PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

MODULE 3
TOPIC 3: VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

According to an article written by Gleaner, we have six language registers:

formal, casual, intimate, private, frozen and consultative. These registers can be use
depending on the situation and people we encounter. It is essential to use appropriate
varieties and registers of language in certain communication context because in
different situations and people call for different registers. It shows the level of formality
and informality of the language used. When we use appropriate varieties and register of
language we‘re showing respect, interest, comfortableness and professionalism.

However, we have different approach in language register when it comes to face-to-face

conversation and in written mode. We characterized face-to-face conversation as multi-
modality because we can use different registers and we considered the status, position
or the way of living of the person we‘re communicating with in order to know when and
where to use or drop the formality. While in writing a paper we commonly use the
formal register since the construction of sentences, correction of grammar and
appropriate using of words really matter.

CHARACTERISTICS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE

 Permanence - means when students write something they already set in their
mind to be done in one session. They don‘t think that they can edit or revised their
written to be better because students think their written is subject to permanence.
In this case teacher perhaps notice all of students that they just write everything
that comes in their written.
 Production time - this part plays a crucial issue for the agents. In this part,
students will think about the deadline. The possible case in here is the students will
just only focus on the deadline and would resort to not give importance on the
content itself. As the result, their written work will not be maximized and or to be
improved. Moreover this is a job for the teachers to push students to think about
the process of learning rather than the result itself.
 Distance - having a relationship with the audience anticipation. Before students
start to write, they have to know who will be the audience to read their output.
 Orthography - this part is talk about the technical of appearance. After writer
consider about the word, phrase and sentence that they will use students also
consider about the front, size and also the picture. All appearance has to connect
with the topic and target of the reader.
 Complexity - this is talk about the sentence whether students use simple sentence
combine or complex sentence. We as a teacher will know the students‘ progress of
learning. And for the academic writing, students should provide reference.
 Vocabulary - talk about word richness we (teacher) can see what a new vocabulary
that they already acquired.
 Formality - this is complex convention for academic writing (describe, explain,
compare, criticize, argue, etc). If the writer creates academic writing it means the
product have to formal. Because of that the language that they use has to formal and
polite. The front or size has to consistent with the guideline that they use (APA
style, MLA etc).

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

1. VARIATION IN SPEED
2. LOUDNESS OR QUIETNESS
3. GESTURES
4. INTONATION
5. STRESS
6. RHYTHM
7. PITCH RANGE
8. PAUSING AND PHRASING

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

WRITTEN:
 Tends to be more complex and intricate than speech with longer sentences and
many subordinate clauses. The punctuation and layout of written text also have no
spoken equivalent.
 Usually permanent and written texts cannot usually be changed once they have
been printed/written out text can communicate across time and space for as long as
the particular language and writing system is still understood.
 Writers can make use of punctuation, headings, layouts, colors and other graphical
effects in their written texts.
 Some grammatical constructions are only used in writing as are some kinds of
vocabulary such as some complex chemical and legal terms.

SPOKEN:
 Tends to be full or repetitions, incomplete sentences, corrections and interruptions
with the exception of formal speeches and other scripted fors of speech such as
news reports and scripts for plays and films.
 Usually transient unless recorded and speakers can correct themselves and change
their utterances as they go along.
 Speech is usually used for immediate interactions.
 Speech can us timing, tone, volume and tremble to add emotional context.
 Some types of vocabulary are used only or mainly speech. These include slang
expressions, and tags like y’know, like, etc.

FORMAL LANGUAGE REGISTER - is appropriate for professional writing and letters to

a boss or stranger.
 Cannot instead of can‘t
 Have not instead of haven‘t
 Will not instead of won‘t
EXAMPLE: business letters, announcement, professional emails, some essay, letters
complaint.

INFORMAL LANGUAGE REGISTER - is conversational and appropriate when writing to

friends and people you very well.
 They‘ve been fighting all day
 He‘s very busy
 We feel that the target in unrealistic
 I planned many different
EXAMPLE: short notes diaries and journals

NEUTRAL LANGUAGE REGISTER - is non-emotional and sticks to facts. It is most

appropriate for technical writing

DEFINITION OF REGISTER AND VARIETIES OF SPOKEN AND THE WRITTEN

LANGUAGE
 Register - is a subset of language as defined by purpose and setting.
 Varieties - a variety also called ―lect‖ is a specific form of language cluster. This
may include Languages, Dialects, registers, style or other forms of language, as well
as ―Standard Variety

Varieties of the Philippines

a.Cebuano
b.Waray-waray
c.Ilocano
d.Kapampangan
e.Hiligaynon

Types of Register
A. Frozen - is a language that never changes. (Ex. Panatang Makabayan).
B. Formal - Standard English.(Ex. Speeches or School Lessons)
C. Consultative - Less formal standard English.(Ex. Newscasting)
D. Casual - Language between Friends (Ex. Vernacular speech)
E. Intimate - language between lovers or other close family or friends.

