Language and Context I speak Spanish to God

Language and Context I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse. (Charles V)

Factors Effecting Language Use • Language varies not only according to the social characteristics of the speaker but also according to the social context in which he finds himself. • Same speaker may use different linguistic varieties in different situations and for different purposes.

Context • Setting • Participants • Topic • Goals

Verbal Repertoire ( Complete language varieties used by a particular community of speakers) Registers (linguistic varieties linked to occupations, professions or topics) Styles ( Linguistic varieties linked to the formality of the situation)

Registers • Registers are a particular kind of language being produced by the social situation. • Characterized solely by vocabulary differences: 1. Use of particular words (Jargons) 2. Use of words in a particular sense

Example British bus company employees: deckers Laymen: double-deckers Laymen: Footballer: Cricketer: Park Field Pitch

Styles • Language that varies on the level of formality of a situation is termed as style – E. g. Academic Lectures – Formal – Discussion over Family Breakfast-Informal • Difficult to decide on a formality level.

What is more formal? ? ? • I require your attendance to be more punctual. • I want you to come on time. • Father was somewhat fatigued after his lengthy journey. • Dad was pretty tired after his long trip.

• Styles and registers are in principle independent. • E. g Football discussion – Formal ( newspaper report) – Informal ( discussion in bar)

Language varies according to • Whether it is written or spoken. French- il donne – (He gave) in writing il a donne- ( He gave) in speech

A factory worker was electrocuted in the Manga Mandi area on Tuesday. Police Fiaz Ali, a resident of Dalpur, touched a generator and he received a severe electricity shock. He was taken to Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

This is exactly what all the Karachiites needed! An outlet which is up to international standards has opened up in Pakistan for all the perfume lovers. Just now, COS has properly launched its very first retail chain of a luxurious outlet known as “Sensation” at ‘Park Towers’, Karachi.

Language varies according to • Kind of subject matter under discussion. – International economics – Formal – Discussion on roller skating-Informal – Story of a Movie – News report of an incident

Language varies according to • Role, relationships and relative statuses of the participants. • Different forms of address that are produced by different degrees of status difference or intimacy. – Sir-Mr. Bush- George- Goey-mate – American: Sir – British : Mr. ……

Familiar Polite Urdu tum aap Punjabi tun tussi French tu vous Italian tu lei Norwegian du de Greek esis Russian ty vy

• Familiar (T) • Polite (V) 1. Difference of Power – Less to More- (V) – More to Less- (T) • Same level-? ? ? • Degree of Similarity, intimacy, solidarity important.

A foreman who unknowingly crushed his father in between a lorry cab and a trailer at their workplace told a court it was a "freak accident". Jon Hartwell said he was traumatized by the incident which put his dad, Alan Hartwell, in intensive care. He described slowly reversing the cab, at one or two mph, into the workshop, to hook up a trailer his mechanic father had repaired. He was given the "thumbs up" that the trailer was ready to be towed away by another colleague, Garry Attride – and neither of them saw Mr Hartwell Snr standing by the front of the trailer with his back to them. Mr Hartwell Snr suffered a punctured lung, fractured ribs and a broken collarbone – and still suffers from breathing difficulties nearly two years on

• • • Traumatized Suffered Crushed Broken Fractured

• Narrate a very dangerous incident that you encountered. OR any accident that you witnessed.

Pronunciation varies too relating to context • Informal, casual speech, through formal speech and reading- passage style, to the most formal word-list style.

Finally • A community’s verbal repertoire may encompass: – Different styles of the same dialect – Different dialects of the same language – Two relatively standardized varieties