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Volume 5, Issue 1, 2023
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What is a register?
Author(s): Douglas Biber and Jesse Egbertpp.: 1–22 (22)More LessAbstractEmpirical studies of register variation have established the existence of functional correspondence between situation/context and language use. However, previous conceptualizations of register cannot adequately account for empirical findings which have revealed (i) situational and linguistic variation among texts within registers and (ii) texts that do not belong to a register. We propose an alternative conceptualization in which registers are culturally-recognized categories, as opposed to scientifically-defined categories. This allows us to describe registers for their typical characteristics as well as the variation among texts within register categories. It also allows us to account for the functional correspondence of texts that exist outside of register categories.
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Investigating pragmatic failure in L2 English email writing among Japanese university EFL learners
Author(s): Allan Nicholas, John Blake, Maxim Mozgovoy and Jeremy Perkinspp.: 23–51 (29)More LessAbstractEnglish L2 email is an important mode of communication for Japanese university learners. However, learners often find it challenging to vary register in a pragmatically-appropriate manner when emailing. Identifying specific aspects of English email writing that learners find challenging can provide the basis for addressing learner needs. A corpus approach can help, systematically identifying instances of perceived divergence from register-specific norms in an email dataset. Few learner corpora, however, have focused on appropriate register variation in learner L2 English. This article describes the development, annotation, and analysis of a specialized corpus of Japanese university English L2 learners’ request-based email writing, annotated for perceived instances of pragmatic failure. Findings show high frequencies of perceived pragmatic failure across all aspects of English L2 email writing, with participants struggling to appropriately adapt their language to varying contexts. Implications for the language learning classroom are discussed.
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The concept of register in heritage language retention
Author(s): Helena Olfertpp.: 52–81 (30)More LessAbstractThis paper argues for a greater consideration of the role of register in the retention of heritage languages by analyzing data on adolescent heritage-language speakers in Germany. The study addresses the following question: Which language external factors have the greatest impact on heritage-language retention in the intimate vs formal registers? A questionnaire was filled out by 202 students (age 15–17) in an urban area in Germany, who are all heritage-language speakers of 42 different languages. The major finding of this study is that heritage-language retention is determined by different language-external factors in each register. The fact that different models of heritage-language retention can be postulated for different language registers emphasizes the need to describe the language competences of heritage-language speakers according to registers.
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The use of periphrasis for the expression of aspect by Greek heritage speakers
Author(s): Artemis Alexiadou and Vasiliki Rizoupp.: 82–110 (29)More LessAbstractIn this paper, we examine the narrowing of register variation in the domain of verbal aspect in the production of aspect by two different age groups of Greek heritage speakers (HSs), adolescents and adults, which we compared to their monolingual peers. We first identify a previously undocumented case of register variation for the expression of perfective aspect in Greek. Both HSs and monolingual speakers have at their disposal synthetic and analytic forms, the latter built on the basis of light verbs, to express grammatical aspect, and specifically perfective aspect. While monolinguals make use of this alternation to signal register variation, with periphrastic constructions used in informal settings and in the oral mode, HSs behave differently. Both adolescent and adult HSs generalize periphrastic constructions across formal and informal communicative situations, thus showing a case of register variation narrowing. The fact that periphrastic constructions are associated with perfective aspect is due to aspect levelling: HSs overgeneralize the use of the perfective aspect.
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An experimental approach to colloquiality perception in L1 and L2 Spanish
Author(s): Irene Checa-Garciapp.: 111–135 (25)More LessAbstractMost studies on register have only approached it from the point of view of production rather than perception. However, features associated with less formal registers could vary in production and perception, particularly in the case of L2. Here an experimental methodology is used to look at five morphosyntactic linguistic features commonly considered more colloquial in Spanish and compare their effect in perceiving a sentence as more or less formal in two different groups of Spanish speakers, L1 and L2. Results show differences between the two groups, in the effect and weight of some of the experimental conditions and their interactions. These differences can be explained in terms of register input received in the classroom and perceptibility and processing impact of some of the features. The paper concludes with a discussion of the methodological challenges of this type of study as well as how it can complement register production studies.
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Review of Love (2020): Overcoming challenges in corpus construction: The Spoken British National Corpus 2014
Author(s): Elizabeth Hankspp.: 136–142 (7)More LessThis article reviews Overcoming challenges in corpus construction: The Spoken British National Corpus 2014
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Fiction – one register or two?
Author(s): Jesse Egbert and Michaela Mahlberg
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Register in historical linguistics
Author(s): Merja Kytö
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Editorial
Author(s): Bethany Gray and Jesse Egbert
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