1. Language Registers
Register refers to the percieved attitude and level of formality associated with a variety of
language. The relationship between the writer's attitude and the variety chosen is very
important in the study of written language. In face to face speech, the listener can easily
interpret the attitude of the speaker by examining the speaker's tone of voice, facial
expressions and overall body language. This is not possible in writing. The writer has to use
speacialized features of discourse to convey or mask attitudes. It is then the reader's
reponsibility to correctly interpret the writer's attitude, tone andlevel of
formality. Language Registers range on a scale from most formal to most informal. The
five levels identified have been given specialized names by
Linguists; frozen, formal, consultative, casual and intimate.
1. Frozen: This is where the use of language is fixed and relatively static. The national
pledge, anthem, school creeds and The Lord's Prayer are examples of a frozen register. In
essence it is language that does not require any feedback.
Example: "All visitors are invited to proceed upstairs immediately."
2. Formal: This describes language used in official and ceremonial settings. For example in
court, in a business meeting, at a swearing in ceremony, in an interview or in a classroom
etc. The language used in these settings is comparatively rigid and has a set, agreed upon
vocabulary that is well documented. In other words, the language used is often of a standard
variety.
Example: "Would everyone please proceed upstairs at once?"
3. Consultative: This describes language used for the purpose of seeking assistance as is
suggested by the word 'consult'. It also describes the language used between a superior and
subordinate. In both cases one person is deemed as more knowledgeable and having greater
expertise and the other person is the beneficiary of such knowledge and expertise. The
language dynamism between lawyer/client, doctor/patient, employer/employee and
teacher/student are examples of this type of register.
Example: "Would you all please go upstairs right away?"
4. Casual/Informal: This describes language used between friends. It is often very
relaxed and focused on just getting the information out. Slangs are quite often used in these
instances.
Example: "Come on upstairs now."
5. Intimate: This is used to describe language used between persons who share a close
relationship or bond. This register would take into account certain terms of endearment,
slangs or expressions whose meaning is shared with a small subset of persons. For example
lovers having special terms of endearment, mothers giving pet names to their children based
on some character trait and best friends formulating slangs based on some shared past
experience.
Example: "Come up nuh/ Ununaa go up?/Ununaa forward?"
Language (Dialectal) Variation
Language Variation or Dialectal Variation, refers to changes in language due to various
influences. These include, social, geographic, individual and group factors.
Dialect
This refers to the variety of language characteristic of a particualar group of people in a
given speech community (country) or region. For example one may refer to a Caribbean

2. dialect as there are certain vocabulary items and sentence structures that Caribbean
countries have in common.
Creole
There is no definition of creole that is accepted by all. The meaning of the word 'creole' has
changed considerably over the years. However, it is normally used to refer to a dialect or
language which results from contact between the language of a colonizing people and the
language of a colonized people. In the Caribbean, Creole languages are as a result of contact
between English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch (languages of the colonizers) and
West African languages (languages of the colonized).
Patois
Patois is a word of French origin which translates most closely, in French, to mean
'gibbrish'. It was a word used to describe how foreign and strange Creole languages sounded
to the speakers of European languages. Patois is used to refer to a geographical dialect
which differs from the standard language spoken in a given country. In Jamaica, for
example, the word patois is used to refer to the English based creole spoken. Patois carries
the usual negative associations and lack of prestige which characterize non-standard, rural
or regional dialects.
Standard Variety (Eg, English, French)
This is the variety of language or dialect that is used for formal, official and
education purposes. It is also used as an instrument for mass education and communication
causing it to acquire greater prestige and uniformity. (Creoles have been observed to lack
uniformity as a result of not being standardized.) Most Caribbean countries have a
Eurpoean language as its standard variety for formal, official purposes and a Creole
language for informal communication amongst native, family and friends. The notable
exception is Haiti where the French Creole was made an official language alongside French.
Slang
This is a popular, fashionable use of words and phrases which may be either old words given
new meaning or completely new words. In the same way that fashion changes, so do slang
expressions. Slang is a normal part of everyday speech but may not be acceptable in certain
formal settings. When used in formal writing, in particular, these expressions should be put
in inverted commas (For e.g, 'wicked'- Jamaican slang for good/amazing, 'off the chain'-
American slang for exciting/good)
Foreign English
This refers to varieties of the English language spoken by persons not from ones country.
Rasta English
This refers to a special variety of English indegenous to Jamaica, spoken by a religious
group of persons called Rastafarians. This variety diffrentiates itself from standard and non-
standard English by use of different, specialized vocabulary items. The psychology of 'no
contradiction' extends to all aspects of a Rastafarian's life, including language. Hence
because it sounds contradictory for oppress -/up-res/ to mean helddown in liFe,
Rastafarians refer to this verb as downpress. Likewise instead of participation -/part-
icipation/ to mean being fully involved they refer to this noun asfullticipation. The language
is also characterized by use of 'I' to signify positivity and the importance of the individual in
relation to another, so instead of 'You and I', Rasta would refer to us as 'I and I' to signify
that we are both equal in importance.Irie, refers to a good vibe and Ital food refers to food
considered good for the body (i.e, Vegetarian based food).