EAPP-HANDOUT1 differences.
Topic: Languages used in academic text from various
discipline (Academic text & The Register of Language)
I. Introduction
Imagine hearing two people talking about how cells
obtain energy from food. “Food are broken down during
digestion into their monomer subunits—proteins into
amino acids, polysaccharides into sugars, and fats into
fatty acids and glycerol—through the action of enzymes”,
they said. “After digestion, the small organic molecules
derived from food enter the cytosol of the cell, where
their gradual oxidation begins”, said by another person.
Now, they have caught your attention and interest. You
are amazed, however you find it difficult to relate since
the words they are using are new to your ears. What is
clear to you is that you've once heard those terminologies
in your science class.
Today’s lesson is about “Languages used in academic text
from various disciplines”. Read and study the entire
handouts to differentiate the following linguistic registers
used in different fields.
II. What is an Academic text?
Academic text is typically used for textbooks, tests, in
classrooms, and any other discipline related to the field of
academics. It is very different from the structure of
vocabulary and structure from everyday conversations
through social interactions. Academic text is a formal way
to present words and terms typical for the field.
The specific ideas in various academic texts are
dependent on the field of academic text one is reading in.
For example, Humanities texts discuss more about the
various human expressions, such as art and languages,
while the sciences contain the scientific method that
discusses the objective result of an experiment or the
specific research methodology. The specific ideas in
various academic texts can be understood after skimming
and closely reading the text.
III. What is a Linguistic Register?
Linguistic registers are certain registers of language (types
of language use) peculiar to specific professions such as
medical science, engineering, and business.
✔ The concept of the linguistic register has been
described by Trudgill (1983:101) as
follows:
● Linguistic varieties that are linked to occupations,
professions, or topics have been termed registers. The
register of law, for example, is different from the register
of medicine, which in turn is different from the language
of engineering---and so on.
Registers are usually characterized solely by vocabulary
● Registers are simply a rather special case of a kind of
language being produced by
the social situation.
✔ According to Harold Schiffman (1997) it is a set of
specialized vocabulary and preferred (or dispreferred)
syntactic and rhetorical devices/structures, used by
specific socio-professional groups for special purposes. A
register is a property or characteristic of a language, and
not of an individual or a class of speakers.
IV. Types of Linguistic Registers
Academic Language – Academic language includes
language used in textbooks, in classrooms, on tests, and
in each discipline. It is different in vocabulary and
structure from the everyday spoken English of social
interactions. Each type of communication (both academic
and social) has its purpose, and neither is superior to the
other.
Medical language - is used to describe components and
processes of the human body, medical procedures,
diseases, disorders, and pharmacology. Simply put, it is
the vocabulary that medical professionals use to describe
the body, what it does, and the treatments they
prescribe.
Legal language - means a language used by the persons
connected to the legal profession. The language used by
the lawyer, jurist, and the legislative draftsman in their
professional capacities. Law being a technical subject
speaks through its own register.
Journalistic language - This type of language helps
understand how journalists create their stories or reports,
shape points of view, deliver expected news and how
media language is different from other languages we
encounter.
Literary language - register of a language that is used in
literary writing.
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Reference:
Gabion, I.S. (2020). English for academic and professional
purposes. Department of Education.