In preparing this topic area candidates should study: the forms and functions of talk; registers and styles of writing; historical and contemporary changes, where appropriate. In particular, they should examine:
- everyday functions and activities (e.g. the role of interpersonal language)
- discourse features.
- Occupations develop their own special language features, and use those of the common language in novel or distinctive ways.
- Occupations are a source of language change, while attitudes to language may in turn be causes of change in the way occupations work
- in studying language and occupation, you should consider particular forms (instruction, interview, discussion, conference, briefing, appointing, disciplining) in relation to their functions.
- communicating information
- requesting help
- confirming arrangements
- instructing employees or colleagues to do something
- making things happen or enacting them
You should also look at how speech interactions reveal hierarchies, and changing attitudes to these.
Do not assume that greater explicit courtesy is shown to those of higher status - often the reverse is true. You should be aware of phatic tokens.
These are ways of showing status by orienting comments to oneself, to the other, or to the general or prevailing situation (in England this is usually the weather).
Almost every occupation has its own special lexicon - a vocabulary that is specific to the occupation generally (the legal profession, the Merchant Navy, teaching) or more narrowly to the particular solicitors' practice, ship or school.
- We see that register as a description includes notions of lexis, semantics, etymology and grammar.
- As soon as we place any real language data in context, we will also wish to consider pragmatics.
- You should note that "register" is not a universally accepted description among linguists.
Letters in business and management may also be marked by use of
- subordinate clauses (Following further discussions...),
- passive constructions and impersonal forms (It was felt that.../There are...) and by
- using both singular and plural first-person forms for different meanings: we for a business or collective decision, I only when the writer wishes to emphasise an individual decision or attitude.
Conversational maxims
The “success” of a conversation depends upon the various speakers' approach to the interaction. The way in which people try to make conversations work is sometimes called a co-operative principle. We can explain this by four underlying conversational rules or maxims. (They are also named Grice's maxims, after the language philosopher, H.P. Grice.) They are the maxims of quality, quantity, relevance and manner.
- Quality - this means that speakers should tell the truth, not say what they think false, or make statements without evidence.
- Quantity - this means that speakers should be as informative as is required for conversation to proceed; say neither too little, nor too much.
- Relevance - this means that speakers' contributions should relate clearly to the purpose of the exchange.
- Manner - this means that speakers' contributions should be clear, orderly and brief, avoiding obscurity and ambiguity.
