Republic of the Philippines

Province of Cotabato
Municipality of Makilala
MAKILALA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

INFORMATION SYSTEM DEPARTMENT

Bachelor of Science in Information System

Course Number : Engl 1 Instructor : Marlene Oasay

Course Title : Purposive Mobile Number : 09204011624

Communication
Credit Units : 3 Units Email Address : Marleneoasay2801@gmail.com
Module No. : 4
Duration : 1 week Messenger : Mist Marlene Oasay

I. Learning Outcomes:
a. Discuss the importance of the varieties of English in both oral and written contexts
b. Identify some grammatical, lexical, and syntactic features of post-colonial varieties of English in Asian context
c. Distinguish the lexicon of some Asian varieties of English
d. Demonstrate knowledge about the concept of registers of English in spoken and written language
e. Use the appropriate register depending on the communication situation
f. Display an ability to adjust and cope with communication breakdown

II. Topic/Subject Matter

Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

III. References
Purposive Communication - Using English in Multilingual Contexts

IV. Course Content

Topic 4.1 Varieties of English

Activity 6

Have you experienced communicating with a foreigner in any instance (through the internet or personal)? Did you find it
challenging? What were some of your most unforgettable memories?
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World Englishes (WE) or varieties of English stands for the localized varieties of English. As they are used or
spoken in certain areas. In the Asian context, the concept was introduced by Braj Kachru. The “Three Concentric Circles of
Asian Englishes” presents the three circles: Inner Circle with ENL (English as a native language) member countries; the
Outer Circle with ESL (English as a second language) member countries; and the Expanding Circle with EFL (English as a
foreign language) member countries. Examples of countries belonging to the Inner Circle are the USA, UK, Australia,
Canada, and New Zealand. Outer Circle is comprised of Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Pakistan while the
Expanding Circle is composed of countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Aside from the fact that the Outer
and Expanding Circles are ESL- and EFL-speaking, respectively, they have been colonized by some member countries in
the Inner Circle making the varieties they speak as post-colonial. It is then to be understood that people have different
linguistic and cultural backgrounds making intercultural communication a significant variable in communication.

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 With respect to lexicon, vocabulary words peculiar only to some English varieties in Southeast Asia can be noted as
seen in the following examples:
1. Singaporean English: actsy ‘show off’, missy ‘nurse’, chop ‘rubber stamp’, Marina kids ’youngsters who spend their
leisure time at or around Marina square’, graduate mothers ‘well-educated married women, encouraged to have
more children and accorded certain privileges in Singapore’.
2. Philippine English: deep ‘puristic or hard to understand’ as an attribute of language, stick ‘cigarette’, high blood
‘tense or upset’, blow out ‘treating someone with a snack or meal’, motel ‘a hotel used for pre-marital or
extramarital affairs’, Amboy ‘a Filipino perceived to be too pro-American’, and balikbayan box ‘box where Filipinos
returning from abroad put all their shopping’.
3. Malaysian English: antilog ‘a male hated by a girl’, popcorn ‘a loquacious person’, kachang ‘peanuts, easy’, slambar
‘relax’, red spot, open shelf ‘girls who are popular and those who are not’, day bugs ‘those who come to attend
school but do not live in residence halls’.

Defining Standard Philippine English: Its Status and Grammatical Features (Bautista, 2000)
Is there a Standard Philippine English?

Bautista stressed that just like any other new variety of English, Philippine English is legitimate, having its own
grammatical, lexical, and syntactic features. Gonzales identified the following lexical features in Philippine English:
1. Preference for specific words and collocations specifically shall, could, such, wherein, of (to signal possession);
2. Unusual words and collocations, specific terms, and word combinations which may have been originally confused
with other collocations. But which, because of frequent use, have become fixed combinations in their own right
(results to instead of results in);
3. Unusual prepositional usage, including omission of prepositions in two-word verbs, addition of prepositions to verb
phrases, local use of different prepositions in noun phrases following certain verbs or adjectives.
The syntactic features identified include the following:
1. Word-order features, consisting of the placement of the time adverb before the place adverb, placement of the
adverb between verb and object, placement of the adverb. between noun and prepositional phrase, placement of
the indirect object introduced by to between verb and direct object, other unusual adverb placements;
2. Use of articles, including absence of the definite article, unusual use of the definite articles, absence of the indefinite
article;
3. Noun sub-categorization consisting of the non-pluralization of count nouns, the reclassification of General American
English (GAE), mass nouns as count nouns, mass noun pluralization, pluralization of adjectival nouns in
compounds;
4. Pronoun-antecedent incongruence;
5. Subject-predicate incongruence;
6. Reclassification of GAE transitive verbs as intransitive verbs;
7. Tense-aspect usage consisting of unusual use of verb forms and tenses, use of the perfect tense where the simple
past tense or even present perfect tense is called for in GAE, lack of tense sequence.

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Defining Standard Philippine English: Its Status and Grammatical Features (Bautista, 2000)
When does an error become a feature of Philippine English?

“When do these errors cease to be errors and become part of the standard? If enough. Educated elites in
the society ‘commit’ these errors, then these errors in effect have been accepted by the society as the
standard.

