PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

VARIETIES OF ENGLISH

American English (AmE)

• It is a variant of the English language which is spoken mainly in the United States.
About two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in America and speak
this variant.

British English (BrE)

• It is a variant of the English language which is spoken in the United Kingdom.

• Along with American English, British English is one of the main variants taught in
English as a second language or English as foreign language programs.

Australian English (AuE)

• It is another variant of the English language which is spoken in Australia.

• Australian English began to diverge from British English shortly after Australia was
settled in the late 18th century. This variety is similar to New Zealand English and
bears resemblance to dialects of South East England. Its spelling corresponds to
British English spelling.

New Zealand English (NZE)

• It is the variant of the English language spoken as the first language by most
people in New Zealand.

• New Zealand English is most similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with

some differences.

Black English (African American Vernacular English)

• It is a broad term used to refer to American English and British English as spoken
by the black communities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

• It is also used to refer to black communities in the Caribbean and Africa. There are
different varieties of this variant, but its two major sub-varieties are African American
Vernacular and British Black English.
Singapore English (SingEng or Singlish)

• Singapore English is a language variant which is considered the most popular

medium of communication in the academe. There are two main forms of this variant:
Singapore English and Singapore Colloquial English.

Philippine English

• It is another variety of the English language related to American English in terms of

spelling and grammar. Besides the Filipino language, the English language is native
to the Philippines and is considered an official language.

• Non-native pronunciations abound in the spoken language, and grammatical flaws

are oftentimes inevitable. Hence, code-switching is prevalent in formal and more
likely in informal situations.
FORMS OF LANGUAGE REGISTER
1. FORMAL REGISTER - is appropriate in professional and business writing.

2. INFORMAL REGISTER - is the way we talk to our friends and family.

3. NEUTRAL REGISTER - not specifically formal or informal, positive or negative. It

is used with non-emotional topics and information.

BIAS-FREE LANGUAGE
• Sometimes the language we use reflects our stereotypes. While in speech our
facial expressions or even gestures may convince our listeners that we are not being
offensive, in writing it is a lot harder to do.

• To avoid confusion and needless anger on the part of the reader, use language that
is clear, objective, and stereotype-free. Avoid generalizing when talking about
gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, or people with disabilities.

AVOID GENDER BIAS

• Avoid using masculine pronouns when the gender of the person is not known.
When a word has the suffix -man or -woman, check to see if it reflects the gender of
the person described. Use more neutral alternatives when gender is not important to
the idea you are getting across.

• For example, use chairperson or chair instead of chairman, fire fighter instead of
fireman, or salesperson instead of salesman.
AVOID RACIAL AND ETHNIC BIAS
Racial or ethnic information should only be indicated if the context demands it. Take
note of the following:

✓ Both black and African American are generally acceptable (although some
members of this community prefer one or the other). The phrase people of color is
sometimes used to include other racial groups, particularly for political purposes. The
labels Negro and colored are generally not acceptable.

✓ Depending to some extent on regional preference, people with roots in Latin

America refer to themselves as Hispanic, Latino/Latina, or Chicano/Chicana, or by
place of origin (Cuban American, Puerto Rican). Except for specific audiences or
individuals, Latino is generally acceptable.

✓ The preference is for Asian or Asian American rather than Oriental. Again,
specific groups may prefer labels based on country of origin (Japanese American,
Korean).

✓ Native American have gained favor over Indians. Depending on context, you
might more accurately refer to a specific tribe or tribes.

AVOID AGE BIAS

• Age should only be specified if it is relevant. Avoid expressions that are demeaning
or subjective.
AVOID DISABILITY BIAS
• Do not refer to an individual’s disability unless relevant. When necessary, use terms
that do not offend disabled individuals.

• Avoid phrases like "confined to a wheelchair" and "victim" (of a disease), so as not
to focus on differences and disability. Instead, write or say, "someone who uses a
wheelchair" and "a person with (a disease)."

EVALUATING MESSAGES AND IMAGES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXTS

TEXTS – provide the means for communicating and form an important part of study
in any given course.

MULTIMODAL TEXTS - When a text combines two or more semiotic systems

(linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, spatial), it is considered multimodal. Semiotic is the
study of meaning-making. It explores signs and symbols as important components of
communication.

Forms of multimodal texts:

1. Paper. This form is print based, such as, books, comics, posters, magazines.

2. Digital. It is computer-based like slide presentations, emails, ebooks, blogs, e-

posters, web pages, social media, animations, films, movies, video games.

3. Live. It is a form of actual performance or an event.

Two or more of the following semiotic systems are included in a multimodal

text.
1. Linguistic system. It refers to the linguistic components like vocabulary,
structure, and grammar of a text.
2. Visual system. It pertains to the color, vectors and viewpoint in still and moving
images.