Spoken Language - is a language produced by articulate sounds, an oral language is a

produced with vocal tract. It tends to convey subjective information.

Written Language - is a representation of Spoken or gestural by means of a writing

system. It must be taught to children

SYNTHESIS
 The kind of register to be us affects the way one speaks and writes.
 Language has formal and informal registers. These registers have form which define
the social situation.

MODULE 3
TOPIC 4 : EXPLORING TEXTS REFLECTING DIFFERENT CULTURES

A “text” isn‘t limited to something written down. A text can be a film, an artifact,
anything in a language and culture that conveys meaning. Think about the text that you
use in your language classroom: what‘s in the textbook? What do you read in class or
even at home? How do you describe the classroom, its design? Why do you think the
chairs are placed facing the tables? Those questions, with its finite answer would tell
you that there are texts that are reflection of one‘s own culture.

Text can be categorized into the following groups:

 Created texts: Texts authored by non-native speakers for non-native speakers to
achieve pre determined curricular goals.
 Semi-authentic texts: Texts created by native and/or non-native speaker, based on
original language materials, but adapted to fit curricular needs.
 Authentic texts: Texts created by native speakers for native speakers for
consumption in a native environment.

Cultural texts are those objects, actions, and behaviors that reveal cultural
meanings. A photo is an image, but is also a cultural text, a picture with cultural
information beyond just the picture itself. Food and clothing also suggest cultural
information, and it doesn‘t stop there. The entire place and space, all of the people and
interaction, all of the rituals and rules and the various forms in which they manifest
themselves, are ―readable texts, suitable for observation and analysis by the
ethnographer and writer—namely by you.

The initial description of a cultural text may make it seem as though everything
is a cultural text. While in some sense true, this doesn‘t mean that every text has
particular cultural relevance. Sometimes a book is just a book; a picture is just a picture.

The difference between relevant cultural texts, (one that has one connection
with your project) and an irrelevant cultural text, (one that may have nothing to do with
your project), has to do with the meaning transferred to that text by the people who
create and/or use the text.

Identification of a cultural text is relatively easy. Take a look around the room or
place you are in right now and briefly catalog the people and/or thing you see. These
objects and actions are cultural texts.

HOW TO EVALUATE MESSAGES AND IMAGES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXT

REFLECTING DIFFERENT CULTURE?
The following should do:
 Understand how the specified cultures live.
 How the people in the specified group communicate each other.
 Learn the symbolism of their culture.
 Be aware in every detail such as artifact, language, and symbolism.

Text is not literal text, but in semiotics refers to a combination of signs, signifies
and mechanism like metonymy. A text could be a sentence, paragraph an image, a story,
or a collection of stories.
Collection of signs in a single photograph or painting, a video clip, a television
show, a feature film and whenever these signs come together in the land of semiotics,
they become texts. These texts can be understood, rearranged and put together in
different combinations, with different meanings to different
groups of people. But cultural texts are not one-dimensional. A text is not simply
representative of one culture; it does not belong to one culture, even if it purposely
excludes others semiotically. Cultural texts are multi-dimensional, they are dynamic.

TRIVIA
A cultural text is perhaps better understood as having cultural layers of understanding
where groups different in age, race, nationality, sexual orientation may read and
understand a collection of signs in different ways. Depending on the producer or the
audience, the X`text itself has a kind of flexibility in meaning to different people when it
starts to operate culturally.

Formal and Informal Language

 Formal and Informal language serve different purposes. The tone, the choice of
words and the way the words are put together vary between the two styles. Formal
language is less personal than informal language. It is used when writing for
professional or academic purpose like university assignments. Formal language
does not use colloquialisms, contractions or first person pronouns such as ‗I‘ or
‗We‘.

 Informal language is more casual and spontaneous. It is used when communicating

with friends or family either in writing or in conversation. It is used in writing
 personal emails, text messages and in some business correspondents. The tone of
informal language is more personal than formal language.

Contractions
Informal: The improvements can‘t be introduced due to funding restrictions.
Formal: Improvements cannot be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Informal: I don‘t believe that the results are accurate.

Formal: The results are not believed to be accurate.

Informal: The research project won‘t continue next year.

Formal: The research project will not continue next year.

