Language and Occupation

Question 1

Goal Orientation

Answer 1

(Drew and Heritage)- Participants in workplace conversations usually focus on specific tasks or goals

Question 2

Turn-taking rules or restrictions

Answer 2

(Drew and Heritage) Some contexts have specific turn-taking rules e.g. a courtroom. Even when there are no specific rules, there is an accepted protocol e.g. patient/doctor consultation

Question 3

Allowable Contributions

Answer 3

(Drew and Heritage) Restrictions on what kinds of contributions are considered “allowable” i.e.what participants may say

Question 4

Structure

Answer 4

(Drew and Heritage) Workplace interactions may have specific structures e.g. interviews, meetings

Question 4

Professional lexis or restricted occupational lexis

Answer 4

(Drew and Heritage)Professional workplace context may require specialist lexis

Question 5

Asymmetry

Answer 5

(Drew and Heritage)Workplace interactions are often asymmetrical in that one speaker often has more power or specialist knowledge than the other e.g. manager/employee, doctor/patient

Question 6

Herbert and Straight 1989

Answer 6

Compliments tend to flow from those of higher rank to those of lower rank

Question 7

Hornyak 1994

Answer 7

The shift from work talk to personal talk is always initiated by the highest ranking person in the room

Question 8

Holmes 1998

Answer 8

Women managers are more likely to negotiate consensus than male managers ensuring everyone genuinely agrees with decisions.

Question 8

Holmes and Stubbe Language in the workplace project 1998-2004

Answer 8

The way co-workers use small talk is defined by the power relationship between them. Superiors tend to initiate and restrict small talk as well as defining what subject matters are acceptable subjects for conversation.

Question 9

Jargon

Answer 9

A special language belonging exclusively to a group, often a profession.

Question 10

Personal power

Answer 10

Power held by those as a result of their roles in organisations

Question 11

Social group power

Answer 11

Power held as a result of being a member of a dominant social group

Question 12

Instrumental power

Answer 12

Having the authority to impose sanctions if power is ignored

Question 13

Nominalisation

Answer 13

The conversion of verbs into nouns

Question 14

Verbing

Answer 14

A type of conversion in which a noun is used as a verb

Question 15

Euphemism

Answer 15

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Question 16

Passive voice

Answer 16

The opposite of active voice; in the passive voice something happens to someone: The woman was bitten by the dog, rather than the active form The dog bit the woman.

Question 17

Drew and Heritage

Answer 17

researchers who identified common features of workplace language

Question 18

hierachy

Answer 18

an organisational structure in which members of an organisation or society are ranked according to relative status or authority

Question 19

voight et al

Answer 19

police officers on traffic stops used more respectful language to talk to white suspects than black suspects

Question 20

community of practice

Answer 20

Trousdale identified this as having 3 characteristics: mutual engagement, a jointly negotiated enterprise, and a shared repertoire

Question 21

transactional talk

Answer 21

talk with the purpose of completing a task

Question 22

interactional talk

Answer 22

talk with the purpose of building and maintaining relationships

Question 23

Numberg

Answer 23

corporate jargon is like teenage slang - it provides a sense of group identity

Question 24

acronyms and initialisms

Answer 24

BAU - Business As Usual
CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility