Varieties and Registers of

Spoken and Written

Language
Reporters: Saliman G. Dipatun
Fearl Grace C. Enriquez
 LANGUAGE
The method of human
communication, either spoken or
written, consisting of the use of
words in a structured and
conventional way.
SPOKEN LANGUAGE

 a language produced by
articulate sounds, as
opposed to a written
language.
WRITTEN
LANGUAGE
 is the representation of a
spoken or gestural
language by means of a
writing system.
LANGUAGE
VARIETIES
What is language variety?
In sociolinguistics, language variety – also
called as lect – is a general term for any
distinctive form of a language or linguistic
expression.
Jargon
Dialect
Idiolect
Register
STANDARD VARIETY or
STANDARD LANGUAGE
o A language variety used by a population for public
purposes or as a variety that has undergone
standardization
Example :
- English - Serbo-Croatian
- French - Spanish
- Portuguese - Swedish
- German - Armenian
- Korean - Chinese
JARGONS
o Refers o the specialized language of a professional or occupational
group. such language is often meaningless to outsiders. 

Examples:
-Medical jargons
-Technical jargons
-Programming jargons
-Legal jargons
PIDGIN
o It is a new language which develops in situations
where speakers of different languages need to
communicate but do not share a common language.

o You need at least 3 languages to create a Pidgin.

o Arises for a need of lingua franca.

o Result of Globalization.
CREOLE

o Is a pidgin that becomes the first language of the

children and the mother of a community.

English based Creole

- Jamaican Creole

French based Creole

-Haitian Creole

Spanish based Creole

-Chavacano
INDIGENIZED VARIETIES
o Are spoken mainly as second languages in ex-colonies with
multilingual populations. The differences from standard variety
may be linked to English proficiency, or may be part of a range
of varieties used to express identity.

Example:
-Singlish
-Taglish
..\..\..\Downloads\English vs. Singlish
Phrases TMTV.mp4
DIALECT
oThe word dialect—which contains "lect"
within the term—derives from the Greek
words dia- meaning "across, between"
and legein "speak." A dialect is a regional or
social variety of a language distinguished by
pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
REGIONAL DIALECT

o A variety of language that is spoken in a

geographical area for many hundred years as seen
in differences in pronunciations, in the choices and
form of the word, and syntax.

Example:
In USA regional dialects In Britain
include - Cockney
-  Appalachian - Liverpool English
- New Jersey - Geordie (Newcastle English)
- Southern English
 SOCIOLECT or
SOCIAL DIALECT
o a variety of language used by a socioeconomic class, a
profession, an age group, or any other social group.
Factors to Determine Social Position
 Occupation
 Place of residence
 Education
 Income
 Racial origin
 Cultural background
 Caste
 Example: “ absence of r e.g. bear , court”
European-American Speakers in • Associated with aristocratic or high-
Charleston, South Carolina status groups (McDavid 1948)

New York • Associated with working-class, low-

status groups (Labov 1966)

“In other words, it is not really the meaning of what you say that counts socially, but
who you are when you say it”
-Walt Wolfram
(‘Social Varieties of American English’ Language in the USA, ed. By E.Finegan. Cambridge University Press, 2004)
MINORITY DIALECT
o Is a variety used as a marker of identity,
usually alongside a standard variety, by the
members of a particular minority ethnic
group.

Example:
Ebonics
..\..\..\Downloads\Ebonics dictionary steve harvey.mp4
..\..\..\Downloads\Steven Willis - Ebonics 101 (NPS 2015).mp4
IDEOLECT

o The language or languages spoken by each

individual. For example, if you are multilingual and
can speak in different registers and styles, your
idiolect comprises of several languages, each with
multiple registers and style.
LANGUAGE
REGISTERS
What is a Register?
According to Nordquist (2018), register is :

 Defined as the way a speaker uses language differently in

different circumstances.

 Determine by factors as social occasion, context, purpose, and

audience.

 Determine the vocabulary, structure, and some grammar in

one’s writing even in one’s oral discourse.
 5 Distinct Registers (Nordquist, 2018)

Frozen
Formal
Consultative
Casual
Intimate
FROZEN

o It refers to historic language or communication that is

intended to remain unchanged.

Examples:
 The Holy Bible
 The United States Constitution
 Romeo and Juliet
 Poetry
 Preamble
 Laws
 Words to a song
 Pledge of Allegiance
FORMAL
o It is used in professional, academic, or legal settings where
communication is expected to be respectful, uninterrupted, and
restrained. Slang is never used contractions are rare.

