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What benefits can English teachers get by understanding the concept of register?


Diskusi 12 Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching

What benefits can English teachers get by understanding the concept of register?

Answer:

According to Halliday in Lukin et al (2011), register is a semantic configuration that is associated with a particular social context. It is characterized by a clustering of semantic features, such as vocabulary, grammar, and style, that are appropriate for the specific activity, relationship, and medium of the text. Halliday (in Lukin et al, 2011) identified three components of register: field, tenor, and mode, with a short explanation as follows:

  • Field refers to the subject matter or topic of communication. For example, the language used in a scientific paper is not equal (different) from the language used in a chat with friends.
  • Tenor refers to relationships between speaker and listener, between writer and reader, etc. For example, the language used to talk to a child is not equal to the language used with colleagues or friends.
  • Mode refers to the medium or channel or form of communication, such as the language used in a speech is not equal to the language used in a letter.

In short, the definition of “register” is a useful tool for understanding how language is used in different contexts or a variety of language used for a particular purpose (particular communicative situation). And it can help us to identify the different ways in which language can be used to achieve different purposes.

What benefits can English teachers get by understanding the concept of register?

According to Lukin et al (2011), English teachers can get benefit from understanding the concept of register in several ways, as follows:

  1. Firstly, it can help us to teach the students how to use language appropriately in different social contexts. By understanding how language features such as vocabulary, grammar, and tone vary according to situational context, teachers can help their students to develop the skills needed to communicate effectively in a range of settings. 
  2. Secondly, it can help teachers to identify and address language errors that may arise from inappropriate language use. For example, if a student uses overly formal language in a casual setting or uses slang in a formal setting. So, the teacher can use their knowledge of register to explain why this is inappropriate and provide guidance on how to use language more effectively.
  3. Finally, it can help teachers to develop more engaging and relevant lesson plans. So, the teachers can help their students to see the practical applications of the language they are learning and develop a deeper understanding of how language works in real-world contexts.

In other words, we can conclude that understanding the concept of register can be a valuable tool for English teachers and English teachers can help their students become more effective communicators. It can help students communicate effectively, enrich their vocabulary, and promote critical thinking.

Reference:

Lukin, A., Moore, A. R., Herke, M., & Wegener, R. K. (2011). Halliday’s model of register revisited and explored. Linguistics and the Human Sciences, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.v4i2.187