Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
Region III
LYCEUM OF WESTERN LUZON ZAMBALES, INC.
Batonlapoc, Botolan, Zambales
PURPOSIVE
COMMUNICATION
Module 4: Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language
MARIE AILEEN M. SANTOS
Instructor
JOSSETTE Y. PEREZ-DAES
School President
Purposive Communication Page 2 of 17
Lesson 4. VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE
The word “register” was introduced in the field in
the 1960s. It was described by Halliday et al. (1964,
77) as a “variety according to use in the sense that
each speaker has a range of varieties and chooses
between them at different times.” Register is bound
to a particular discursive situation which means that
when we observe a language activity in the various
context in which it takes place, we find differences
in the type of language selected as appropriate to
different types of situations. This is because the register of the language is set primarily on the
level of formality of the speech.
Register is set of meanings that can easily become identified with particular groups. Different
occupations and activities have a variety of registers that are not typically identified with any
speech community but is tied to communicative situation. The register of the speech delivered in
a conference for engineers has a variation of registers for accountants, psychologists, teachers,
lawyers, nurses, marketing officers, agriculturists among others. The variation of registers has a
greater emphasis on the broader social context. Although, we accept that a home is also a speech
community or a social situation, speech at-home maybe different from a speech-with-friends or
speech-with-strangers.
Register also refers to the level of formality of the speech. In a casual conversation with friends,
you will likely use more colloquialism, contractions, and incomplete sentences than you would,
for example, talking to a judge in court. The first is an informal register, a second a very formal
one.
Considerably our linguistic repertoire consists of a set of linguistic varieties that we have at our
command, each of which enables us to use as dictated by the speech community. Speakers of the
same geographic location may speak the same language, meaning they use a dialect, which is a
variety at all times. Varieties of language are identified through certain levels: phonological
(sounds) and lexical (words) levels.
Academic writing has a level of formality, and it is sometimes difficult for the non-native
speaker of English to recognize the differences in register and style of the language. This section
therefore, covers some of the differences in style and register. When discussing the register of a
word, we refer to the use of language for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting, that
is, level of formality. The English language is no exception when it comes to language variation
and style and it is important to recognize the differences and just as important to know them.
Varieties of English
Varieties of English refer to the different kinds of English used around the world
based on geographical locations. Several major varieties are American, British, Australian, New
Purposive Communication Page 3 of 17
Zealand, and Black. Other varieties have already been identified like Singapore English and
Philippine English which are identified as variations based on the phonological and lexical levels
of use. Language variations are more or less similar and while most English speakers can
understand each other, problems occasionally arise.
In the Philippines, the Philippine English has already been recognized as the kind of English
used by Filipino speakers; however, in terms of writing the American English is prescribed to be
used in the academe, in religious affairs, business, as well as print and broadcast media.
However, the British English is oftentimes required to be used in most international business
transactions like in research publications. Although, the American English seems the standard
English used in the Philippine scene, the British English also needs to be learned for international
business transactions. Hence, for English as a second language learner, the two kinds of English
varieties must be recognized in terms of spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
There are over a hundred varieties of English language but the two most prevalent varieties of
English language are British (BrE) and American (AmE) English. There is a great deal of
overlap between the two varieties of English language which were taken from ICALTEFL
(1998).
1. American English (AmE). It is variant of the English language which is spoken
mainly in the United States. About two-thirds of the world’s native speakers of
English live in America and speak this variant.
2. British English (BrE). It is a variant of English language which is spoken in the
United Kingdom. Along with American English, British language is one of the main
variants taught in English as a second language or English as foreign language
programs.
3. Australian English (AuE). It is another variant of English language which is spoken
in the Australia. Australian English began to diverge from the British English shortly
after Australia was settled in the 18th century. This variety is similar to New Zealand
English and bears resemblance to certain dialects of South East England. Its spelling
corresponds to British spelling.
4. New Zealand English (NZE). It is variant of the English language spoken as the first
language by most people in New Zealand. New Zealand English is most similar to
Australian English in pronunciations, with some key differences.
5. Black English. It is also called African American Vernacular English. It is a broad
term used to refer to American English and British English as spoken by the black
communities in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is also used to refer to
black communities in Caribbean and Africa. There are different varieties of this
variant, but its two major sub-varieties are African American Vernacular and British
Black English.
