Language in Society: Code-Switching, Jargon, Register & More

🔹 What Do You Want Students to Learn

When the lesson ends, students will can:

1. Describe important sociolinguistic ideas like code-switching, jargon, register, dialects and slang.

2. Look for examples of these phenomena happening in everyday life.

3. Detail what social settings have an impact on language use.

4. Use these approaches when talking or writing in ESL.

🔸 Main Principles & Explanations

1. Code-Switching

When someone uses two or more languages or dialects in the same conversation or meeting, it is called code-switching.

Example: A bilingual student says, "I need to study for my test... কিন্তু আমার ঘুম পাচ্ছে। (but I feel sleepy)."

Why is it important: It represents how someone is able to adapt to a new language and fit into a new culture. This difficulty is common for multilingual people learning ESL.

 2. Jargon

The specialized words or phrases are only used by a particular group or profession.

The server crashed in IT because of a Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

Suggest to students that they pick out jargon when finding it in fields such as medicine, law or technology and learn when they should talk in that way or not.

3. Register

How formal we use language depends on what type of context we are in.

Types:

 This is used when writing essays, speeches or any type of academic work.

  This register is good for talking to friends or in casual settings.

  Neutral Register means it is neither very formal nor very informal.

Activity: Practice register switching (e.g., talk the way you would during a friendly conversation and a job interview).

4. Slang

General term for the language spoken commonly by teenagers and some youths.

 For example, you might say “Wow, that movie was so cool!” (“Cool” means it was great.)

 Keep in mind: Slang can change rapidly and is usually particular to a culture.

 5. Dialect & Accent

A dialect means a local type of language with its own vocabulary and grammar.

A way of speaking that is influenced by the area or group where someone lives. (Accent)

How does speaking with an accent affect communications and views toward someone in English-speaking countries?

 🔹 Interactive Activities

1. Students make short videos or write small journals about the times they switch languages in their daily activities.

2. Take five terms related to the job they want to do and explain them in easy language.

3. Use your writing skills to move a short piece from, for example, plain language to scientific language.

4. Talk to someone you know and ask them how their way of speaking varies with coworkers, family and friends.

Brief summary discussion

 What makes people speak differently in different places?

Is it better to see code-switching as a sign of confusion or of being intelligent?

 Why is knowing about register and jargon important for academic and professional English?

 🔹 Assignments / Homework

Choose an example when someone you know or you used different language styles (code-switching, jargon, register, etc.) and explain why it happened.