Stylistics and Discourse Analysis Philippine Regional Dialects:

Midterm • Tagalog: Kamusta ka? (How are you?)

• Cebuano: Kumusta ka? (How are you?)
Sociolinguistic
➢ is the study of language in relation to society. It studies 2. Temporal Dialects
how social factors influence the structure and use of ➢ Varieties of a language used at particular stages in its
language. historical development.
➢ It is about how people use language in different ➢ These refer to changes in a language over time,
social situations. It looks at how language changes including archaic and modern usage.
depending on who we are talking to, where we are, and
what is happening around us. Example: Old English vs. Modern English
• Old English: Behold! We of the Spear-Danes in
Language Variety days of yore...
➢ Refers to the various forms of language triggered by • Modern English: Listen! We have heard of the glory
social factors. of the Spear-Danes in past times.
➢ It means that people speak differently depending on
their culture, age, location, or situation. Example: Shakespearean English vs. Contemporary
English
For example, people may use formal words in school • Shakespearean: Thou art more lovely and more
but speak casually with friends. Some regions also temperate.
have different accents or special words that others • Modern: You are more lovely and mild.
might not use.

➢ Language may change from region to region, from one ➢ Varieties of a language used by people belonging to
social class to another, from individual to individual, particular social classes.
and from situation to situation. This actual change ➢ These are language varieties associated with a specific
results in the varieties of language. social class or group.
➢ It means that language changes depending on where
people live, their social background, who they are as Example: Formal vs. Informal Speech in English
individuals, and the situation they are in. • Upper Class: We shall be delighted to have you
join us for dinner.
For example, people from different places may have
• Working Class: Come over for dinner, yeah?
different accents or words for the same thing. A doctor
might use more formal words than a street vendor. We
Jargon in Professions
also speak differently with our friends than with our
• Medical: The patient is experiencing myocardial
teachers. These differences create different ways of
infarction.
using language, called language varieties.
• Layman: He’s having a heart attack.
Language Varieties Cover:
4. Idiolects
➢ Dialect
➢ Varieties of a language used by individual speakers,
➢ Register
with peculiarities of pronunciation, grammar, and
vocabulary.
Dialects
➢ These are unique to an individual’s speech habits,
➢ A variety of a language used recognizably in a specific
influenced by background, education, and personal
region or by a specific social class is called a dialect.
style.
➢ The study of dialect is called dialectology.
➢ Dialect vs. Accent: Differences in language,
Example:
pronunciation, and vocabulary.
• Frequent use of phrases like “You know what I
mean?” or “Basically...”
1. Regional / Geographical Dialects
➢ Varieties of a language spoken in a geographical area. • Unique pronunciation of words (tomato, schedule)
➢ These dialects are developed due to geographical • Recognizable writing styles (e.g., Ernest
separation leading to distinct pronunciation, Hemingway’s short, direct sentences)
vocabulary, and grammar.
Speech Community
Example: British vs. American English ➢ A group of people who speak the same language or
• UK: lorry, flat, petrol dialect. It can be large (like a whole country) or small
• US: truck, apartment, gasoline (like a family or a group of friends).
Example:
 • The people in the Philippines form a speech o Example: A British person says schedule
community as they share common languages like as "shed-yool," while an American says
Filipino and English. "sked-yool."
• A group of teenagers using their own slang words
can also be a small speech community. Variety Due to Use (Register & Diatype)
• Register: It refers to how language changes
Sociolects depending on the situation or purpose.
➢ Related to the formality of speech, categorized as o Example (Formal vs. Informal Speech):
high and low sociolects. ▪ Formal: "Good morning, sir. May I
➢ These are the ways people speak depending on their ask you a question?"
social class or situation. ▪ Informal: "Hey, what’s up?"

