Language and Occupation Flashcards
What are occupational dialects?
Occupational dialects refer to specialized vocabularies, grammatical structures, and pronunciation patterns associated with specific professions or activities.
What is the purpose of occupational dialects ?
They enable clear, precise communication among members of a group and contribute to a sense of professional identity and expertise
What is the social function of occupational dialects ?
Occupational dialects can also serve to exclude outsiders and enhance the perceived importance or sophistication of the speake
What are the three characteristics of Occupational Dialects in Education?
- Lexical Differences
- Grammatical differences
-phonological differences
What is meant by lexical differences?
Specialized vocabulary unique to the field of education, such as “timetable,” “coursework,” and “GCSE,” which have specific meanings within the educational context.
What is meant by grammatical differences?
Occasionally, occupational dialects exhibit specific grammatical structures tailored to the needs of the profession, like shorthand used by opticians or educational jargon used by teachers.
What is meant by phonological differences?
While less common, some occupational dialects may have distinct pronunciation patterns, particularly in specialized fields like Church language or specific technical terminologies.
What is Jargon?
-special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult
for others to understand.
What is the purpose of Jargon?
It allows specialists to communicate quickly and precisely about technical concepts, processes, and conditions within their field
Jargon - Inclusion and Status
Those who understand and use jargon feel included in their professional group, which can elevate their status within that community.
Jargon -Barriers to understanding
Jargon can create barriers when specialists use it with non-specialists, such as doctors with patients or mechanics with car owners, leading to misunderstandings and feelings of exclusion.
Jargon- power dynamics
Specialists sometimes use jargon deliberately to impress or intimidate non-specialists, reinforcing their own perceived status and potentially obscuring information.
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work
According to Drew and Heritage (1992), ‘institutional talk’, as they call
workplace and professional talk, differs from ordinary conversation in a
number of ways
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work- Goal orientation
participants in workplace conversations usually focus on specific tasks or goals.
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work- Turn taking rules/ restrictions
in some professional contexts (e.g.
the courtroom) there are special turn-taking rules in operation. But even
if no special rules exist, there may be unwritten restrictions on who
speaks when; for example in doctor–patient consultations, it is the
doctor who tends to ask the questions.
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work- allowable contributions
there may be restrictions on what kinds of
contributions are considered ‘allowable’,
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work - Professional Lexis
special vocabulary used in specific jobs or workplaces. This vocabulary helps professionals communicate clearly and efficiently about their work.
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work- Structure
workplace and professional interactions may be structured inspecific ways.
Drew and Heritage (1992) - The Language of Work - Asymmetry
workplace and professional interactions are often asymmetrical, that is often one speaker has more power and/or special
knowledge than the other.
Register
The set of linguistic features which characterizes texts in different professional
contexts
What is small talk?
Small talk is casual, informal conversation that helps build rapport and a comfortable atmosphere in social or professional settings
Coates (1996)
In both friendships and workplaces, paying attention to the ‘face’ needs of others is essential for building relationships. In the workplace, this is known as collegiality. Small talk, including greetings and shared complaints, helps maintain politeness and creates a comfortable working environment.
Hornyak (1994)
- It is generally the superior in an unequal interaction who has the deciding voice in
licencing small talk.
-The senior person generally decides how much and what type of small talk is
acceptable in an interaction.
-The superior has the right to cut off or minimise small talk to get on to business.
-It is also possible for the superior to use small talk as a way to influence or ‘manage’
the behaviour of others, for instance, small talk may be used at the end of an
interaction in order to indicate the interaction is finished.
-Compliments tend to flow from those of higher rank to those of lower rank. (Herbert & Straight: 1989)
Herbert & Straight: 1989
-Compliments are usually from a person of higher authority to a person of lower authority.
-Deflecting/negating a compliment shows/implies that the addressee is superior.
-Different compliment responses include:
*appreciation/comment acceptance (“thanks”),
*praise upgrade/question (“really?”),
*return (“so do you”),
*scale down (“no I’m not!”),
*no acknowledgement/changing subject.
Howard Giles - Accommodation Theory
-Concerned with the changes we make to become either more similar (convergence)or less similar (divergence) to the people we communicate with.
-It also deals with how much the accommodation of others is perceived in a
conversation.
-For example, we often change our speech or behavior in a conversation to either
match those around us or distance ourselves from them.