The foregoing discussion only shows how dynamic English is. These are only some of the essential features of some
varieties of English which should be given full attention by users coming from different cultures from the variety of English
used by the native speakers, English has evolved into post-colonial varieties and should not be mistaken as errors most
especially if they have become the standard in the speech community and have been codified. Therefore, we have to be
aware of and recognize intercultural communication as we need to be sensitive to the people around us who belong to the
different cultural heritages and have their own linguistic identity. When we encounter them, we will be able to avoid
misunderstanding, avoid communication breakdown, and overcome language barriers with less difficulty since we are
exposed to their own language features. This way, we will be able to enhance our personal and social interaction.

Topic 4.2 Language Registers / Registers of English

When it comes to language variation, the terms genre, register, and style are often encountered. Register is defined
as “a variety of language defined according to its use in social situations e.g. a register of scientific, religious, formal
English.
Language being the product of interaction among the members of society, must ultimately be studied
according to the social context in which it is found. Within a language, there are variations in style and register, which
differentiate and formally characterize distinct social situations. Style refers to the degree of formality attached to
particular interpersonal social situation which is reflected by differences in language – for example, talking to a friend
will differ noticeably from that used in addressing a superior, in otherwise the same situation. Register refers to a kind
of language whose forms are of a definable social situation, regardless of the status of the participants - thus one
finds the register of legal language, liturgical language, and so on.

It is to be noted that genre and register overlap and are sometimes used interchangeably. Whereas genre is
associated more with the organization of culture, register is associated with the organization of situation. To this end,
register is understood as the context-specific variety of language to which the field-mode-tenor framework is important. To
give a concrete example, with the genre of recipe, field may be analyzed in terms of the social setting and the
communicative purpose in which the text is produced. Tenor may be described in terms of the role/s required of the writers
and readers including the cultural values shared by both. Mode could be explained in light of the knowledge of others texts
required of speakers/listeners and writers/readers as regards the genre including the formal text features.
Language register then refers to the formality of language which one speaks. Different registers are used in different
situations. It is through register that you are able to determine the kind of lexicon or vocabulary to use as well as the kind of
structure to be used even in writing, you may use a formal or an informal register. In some instances, even a neutral
language register is identified.
The formal register then is used in formal speaking and writing situations. In a state of the nation address classified
as a formal communicative situation, the speech is usually delivered using a highly-polished language, read from a
manuscript. This is certainly allowed since the President occupying the highest position in the country could not afford to
make mistakes. On the contrary, a priest delivering his homily, more often than not, speaks extemporaneously and uses
ordinary language. This is so since the audience is composed of a various audience coming from different walks of life. The
priest should be able to convey his spiritual message to the listeners without difficulty of comprehension on their part. The
priest should also be able to touch the very core of the listeners’ hearts so that they live the preaching they hear.
The formal register is likewise appropriate for use in professional writing like project proposals, position papers, and
business letters as in the case of writing to a superior or to a head of a certain organization. It is more impersonal, objective,
and factual. Informal register, which is more casual in tone, is appropriate for people with whom you have established a
more personal relationship as in the case of friends and relatives. This type of writing may sometimes be emotional as an
intimate relationship exists between the speaker and listener or writer and reader.
Again, register refers to the kind of language whereby the forms used define the social situation, notwithstanding the
status of the interlocutors. Thus, legalese or legal language is highly characterized by archaic expressions, technical jargon
intrinsic only to the community of legal professionals, embedded structures, nominalizations passive voice, as well as long
kilometric sentences which are not the features of textese or language of texts. Conversely, the features of SMS language
are exactly the opposite – use of abbreviations, acronyms, slang words, and expressions. This is so since messages used

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to be limited to a certain number of characters/spaces which made texting much easier and quicker. However,
misinterpretation and/or miscommunication in text messaging may arise if vocabulary and knowledge of context are limited.
Hence, extra care should be practiced when comprehending text messages.
Evaluation #10

Check your understanding by answering the following questions. Answer in 2-5 statements only.

1. What are the advantages of having knowledge on the concept of intercultural communication?
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2. How do formal and informal registers affect the way one speaks? How do they affect one’s way of writing?
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3. Have you talked to people of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds? Have you experienced any difficulty? If so,
how did you manage the conversation? What strategies did you employ?
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4. How do you think can you begin to communicate with people from other cultures and avoid conflicts and
misunderstandings?
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Continuation…

Analyze each utterance – it’s meaning, context, and register. Fill in the table with answers.

Context of the Register (Formal or

Statements Meaning
Situation Informal)
1. Just a sec, please!
2. Could you please hold on for a
while? I will just call her.
3. I really apologize. I do not mean to
hurt you.
4. So sorry for my mistakes.
5. Am not interested in. your party.
6. I can’t make it to your party. I’ll
make it up next time.
7. Good morning, Mr. Alcaraz!
8. Hello, Sir Alcaraz!
9. Our sincerest congratulations on
your forthcoming promotion!
10. Congrats! You made it!

Scrutinize a legal document (contract, affidavit, memorandum of agreement, credit card terms and conditions, etc). Analyze the register of
language used in the document. Cite some if its features and give examples. (15 points)
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Deadline: April 13, 2022 (11:50 pm)

If you choose to send your output online, you can just type your answers immediately on messenger or on email. You don’t
have to write here or on a paper, or take a photo. But if you choose to submit a physical copy, write your answers here.
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 ***END***

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