• High Sociolect (Formal Speech) – Used in • Diatype: Spoken vs. Written Language
professional settings, official events, or when o Text Message (Casual): "See u 2mrw!"
speaking to respected people. o Business E-mail (Formal): "I look forward
o Example: Good afternoon, sir. May I kindly to meeting you tomorrow."
request your assistance?
Registers and Style Levels
• Low Sociolect (Informal Speech) – Used with Register
friends, family, or in casual conversations. ➢ A register is a style level in language, varying by
o Example: Hey, can you help me out? situation, we automatically locate ourselves on a
specific stylistic level. This can vary depending on the
Registers situation in which we find ourselves.
➢ are varieties of language used in different situations, ➢ are usually characterized almost entirely by vocabulary
identified by degrees of formality. differences, either by using particular words or by using
➢ The intentional mixture of different registers arouses words in a particular sense.
conversational implicatures. When we mix formal ➢ There are different ways of speaking or writing
and informal language on purpose, it can create hidden depending on the situation.
meanings in a conversation. ➢ The main difference is the words we choose. For
example, in a formal setting, we say,
• Example: A student speaking formally to a close • “Good morning,” but with friends, we might say
friend might sound funny or sarcastic, creating “Hey!” or “What’s up?”
hidden meanings. (Sometimes, the same word can have a
• This mix of language styles can make people think different meaning depending on the register.)
deeper about what is really being said.
➢ Registers are an example of particular kind of language
➢ Registers can vary in vocabulary, phonology, being produced by a particular kind of social context.
grammar, and semantics. o Example: "Charge" in conversation = ask
• Subsets of language are defined by purpose and for money; in legal terms = accuse of a
setting. crime.
• Language changes depending on who is using it
and how it is used in different situations. ➢ One of the aims of education is to introduce student to
• The term was first used by Reid (1956) but the registers (or terminologies) of particular subjects.
popularized by Halliday (1964) to distinguish (terminologies of subjects).
between:
➢ Registers are an example of particular kind of language
o Variety due to user (accent, dialect) being produced by a particular kind of social context.
o Variety due to use (register, diatype)
➢ Many other factors connected with the social context
Variety Due to User (Accent, Dialect) in which language is being used will also have a
• Dialect: How people speak differently based on linguistic effect. One of the most important of these is
their region. formality.
o Example: In the Philippines:
▪ Tagalog: "Salamat po" (Thank Formality
you, formal) ➢ Not easy to define.
▪ Cebuano: "Salamat kaayo" ➢ This is because formality subsumes due to many
(Thank you very much) factors (situation, social formality, kinship-
relationship, politeness, seriousness, etc.).
• Accent: How they pronounce words.
➢ Nevertheless, most people have a good idea of the • Specialized meanings in technical fields (maybe
relative formality and informality of particular linguistic narrower or broader that the word's meaning in
variants in their own language. another field)
• Example of Formal vs. Informal Sentence: The • Preferred interpretations of ambiguous words.
first sentence is relatively formal and the second • Words that are not used outside the field
sentence is relatively informal. ➢ Can also determine syntax
o Formal: "Father was somewhat fatigued • Certain grammatical constructions may be
after his lengthy journey." favoured, or disfavoured Some constructions may
o Informal: "Dad was pretty tired after his deviate from the “norm”
long trip." • Less likely to have an impact on other levels
➢ These two sentences mean the same thing, but they
differ in terms of their formality. The first sentence is Tenor (Participants & Relationship)
relatively formal and the second sentence is relatively ➢ Relates to the participants and their relationship
informal. • Speaker/ Writer: Intended Audience
• In Spoken Language: Speaker, Hearer's
➢ Varieties of language which differ from one another in • In Written Language: Author, Intended redership.
this way are called styles.
Tenor relates to…
Styles
• Formality:
➢ Can be ranged continuum ranging from very formal to
o Approriateness of more or less formal
very informal.
phonology, lexis, syntax
➢ Styles of this type in English (and in many other
• Intimacy:
languages) are for the most part characterized by
o Use of private and shared meanings.
vocabulary differences, but also by syntactic and
o (Including intonation, syntax, pragmatic and
phonetic differences.
paralinguistic elements.)
➢ Vocabulary which is at the extremely informal end of
• Impression:
the continuum is known as slang.
o Speaker's/Writer's intention to portray
Slang
themselves in a certain way; speaker can
➢ is a type of very informal language that people use with
control what they say/write.
friends or in casual situations. These words and
o Less control over how audience interpret this
phrases are not usually used in formal writing or
speaking. • Non-linguistic elements relate particularly relate
to tenor:
• Vocabulary differences (formal words vs. slang).
o Dress code, stance, gestures.
o Slang: Extremely informal language used
• Vocabulary:
in casual situation that can change over
o Choice of synonyms according to level of
time and may not by understood by
everyone. formality.
o Example: "Very good" → "Awesome" or o Private slang, "local" cliches, colloquialisms
"Cool". • Syntax/ Orthography:
o Use of contractions, ellipses
Register Theory (Halliday) o Certain constructions may be more or less
Register is determined by three factors: formal.
1. Field of discourse – What is being discussed. • Phonology:
2. Tenor of discourse – Relationship between o Accent
participants. • Pragmatics:
3. Mode of discourse – Oral or written. o Precision more or less tolerated
o Use of Pronouns and Reference
Field, Tenor, Mode influence: • Paralinguistic features
• Vocabulary o Intonation
• Syntax o Pitch and Volume
• Phonology
• Morphology Mode (Channel of Communication)
➢ Broadly written vs. spoken, but...
• Pragmatics
➢ Written to be aloud or not
• Paralinguistic features(e.g., gestures, tone)
➢ Written as if it were spoken
• Transcripts of genuine dialogues
Field (Subject Matter)
• Dialogue in plays
➢ Idea of what you are talking about
determines vocabulary and syntax. • Spoken from written: Speeches, Announcements
 • Spoken spontaneously • First used by Michael Gregory to describe
• Lexis and Grammar language variation based on purpose.
o There are things that you say but you
wouldn’t write down and vice versa. Two categories:
• Phonology 1. Dialect – Variation based on user.
o Euphony, alliteration are aspects of mode. 2. Diatype – Variation based on use.
o Written representation of dialect.
➢ The term diatypes has been defined as varieties of
Some other terms language within a community which are specified
o Several concepts found which cut across according to use.
Halliday’s definition of register: ➢ Depending on the nature of the community, a diatype
➢ Text type could be a register or variety of the same language or a
➢ Genre different language altogether. The only requirement is
➢ Style that the diatypes are different but constitute parts of
the same verbal repertoire.
Five Language Registers ➢ The use of any given diatype of such verbal repertoire is
1. Static Register usually determined. The form of verbal code in use
➢ Fixed and rarely changes. depends on the person/s to whom the individual is
➢ It is “frozen” in time and content. (e.g., speaking, their roles and status relative to each other,
Pledge of Allegiance). the place in which the encounter occurs and the verbal
function (reason) for the encounter
2. Formal Register
➢ Used in formal settings, one-way in • Influenced by:
nature. o Speaker, role, status, setting, and
➢ Follows a commonly accepted format. purpose.
➢ It is usually impersonal and fomal.
➢ A common format for this register are Comparative Analysis
speeches. (e.g., sermons).

