REGISTER in language usage with implications for teaching.

Closer Connections ConferenceOctober 1 and 2, 2009Missy Slaathaug

We tell our thoughts, like our children, to put on their hats and coats before they go out.

H.W. Fowler, A Dictionary of Modern English Usage

Register definedSociolinguistics =the intersection of language and society

How does language reflect society? How does language shape society?

Questions of language are basically questions of power. Noam Chomsky, quoted by S. Romaine

A simple observation:

In different situations, people use different forms of language.

Depending on the situation, we usedifferent words and phrasesFor example, to refer to death:died, passed away, passed, passed on, moved on, expired, croaked, bought the farm, passed from life temporal to life spiritual, went to meet her Maker, be taken, meet ones end, perish

different grammatical patternsGimme a dime. Could I trouble you for the time? Do call me.

How do we start to analyze register? Depending on the situation So - look first at the components of the situation.

What is actually taking place? Where?

Who is taking part? What is their relationship?

What part is language playing?

Consider:

Social settingSituationAddressorAddresseeTopicwho, what, when, where

A fancy academic definition

The concept of register is typically concerned with variations in language conditioned by uses rather than users and involves consideration of the situation or context of use, the purpose, subject-matter and content of the message, and the relationship between the participants. Suzanne Romaine, 1994

Register refers to:the variations in language which reflect

the particular situation

the goals of the communication

the relationship between the speakerspowereducationintimacy

Joos Five ClocksThe concept of register has been around a long time.introduced in the 50s.Martin Joos outlined it clearly in his 1961 book The Five Clocks.quoted, referred to, kicked around by many others: Cheryl Carter, Suzanne Romaine, and also Ruby Payne in her book A Framework for Understanding Poverty.

Frozenprinted, unchanging language, formal, almost scripted phrases that do not vary

Examples: The BibleThe Lords PrayerThe Pledge of AllegianceLawsPreamble to the US Constitution

FormalOne way communication, no interruptionsUsed in impersonal, formal settingsFollows a commonly accepted format - complete sentences, more complex syntax and specific word usagesOften used to show respect Examples: Introductions between strangersRhetorical statements and questionsSpeeches, pronouncements made by judges, announcementsstandard for work, school, public offices and business settings

ConsultativeTwo way participation, professional settingBackground information is provided (prior knowledge is not assumed).Interruptions and feedback fillers allowed (uh-huh, I see).More complex syntax, longer phrasesExamplesDoctor:patient, lawyer:client, lawyer:judge, Teacher:student, Superior:subordinateColleagues, peers

CasualVery informal language, ellipsis and slang are common No background information providedgroup language must be a member to useInterruptions commonContext and non-verbal communication importantExamples:friends and acquaintancesfamilyteammateschats and blogs

IntimateNon-publicIntonation as important as wording and grammarOften a private vocabularyExamples:husband, wifeboyfriend/girlfriendtwins (siblings)pets, I would also add Interesting to note here, this is the language of sexual harassment as well.

Some rules of register use:Moving from one register to another is OK as long as you only go to the adjacent level.

More than that and you are in trouble your language use is seen as inappropriate or even offensive.

Greetings in different registersFrozen: I want to welcome you to the Closer Connections Conference, sponsored in part by Dakota TESL and SDALL.Formal: Good morning. Ill let Dr. Jones know you are here. Consultative: Hello Mr. Smith. How are you doing this morning?Casual: Hey, Jack. Whats up?Intimate: Hows my little puppy today?

Requests in different registersFrozen: Please submit the information at your earliest convenience. Formal: Could you possibly type this up for me by tomorrow?Consultative: Can you finish this after lunch? Casual: Watch the door for me, OK?Intimate: Hey, darlin, pour me a cuppa joe.

Encouragement in different registersFrozen: As you commence this endeavor, I offer you all my prayers and support. Formal: Thank you for applying for this position. We will let you know in a week if you have been chosen for an interview. Consultative: Thanks for following up on the Jones account. Great job! Casual: Whoa, way to go! Nice catch!Intimate: You are so sweet. Im crazy about you, honey!

Partings in different registersFrozen: Farewell, and godspeed.Formal: Goodbye. We look forward to seeing you again. Consultative: Goodbye. Have a good weekend. Casual: Bye now take care.Intimate: later, darlin.

How do we know what register to use?How does this work? Language is behaviorPart of our cultural code, unwritten rulesTaught explicitly to children (and teens!)Absorbed as we matureLabored over consciously as we get older in academic settings, or writing speechesother? Mostly we both learn registers and slip between them without conscious thought. It is part of being fluent in a language.