6. Singapore English. The English of Singapore is SingEng or Singlish. Singapore
English is a language variant which is considered the most popular medium of
communication in the academe. There are two main forms of this variant: standard
Singapore English and Singapore colloquial English or Singlish. The former
Purposive Communication Page 4 of 17
generally resembles British English and is used by educated Singaporeans in more
formal contexts. The latter, on the other hand, is spoken by typically less-educated
and includes many discourse particles and loan words from Malay, Mandarin, Chines,
Hokkien, and Tamil. Most of the Singlish words are originated from the Chinese
language. Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige; therefore, it is not used
in formal communication.
7. Philippine English. It is another variety of the English language related to American
English in terms of spelling and grammar. Besides, the Filipino language, the English
language is native to the Philippines and is considered an official language. Non-
native pronunciations abound in the spoken language, and grammatical flaws are
oftentimes inevitable. Hence, code-switching is prevalent in formal and more likely in
informal situations.
Varieties of English Vocabulary
The first part of this section shows major differences in vocabulary among the three
different varieties of English. This is a type of English variety at the lexical level, which means
that the difference lies on the vocabulary or words. Lexical variety is more than a vocabulary
range. You can see below that a word may be used in three English varieties.
American English British English Australian English
drug store chemist’s chemist/pharmacy
afternoon afternoon arvo
apartment flat apartment/flat
attorney barrister, solicitor lawyer
billboard hoarding billboard
candy sweets lollies
corn maize corn
kerosene paraffin kerosene
liquor store off-license bottle shop
mail post mail
optometrist oculist, optician optometrists
potato chips crisps chips
rubbers wellington boots gum boots
stroller push-chair pusher
subway underground/tube loop
Given the examples above, American English and British English have major differences in
vocabulary. Study the examples below.
American English British English
automobile car
cab taxi
Purposive Communication Page 5 of 17
expressway motorway
gas petrol
highway main road
hood bonnet
intersection crossroads
motor engine
patrolman traffic/policeman
Elevator lift
Eraser rubber
Fall autumn
Wreck crash
Pants trousers
Purse handbag
Bar pub
Cookie biscuit
Flashlight torch
janitor caretaker
Besides American English and British English, New Zealand English, Black English, Singapore
English, and Philippine English have their main lists of vocabulary unique in the country. Some
of these words and their meanings are given below.
New Zealand English:
New Zealand Words Meaning
chunder vomit
crook sick or ill
footpath sidewalk or pavement
footy football
lolly candy
smoko rest break during work
wagon car
slayer a male that attracts many females
waka any kind of vehicle or means of transport
scarfie a university student
Black English:
Black English Words Meaning
bogus fake
cat a friend or a fellow
bad-eye nasty look
big eye greedy
buckra white man
Purposive Communication Page 6 of 17
dude male
goober peanut
homies close friends
whities white people
bae babe and basically means a significant other
Singapore English:
Singapore English Meaning
Words
shiok cool or great
lah means nothing and is put at the end of a sentence to indicate
exclamation or emphasis
garang a person who is overly aggressive or fierce
talk cock untrue story
paiseh embarrassed or shy
sabo sabotaged
obiang ugly or outdated
yaya boastful or arrogant
kantang potato
kiasuh someone who is selfish and trying to get ahead of others
Philippine English
Philippine English Meaning
Words
nose bleed overwhelmed by having to speak too much in english
brownout similar to blackout, a complete failure of electrical power
bad shot to express frustration
high blood hypertension; angry or stressed
live-in unmarried couple living together
boodle fight a gathering where food is eaten using bare hands
videoke compounding of video and karaoke; used for singing
estafa to scam someone
carnap to steal a car
chancing to make sexual advances to someone who is not interested
Varieties of English Spelling
In terms of spelling, British English and American English have a few rules which
cover the majority of spelling differences in terms of usage. Writers, however, must observe
consistency whenever they write. When using the American English, writers are required to use
the variant consistently. Hence, consistency of use in all aspects: pronunciation, grammar,
Purposive Communication Page 7 of 17
vocabulary, and spelling should be upheld for effective communication. following are the guides
to achieve efficiency in spelling in American English and British English.
1. Most American English words ending in -or change to -our in British English.
Examples:
American English British English
favor favour
behavior behaviour
labor labour
humor humour
honor honour
color colour
neighbor neighbour
2. Many American words ending in -er change to -re in British English.
Examples:
American English British English
center centre
theater theatre
meter metre
caliber calibre
liter litre
fiber fibre
luster lustre
3. There are pairs of words which are nouns and verbs.
Examples:
American English British English
advice advise
defense defence
offense offence
pretense pretence
However, with some of these American English will keep the same spelling for both
noun and verb.
