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Standard Australian English and formal linguistic features
As with informal language, the situational, social and cultural contexts determine to a large extent whether interlocutors use formal language and in which mode they choose to communicate.
“They identify the function and consider and analyse the features of formal language in written, spoken and electronic interactions, understanding that the situational and cultural context of an exchange influences the language used. They understand that formal language, in all language modes, tends to have greater cohesion, and is more likely to make some aspects of the presumed context more explicit. Formal language, however, can also be deliberately ambiguous and can obfuscate meaning.” (VCE Study Design 2024-27)
Formal Language and clarification (social purpose)
“Students examine examples of formal texts, exploring how writers and speakers are more likely to consider how their audience might interpret their message. Students learn that formal written texts are more likely to have been edited and formal spoken texts may have been both edited and rehearsed. Formal speech has many of the organisational features of written language, but also draws on prosody and paralinguistic features.
Students examine texts in which speakers and writers use formal language to celebrate and commemorate, and they explore how formal language can be used to clarify, manipulate or obfuscate, particularly in public language – the language of politics, reportage, the law and bureaucracy.”
See Current List of Contemporary Formal Examples
Formal language and social distance; relationship hierarchies ; and politeness conventions (social values and cohesion)
“Students explore the range of ways in which formal language can be used to perform various purposes. They investigate how formal language choices, particularly politeness strategies, can reinforce or challenge social distance, relationship hierarchies and rapport. Similarly, specialised language such as jargon can reinforce the user’s authority and expertise or promote in-group solidarity. ” (VCE Study Design 2024)
- Inclusive language; tenor and social distance; politeness conventions; Inclusive and euphemistic terms
- Consider the nature of taboos (defamation cases and public apologies)
- The ins and outs of “political correctness” and examples
Formal language and politeness conventions
Students “investigate how formal language can be used to meet and challenge others’ face needs, both positive and negative.” (politeness strategies and in-group solidarity) (VCAA)
“Students learn that formal language enables users to carefully negotiate social taboos through the employment of euphemisms and non-discriminatory language. They explore how variations in language reveal much about the intentions and values of speakers or writers, as well as the situational and cultural contexts in which formal texts are created.” (VCE Study Design 2024)
- Politeness conventions; positive face needs (non-discriminatory language)
- Negative face needs and freedom of speech and defamation laws; negative face needs (signs and public orders)
- Racial Discrimination Act 18C and 18D and inclusive/exclusive language
Formal language, double speak and face threatening linguistic examples
Formal language can be used to “clarify, manipulate or obfuscate, particularly in public language – the language of politics, media, the law and bureaucracy”. (VCAA); See Examples of Doublespeak
Formal language that undermines civil codes and erodes values (impolite language and hate speech)
- Return to: Contemporary Formal Examples
- Return to Contemporary Informal Examples of a range of informal examples.
- Return to Essays Made Easy: English Language
- Return to our Welcome Page: Overview of English Works Notes and Resources