Vertical and Horizontal RegisterThis 5 part scale is usually visualized vertically from most informal to most formal. I would argue that is it rather more like a pyramid, and that the less formal categories have many sub-categories, according to criteria like ethnic/racial group socio-economic classage region, etc.

So the Casual Register for a group of white suburban teenagers is quite different from the casual register of a group of African Americans, or a group of Native Americans.

These would be differences in vocabulary (slang), grammar, intonation and usage and the differences might be quite fluid, changing often.

BUT!There is little room for variation at the top of the pyramid.

The Frozen Register is just that frozen. No creative melting or thawing allowed.

The Formal Register is close to that, and, I would argue, is based on white middle class formal English again, the class in power.

Language is all about power, remember?

Language is all about powerTo re-visit this idea We mark and judge people immediately uponspeaking with them. We make judgements about their educationtheir backgroundtheir incometheir intelligence

We adjust ourselves in our relationship to them, according to each piece of linguistic information we receive.

EXPECTATIONS keeping in mind language = powerWe expect people in authority to speak a certain way, using the formal register. BusinessmenPoliticiansSupervisors, administratorsProfessors, teachersProfessionals (doctors, lawyers)TV Newscasters

We would be disappointed and disconcerted and distrustful if they did not.

A simple truthYou must master the upper registers if you want to get to certain upper positions in US society.

(barring rap stars, athletes and some other groups. They seem to have a ticket to ignore language register requirements.)

What does this mean for teaching?First some background.

Every language has different registers. Many mark them more overtly than English does.

Romance languages tu/vous in French, tu/usted in Spanish, tu/lei in Italian

Germanic languages du/Sie in German, du/ni in Swedish

Register in Japanese:a very complex system of honorifics expressed by prefixes, suffixes, verb forms, vocabulary choices, etc. organized into three main categories: respectful languagehumble languagepolite language The first two are referent honorifics, used for someone being talked about, and the third is an addressee honorific, used for someone being talked to.

In addition, the Japanese system factors in:

Gender differencesAge of each person communicatingIn-group/out-groupBusiness dynamics between superiors/subordinates and between businessman/customer

And we thought we had it hard!

If ESL learners do have such overt register markings in their native tongues, sometimes they feel that English is completely free-wheeling with its lack of markers.

No suffix to show respect no need to worry about it at all then!

Implications for teaching

We know this is not the case so how do we address it with our learners?

Teach it. Teach it. Why? We just explored some of the socio-economic reasons why. (language is power)Why not? The more information you can give learners about how this all works, the more power they have.

Teach it, continued.Beginners? Yes. In simple ways. Advanced learners? Yes, of course. The more fluent a person is, the higher the expectations of his/her cultural knowledge he/she are expected to know what to do and when to do it. (Language is behavior.)

Teach it explicitly

Look for texts that present the idea of register in some fashion.

Look for texts that present different linguistic forms for learners to choose from and some sort of criteria for choosingIt may be watered down formal/informal distinction.This is better than nothing!

Practice it.Include it in active practiceSet up role play situations.Ask learners to monitor their degree of formality.Ask audience to judge degree of formality.Ask learners to flip it from formal to informal.Exaggerate! How would you say this to the President? To your neighbor and friend? To your principal? To your mother? To the Chairperson of your department?

Talk about itPoint out examples in the language around us.

Ask learners to listen for polite phrases or informal phrases in a listening exercise or when you have a guest speaker or a school assembly.

about.com Kenneth BeareA clear discussion of register

A WONDERFUL list of example phrases, many of which I borrowed earlier

A GREAT list of business phrases for running a meeting a formal situation that calls for specific language if ever there was one.

Beare, business registerOpeningGood morning, everyone. If we are all here, lets get started.Welcoming and introducingWere pleased to welcome. . .Please join me in welcoming. . .Stating the principal objectivesWere here today to. . .Ive called this meeting in order to. . .

Beare, continuedIntoducing the qgendaHave you all received a copy of the agenda?Shall we take the points in this order?If you dont mind, Id like to go in order today.Moving forwardShall we get down to business?Is there any other business? Lets move on to todays agenda.

K. BeareHe covers all the speech acts you need to run a meeting, for example:Introducing the first item on the agendaClosing an itemGiving control to another participantSummarizingFinishing upSetting the next meetingThanking participants for attendingClosing the meeting

Only non-native speakers?

Absolutely not.

This affects many of our learners. Native Americans identified as ELLs

Adult education learners who may have little experience with the more formal registers of language.

This leads to thoughts of academic language versus playground language, or BICS and CALP, to use a few nice acronyms . . .

