Speech Comm

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[She's in costume, dressed as a Gypsy] Happy Halloween. I brought chocolate...eat it.

[adjusts her glasses] Ok, gang. I had a lovely weekend meeting your parents. Chip, Parker, Anya...I think I now know yours best. I'm sure we're all glad it's over, let's move on.


301--Register

Register is the level of formality with which we communicate. We do it everyday, and it's both hardwired and learned social behavior. We are social creatures, and as such we accept the concept of status. Other things factor into our register choices, such as trust, respect, and influence, and even intimacy...

For example, you all know I'm dating the Doctor. Why might I call him Doctor in the lounge here at school, and Ten at home? For that matter, why do I call all of you Mister or Miss in the classroom, and by your name when we are out and about? Consider how you communicates depending on both person AND setting.

What do you think about this? Let's take the concept and roll it around on our tongues like a Jujube of Justice until it sticks to our teeth of understanding explore what it means to speak differently to different people.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/sydney_bristow_/]

Sydney comes into class, still looking like she hasn't slept all that well, but she's not bruised anymore.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[Where Sydney normally sits has been replaced with a table and ergonomic office chair]

Doing ok, Sydney?

[http://users.livejournal.com/sydney_bristow_/]

Sydney nods. "Better thanks." she tells her.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

All right...I hope you're more comfortable. [She smiles gently and looks like she'd like to say more, but moves on with the class]

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

But you don't. Call me Mister anything. You call me Chip, except for when you're truly pissed at me, and then you call me Jack.

Jack thinks, but does not say: And the Doctor, for another instance, is stuck on my name being "Ja-er, Mr. Harkness".

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

((I so slipped and called you Jack today, zomg.))

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

{{Yeah, but timing being what it was, did it happen *before* or *after* this class. ;)}}

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

(([grins] Whenever you like. Actually, Speech Comm is bright and early, isn't it? So probably it happened after. Our Doctor is a bit...emotionally edgy today.))

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Well, it depends on what I'm talking to you about, right? I went through all three that Friday...[coughs] ...and when I talk about you to other people, I call you Mr. Harkness...for example, your guardian. Why do you imagine I change a personal reference like that?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

My... guardian? Who... oh. *looks shell-shocked*

*tries to rally* Because on a daily basis, we're casual. On a oh-shit-what's-happened-now basis, we're less casual. And formality is for... speaking to someone I don't know but who knows me.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Language, Chip. Profanity has no place in my class. I think we need to speak after class. [Her expression begins stony, but relaxes] Tell me about casual versus formal...with examples please.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Sorry, teach. Um... wasn't there something in the reading about how some languages have totally different words for "you", depending on whether the relationship between the people talking was equal to equal or greater to lesser? So I'd never call you, "you," because that would be too informal. I'd call you, I don't know, thou who art the teachiest of teachers. Something like that.

So some languages have that hardwired in, this distinction between casual and formal.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Right, Chip! I'm glad to see the text is sinking in. The easiest example of that is nosotros and vosotros in Spanish. One is, essentially, "Hey gang" and the other means "Most distinguished people I am addressing." Good...very good.

Teachiest of all teachers?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, chocolate!

Because if you called him Doctor at home, it's a bit kinky and you probably wouldn't be telling us that?

*pauses, with an "oops?" look on her face*

[wannabelawyer.livejournal.com]

*Lindsey snickers at Elizabeth and then coughs, trying to cover it up*

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Lindsey...something you'd like to add?

[wannabelawyer.livejournal.com]

Not really ma'am, no.

*he gives CJ his most winning smile*

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Lindsey, don't cal me ma'am...it annoys me. [His smile is charming, and that's all the scolding he gets...unless he pushes it.]

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[Her expression is serious, but an amused smile threatens to break through] Thanks...Anya. Can you think of another reason I might do that, something a little less, um, kinky?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Don't distract me with chocolate!

