San Newbie Zimbabwe Joined 6043 days ago 32 posts - 32 votes Speaks: Spanish*
| Message 9 of 12 21 May 2008 at 12:02pm | IP Logged |
LilleOSC wrote:
Is register switching usually subconscious or do people intentionally switch?
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I think it is something unconscious most of the time. For example, regarding Spanish, a situation where you can see this working is when two people who don't know each other start arguing. Then, a gradual escalation of higher language begins. You can see that even in the Internet forums.
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zerothinking Senior Member Australia Joined 6372 days ago 528 posts - 772 votes Speaks: English*
| Message 10 of 12 17 August 2008 at 1:44am | IP Logged |
Sometimes you don't have to think about it. When the woman at the the store hands you your change, the chances of 'accidently' saying 'Thanks mother f**ker' are extremely low. :P
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William Camden Hexaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6272 days ago 1936 posts - 2333 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, French
| Message 11 of 12 21 August 2008 at 2:40pm | IP Logged |
In Scotland, if I spent enough time around people speaking Scots (an English dialect to some, an independent language to others - the debate continues) I would find myself slipping into Scots, almost unconsciously. Like a different language register. But my native language is Standard English with a Scottish accent, and certainly it was Standard English I was taught in school.
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BrainMagMo Newbie United States Joined 5938 days ago 3 posts - 3 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish
| Message 12 of 12 22 August 2008 at 10:43pm | IP Logged |
I think a register is as conscious as any part of language is. In English, the difference is mostly in vocab, so the change is hard to notice. I wonder what a Japanese would think of the subject, considering their extensive honor system.
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