Everyday fields Specialised fields
Shared by all members of the culture (eg. Not shared by all members of the
shopping, using public transport, eating) culture (gardening, surfing, cooking).
Text books in school (photosynthesis,
WHAT? cell division, moles, electrolysis, oxbow
lakes, break even analysis)
(Smart people language – academic
language)
Informal: greatest emotional Neutral:
involvement decreasing contact
Familiar: greatest contact
Novice: status is lowest
Child to adult, sibling to sibling or personal Student as ‘knower’ to familiar or
contact with familiar individuals unfamiliar audiences.
Teacher to student on coursework,
WHO?
tests, examinations.
No slang allowed.
Most spoken Spoken texts written down and
Language as action written texts spoken aloud
Close
Face-to-face, dialogic, Unshared experiences, recounting,
spontaneous generalising.
Concrete and specific to the Taking notes from a teacher’s talk.
local, shared context Reading out from a textbook.
(contextualised) HOW?
Highly technical fields
Shared by few members of the
culture and often take many years
to develop, typically in tertiary
institutions.
(extra – smart people language,
highly academic)
Formal: least emotional
involvement
Unfamiliar: least contact
Expert: status is highest
Student/adult as expert,
higher status,
Institutionalised relationships.
You and the examboard.
You and the examiner.
Most written
Language as reflection
Distant
Monologic and reflective
(decontextualised)
Precise, planned, edited,
organised and coherent.
Essays/Papers, Ph.Ds,
Coursework, Reports, Newsletters,
Magazine Articles