Culture, Registers, Texts, and Persuasion

Culture
- the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or
other social group.
- all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed
down from generation to generation.
- Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As
such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, arts.

Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

Registers are the style of language spoken and writing that is appropriate for a certain situation.
It could be formal, informal or neutral.

In writing discipline, the language registers determines the vocabulary, structure, and some
grammar in writing.
Communication depends on how you communicate with different people.
Example:
To your brother: What's up? Good thing you came to visit!
To the President: Good morning, Mr. President. Thank you for visiting.

Formal Language Register

In academic writing, formal writing is required but said to be the most difficult because it uses
formal language and formal structures of grammar. It is the style used when an individual is
writing a text for an audience that they do not know personally. Formal writing should be
written in a third-person perspective. This style of writing uses proper grammar, punctuation,
and the citation of valid sources.
Common examples are:
• Essays
• Business letters
• Reports

Informal Language Register

This is written in a manner of talking to a closest someone such as friends and family. We used
informal language in this type of writing because it shows how we know them very well.
Informal writing includes:
• Personal e-mails
• Phone texts
• Short notes
• Friendly letters
• Most blogs
• Diaries and journals

Neutral Language Register

In neutral writing, it does not necessarily formal or informal, and it is incorporated with non-
emotional topics. It is not positive or negative but also delivers facts.

Examples:
• Reviews
• Articles
• Some letters
• Some essays
• Technical writing

In one prominent model, Martin Joos (1961) describes five styles in spoken
English:
1. Frozen: Also referred to as static register. Printed unchanging language,
such as Biblical quotations, often contains archaisms. Examples are the Pledge of Allegiance of
the United States of America and other "static" vocalizations. The wording is exactly the same
every time it is spoken.
2. Formal: One-way participation; no interruption; technical vocabulary or exact definitions are
important; includes presentations or introductions between strangers.
3. Consultative: Two-way participation; background information is provided – prior knowledge
is not assumed. "Back-channel behavior" such as "uh huh", "I see", etc. is common.
Interruptions are allowed. Examples include teacher/student, doctor/patient,
expert/apprentice, etc.
4. Casual: In-group friends and acquaintances; no background information
provided; ellipsis and slang common; interruptions common. This is common among friends in a
social setting.
5. Intimate: Non-public; intonation more important than wording or grammar; private
vocabulary. Also includes non-verbal messages. This is most common among family members
and close friends.
Evaluating Messages and or/ Imagesof Different Types of Texts Reflecting
Different Cultures
A "text" isn't limited to something written down. A text can be a film, an artifact, anything in a
language and culture that conveys meaning.
Communication Artifacts are created as expressions of human thought. They
include advertisements, art, ceremonial and documentary artifacts, exchange media, and
personal symbols. Advertising artifacts are objects that were created to call attention to
products, services, or events.
Cultural texts are those objects, actions, and behaviors that reveals cultural meaning. The entire
space and place, including the people and their interaction, all the rituals and rules and its
various forms in which they manifest themselves, are “readable” texts.
Understanding Different Types of Texts
A persuasive text encourages you to do or want something. In writing such, take note that you
may use of proper capitalization, proper punctuation marks and may also use repeated words or
questions to catch attention. Adjectives must be used as often as possible so that it may sound
attractive. One sided arguments help to make the text credible.
Persuasive text can be used and found in a variety of publications, such as: newspaper columns,
advertising campaigns, academic essays, reviews, brochures, and campaign flyers.
An instructive text is written to instruct someone to do something, or relating to procedures to
be done. The tone of words is commanding and may use formal and direct words. Extra words
are not needed especially the use of adjectives.
The term “instructional text” has been widely used to describe a wide range of textual objects,
from whole texts (such as textbooks, manuals, recipe, procedures, guides and even narrative,
reading scheme texts) to parts of a text.
An informative text informs using words of fact and step by step procedures. Common example
of it is the announcement posted in the bulletin board, or news broadcast in the television,
newspapers, encyclopedias, brochures, biographies, textbooks, and how-to books.

The role of descriptive text is to describe a person, things or an event by using adjectives or
adverbs to clearly emphasize the description process. The writer, upon writing the text clearly
wanted the reader to imagine what is like and how is like by using describing words that
appeals to the five senses of humans.

What is a message?
Making an argument- expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with evidences-
is often the aim of argument. When we say argument, it is sometimes refer to as a debate or an
exchange of diverging opposite views, typically a heated or angry one but not most of the time.
When we argue, we persuade someone to believe in our opinion or point of view. This is why
we tried so much to debate, negate and persuade. It is always been the purpose of an
argument. The most important part of an argument, to persuade someone without losing
credibility, we should provide solid and valid evidence.
Persuasion
Persuasion is the process by which a person's attitudes or behavior are, without duress,
influenced by communications from other people. One's attitudes and behavior are also
affected by other factors (for example, verbal threats, physical coercion, and one’s physiological
states).
Situations where we want to persuade include: reveal, do, desist, learn and believe.
Reveal- this situation arises when you know someone knows something but they cannot tell
you about it. Situations:
1. Job interviews
2. Police interrogations
3. Getting to know someone

Do- the power of persuasion will be test if you convince someone to do something for you.
Situations:
1. Parenting
2. Managing
3. Sales
4. Propaganda

Desist- includes the act of telling someone to stop his/her doing. This is the act of making them
stop, although this may seem difficult since habit is nearly impossible to change, your ability to
persuade will vary.
Situations:
1. Parenting
2. Government Policy ( eg. smoking), Policing

Learn- the goal is to impart knowledge and making someone understand something.
Situations:
1. Teaching
2. Coaching
3. Parenting
Believe- changing someone’s belief, such as in religious conversation. Beliefs are at the base of
much of what we assume is true. This makes persuading at this level both powerful and difficult.

Situations:
1. Leadership
2. Religious
3. Cult conversation

How to Persuade People to Agree

Here at some techniques:

1. Liking- it is easy to persuade people if they like you.

2. Social proof- implies that people are moving in the direction you want.
3. Consistency- keep your word consistent at all times.
4. Authority- people are strongly influenced by experts.
5. Scarcity- people want what they cannot have.
6. Reciprocity- give something to gain something.