In today global communication, language has the power to blend intense emotions. It can motivate, inspire and amuse audiences. Unfortunately, it can also generate negative feelings: hostility, defensiveness and prejudice. This is because language varies in many ways and what is appropriate at one time or place may not be at another. For instance, English language is the most tremendous development from native nations such as the UK or USA to worldwide. This development has brought with it a number of changes in the principles and practice of English language teaching and learning. Since English is today being used for all sorts of purpose worldwide, it is important for learners to know that there is not just one English style. There is, in fact, many different varieties of English, each associated with a particular local community, social group or profession. So that, this essay will first discuss the variation and varieties of language and why the learners should be aware of using appropriate language based on these language variations will be examined carefully as well.
Language varieties develop for number of reasons. Firstly, it is caused historically. Usage of vocabularies, slang terms, pronunciation and grammatical constructions from 17th century change quite rapidly in nowadays. Despite recognizing old fashioned language, new generations use modern language to communicate. Furthermore, different dialect can come out from geographical reasons. For example, people from Singapore, New Zealand, and Bangladeshi produce different English dialects, variations of Standard English as they cannot easily place English speakers by their accent.
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A third reason is that people who are possessed by different society, classes or specific group use divergent vocabulary and grammar. They may adopt jargon which is only used by those members of selected group to save time. Take for an example; it is quicker for an accountant to use the term liquidity than to say “the degree to which an asset can be converted into cash.” In the same way, Myanmar people are used to say “car” instead of “wheeled automobile vehicle running on rails”. Moreover, a specialized vocabulary is particularly vital when the subject matter is technical and complex. The phrase sleeping pill simply will not do for physicians, nurse and other health professionals because it say nothing about the dosage, the particular drug ,or the circumstances under which it should be used.
It is obvious that language varies according to who the participants are, where they take place and which medium they use. Despite the fact that people who are under same community may use various way of language to communicate depending on their age, sex or status, group identify and their roles in the speech situation. More specifically, among school community, KG students use a different variety of English apart from teenage or adult learners. That is why there is baby language and most of the stories are filled up with magic, ghosts, princess, fairies, castles and palaces which grown up people rarely mention among themselves. Besides, certain grammatical structures are used to describe such that kind of stories. However, these children change their speech and the way they talked when they get older. They talk differently to their co-workers than they do to their teachers and possibly differently again to their parents.
Similarly, male and female speech is difference. From childhood, rapport talk is learned by females to set up goodwill, show encourage, build community and create connections. Moreover, usage of language is more hyperbolic and they use language to articulate emotions “I’m concerned about finishing that homework today”, “I’m very happy with you all here”. While females use talk to build harmonious relationship, males are more enjoyable with what linguists have labeled survey talk: speech that focuses less on association, emotional state or reaction and more on competence, knowledge, facts and information. Men are more leaning to use language to maintain attention, assert a position, establish status and show independence “Finish that homework by Friday”.
In many languages the speaker makes specific choice of vocabulary or grammar according to the status of the person addressed. People definitely use more formal language to strangers who are not familiar with them and people of higher status such as CEO, boss and principle or lower status as worker, patient and employee. Otherwise, they use informal, casual or intimate style. In practice, one person does not play as one role. They take part in different role in daily activities. A person can be a head of department in one community while he is being patient for doctor for a day. Needless to say, he has to use varieties of language under his role. Alternatively, language may differ while he is using different topic as each subject has its own vocabulary. Take legal and religious language as examples. In addition to this, setting is also influence the language used. Even coworkers who are discussing about market plan in meeting room, they may use appropriate language as formality usage and affected vocabularies under this setting. Depending on setting as well as medium people interact with another by using different style of language. They use more formal language in writing than in speaking.
To everything into consideration, a variety of language which is associated within a particular region or social class may have been because each individual part developed the language in its own different way. That is why language learners should be aware of not only knowledge of the systems of the subject language, such as its grammar and phonology but also knowledge of its social and cultural role of language usage according to previous paragraphs. To be more precise, they have to determine the different registers of language use under different contexts. Traditionally, they are taught by given priority to be linguistic accuracy. Now a day, language teachers add another point of view to traditional method by creation awareness of the appropriate of language. As a result, learners get chance meaningful learning to get communicative competence than grammatically correct in order to be able to communicate effectively.
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