Occupational Language

Question 1

what is form?

Answer 1

the form of occupational language is the type of language used (question, instruct, order, advise, inform, consider etc)

can be individual words or phrases, sentences, abbreviations, code

Question 2

what is the explicit form?

Answer 2

language that must be used and is easily identifiable as part of an occupational dialect, eg ‘You have the right to remain silent’

Question 3

what is the loose form?

Answer 3

where language choices are flexible and not subject to strict rules eg ‘Was there anything else today?’ ‘Can I help you with anything else?’ ‘Is that everything?’

Question 4

what are the functions of occupational language?

Answer 4

communicating info
requesting help
confirming arrangements
instructing to do something
making things happen or enacting them

sometimes a combo of these are used

Question 5

what is jargon?

Answer 5

specialist occupational language

specialist words used in a profession that are not part of a person’s usual lexicon

Question 6

example of jargon used by air traffic controllers?

Answer 6

say ‘taxi’ instead of ‘the movement of an aircraft on the ground’

Question 7

what is restricted lexis?

Answer 7

vocab only used in specific job

eg subpoena, covenant, habeas corpus are legal terms

Question 8

What is John Swales’ Discourse Community theory?

s c u p

Answer 8

Swales developed the idea of an occupational group being a discourse
community which has members who –
* Share common goals
* Communicate internally (to each other – not to the public)
* Use specialist lexis and discourse
* Possess or learn a required level of knowledge and skills to be part of the
community