Examples:
American English British English
Purposive Communication Page 8 of 17
license license
practice practice
4. Many American spellings use -ize at the end of words while British spelling use -ise.
Examples:
American English British English
criticize criticise
organize organise
realize realise
analyze analyse
apologize apologise
centralize centralise
coneptualize conceptualise
5. This variant: -ogue/-og occurs in a number of words of Greek origin:
Examples:
American English British English
catalogue catalog
analogue analog
dialogue dialog
monologue monolog
6. A number of verbs which make their participle with -ed in American English use -t in
American English.
Examples:
American English British English
dreamed dreamt
leaped lept
spelled spelt
learned learnt
Forms of Language Register
Purposive Communication Page 9 of 17
Language register is the level and style of your writing and it should be appropriate to
the situation you are in. it determines the vocabulary, structure, and grammar of your writing.
The three most common language registers in writing are provided in this section.
1. Formal Register. This form of language register is most appropriate in professional and
business writing. It entails the use of formal writing which seems to be the most difficult
type of writing. Not all professionals are good at it because of the many complexities
that writing requires. It is impersonal which means that it requires strict implementations
of rules in standard writing and is written without considering emotions.
What formal writing includes?
business letters some essays
business reports official speeches
announcements professional emails
Rules of Formal Language Register:
a. Do not use contractions.
b. Spell out numbers less than ten.
c. Write in the third-person point of view.
d. Avoid using too much passive voice.
e. Avoid using slang, idioms, exaggeration, and clichés
f. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.
g. Do not begin with sentence with words like and so, but, also.
h. Always write in complete sentences.
i. Observe economy in writing. Longer and complex sentences are acceptable as
long as they do not become wordy. Write using but substantial and meaningful
sentences.
2. Informal Language Register. Informal writing is written in the way we talk to our
friends and family. This form is used when writing to someone you know very well.
What informal writing includes?
personal emails phone texts
short notes friendly letters
mos blogs diaries and journals
There are no rules in informal writing. You may include things, such as:
a. slang and clichés;
b. figurative languages;
c. symbols and abbreviations;
d. acronyms;
Purposive Communication Page 10 of 17
e. incomplete sentences;
f. short sentences;
g. first person, second person, and third person;
h. paragraphs or no paragraphs;
i. jokes;
j. personal opinions;
k. extra punctuations;
l. emoticons and other symbols; and
m. passive and active voice.
3. Neutral Register. Some writings are written in a neutral language, which means that
they are not specifically formal or informal, positive or negative. The neutral language
register is used with non-emotional topics and information.
What neutral writing includes?
reviews articles
some letters some essays
technical writing some reports
Bias-Free Language
Whenever we communicate, our language should be sensitive and bias-free. This
is one-way of adapting a message to its audience. Sometimes, communicators become
offensive maybe because the words that they used were not thought of carefully prior
to their production. This is the real problem in communication. therefore, we should
be cautious about expressions that might be biased regarding gender, race, ethnicity,
age and disability.
1. Avoiding Gender Bias. Sexist or gender-bias language oftentimes abound in our
speeches or writings. This kind of language should be avoided. You can defuse
gender-bias language by replacing words that exclude or stereotype women. For
instance, the words man or woman are simply gender based, but you may improve
these words by changing these words to a gender-free word like person or
representative. Likewise, avoid the use of her or his option whenever possible
because it is wordy and conspicuous. It would be better if you will find a little
effort and construct your sentence in a manner that is graceful, grammatical, and
unself-conscious.
Gender Biased Improved
chairman chairperson
office girls office workers
man people
female dentist dentist
Purposive Communication Page 11 of 17
businessman business person
politicians and their wives politicians and their spouses
the brotherhood of man humanity
2. Avoiding Racial and Ethnic Bias. Racial or ethnic identification should only be
indicated if the context demands it. Clearly, ethnic and racial insults are
unacceptable in professional writing. However, less and clear-cut labels are most
acceptable for identifying specific ethnic and racial groups.
Racially or Ethnically Biased Improved
The black American lawyer won the
A negro lawyer won the case.
case.
An Asian writer was hired. A writer was hired.
Jona Chan, an African American, was
Jona Chan was interviewed.
interviewed.
3. Avoiding Age Bias. Age should only be specified if it is relevant. Avoid
expressions that are demeaning or subjective.
Age Biased Improved
The senior citizens are to be helped. People over 59 should be helped.
Architect Roby Tan, 65 was a loyalty Architect Roby Tan was a loyalty
awardee. awardee.
