COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: _________________________

Set: _______________ Score: ____________________

GE 100 – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

LESSON 2: LANGUAGE REGISTERS/REGISTERS OF ENGLISH

When it comes to language variation, the terms genre, register and style are often encountered.

 David Crystal (2008) defines “register” as a variety of language defined according to its use in social
situations. E.g. a register of scientific, religious, formal English.
 David Crystal further discusses style and register. Style refers to the degree of formality attached to
particular interpersonal social situation which is reflected by differences in language – for example,
the kind of language used while 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 situations, 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. According
to Lee (2001), 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 concrete examples, with the genre of recipe: FIELD, TENOR and MODE

Field – may be analysed in terms of the social setting and the communicative purpose in which the text is
produced.

- (WHAT) subject matter of the text

Tenor – may be described in terms of the role/s required of the writers and readers including the cultural
values shared by both.

- (WHO) the relationship between those involved in the communicative act

Mode – could be explained in light of the knowledge of other texts required of speakers/listeners and
writers/readers as regards the genre including the formal texts feature.

- (HOW) refers to the text construction

 Language register 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
and informal register.

1
The Formal Register

 Used in formal speaking and writing situations.

Priest delivering his Homily

State of the Nation Address

 A FORMAL COMMUNICATIVE  SPEAKS

SITUATION EXTEMPORANEOUSLY
 DELIVERED USING A HIGHLY  USES ORDINARY LANGUAGE
POLISHED LANGUAGE
 READ FROM A MANUSCRIPT

FORMAL REGISTER IS LIKEWISE APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING

 PROJECT PROPOSAL
 POSITION PAPERS
 BUSSINESS LETTERS

The Informal Register

 More casual in tone

 Appropriate for people with whom you have established a more personal relationship a sin
the case of friends and relatives
 This type of writing may sometimes be emotional as an intimate relationship exists between
the speaker and the listener or writer and reader.

What is a LEGALESE?

Also known as a legal language

Highly characterized by archaic expressions, technical jargon intrinsic only to the community
of legal professionals, embedded structure, nominalizations, passive voice and as well as
long kilometric sentences.

What is a TEXTESE?

Also known a s a language of texts

The features of SMS language or textese language, are exactly the opposite- use of
abbreviations, acronyms, slang words, and expressions. This is so since messages used to be
limited to a certain number of characters/spaces which made texting more easier and
quicker.