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“Students examine the features that distinguish informal language from more formal language.”
“They understand how spontaneity and planning can both play a role in informal language and the ways in which informality may play an important role in building rapport.”
“They examine how users of informal language may be idiosyncratic in their linguistic choices and structure texts in a non-linear way, and they explore the role of colloquial language and language varieties in establishing informal registers.”
Both written and spoken informal texts may contain non-fluency features, ellipses, shortened lexical forms and syntactic creativity. (Study Design, 2024)
- Summary of characteristics of informal discourse: glossary of spoken informal elements
- See a Summary of this year’s Contemporary Informal Examples .
Informal language, in-group solidarity, tenor and face needs
Students investigate “how informal language choices can build rapport by encouraging inclusiveness, intimacy, solidarity and equality” (VCAA)
- See group identities and the in-group‘s use of covert norms
Informal language, tenor, face needs and social distance/purpose
“Students investigate how informal language can be used to meet and challenge others’ face needs” (VCAA)
- Slang: social distance and solidarity; Australian vernacular and “strine“
- Informal language and face needs; positive (“the need to be liked, respected and treated as a member of a group”) and negative (“the need to be autonomous and act without imposition from others”) ; “strine” and “slanguage”
Informal language features such as slang and swearing patterns
Students investigate how “slang and swearing patterns are important in encouraging linguistic innovation and in-group membership” (VCAA)
- Informal language; “slanguage” and “bloody“; swearing patterns, language change and shifting taboos ; swearing and online trolling
Other useful links:
- See Area Study 2: Formal Language
- References to linguists and relevant commentators (which ones?)