Register of Language, Affirmation, and Prohibition Register

¶ … Register of Language, Affirmation, and Prohibition

Register of language defines the way native speakers divide the way they speak in different social settings. It spans over a spectrum beginning in the most casual of settings all the way into the most careful behavior of a formal setting. However, it does not come naturally as part of the language learned and depends heavily on what is observed early in life. Those never exposed to a formal setting may never truly understand the proper way to speak while in one, which denies the person opportunity to progress in situations such as job interviews, dates, and academic settings. Since formal settings are often reserved for the upper classes, the lower classes are never granted the exposure required to understand formal register. This inadequate exposure leads to a constant casual register, which naturally becomes the most comfortable way to speak and may make it easier for those from higher classes to cast quick judgment regarding one's background. This lack of opportunity is handed down through generations and restricts those in poverty from breaking into higher social ranks.

This restriction to a casual register grants those in poverty disadvantages in a world that constantly demands the formal. Interviews for jobs that would provide the potential to move up through social ranks need to be addressed in a formal register and may be difficult to approach without proper understanding. Usage of the wrong register in such a setting may automatically lead to a negative first impression and knock the candidate out of the race for the position desired.

Academic success may also become jeopardized as a result of the inability to use formal register. Beginning in grade school, lessons are often taught in a formal register and may become difficult to understand if the student does not understand the words being spoken. In addition, quizzes and examinations are also offered in the formal register, which may appear as a foreign language to a student that is constantly speaking in the casual. Finally, presentations demand proper knowledge of the formal register. If these presentations are given in the casual register, the student's grades may suffer dramatically. Because of its importance in academic settings, proper understanding of the formal register becomes crucial to a student's success.

Outside of an academic setting and in the work place, usage and understanding of the formal register becomes more important in the jobs that demand it. For instance, a person applying for an electrician position may not have to depend on proper language as much as a reception applicant because knowledge of the trade outweighs communication skills.

While register of language becomes a crucial tool in granting opportunities for an individual, the methods in which they are raised from a child become equally important. The way children receive prohibitions and affirmations severely alter their willingness to approach new situations and acquire new knowledge. Affirmations are positive statements that encourage confidence and self-esteem while prohibitions may promote fear, hesitation, and reluctance in a child.

When children are experiencing their early development stages, confusion and uncertainty arise often. It then becomes the duty of the caregiver to provide the answers that are being searched for. If prohibitions are offered to a child who desires reinforcement while approaching a particular situation, the child will become reluctant when dealing with similar circumstances. This will lead to both positive and negative repercussions. If the situation was negative, such as a stranger approaching the child in a questionable manner, the prohibitions offered by the caregiver will affirm that this is indeed a direction that should not be followed. However, if the situation holds the potential to become positive but is still met with prohibition, the outcome may be an over-sheltered child lacking the life experiences of their counterparts. For example, a young child sees another child of a similar age and wants to approach them. They look to their caregiver for reassurance but do not receive it. Consequently, the child will not approach the other child and may develop a fear or uncertainty dealing with new situations and new people in the future.