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WHY KNOWING BOTH FORMAL AND NON FORMAL LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT While taking the course “Teaching English As A Second Language” I became aware of many different aspects of the English language that need to be understood, not only to pass the course but more importantly to be fully equipped to teach English to non-English speaking people. I was most interested in ‘Formal’ and ‘Non Formal’ Language. Regardless of the language someone speaks, knowing and understanding this difference is an important aspect of becoming fluent in English as a second language. Knowing when to use formal and non formal language in conversation or in writing is a large part of mastering a language. One of the basic tenets of writing and speaking is proper use of formal and non formal language. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” With that thought in mind there are times when the non formal language is not appropriate or acceptable and there will be times when the use of formal language will also not be appropriate because of the intended audience. Each serve a different purpose. The choice of words and the tone used, whether in speech or writing, will vary depending on the formality of the situation you are in. Formal language is far less personal than non formal. It is more serious and precise and therefore is the appropriate choice in a business, legal or academic setting. Formal language is in the neutral voice and does not use contractions, colloquialisms, slang, figures of speech, clichés or first person pronouns, such as ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘you’ or ‘we.’ The vocabulary is more academic and in writing the sentences are longer and more complex. It is objective in nature and has more of an impersonal tone rather than a personal tone and is free of the imperative voice. It uses the passive voice rather than the active voice and many phrasal verbs are avoided. When your purpose is to explain a topic, idea or when speaking at a public forum, formal language is the better option. Formal language writing works best in essays, research papers, business letters, resumes and cover letters. Non formal language is more spontaneous and casual. It is used when your purpose is to share personal feelings and thoughts. It is used to communicate with friends and family members. Non formal language is used when writing personal emails, post cards, stories and on social media sites. The characteristics of non formal language are that it is more conversational in tone, expresses personal feelings and uses personal pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘you’ or ‘we’. It is more common to use abbreviations, contractions and a shortened form of verbs. Unlike formal language, non formal writing uses shorter sentences and the tone, whether speaking or writing, is informal. Phrasal verbs are used frequently. Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of a verb plus an adverb or a verb plus a preposition. Most phrasal verbs consist of two words such as, ‘ask around’, ‘blow up’, ‘break down’, ‘catch up’, ‘check up’, ‘come apart’, and ‘come forward’. However, there are a few phrasal verbs that consist of three words such as ‘come down with’, ‘put up with', 'look forward to.' Another aspect of non formal language is the use of contractions. Contractions are short forms of other words that are used when speaking casually. They are not slang but are a close relation. Contractions are never used in writing. They are usually used only when speaking fast and casually with friends. Non formal contractions are more common in our American English. Examples of non formal contractions are: ain’t = am not/are not e.g.“You ain’t my boss.” kinda = kind of e.g. “She’s kinda cute.” gonna = going to e.g. “What are you gonna do?” lemme = let me e.g. “Lemme leave.” wanna = want to e.g. “I wanna go home.” whatcha = what are e.g. “Whatcha gonna do?” Anyone using the English language, whether as their native language (L1) or second language (L2), should understand the correct usage of formal and non formal English in order to communicate effectively.
