Text Analysis

Tenyaeva Anastasia

Exemplify the use of colloquialisms and learned words. Why does the writer of the
letter make use of both?

Even though colloquialisms and learned words may seem like a bizarre combination,
they are totally natural in this extract since it is a letter to a friend and the writer is a
scholar. Therefore, in general, she prefers informal language akin to spoken
conversation but also uses more matter-of-fact words when describing her
professional experience for she is accustomed to doing so in her line of work. Some
of the colloquialisms used include FTG, ass, popping up, easier said than done, the
name Bea, you've got to, kids, “You ask what I am teaching. Hard to say.” etc. The
learned words are as follows: to urge "individualization and enrichment", to impose,
oversupply, distribute, prescribed work, observe, exposed to schooling, endowed,
frequently, startled, desiccated etc.