3. Consultative Register
➢ Standard communication, formal with
social expectations.
➢ Users engage in a mutually accepted
structure of communications.
➢ A professional discourse. (e.g., when
strangers meet).

4. Casual Register
➢ Informal, slang, vulgarities and
colloquialisms.
➢ A group language.
➢ One must be member to engage in this
register. (e.g., talking with friends). Diatype vs. Dialect
➢ Diatype (Defined by Use): Language variation based on
5. Intimate Register situation, purpose, or context.
➢ Private, reserved for close • Example: The formal language used in a business
relationships/family members or meeting versus the casual language used with
intimate people. (e.g., husband & wife). friends.

Other Info… ➢ Dialect (Defined by User): Language variation based on

o The term register is often used in place of the speaker’s background, like region or social group.
diatype. • Example: The British English dialect versus the
American English dialect.
Diatype
➢ is a term first used by the linguist Michael Gregory to Intra-Speaker vs. Inter-Speaker Variation
describe a type of language variation which is ➢ Intra-Speaker Variation: One person changes
determined by its social purpose. language depending on context.
 oExample: A teacher using formal speech in
class but slang with friends.
➢ Inter-Speaker Variation: Differences in language
between speakers.
o Example: "Y’all" (Texas) vs. "You guys" (New
York).

Discourse Community vs. Speech Community

• Discourse Community: A group of people who share
common language practices and goals related to a
specific field.
o Example: Scientists using technical terms.
• Speech Community: A group of people who shares a
common dialect.
o Example: A neighborhood with the same
accent.

Wrap Up

Field, Tenor, Mode vs. Geographic, Social, Temporal

➢ Field, Tenor, Mode: Categories of register variation.
o Field: What is discussed. Topic or subject.
(e.g., medical, legal, casual).
o Tenor: Speaker’s relationship (e.g., formal with
a boss vs. informal in a friend).
o Mode: Channel of communication (e.g.,
spoken, written).

• Geographic, Social, Temporal: Categories of dialect

variation.
o Geographic: Differences based on location
(e.g., British vs. American English).
o Social: Based on class/group (e.g., upper-
class vs. working-class speech).
o Temporal: Differences based on time period
(e.g., Shakespearean English vs. Modern
English).