GE

111- PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

Lesson 5
Registers: Audience & Context Awareness in
Presenting Ideas
Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

o Discuss the nature of cultural relativism and how it affects moral

behaviour;
o Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of cultural relativism;

Time Frame: 1 Week

Introduction

“It is graceful in a man to think and to speak

with propriety, to act with deliberation, and in
every occurrence in life to find out and persever
in the truth. On the other hand, to be imposed
upon, to mistake, to falter, and to be decieved,
is as ungraceful as to rave or te be insane.”

-Marcus Tullius Cicero

Roman statemsan, orator, philosopher & writer

ACTIVITY

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Read the comic strip. How does the communicators “change of communication
style help in conveying their message?

ANALYSIS

• How do we accommodate the unique qualities of different people we

communicate with?
• How do we various situations cause us to adjust our communication style?

ABSTRACTION

In our previous discussions we have learned that communicating

purposively involves conscious and deliberate thought considering both the
audience and context of our interactions.

When considering the audience, we think about the traits of the receiver/s,
which they use as frames of reference in decoding the message. There are many
aspects of a person which are used as frames of reference like their age, gender,
intellectual level, cultural background, religious, and socio- political affiliations and
so on. The audience can also be considered as part of the context of
communication. Consider the example below, noting how the conveyance of the
same message varies depending on the receiver.

Context Your Grandmother passed away this morning

Purpose Break the news of your Grandmother’s passing to family and

friends.

Audience Possible Message

Your 5 year- old “Grandma went to heaven to live with Jesus and the angels.”
sibling

Another sibling “Grandma is gone.”

about your age

A post on your “It is with deep sadness that we inform everyone of the passing our
social media page Grandmother….”
for friends and
relatives.

A teacher at “Professor, my Grandmother passed away this morning,…”

school

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Context is also a communicative frame, which includes all the

circumstances in a given situation by which information is processed and
understood. Using the same example above, you might consider where you will
break the news to a specific receiver. You would most probably take your siblings
aside and have them sit down in order to tell them the bad news, which you know
will cause them to cry. You most probably will not tell them the news in a public
place or over the phone if you can help it. You will probably break the news to
them in a hushed tone of voice. When you inform your teacher about it, you will
most probably talk to them in their office, address them by their professional title
and convey it in a deliberately respectful way. When you break the news to
friends and family on a post on social media, you will most probably do it in a
more formal manner and provide further details informing them of your family’s
plans. The reason we adjust our manner of communicating given specific
audience and context is an attempt to communicate appropriately.

Language Registers

Audience and context awareness are key drivers of purposive

communication. When communicating with various audiences and contexts the
level of formality changes as well. This is referred to as language register.
Simply said, we “register” differently depending on who we are communicating
with and the situation in which we communicate. Language registers are not only
found in the English Language but in all languages and in the different modes of
communication.

Perhaps the most influential work on Language Registers were done by

German linguist and professor, Martin Joos (1967) who outlines the different
types of registers in spoken and written language.

Frozen or Static Register. This register is seen on preserved documents

that do not change in spite of time like prayers, bible verses, oaths of office and
official announcements. The frozen register is commonly seen in messages that
do not require feedback. These messages are repeated mechanically and
verbatim as the language used is frozen or unchanging in time and form.

Examples of frozen registers.

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Formal Register. In this register, a communicator conveys the message

following specific conventions that are suitable to the occasion or situation.
Communications that take place in an “official” capacity use the formal register
like formal assemblies, legislative sessions, and ceremonies. The formal register
is characterized by its strict adherence to structure and format. It is often uses
impersonal, technical and specialized language. The formal register also uses the
formal conventions of language use. The communicator does not use slang and
other colloquial expressions. The communicator also avoids the use of
contractions like “have not” instead of “haven’t to preserve the formality of
communication. The formal register is often used communicating in academic
and scientific settings and in business and legal correspondence.

Consultative Register. The consultative register is the formal register

used in conversation meant to elicit professional advice or recommendations.
This register is used when consulting an expert or superior. When communicating
in this register, the communicator uses formal or professional titles and uses
language directly relating to the advice or recommendation they are seeking.

Casual Register. In contrast to the formal and consultative register, the

casual register is informal and non- technical. It is used in most informal settings
and does not strictly follow conventions. Communicating in the casual register
may have the presence of slang and colloquialisms.

Photo 1. Casual Registers dominate our day-to-day conversations with family, friends &
colleagues.

Intimate Register. The intimate register is uses language that is private

and personal. It is commonly used by people who are closely acquainted, or have
deep emotional, intimate bonds. Spouses for example use this register when
communicating, often embellished with endearment and shared terms of
reference. The intimate register is best avoided in public and professional
situations because when used with people who do not share deep relationships,
the message registers inappropriately and causes discomfort or awkwardness. In
fact, the intimate register is used by sexual harassers on their victims, causing
them feelings of anxiety or alarm.

Understanding how to use registers appropriate to context allows the

communicator to show respect, social manners and be perceived positively.

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Using and Moving Between Registers

As previously mentioned, using registers appropriately enhances

communicative interaction by establishing propriety. In professional and
academic writing for example, it would be very inappropriate to use a casual
register. Using “jejespeak” and text spelling on an essay or a business letter
would certainly reflect poorly on your skills as a communicator. In the same
manner, using a formal register in casual conversation would come off as weird
or out of place. Research has found that it is possible to be “stuck” to only a
formal or casual register, leading to social awkwardness. People who are unable
to shift from one register to another find themselves alienated in conversations.
This is because specific contexts bring with them an expected register. Offense is
likely to be taken when another register is used instead of what is considered
proper in any given situation.

