types of Speech According to Manner of Deliver

a. Memorized

It is a rote recitation of a memorized speech. Actors recite from memory whenever they
perform a script in a movie scene, television program, or a stage play.

It might seem that memorizing would help against nervousness, but what if the speaker
forgets the next word, sentence, or phrase? One (1) disadvantage of this type is the
speaker is focused on what comes next instead of getting involved in the meaning of
their remarks (Adler and Elmhorst, 2012, p. 407).

b. Manuscript

This type of speech is delivered through reading from a paper script or teleprompter and
is typically used when there is a time constraint or the speech will be telecast (Beebe
and Mottet, 2010).

Even though this type will allow a speaker to deliver a speech in precise words, its use
becomes a disadvantage as it reduces the ability to make eye contact with the audience
and adapt to their feedback (Mercado et al., 2018, p. 110).

c. Impromptu

It is a speech that one has to make without prior preparation. This kind of speech is
common in beauty pageants and special events like weddings and birthday celebrations
(Fleming, 2018).

Adler and Elmhorst (2012) have a few tips that might save you from being ambushed to
deliver an impromptu speech:

 Anticipate when you may be asked to speak

 Focus on your audience and the situation
 Accept the invitation with assurance
 Organize your thoughts
 Present reasons, logic, or facts to support your viewpoint
 Don't apologize
 Don't ramble.

d. Extemporaneous

This type involves the speaker's use of note cards or prompts for his/her speech outline,
but he uses his/her own words as s/he proceeds (Baumeyer, n.d.).
An extemporaneous speech could be performed with little or no preparation. A speaker
should strive for a dialogue behavior in presenting; s/he should speak with the
audience, not at them (Zielinski, 2003 as cited in Adler and Elmhorst, 2012, p. 408).

B. Written Communication

1. Informative Written Communication (lifted and modified from Adler and Elmhorst,
2012, p.436–439)

a. Progress/Status Report

It answers the question "How's the project going?"

A progress/status report should contain the following:

 Review of the project's purpose

 Description of the project's current status
 List of obstacles you have encountered and attempts you have made to
overcome those obstacles
 Description of the next milestone
 Forecast of the project's future.

b. Feasibility Report

It evaluates one (1) or more potential action steps and recommends how the
organization should proceed. Most feasibility reports contain the following elements:

 Introduction

This part should contain a brief definition of the problem and an explanation of its
consequences. Also, state the importance of the alternatives that you will be discussing.

 Criteria

This section should contain the standards that you used to evaluate the alternative
courses of action. Get the readers accept the criteria you have made by explaining them
thoroughly so that there will be no or lesser oppositions in your recommendations.
  Methodology

Describe the process you used to identify and evaluate the plan(s) under consideration.

 Possible Solution

Provide a detailed explanation of each solution you considered.

 Evaluation of the Solutions

Assess the feasibility of the solutions that you have given through the criteria that you
listed earlier. Provide necessary supporting material to show how you arrived at your
conclusion.

 Recommendations

This part contains the description of the solution that best fits the criteria provided
earlier. Be concise and straightforward.

 Conclusion

This section covers the summary of the findings and shows how it can help solve the
problem at hand.

c. Incident and Police Report

According to the Philippine National Police (2012, p. 7), the following questions should
be answered as a guide in writing an incident or police report:

• Who was involved?

Write down all the names of those who are involved including the victims, suspects,
witnesses, and whoever may be listed as present during the incident, or may not be
present but has knowledge about the incident.

• When did it take place?

Specify the time and date of the incident. Be precise as much as possible.
• Where did it take place?

Describe in detail where the incident occurred, e.g., "In the living room of a three- storey
brick house in 6th Avenue, Dalisay Village, Brgy. Socorro, Quezon City."

• What happened?

Present a detailed account of the incident that happened or the crime that was
committed.

• Why did it happen?

Determine the possible motive of the crime or the root cause of the incident. It is
necessary to list all that were alleged by the victims, suspects, and witnesses.

• How did it happen?

Narrate the chronology of events that led to the incident including the actions taken
during the initial investigation at the scene. This part should also include the weather,
lighting, sounds, activities in the vicinity of the incident.

• Who is the reporting person and what are his contact details?

As soon as the incident is transcribed, the desk officer and the reporting person shall
sign the report. The address, home telephone number, mobile phone number, and
identification card presented of the reporting person should be indicated in the blotter
book unless s/he does not want by reason of privacy

2. Persuasive and Argumentative Written Communication

a. Persuasive Paper

The goal of a persuasive paper is to get the reader agree with your point of view on a
particular topic. It contains "call to action" which asks the reader to do something to
show that they agree with the author. Its tone is emotionally charged and more
aggressive (readwritethink.org., 2014).

b. Argumentative Paper
An argumentative paper is more formal and academic than a persuasive paper. Its aim
is to get the reader recognize that the writer's argument is valid. In this paper, the writer
presents multiple perspectives, although clearly for one (1) side. Argumentative writing
should include scientific studies, statistics, and quotes from experts for its evidence
(readwritethink.org., 2014).

Parts of an Argument Paper (Brizee, 2018)

1. Introduction

There are three (3) important questions that should be answered in this section: (1)
What is this? (2) Why am I reading it? (3) What do you want me to do?

2. Body paragraphs

A good paragraph has four (4) elements: Transition, Topic sentence, specific Evidence
and analysis, and a Brief wrap-up sentence – TTEB.

 A transition sentence leading in from a previous paragraph to assure smooth

reading – This acts as a hand-off from one idea to the next.
 A topic sentence that tells the reader what you will be discussing in the
paragraph
 Specific evidence and analysis that supports one of your claims and provides a
deeper level of detail than your topic sentence
 A brief wrap-up sentence that tells the reader how and why this information
supports the paper’s thesis – The brief wrap-up is also known as the warrant.
The warrant is important to your argument because it connects your reasoning
and support to your thesis, and it shows that the information in the paragraph is
related to your thesis and helps defend it.

3. Rebuttal section

 The opponent's argument

Fairly and accurately state the main points of the argument you will refute.
  Your position

Clearly state the nature of your disagreement with the argument or position you are
refuting.

 Your refutation

Provide an appropriate counterargument depending on the nature of your disagreement

4. Conclusion

 Restate your topic and why it is important.

 Restate your thesis/claim.
 Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your
position.
 Call for action or overview future research possibilities.