The poor, old man was not allowed to The man was not allowed to enter the
enter the room. room.
The weak, old woman sat on a rocking
The woman sat on a rocking chair.
chair.
4. Avoiding Disability Bias. Do not refer to an individual’s disability unless
relevant. When necessary, use terms that do not offend disabled individuals.
Disability Biased Improved
Confined to a wheelchair Uses a wheelchair
Disease, defect condition
Jargons in the Workplace
Jargon refers to technical or specialized terms within a field. These are words and
phrases that are used in a profession or a particular occupation or any in group or social group to
which a person is identified a member. It is mostly occupational; hence, these terms enable
Purposive Communication Page 12 of 17
members to communicate complex ideas briefly and comprehensibly. For the non-members,
jargons mean little or nothing. Therefore, in spoken and written language use specialized
language only when the audience will understand it. However, consider the presence of
secondary audiences who may or may not be able to understand your language. Conversely,
jargons may also be familiar to audiences but may be misleading because there are words would
mean differently in another field. Study the following familiar words that denote another
meaning in various fields:
Word Field Meaning
mouse agriculture a small rodent
information technology a hand-held pointing device
plate hotel and restaurant dishware
management
science any of the rigid layers of the
earth’s lithosphere
driving a sign attached to a vehicle
for identification
sports a flat, heavy object used in
weightlifting
operation business the act of functioning or in
effect
medicine an act of surgery performed
on a patient
program information technology a series of instructions that
can be put into a computer in
order to perform an operation
education a plan of action to accomplish
a specified end
media a show aired on a television
or radio/network to the
viewing, or listening audience
The given examples show that no matter how familiar a word is, it would mislead one’s
understanding because of the variations of meanings from one field to another. Thus, vocabulary
awareness is crucial in understanding one’s language. If these words are misleading to average
communicators, you can just imagine how technical words or jargons in various fields can create
difficulty in comprehension.
Achieving Appropriate Level of Diction
The tone of the language is necessary in communicating in the workplace. Nowadays,
most instant messages (IM), email messages, business correspondence, and reports conversation
are more effective when they convey an informal or conversational tone instead of a formal,
imposing tone. The use of IM in the workplace has been accepted by many companies as a
serious workplace tool. IM and email have been constantly used which developed major
Purposive Communication Page 13 of 17
problems in professional’s level of diction. Sloppy, unprofessional expressions (e.g., totally
awesome, you know, kind of, I know right?) as well as needless abbreviations (e.g., FYI for your
information, and BTW for by the way) make a professional sound like a teenager. They enable
coworkers to have informal conversations. Professional messages do not include IM
abbreviations, sentence fragments, slang emoticons, extra punctuations, and chitchat. Workplace
messages should not be so casual that they sound low-level and unprofessional. Your goal is to
write using a warm, friendly tone that sounds conversational but professional. Study the
following examples. Some of them were taken from Guffey (2008).
Levels of Diction
Unprofessional (Low-level Conversational (Mid-Level Formal (High-Level Diction)
Diction) Diction)
badmouth criticize denigrate
guts nerve courage
Pecking order Line of command Dominance hierarchy
Rat on inform betray
360-degree thinking Think creatively Explore ideas effectively and
critically
Rip off steal expropriate
Sentence Examples:
I’d like to air some things.
I have some things I’d like to We must discuss action
talk about. points.
Politics wasn’t even on my I didn’t think of politics at A career in politics was not
radar way back. that point. considered before.
Some writers are to casual, others are overly formal; hence, they impress their readers by using
jargons, hifalutin words, long sentences, and third-person constructions. Avoid expressions that
are unprofessional and overly formal. Improve your sentences by using a conversational but
professional tone. Study the following examples to see how to achieve this tone of language.
UNPROFESSIONAL IMPROVED
Hey, friendship, the figures in your report are It seems that you report does not provide
100 questionable. Send orig stats. accurate data. Please, provide source
statistics.
Lodi, got some chikas about your Congratulations for a very successful
presentation. Congrats!!! presentation. Mr. Rubio informed me about it.
FYI, free miscellaneous, now approved. It is my pleasure to inform you that free
Inform students ASAP. miscellaneous has been approved. Please,
disseminate the information to our students.
OVERLY FORMAL CONVERSATIONAL
All nurses on duty are herewith instructed to Please check the patient’s medical clearance.
Purposive Communication Page 14 of 17
pay strict attention to the medical clearance of
patients who have significant medical
conditions.
