Language registers as a means of speakers’s adaptation to the sociocultural context of communication

Abstract

In today’s multicultural society, effective communication requires not only linguistic proficiency but also a deep sociolinguistic understanding of the language environment. The sociocultural contexts in which communication takes place can significantly alter an individual’s language behavior: a conversation with a friend in an informal setting, a presentation at a conference, a formal address to an official, a letter to a government institution, or a discussion of meeting results on Zoom - each of these situations calls for a different language register. Such contexts vary according to the social roles of the participants, their level of familiarity, institutional objectives, expectations regarding language formulas, and norms of etiquette. The inability to adapt one’s language to these parameters reduces communication effectiveness, leads to misunderstandings, or creates an impression of incompetence (Trudgill, 2022).