3. Audio system. This mode refers to the volume, pitch, and rhythm of music and
sound effects of a presentation.

6. Gestural system. It denotes the movement, facial expression, and body language
of the characters.

7. Spatial system. It indicates proximity, direction, position of layout, and

organization of objects in space.

COMMUNICATION AND STRATEGIES USING TOOLS OF TECHNOLOGY

MAJOR TYPES OF COMMUNICATION AIDS

Public presentations suggest the appropriate selection of communication aids. Your

strategy to present your speech or lecture will absolutely affect your audience and
speech context.

Presented below are the major types of communication aids that can be used for
presentations: computer-based media, audiovisual media, low-tech media.

1. Computer-based Media

2. Audiovisual Media

Advantages of Audiovisual Media

a. Clarity

b. Speed

c. Retention

d. Media

3. Low-Tech Media

Examples of Low-tech Media

a. Chalk or Dry-Erase Board

b. Flipchart

c. Foam Board or Poster Board

 d. Handouts

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION AIDS

Rehearsing your speech prior to its delivery has been the norm and is suggested by
many experts in the field. Even without technology assistance, you can stand out as
an effective speaker if you deliver your speech enough to stand on its own. However,
it is also important to recognize that a good speech can often be made even better
by the strategic use of communication aids.

Following are the functions of communication aids:

1. To clarify or emphasize a point.

2. To enhance retention and recall of your message.

3. To clarify or emphasize a point.

4. To enhance retention and recall of your message.

5. To add variety and interest to your speech.

6. To enhance your credibility as a speaker.

ANALYZING YOUR AUDIENCE

You must analyze your audience before you even open your mouth. This is important
because without an understanding of your audience, you will not be able to address
them properly.

Lucas (1989) identifies two methods of analysis for audience:

(1) demographic audience analysis

(2) situational audience analysis

GATHERING THE MATERIALS FOR YOUR SPEECH

Now that you know a lot about your audience, you can proceed to gathering the
materials for your speech. There are three ways you can do this:

(1) by reflecting on your own knowledge and experiences;

(2) by interviewing other people;

(3) by doing library and computer-aided research.

PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR SPEECH

In writing an essay, you need to follow the structure that has been handed down as
the convention of the genre. The structure contains three basic parts: the
introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Your speech will basically follow this
structure.

Main Points
To organize your speech, you need to have your main points, which, according to
Lucas, is “the central features of your speech.”

EMAIL MESSAGES AND MEMOS

Stages of Writing an Email Message or Memo

How do we write email messages and memos? There are three stages
(Guffey, 2008):

1. Analysis, anticipation, and adaptation

2. Research, organization, and composition

3. Revision, proofreading, and evaluation

Parts of the Email Message or Memo

An email message or memo has the following parts:

1. Sender Line. This is where the name and email address of the sender is
written.

2. Receiver Line. This is where the name and email address of the recipient
of your message or memo is written.

3. Date Line. This is where the date: day, month, year, and time, is written.

4. Subject Line. This is where the subject of your email message or memo is
written. The subject should not be a one-word heading and should contain a
verb. For example, the subject Juan dela Cruz or Appointment is unclear, but
the subject Juan dela Cruz is appointed IT manager is clear.

5. Opening. For non-sensitive information you can be direct. For example:

Please prepare for a visit by the schools division superintendents of Central
Luzon who will evaluate our compliance with the “No Student Left Behind”
program of the Department of Education.

6. Body. This is where the author of the email message or memo writes the
reasons for writing and explains the message thoroughly.

7. Closing. This part, according to Guffey (2008) generally ends with (a)
action information, dates or deadlines; (b) a summary of the message; or (c) a
closing thought.

COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES

An interview is a two-party conversation that always has a specific purpose. One
participant in the interview always has a serious reason for being there. Most
interviews contain a question-and-answer format.

There are many kinds of interviews (Adler & Elmhorst, 2008):

1. Selection interviews help organizations and prospective employees screen
applicants before the hiring process.

2. Performance appraisal interviews review employees’ job performance and help

set targets for the future.

3. Disciplinary interviews help organizations decide on issues relating to

employees’ misconduct or poor performance.

4. Diagnostic interviews inform health practitioners, counselors and attorneys

about the needs of their clientele.

5. Research interviews gather data for future decisions.

COMMUNICATION FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

Genres are categories of texts which follow specific

(1) rules which simply mean the things that can and cannot be done and

(2) convention which refers to the traditional or expected

ways of doing things.

Academic genres are those genres of written and oral communication privileged in
places of higher learning like genres are those genres of written and oral
professional and comprehensive universities.

GENRES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

1. ABSTRACT

2. BOOK REVIEW

3. LABORATORY REPORT

4. RESEARCH ARTICLE

5. CONFERENCE PRESENTATION
RESEARCH PAPER STRUCTURE
A typical research paper is divided into eight sections:

1.Title

2. Abstract

3. Introduction

4. Materials and Methods

5. Results and Discussion

6. Conclusion

7. Acknowledgement

8. References