Phrasal Verbs
Informal: The balloon was blown up for the experiment.
Formal: The balloon was inflated for the experiment.

Informal: The patient got over his illness.

Formal: The patient recovered from his illness.

Informal: The results of the study were mixed up.

Formal: The results of the study were confused.

Slang/Colloquialisms
Informal: The mob was very rowdy during the protest against cuts to university funding.
Formal: The crowd was very rowdy during the protest against the cuts to university
funding.

Informal: Lecturers still count on students to used correct grammars and punctuations
in essays.
Formal: Lecturers expect students to use correct grammars and punctuations in essays.

Informal: It was raining cats and dogs.

Formal: It was raining very heavily.

First Person Pronouns

Informal: I considered various research methods for the study.
Formal: Various research methods were considered for the study.

Informal: We believe the practice is unsustainable.

Formal: It is believed the practice is unsustainable.

Informal: During the interview I asked students about their experiences.

Formal: During the interview students were asked about their experiences.

SYNTHESIS
 Metonymy is an extension of the idea of a metaphor in semiotics, where metonymy
covers a diverse set of strategies of association and meaning transfer between
different designs. With a metaphor, one word stands in for another word- ‗love is
battlefield‘ or ‗apple of my eye‘.
 Semiotics is the study of making meaning, the connection between a sign or symbol.
What it comes to represent and how it is understood by different people. How we
dress, the music we listen to, the individual words we use in conversation all convey
specific meaning.
MODULE 3
TOPIC 5: COPING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Communicating to the people around us is crucial in our everyday life. We

convey and gather information, thoughts, opinions, as well as ideas through
communication. Communication in other words is the act of conveying meanings from
one entity or group to another through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols,
and semiotic rules.
Our culture affects the way of our communication, which means that different
culture is equivalent to different communication style. And one‘s way of communicating
may have the same or different interpretation to the other. This may lead to
miscommunication between the participants involved.

What is Intercultural communication? What are the barriers and challenges of

intercultural communication? How to cope with these challenges?
Communication is no denying an important part of a persons‘ life. People
communicate with one another to reach their own goals, whether it is to gather or relay
information and ideas, and they tend to communicate with the various people from
different races and culture to reach their aims

What is Intercultural Communication?

Intercultural communication (or cross-cultural communication) is a discipline
that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how culture
affects communication. It describes the wide range of communication processes and
problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of
individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In this
sense it seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures act,
communicate and perceive the world around them.

Many people in intercultural business communication argue that culture

determines how individuals encode messages, what medium they choose for
transmitting them, and the way messages are interpreted. With regard to intercultural
communication proper, it studies situations where people from different cultural
backgrounds interact. Aside from language, intercultural communication focuses on
social attributes, thought patterns, and the cultures of different groups of people. It also
involves understanding the different cultures, languages and customs of people from
other countries.

Intercultural communication plays a role in social sciences such as anthropology,

cultural studies, linguistics, psychology and communication studies. Intercultural
communication is also referred to as the base for international businesses. Several
cross-cultural service providers assist with the development of intercultural
communication skills. Research is a major part of the development of intercultural
communication skills. Intercultural communication is in a way the 'interaction with
speakers of other languages on equal terms and respecting their identities'.

Identity and culture are also studied within the discipline of communication to
analyze how globalization influences ways of thinking, beliefs, values, and identity,
within and between cultural environments. Intercultural communication scholars
approach theory with a dynamic outlook and do not believe culture can be measured
nor that cultures share universal attributes. Scholars acknowledge that culture and
communication shift along with societal changes and theories should consider the
constant shifting and nuances of the society.
 The study of intercultural communication requires intercultural understanding,
which is an ability to understand and value cultural differences. Language is an example
of an important cultural component that is linked to intercultural understanding.

Functions of Intercultural Communication:

Private Function - are functions that indicated communication through the

communication behavior originating from an individual.

1. Express Social Identity - in the process of intercultural communication are some of

the communication behavior of individuals who used to express the behavior of social
identity is expressed through the act of speaking both verbal and non-verbal of language
behavior that is knowable and social identity.
2. Declares The Social Integration - core concept of social integration is to accept the
unity between individuals, between groups but still recognizes the differences of every
element. It should be understood that one of the goals of communication is to give the
same meaning for the message shared between the communicator and the communicant.
3. To the Knowledge - often interpersonal and intercultural communication increase
knowledge together, to learn the culture of each.

