18 UNIT 02 | It’s all relative How did that register? Five levels of formality in language We’ve all experienced the occasional verbal slip-up, whether it’s because we’re nervous or the words just don’t come out right. In casual speech between friends, such mishaps are usually laughed off and forgotten as quickly as they happened. In business meetings and professional speeches, however, they’re a little harder to overlook. A major source of faux pas encountered in interpretation work is the tricky element of language known as ‘register’. It’s the difference between walking up to a colleague and saying “What’s up?” instead of “How are you doing?” Spoken language naturally shifts in formality based on the situation and the relationships between the people involved. Register is the form that language takes in different circumstances and contexts, and ‘code switching’ is the ability to go from one register to another according to context. Mastering register is a key social skill that allows for flexibility in communication and demonstrates both linguistic competence and awareness of social norms. However, even for experienced interpreters, register can be challenging to navigate as it relies not only on language but also on social customs, cultural expectations and even on personal preferences. There are two basic forms of register: informal and formal. As a relationship progresses between individuals, the register they use will usually evolve to be more informal. Contexts where you might use the informal register are with friends, family and meeting people in casual places such as a bar. The formal register is reserved for professional environments, including classrooms, workplaces and interviews. However, place alone does not determine register. Factors like how long the people have known each other, their previous relationship, if any, and the purpose of the conversation also influence the level of formality. For example, speaking with parents or teachers generally requires a less formal tone than a company networking event, but it is still more formal than conversations with peers. Linguists have actually determined that there are five different levels of formality in most languages: Register Definition Examples 1 Frozen Language that never changes wedding vows, the wording of a law 2 Formal Standard English speeches, language spoken in court 3 Consultative Less formal standard English student to teacher, employee to employer 4 Casual Language between friends conversation in a café, chatting on the way to school 5 Intimate Language between romantic partners or close family and friends pet names, inside jokes Read the article on the different registers of a language and decide whether the statements on the next page (1–9) are true or false. READING 10 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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