TEFL Brundidge Alabama

A common source of frustration for a person learning any second language is the difference between the formal and informal versions. Each is equally important yet can seem completely unrelated. For example when teaching the formal way to greet a person in english, we are taught along these lines. ‘Hello, how are you?' ‘Hello, how do you do?' In daily conversation the words, pronunciation and context can vary; depending upon the country you are in, the region of the country and even the ethnic group. Some examples are; ‘What's up?', ‘How's it going?', ‘Howya doin?', ‘What's new?', ‘G'day mate' or ‘Top of the morning to you.' While the examples of these two versions don't appear to resemble each other at all, pronunciation aside, they share some common traits; a subject and a verb and follow the same sentence structure. This is what makes learning the formal version of any language critical. Another difference between the versions is the fluidity, adoptability and adaptability of informal language versus formal. Informal language changes constantly with new phrases, idioms and words added, dropped, and/or altered in very short time spans, whereas, formal language changes slowly and over longer periods of time. In many cases, the new additions or modifications that become part of the formal version are informal versions that have become part of the daily lexicon. For example, until the early 1950's the word cool mostly referred to temperature, a person's demeanor or to describe a color. The weather will be cool for the next few days or he was cool to the idea. Starting in the 1950's the informal use could mean; that was a good idea, something fashionable, I like it, or someone who can be trusted. It took some time, but those meanings are now part of the formal version and are included in the dictionary. Whereas, most informal versions are adapted or modified formal versions, there are words that are created in the informal world and eventually become part of the formal lexicon. An example of this is the word jive. (Encylopedia Brittanica) There's no exact history of the development but it surfaced in the mid to late 1920's and is now in the dictionary and part of the formal language. Another source of formal from informal is from other languages. An example of this is the word goober. (Encylopedia Brittanica) This is a Bantu word for peanut and was used by the African slaves in southeastern states of the US. The word remained a local informal word used primarily in the southern states until ‘Goobers' and ‘Goobers and Raisinets' were introduced in America as candy and heavily promoted in movie theaters in the mid twentieth century. As candy, Goobers are peanuts covered in chocolate but now goobers are synonymous with peanuts, in the US and included as the definition in dictionaries. An additional difference has to do with whether you are speaking or writing. Speaking uses more informal language while writing tends to be more formal. This makes sense because speaking/conversation is fluid, dynamic, unstructured and more interactive whereas writing is controlled, thought out and planned. Even then it can be different because there's a difference between a politician being asked an ad hoc question and responding to it versus a politician make a speech. In both cases, the person is speaking but the politician will be speaking in a more informal mode than s/he would be when giving a speech. The vital lesson for the instructor is to recognize that there are differences between the formal and informal versions and be able to prove the symbiotic relationship and the importance of both. Works Cited Encylopedia Brittanica. www.merriam-webster.com. 29 August 2012. 29 August 2012 .