Social Function- means the relation between social action and the systems of which the
action is a part, alternatively, as the result of social action.
1. Supervision - practice intercultural communication between different
communicators and communicant culture of mutual monitoring functions. In any
process of intercultural communication function is useful to inform the "development"
of the environment.
2. Connection Between Culture - in the process of intercultural communication, the
communication function is carried out between two people of different cultures was a
bridge over the differences between them. The bridging functions can be controlled via
messages they exchanged, the two are explaining the differences of interpretation on a
message that produces the same meaning.
3. Value Socialization - socialization function is a function to teach and introduce the
cultural values of a society to another society.
4. Entertainment - entertaining functions are often performed in the process of
intercultural communication. For example, the arrival of outside artists shows the
differences between their cultures so that people learn the language and follow their
style.

Barriers to Intercultural Communication

1. Anxiety - when you are anxious because of not knowing what you are expected to do,
it is only natural to focus on that feeling and not be totally present in the communication
transaction. For example, you may have experienced anxiety on your very first day on a
new college campus or in a new job. You may be so conscious of being new— and out of
place—and focus so much of your attention on that feeling that you make common
mistakes and appear awkward to others.

2. Assuming Similarity Instead Of Dissimilarity - when people are acting in a home

manner in the different culture it might cause a lot of problems. In order to prepare
yourself for various circumstances it is very important to assume laws, habits, and
attitudes of another society.

3. Ethnocentrism – ethnocentrism or negatively judging aspects of another culture by

the standards of one‘s own culture. To be ethnocentric is to believe in the superiority of
one‘s own culture. Everything in a culture is consistent to that culture and makes sense
if you understood that culture. For example, assume that global warming is a fact and, as
a result, assume that summers in the United States average 43° C (109° F). It would be
logical to make adjustments: Rather than air condition buildings all day, you might close
schools and businesses in the afternoons to conserve energy. Such adjustments would
make sense. Why then do some people attribute sensible midday siestas in hot climates
to laziness?

4. Language Problems - according to Jandt (2000) the definition of language is the set
of symbols shared by a community to communicate meanings and experiences. There
are five actual factors that generally produce the difficulties in the translation. They are
lack of equivalences in vocabulary, idioms, grammar and syntax, experiences, and
concepts. Indonesian students are having a lot of inconveniences with studying foreign
languages for the reason that in Indonesian language there is no gender rules. That is
very complicated for them to understand why for example the French word ― “une table”
is feminine.

5. Nonverbal Misinterpretations - as another barrier to communication, it can be stated

that in a conversation this is more problematical to understand the nonverbal symbols
without sharing the same nonverbal codes. There are more than a few types of
nonverbal interaction: proxemics, kinesics, chronemics, paralanguage, olfactics, clothing
appearance, haptics, oculesics, etc. All of them are very different in every culture. As an
example, in a society where people don‘t kiss when they great each other, a kissing
person might be judged as a vulgar and without manners.

6. Stereotypes and Prejudices – both of them are to make a judgment about individuals
according to group membership.

Stereotypes are the perceptions about that certain people have particular qualities or
abilities because they belong to a particular race, sex, or social class. They can be
positive and negative. Usually they are based on half-truths.
Positive examples of stereotyping are: Japanese people are good in
mathematical sciences; French are the gods in the kitchen.
Negative: Russians– Mafia–Vodka–Prostitution –Cold winter; the Arabs are
terrorists.
Prejudice can be defined as an unreasonable dislike and distrust of people who are
different from you in some way, especially because of their race, sex, religion, etc. For
instance, talking about Indian people in Arabic countries, it can be affirmed that Indians
do get less salary than other nationalities. The reason for this is that Middle Eastern
people are sure that the Indian race does not deserve something more, because it is
Indian.

Challenges of Intercultural Communication

Any moment that we‘re dealing with people different from ourselves, the
likelihood is that they carry a similar list of hopes and fears in their back pocket.
Culture" is often at the root of communication challenges. Our culture influences how we
approach problems, and how we participate in groups and in communities. When we
participate in groups we are often surprised at how differently people approach their
work together. Our culture influences how we approach problems, and how we
participate in groups and in communities.

Six Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Differences

• Different Decision Making Styles. The roles individuals play in decision-making vary
widely from culture to culture. For example, in the U.S., decisions are frequently
delegated. In many Southern European and Latin American countries, there is a strong
value placed on holding decision-making responsibilities oneself. Be aware that
individuals' expectations about their own roles in shaping a decision may be influenced
by their cultural frame.

• Different Attitudes towards Disclosure. In some cultures it is not appropriate to be

frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or
about personal information. Variation among cultures in attitudes toward disclosure is
also something to consider before you conclude that you have an accurate reading of the
views, experiences, and goals of the people with whom you are working.

