Language and Dialect Brought to you by Nottingham

Language and Dialect Brought to you by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature & Dawn of the Unread _________ www. dawnoftheunread. com

Register of Language ‘Ey up me duck! “A variety of a language or a level of usage” (Oxford Dictionaries) This is about the words you choose and how they are written or pronounced. When choosing your register of language, think about: Ø How formal you want it to be Ø Who you are communicating with The right register of language can help to give a good impression and get your message across clearly. www. dawnoftheunread. com

Standard English Hello my dear! “The form of the English language widely accepted as the usual correct form. ” (Oxford Dictionaries) Ø Can be used in a formal or informal setting. Ø Doesn’t include words that are regional, local or used only by certain people. Ø Examples of Standard English: Isn’t it | Anything | Take www. dawnoftheunread. com

Dialect ‘Ey up! “A particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group. ” (Oxford Dictionaries) Ø Less formal than Standard English. Ø Does include words that are regional, local or used only by certain people. Ø Examples of Dialect: Innit | ‘Owt | Tek www. dawnoftheunread. com

Slang Mint! “A type of language consisting of words and phrases that are… Ø regarded as very informal Ø more common in speech than writing Ø typically restricted to a particular context or group of people. ” (Oxford Dictionaries) Unlike dialect words, slang words often change over time or go out of fashion. Examples of slang: ‘Ace’ = Brilliant | ‘Quid’ = Pound | ‘Doss’ = Laze around www. dawnoftheunread. com

Accent Boooks! “A distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a particular country, area, or social class. ” (Oxford Dictionaries) Ø Accent is about the way people speak. Ø Try saying this Standard English phrase out loud: “I want to read a book” Now try saying it with a different accent, e. g. Nottingham American Australian www. dawnoftheunread. com

Gerron wi’ it! Ta-ra duck! Ø Read stories from Nottingham in Dawn of the Unread www. dawnoftheunread. com Ø Think about the language and dialect used by the characters Ø Write your own story, article or other piece, and pay attention to the register of language you use www. dawnoftheunread. com