Pertaining to your project contract, the client The client is requesting you to improve the
discovered some vague statements that language of your contract.
require reconstructions of its sentence.
Using Correct Diction
In order to understand your message in writing, it is necessary to use the appropriate
or exact word. This is known as precise diction, in contrast to imprecise or inexact diction. One
possible source of inexact diction is similarity of pronunciation and spelling of words or
expressions like maybe vs. may be, awhile vs. a while, adapt vs. adopt. This problem can be
addressed by understanding the usage of a word, especially if there is another word which sound
or is spelled like it. Additionally, your choice of word may be colloquial or formal, standard or
non-standard. Colloquial words are those that are only permissible in spoken language. Formal
words are used in formal or scholarly writing although it is no less considered Standard English,
which is accepted as the correct form of English and is used in formal speaking or writing. Non-
Standard English on the other hand, is a form of English that does not conform to correctness or
rules of the English language. It should not be used in writing because it reflects illiteracy or
uneducated form of writing. Meanwhile, the use of formal and Standard English also reflects a
particular register or style of speaking and writing.
Troublesome Words and Expressions
Accept, except. accept is a verb meaning “to approve” or “to receive”; except is usually a
preposition meaning “not including.”
Examples:
The gifted child accepted a donation from a generous parent.
All faculty members were promoted except the new ones.
Adapt, adopt. Adapt means “to accommodate” or “to adjust to conditions”; adopt means
“to use as one’s own.”
Examples:
The class had a hard time adapting to the substitute teacher.
The childless couple adopted a beautiful baby girl.
Advice, advise. Advice is a noun meaning “helpful suggestion”; advise is a verb meaning
“to give advice”
Purposive Communication Page 15 of 17
Examples:
The girl sought advice from the priest.
The chairperson advised the teacher against taking a leave of absence.
All ready, already. All ready means “everyone is ready”; already means “previously’ or
“by this time.”
Examples:
The researchers are all ready for the evaluation next week.
Gordon has already settled his account.
Each other, one another. Each other refers to two persons. One another refers to more
than two persons.
Examples:
Husband and wife should bring out the best in each other.
The members of the group helped one another to get a high grade.
Farther, further. Farther means “to a more distant place.”. Further means “to greater
extent” or “in addition.”
Examples:
The bus cannot go any farther than Isabela.
Implications on pedagogy and research will be discussed further by the next presenter.
If, whether. Use whether when there is an alternative or choice. Do not use or not after
whether.
Examples:
My dean asked me whether I took a service leave or availed myself of a sabbatical.
The president wanted to know if you finished your Ph.D.
Fewer, less. Fewer refers to a number of things, while less refers to an amount.
Examples:
There were fewer participants than we had expected.
There is less water in the glass.
Affect, effect. Affect is a verb meaning “to influence”; effect is usually a noun meaning
“a result or consequences.”
Examples:
Purposive Communication Page 16 of 17
His family problems have affected his work performance.
The serious effects of environmental degradation are unimaginable.
PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
ACTIVITY #4
Name: __________________________________________________Score:_________________
Course, Year&Section: _____________________________________Date: _________________
I. Study the following memo. How can you apply what you learned in this lesson in
improving this memo? Revise it by using appropriate language and register and
diction as well as remove any gender-biased references.
To: All Freshmen of English Language Studies Department
From: Prof. Miguel A. Ramos, Organizer Committee Chairman
Date: September 15, 2018
Subject: Freshman Excursion
An excursion is heading to Stone 8 at Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija for clear and natural water,
mild sunshine, and fresh air you have dreamed of in the downtown! The exciting trip is
organized on Saturday, September 15 by your instructors and freshmen alike.
Here are the details:
The loaned bus will depart from the main gate of our university at 8 a.m., arrive at around
10 a.m., and return around 2:00 p.m. Lunch is on your own. Prepared bread, hamburgers,
hot dogs, cookies, cake, snacks and bottled water in advance. The temperature of
Saturday will vary from 20 °C-27 °C. You should wear t-shirt and a pair of knee-length
shorts. A thin coat can be added and removed as temperature changes greatly between the
early morning and the midday. Don’t forget to wear a pair of comfortable slippers. The
most important is to take your swimwear.
Purposive Communication Page 17 of 17
If you like to join us, pls. tell Prof. Miguel at the faculty room at Smith Hall. Your class
Pres. will come to meet you at the ground flr., in front of the admin. bldg. at 7:50 a.m.,
Saturday, September 15.
Write your improved memo here:
