MABINI COLLEGES, INC.

Daet, Camarines Norte

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

GEC 5- Purposive Communication

Name of Student: _________________________________________________

Module Overview:

During your senior high school, you must have encountered the term World Englishes (WE) or
varieties of English in class. It actually stands for the localized varieties of English as they are used or
spoken in certain areas. This module will provide you clear view of the concept of the varieties of English
as well as language registers or registers of English.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the concept of the varieties of English in Asian contexts.

LECTURE NOTES
READ THIS…

VARIETIES OF ENGLISH

In the Asian context, the concept was introduced by Braj Kachru. The famous “Three Concentric Circles
of Asian Englishes” attributed to Kachru presents the three circles: Inner Circle with ENL (English as a
native language) member countries; the Outer Circle with ESL (English as a Second Language; and the
Expanding Circle with EFL (English as a Foreign Language) member countries. Examples of countries
belonging to the Inner Circle are the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Kachru’s Outer Circle
is comprised of Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Pakistan, among others, while the Expanding
Circle is composed of countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.
According to Bautista and Gonzales (2006), the structural characteristics of these new varieties differ. This
is brought about by the mother tongue or home languages of those who learn or acquire English. And
even in terms of social features, differences can also be highlighted in that there is a continuum of
basilectal, mesolectal, and acrolectal varieties of English within the speech community.
The acrolect then comes closest to the standard while the basilect digresses thoroughly from it and comes
closest to the pidgin. Mesolect or the middle variety is midway between the acrolect and basilect.
Bautista and Gonzales use the term edulects for these varieties resulting from certain types of education
ascertained by social class but are conveyed or transferred by the kind of instruction of the school system
especially for those coming from higher-income families and/or better educated classes.

Philippine English is legitimate, having its own grammatical, lexical, and syntactic features. Gonzales
(1985, as cited in Bautista, 2000) identified the ff. lexical features in Philippine English.
1. Preference for specific words and collocations specifically shall, could, such, wherein, of (to signal
possession);
2. Unusual words and collocations, specific terms, and word combinations which may have been
originally confused with other collocations but which, because of frequent use, have become fixed
combinations in their own right (e.g., results to instead of results in); and
3. Unusual prepositional usage

LANGUAGE REGISTERS/ REGISTERS OF ENGLISH

When it comes to language variation, the terms genre, register, and style are often encountered. David
Crystal (2008) defines register as “variety of language defined according to its use in social situations e.g.,
a register of scientific, religious formal English.

He added: “In Hallidayan linguistics, the term is seen as specially opposed to varieties of language defined
according to the characteristics of the users (viz. their regional or class dialect), and is given a sub
classification into field, mode and manner of discourse.
Crystal (1964) further discusses style and register:

Language being the product of interaction among the members of society, must ultimately be studied
according to the social context in which it is found. Style refers to the degree of formality attached to
particular interpersonal social situation which is reflected by differences in language-

Register refers to a kind of language whose forms are of a definable social situation, regardless of the
status of the participants – thus one finds the register of legal language, liturgical language, and so on.

To give concrete example, with the genre of recipe field may be analyzed in terms of social setting and
the communicative purpose in which the text is produced. Tenor may be described in terms of the role/s
required of the writers and readers including the cultural values shared by both. Mode could be explained
in light of the knowledge of other texts required of speakers/listeners and writers/readers as regards the
genre including the formal text features.

Language register then refers to the formality of language which one speaks. The formal register then is
used for formal speaking and writing situations. It is likewise appropriate for use in professional writing
like project proposals, position papers, and business letters as in the case of writing to a superior or to a
head of a certain organization.

Legalese- or legal language is highly characterized by archaic expressions, technical jargon intrinsic only
to the community of legal professionals, embedded structures, nominalizations, passive voice, etc., which
are not the features of textese or SMS Language, are exactly the opposite- use of abbreviations, acronyms,
slang words, and expressions.

Reference/s:

Barrot, Jessie S. PhD et. al. Purposive Communication in the 21st Century
(C & E Publishing, Inc.: Quezon City, 2018)
SyGaco, Sonia B., PhD. Principles and Competencies in Purposive Communication
(Great Books Publishing: West Avenue, Quezon City, 2018)
Austo, Africa C. PhD Purposive Communication in the Now
(Books Atbp. Publishing Corp. Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City)