Language and Occupation

Question 1

Who coined the accommodation theory?

Answer 1

Howard Giles

Question 2

What is the difference between upwards and downwards convergence?

Answer 2

Upwardly converging means that a person will speak more formally, showing that they aim to be liked by the more formal speaking person.

Downwardly converging means that the person will speak more informally, showing that they are trying to be liked by the more informal speaker.

Question 3

What is the difference between upwards and downwards divergence?

Answer 3

Upwardly diverging means that a person will speak more formally, distancing themselves from the more informal speaker.

Downwardly diverging means that a person will speak more informally, distancing themselves from the more formal speaker.

Question 4

Who analysed medical jargon?

Answer 4

Adam Fox

Question 5

What Adam Fox’s findings?

Answer 5

Fox found that doctors use certain codes and terms in hospitals, ones which ‘normal folk’ wouldn’t understand.

Question 6

Give three examples of Fox’s Medical Jargon…

Answer 6

FTF - failure to fly
BP - blood pressure
Departure lounge - about to die

Question 7

What is L33T?

Answer 7

L33T (pronounced as leet) is a language that has been created and developed by hackers, used as an Anti-Language (to keep people out). The language proved successful during the war, as people couldn’t crack the language terms.

Question 8

Give four examples of the L33T language…

Answer 8

f00d - food
OMG- oh my god
Ecaf- face
n00b - news

Question 9

Who is Koester?

Answer 9

Koester is a theorist who studied how employees interact within the workplace.

Question 10

What did Koester find?

Answer 10

Koester found that ‘banter is needed in the workplace’, as it calms the atmosphere and makes the customers feel more welcomed.

Question 11

Which term did theorist John Swales coin?

Answer 11

Discourse community

Question 12

What is a discourse community?

Answer 12

• everyone in the same occupation has a common set of goals
• this meaning that they have similar interests
• this develops a level of expectation amongst workers

Question 13

Give five examples of Navy jargon…

Answer 13

Chow hall - dining area

Rain locker - shower

Salty - experienced

Ladderwell - stairs

Deck - floor

Question 14

Who coined the politeness theory?

Answer 14

Brown and Levinson

Question 15

What is an FTA?

Answer 15

Face threatening act

Question 16

What is meant by positive politeness?

Answer 16

Where someone asks a person to do something, but in a kind manner.

Question 17

What is meant by negative politeness?

Answer 17

Where someone asks a person to do something, but not in the kindest way.

Question 18

Who coined occupational dialect?

Answer 18

David Crystal

Question 19

What is occupational dialect?

Answer 19

The transition in language that people make, due to entering or exiting the workplace. This is similar to the accommodation theory, in the sense that we improve our language when around customers, but return back to our normal language when leaving work.

Question 20

What are linguistic rituals?

Answer 20

Words/phrases that are almost automatically spoken in the workplace, by an employee towards a customer.

Question 21

Give five examples of linguistic rituals…

Answer 21

How may I help you?

How can I help you today?

What can I get for you?

Would you like anything else with that?

Are you alright?