Examples:
 Academic Paper
 Business presentations
 Interviews
 Essays in school, work and business.
 TED talk
CONSULTATIVE
o It is used in conversation when they are speaking with someone
who has specialized knowledge or who is offering advice. Tone is
often respectful (use of courtesy titles), but be more casual if
the relationship is longstanding or friendly.

Examples:
 Local TV news broadcast
 Annual physical examination
 Strangers who interact
 Adults at work
 Teachers with students
 Talking with a lawyer or a doctor
CASUAL
o It is used when you are with friends, close
acquaintances, co-workers, and family

Examples:
 Slang
 A birthday party
 Personal letter to a friend
 Backyard BBQ
INTIMATE
o It is reserved for special occasions, usually between only
two people and often in private

Examples:
 Talking to your lover
 Talking to your twin
 Inside joke between two college friends
 Language Registers are Classified as:

1. Formal Language Register

- is more appropriate for professional writing and letters to a boss or a
stranger.
- is impersonal, meaning it is not written for specific person and
without emotion.

Examples:
 Business letters
 Letters of complaint
 Research Paper
 Announcements
 Professional e-mails
 Reports
RULES in FORMAL WRITING:

1. Do not use contractions

‘cannot’ instead of ‘can’t’
‘have not’ instead of ‘haven’t’
‘would not’ instead of ‘wouldn’t’

2. Spell out numbers less than one hundred.

nineteen
twenty-two
eleven
seven

3. Write in third person point of view (POV)

Avoid using the following
‘ I ‘ , ‘ you ‘ , ‘ we ‘ , ‘ us ‘
4. Avoid using too much passive verbs
Passive: The bone was eaten by the dog
Active: The dog ate the bone

5. Avoid using slang, idioms, exaggeration (hyperboles) and clichés

- “OK! Boomer!”
- ‘Dope’ or ‘cool’
-”OMG! What’s the tea?!”
- “Break a leg”
-”It’s raining cats and dogs”

6.Avoid Abbreviations and acronyms

-Department of Education (DepEd)
-Philippine Pesos (PhP)
-Influenza (flu)
7. Do not start sentences with words like, and, so, but, also.
Here are some good transition words and phrases to use in formal writing
- Nevertheless
- However
- As a result of
-Additionally/ In addition
- Although.
8. Use conjunctions to indicate transitions or imply continuity or cause and effect
relationship in the ideas of your sentences.
F. A.N. B.O. Y. S. = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

8. Always write in complete sentences. Avoid the use of phrases and clauses, in
lieu of a complete sentence

9 . Simple sentences rather than compound and complex sentences.

 Language Registers are Classified as:

2. Informal Language Register

- is conversational and appropriate when writing to friends and people
you know very well.

Example
- Personal e-mails
- Phone texts
- Friendly letters
- Most blogs
- Short notes
- Diaries
- Journals
There are NO MAJOR RULES to INFORMAL WRITING but you can
include things such as:

- Slangs and clichés

- Figurative language
- Symbols and abbreviations
- Acronyms
- Incomplete sentences
- Short sentences
- First person, Second person POV
- Paragraphs or no paragraphs
- Jokes
- Personal opinions
- Extra punctuation
- Passive and Active voice
 Language Registers are Classified as:

3. Neutral Language Register

- It is not necessarily formal or informal.
- It is used to deliver facts .

Example
- Reviews
- Articles
- Some letters
- Technical writing
FIN
Resources / Links
 https://www.slideshare.net/RyanBuer/varieties-and-registers-of-spoken-and-wri
tten-language-200284234?qid=73e946df-9a9c-4d1d-944b-e8a2692437df&v=&b
=&
from_search=2
 https://www.slideshare.net/JessaMarieAtillo/varieties-and-registers-of-spoken-a
nd-written-language?qid=73e946df-9a9c-4d1d-944b-e8a2692437df&v=&b=&
from_search=1
 https://www.hawaii.edu/satocenter/langnet/definitions/index.html
 https://www.thoughtco.com/regional-dialect-1691905#:~:text=%22As%20oppo
sed%20to%20a%20national,Newcastle%20English).%20.%20.%20
.
 https://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce2123.html#:~:text=Main%20minority%2
0groups%3A%20Cebuano%20(20.16,(1.09%20million)%2C%20Maguindanao%2
0
(
 https://e2f.com/5472/
 https://www.thoughtco.com/language-variety-sociolinguistics-1691100
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqJI7SdS9Gg
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6qN_Ma0RlI
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFzXWPE4fOs