Other studies have shown that those who have not been exposed to
varied communication contexts are most likely to find themselves find it awkward
to communicate in formal settings, or even cause them to avoid formal settings
altogether. This is disadvantageous because they would find themselves unable
to tackle situations where consultative and formal registers are needed, like a job
interview for example, a business presentation or formal public speaking
engagements. In contrast, people who are proficient in their use of registers are
often regarded as great conversationalists, being able to put other people at ease
in any situation. Properly using registers also allow for proper expression of
respect and tact, which in turn reflects good social graces.

Shifting from one register to another is remarkably easy with practice.

Mindfulness of audience and context allow us to match our communication style
as is appropriate. For example, officemates can be using a casual register in
bantering with each other while waiting for a meeting to start then switch to a
consultative or formal register once the meeting has been formally called to
order. It is important for the communicator to pay attention to the changes that
happen in the communicative scenario that signal the need to shift registers.

Knowing what the various registers are, how to differentiate between them
and when to use which one increases your chances of being accepted by groups
and speakers in a variety of contexts.

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APPLICATION

Learner Worksheet 5
Student Name: ______________________________ Score: ____________

Course/ Year/ Section: _______________________________

Determine the register of each of the given statements. Write C before the
number if it is Casual, F if it is formal. If the statement is written in a casual register, re-
write the sentence in a formal register. If the statement is in a formal register, re-write it
in a causal register. Write your new sentences in the space provided under each of the
given statements.

1. Would you be available to attend the gathering tomorrow?

2. Eyewitness accounts of the event indicate that the vehicle was travelling at high
speed approximately 3:00 in the afternoon along Highway 5 when it collided with
another vehicle.

3. Dude, I am seriously beat! Lemme catch a few winks and call you right back.

4. We gotta finish the job before we can call it a night.

5. I could lend you a hand if you’re cool with that.

6. Students are required to report to their classrooms immediately upon entering the
building.

7. The job should be done by quitting time on Friday.

8. I would prefer that you turn down the volume on your television.

9. Ideas like that are a dime a dozen these days.

10. I don’t think she is interested in the project. She’s already flaked twice before.

Submitting Your Work. If you do not have Internet Connectivity, neatly detach this page from
your module and submit via University Drop Box or by courier/ mail together with your other
Learner Activity Worksheets once you reach the prescribed Learning Checkpoint. If you have
Internet connectivity, you may answer directly on the online version of this worksheet through the
University Virtual Environment.

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CLOSURE

Well done! You have just finished the last lesson for this module.

If you have questions or need to make clarifications take note of them in

the space provided below to ask your Course Professor through direct messaging
or through the University Virtual Environment (UVE).

Notes from this Lesson

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Module Summary
Let us now summarize some of the highlights of this module.

o Communication is the means by which we make sense of the world

around us and the means by which we connect to the world around us. It
is the exchange, transfer and sharing of information of one human being to
another.

o Purposive Communication is “results- oriented communication” that

requires the application of different communication approaches in an
evidence- based, results- oriented manner in order to achieve positive,
observable and measurable behaviour and social change. You might
communicate with any, a combination of or all of the following purposes in
mind: to inform, to persuade, to request or to build goodwill.

o Effective communicators consider: the objective, their audience;

appropriate style and tone that will serve them best in communicating to
achieve correctness, clarity, conciseness, completeness, consideration,
concreteness and courtesy by exercising control in crafting in the
message.

o Ethical Communication is the application of ethical virtues and ethical

discernment in communicating so that it cultivates to a positive state of
mind and harmonious relationships with others. Ethical communicators
manifest Trustworthiness, Respect for Audiences, and Obedience to
Policy and Law.

o Nonverbal communication involves communication that is not

communicated with the use of words. It vocalics, Kinesics, Facial
Expression, Body Language, Gestures, Oculesics, Haptics, Proxemics,
Chronemics Object Communication, Silence and various forms of visual
communication.

o Audience and context awareness are key drivers of purposive

communication. We use language registers depending on who we are
communicating with and the situation in which we communicate, which
include: Frozen or Static Register, Formal Register, Consultative Register,
Casual Register and Intimate Register.

Now that you have completed all the lessons in this module, it is time to
assess your learning and move on to the next module.

Check your work and prepare for submission and assessment. The
succeeding page will give you instructions on completing your requirements for
this module.

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Learning Checkpoint
Module Assessment

Now that you have completed the first module, it is time to submit your
learning output and take the module assessment. A checklist is provided for you
below.

Learning Worksheets 1-5

o For students with no Internet Connectivity use the University

Drop Box/ Courier/ Mail for submission. Neatly detach only the
Learner Worksheets from this module.

o Answer the Learning Activities through the University Virtual

Environment (UVE) platform.

Learning Evidence 1

o For students with no Internet Connectivity, contact your Course

Professor to make arrangements on the submission of the hard
copy of Learning Evidence 1: Cause Oriented Poster as
instructed by your Course Professor.

o For students with Internet Connectivity, submit Learning

Evidence 1: Cause Oriented Poster through the University
Virtual Environment (UVE) platform as instructed by your
Course Professor.

Module Assessment

o For students with no Internet Connectivity, contact your Course

Professor to make arrangements on taking the Module
Assessment (Quiz).

o For students with Internet Connectivity, take the quiz on the

University Virtual Environment (UVE) platform.

END OF MODULE 1
If you have completed all the items on the checklist,
you may move on to the next module.

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