You use the personal name at home, because you're in a personal place. In the faculty lounge, it's a more formal atmosphere and you might feel that it's more appropriate for the setting.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Aha, yes, E. Setting has a lot to do with it. I want you to consider the role of external audience and how that factors in to the dender/message/receiver paradigm.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

You're more likely to use more personal names without an external audience. Unless you slip up, and it just gets all embarrassing for you, the person who you've called this private name, and often the audience.

An external audience often makes you more formal, especially if they're people you either don't know too well, or are in... *hesitates, wincing* a superior position, or a position of authority that's higher than your own.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Do you think that makes the external audience another receiver? A secondary receiver? Therefore the sender tailors the message for more than the one intended receiver?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*thinks for a moment*

*nods* Yeah. Even when there's just the potential for there to be an external audience, because you're in a public place, you still tailor the message so that it's appropriate for more than the actually receiver.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

And what are the potential repercussions if you don't, E. What if someone overhears you? and is so sad OMG

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Embarassment is the obvious one. It could also give the person who overheard you blackmail material. It may be damaging to something... a relationship, or a project.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

And what social function does embarassment fulfil?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*chews on her lip, thinking*

It's a way apologizing, because socially, you've made a faux pas... It's like an appeasment gesture in a way. It's also likely to make the repercussions of the faux pas less severe, because it shows that you care about breaking the rule and that you're sorry for doing so.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Yes! And this takes us back to my favorite words. Trust and Reciprocity [Writes RECIPROCITY on the board]

How does embarassment fulfil a reciprocal obligation, E?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

When it's positively interpreted, it elicits a positive response. By maintaining the reciprocal obligation, it helps to maintain social norms.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Very good, Elizabeth. Astute and perceptive as always.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Dirty!" Rory says as she enters, her face and voice clearly incredulous.

From in his basket, Toto Vladdie yawns.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Dirty, Rory? take a drink.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"She distracted me with chocolate," Elizabeth replies, looking innocent.

[miss-monochrome.livejournal.com]

::comes in a little late, still in her Halloween costume (minus the hat)::

Sorry. Um, maybe you use different names to...to seperate what role your playing? Like at school, you guys are two teachers that happen to be dating and then at...at home you're two people dating who happen to be teachers? Makes it easier to seperate the two?

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Chiana, that's an excellent assessment of the scenario. Situational roles often determine register. Can you apply the same paradigm to yourself? Some aspect of your life?

[absolutesnark]

Piper wanders into class and listens to the discussion.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Piper, do you have anything you'd like to add?

[other-logan.livejournal.com]

We speak differently to different people because each relationship is different, growing from the first time you meet and expanding with each subsequent conversation.

[allie-cameron.livejournal.com]

Allie gives Logan a grin.

"See," she whispers. "You're smart when you actually come to class," she teases.

[other-logan.livejournal.com]

"My intelligence does not change based on location, thank you very much," Logan replies, grinning back.

[http://users.livejournal.com/___lily_evans_/]

How we address others just sort of grows organically from our interactions with them. In the past, many of my friends have created different nicknames for each other, but while one person could get away with calling me "Lils," another would feel ridiculous saying it. It's a bit of personal preference from experience.

[not-an-ex-demon.livejournal.com]

Anya walks in and yawn. These conversations about conversation are so tiresome. She has a hard enough time getting all these rules down, nevermind why it is we do them.

She sits and listens to the dirty! talk about the doctor and Prof. Cregg

[dbiers.livejournal.com]

D'anna stumbles in and takes a place in the back. If she weren't covered head to toe (turtle neck, jeans, ball cap, big dark-glasses), one might say she looked like hell. As it is, she sets her rucksack down and leans her head in her hands behind her colossal coffee mug (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/no_chocolate/FH/leonismug.jpg). If her brain were up to functioning, she'd have hopped into the conversation begun by Elizabeth, but that's not going to happen. Instead, she sips her coffee and listens to the conversations.