Cheryl Carter, Vernon Family Learning Center, TexasABE lesson online: Understanding language registers as a means to more effective communication

Learning Objective: Learners will have a clear understanding of registers of language, will be able to distinguish between different registers, and will be able to utilize these registers for more efffective communication.

Carters ABE lessonIntroduction to Language RegistersDiscussion, eliciting examplesRecognizing Language Registerswith Little Red Riding Hood story in formal and casual register.Using Language RegistersAsks learners to construct their own

http://slincs.coe.utk.edu/gtelab/learning_activities/30carc.html or internet search: Charyl Carter language register

The End.

Hope you found this interesting.

Contact me for resources, or just to talk.

Missy Slaathaugmissy@pie.midco.net

Elicit phrases for death

When do we use each? When is each appropriate?

When would croaked NOT be acceptable?

When would perished not be acceptable? What is taking placeis it a ceremony? neighbors gossiping? an exchange at work about a client? a request from employee to boss?

Where are the speakers? in a back yard? at church? at a christening? at a coffee shop? Who are the speakers? Their dynamics?

What role does language play? are there expectations about the words? ceremonial words about a baptism, for exampleMore definitions:

A preference for particular syntactic patterns, lexical devices or rhetorical devices in certain situations

A stylistic variant of a language appropriate to a particular social setting, also called style (V. Fromkin and R. Rodman, An Introduction to Language)

This term register has been around a long time. Introduced in the 50s - really caught on when M. Joos published his work The Five Clocks in 1961. Since then, I have found others referenced it from many others, including Ruby Paynes well known work on the Culture of Poverty.

Not sure why he called it clocks kind of like it though!

Lets look at them. Academic language and the language of school is part of this register. School language still part of this register when it is two-wayOne source said siblings, family, parent and children, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend.

Another source made the circle much tighter and said only lovers and twins. Offensive: Teachers using intimate language with their grade school students

Language of sexual harassment

Inappropriate: Cannot shift up to more formal registerLike-you know South Koreans

Ask participants to come up with phrases themselves.

Think about how wrong usage can be inappropriate. Part of Native Speaker cultural competence being culturally fluent as well as fluent in the grammar and vocabulary.

Unwritten rules linguists are still trying to figure it out. Language is a rather slippery thing.

Does any one have any experience with grappling with registers in another language/culture?

My Swedish and my French

CAVEAT having given all this info must also point out that this is only one way of looking at it.

Many consider it a spectrum of registers not distinct categories. Many also disagree about exactly how to analyze it, and what criteria to use.

This is only one way may be a bit simplistic

but it is useful for the language teacher. Dont deny it its true!

And people will cut Non-native speakers some slack, but our ELLs who are native americans will not get the same allowances made for them.My friend whose grade schooler has a teacher who is just too familiar with the students it makes her a little uneasy. This may offend my descriptivist friends

Prescriptive v. descriptive view of language

Prescriptive = there is a right and a wrong way to speak

Descriptive = just takes language as it is no right or wrong to the forms and usages.

My favorite example is aint. Perfectly OK in Shakespeares time marks you as uneducated now. OK all well and good. Just dont say aint at a job interview for teaching or banking or the like. It wont get you in the door the door will slam shut.

Rap stars and athletes - does money perhaps trump language registers? Even if the formal/informal pronoun is not usually used in speech, the verb form marks the level of formality you are using. See if any of the participants speak or have studied Japanese.

Language and mastery of the nuances of register will open doors and slam doors shut as well.

Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino. Remember scene where he coaches the young Hmong boy in how to talk to the barber? It is wonderful he is very direct. Tells him topics, usage, what not to say, how to say it it works for him too up to a point. The barber grabs his shotgun but then he also uses it with his construction boss and it really works there. Opening and shutting doors. . .

My experiences as a fluent speaker I had no clue of register in French and very little in Swedish.

People do make allowances, but the better your accent gets, the more they expect of you.

Show any texts I brought

Kettering Butler 20 some years old, but does deal with the idea of register.

Any others? Point out how learners can get into trouble too.

Remember that using the wrong register can be offensive.

Teach this and ask learners to identify. Look at the power in these phrases!

Teach them practice them - use them. Carters comments: This activity generated lots of group discussion; reading the two versions of the stories aroused much interest and class participation in the ensuing discussion. Their oral communication skills were spotlighted and enhanced by this activity. They also enjoyed working together on this project, and produced some very interesting and humorous stories in the different registers. When I do this activity again, I would add a script of a conversation written in the two registers, perhaps a script of an individual doing a job interview, or a conversation between an employer and employee - - lots of possibilities for scripts here.