Language Types Why should we care We should

Language Types Why should we care? ? ?

We should care because. . . • Testing bias. If we don’t know the structure of the text, or the vocabulary, we might get the wrong answer.

We should care because. . . • How we write determines our audience— and if we get our audience wrong, it can be offensive, confusing or just plain wrong.

We should care because. . . • The professional world cares. And more than likely, they will provide jobs and incomes for us. • The consumer world cares. And if we own our own company or business, they will make decisions whether or not to support us based on how we communicate with them.

Formal vs. Informal (& Colloquial) • Formal: academic language that uses correct grammar and is universally understood • Informal: Everyday spoken language that does not always use correct grammar • Colloquial: A regional dialect that is only spoken and understood by a group of people; includes slang

Objective vs. Subjective • Objective: Dealing with facts without letting one’s opinions interfere with them. • Subjective: Influenced by a person’s emotions, prejudices, and opinions

Factual vs. Emotional • Factual: Only describing what was observed through the sense or through research. • Emotional: Interpreting what was observed based on emotions, prejudices, and opinions

Literal vs. Figurative (& Symbolic) • Literal: Using language that means what it says • Figurative: Using figures of speech and literary devices to create an image in the reader’s mind • Symbolic: Using symbols in order to relate ideas and create images

Concrete vs. Abstract • Concrete: refers to specific people, places or objects • Abstract: expresses ideas or emotions without specifics