• Different Approaches to Knowing. Notable differences occur among cultural groups

when it comes to the ways people come to know things. European cultures tend to
consider information acquired through cognitive means, such as counting and
measuring, more valid than other ways of coming to know things. Compare that to
African cultures preference for affective ways of knowing, including symbolic imagery
and rhythm. These different approaches to knowing could affect ways of analyzing a
community problem or finding ways to resolve it. Some members of your group may
want to do library research to understand a shared problem better and identify possible
solutions. Others may prefer to visit places and people who have experienced challenges
like the ones you are facing, and get a feeling for what has worked elsewhere. These are
ways in which cultures, as a whole, tend to vary from one another.

• Different Communication Styles. The way people communicate varies widely

between, and even within, cultures. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used
in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the
meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many
shades in between.

• Different Attitudes toward Conflict. Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing,
while others view it as something to be avoided in many Eastern countries, open conflict
is experienced as embarrassing or demeaning; as a rule, differences are best worked out
quietly.

• Different Approaches toward Completing Tasks. From culture to culture, there are
different ways that people move toward completing tasks. Asian and Hispanic cultures
tend to attach more value to developing relationships at the beginning of a shared
project and more emphasis on task completion toward the end as compared with
European-Americans. European-Americans tend to focus immediately on the task at
hand, and let relationships develop as they work on the task. This does not mean that
people from any one of these cultural backgrounds are more or less committed to
accomplishing the task, or value relationships more or less; it means they may pursue
them differently.

Respecting Our Differences and Working Together

An appreciation of patterns of cultural difference can assist us in processing
what it means to be different in ways that are respectful of others, not faultfinding or
damaging. We can learn to collaborate across cultural lines as individuals and as a
society. Being aware of cultural differences doesn‘t have to divide us but should instead
help us communicate with each other more effectively. Communicating with people who
are different from us, gives us hope and energizes us to take on the challenge of
improving our communities and world as a whole.

Guidelines for Multi-Cultural Collaboration

 As we set to work on multicultural collaboration in our communities, we should
keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Learn from generalizations about other cultures, but don't use those generalizations to
stereotype, or oversimplify your ideas about another person.
• Don‘t assume that there‘s only one write way (yours) to communicate.
• Listen actively and empathetically.
• Respect other‘s choices about whether they would like to engage in communication
with you.
• Suspend judgment and try and look at the situation as an outsider.
• Develop an understanding from the other person‘s point of view.
• Be aware of current power imbalances.

SUMMARY:
 Intercultural communication (or cross-cultural communication) - is a discipline
that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how
culture affects communication. It describes the wide range of communication
processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social
context made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and
educational backgrounds. In this sense it seeks to understand how people from
different countries and cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around
them.

There are two functions of intercultural communication; private functions (express

social identity, the social integration, and to the knowledge) and social functions
(Supervision, Connection Between Culture, Value Socialization, and
Entertainment).

Barriers to Intercultural Communication

1. Anxiety - when you are anxious because of not knowing what you are expected to do,
it is only natural to focus on that feeling and not be totally present in the communication
transaction.
2. Assuming Similarity Instead Of Dissimilarity - when people are acting in a home
manner in the different culture it might cause a lot of problems
3. Ethnocentrism – ethnocentrism or negatively judging aspects of another culture by
the standards of one‘s own culture.
4. Language Problems - according to Jandt (2000) the definition of language is the set
of symbols shared by a community to communicate meanings and experiences.
5. Nonverbal Misinterpretations - as another barrier to communication, it can be
stated that in a conversation this is more problematical to understand the nonverbal
symbols without sharing the same nonverbal codes.
6. Stereotypes and Prejudices – both of them are to make a judgment about individuals
according to group
membership.
Stereotypes are the perceptions about that certain people have particular qualities or
abilities
because they belong to a particular race, sex, or social class.
Prejudice can be defined as an unreasonable dislike and distrust of people who are
different from you in some way, especially because of their race, sex, religion, etc.

Six Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Differences:

• Different Decision Making Styles. The roles individuals play in decision-making vary
widely from culture to culture.
• Different Attitudes towards Disclosure. In some cultures it is not appropriate to be
frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or
about personal information.
• Different Approaches to Knowing. Notable differences occur among cultural groups
when it comes to the ways people come to know things.
• Different Communication Styles. The way people communicate varies widely
between, and even within, cultures. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used
in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the
meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many
shades in between.
• Different Attitudes toward Conflict. Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing,
while others view it as something to be avoided.
• Different Approaches toward Completing Tasks. From culture to culture, there are
different ways that people move toward completing tasks.