(In)Formality: how to get your degree AND make friends Neil Taylor English Language Support...

(In)Formality: how to get your degree AND make friends

Neil Taylor

English Language Support Programme

Aims of coming to uni:

1.To get a degree

2.To have a good time, make lots of friends, meet the girl/boy of your dreams, fall in love and live together happily ever after...

Bad news...

1.ielts 6.5 = not good enough

2.TWO ‘ENGLISHES’!!!

Aims of coming to uni:

1.To get a degree = formal

2.To have a good time, make lots of friends, meet the girl/boy of your dreams, fall in love and live together happily ever after...

= informal

Two ‘Englishes’

1. Formal English

In my opinion, Chelsea will win the Premiership this year

2. Informal English

I reckon Chelsea’ll win the Premiership this year

Two ‘Englishes’

1. Formal English

In my opinion, Chelsea will win the Premiership this year

2. Informal English

I reckon Chelsea’ll win the Premiership this year

Two ‘Englishes’

1. Formal English

In my opinion, Chelsea will win the Premiership this year

2. Informal English

I reckon Chelsea’ll win the Premiership this year

Two ‘Englishes’

1. Formal English

Good morning John! It is rather cold today, don’t you think?

2. Informal English

Alright mate! Bit nippy out, isn’t it?

Two ‘Englishes’

1. Formal English

Good morning John! It is rather cold today, don’t you think?

2. Informal English

Alright mate! Bit nippy out, isn’t it?

Two ‘Englishes’

1. Formal English

Good morning John! It is rather cold today, don’t you think?

2. Informal English

Alright mate! Bit nippy out, isn’t it?

Academic English?

Mr. Simon Johnson and Dr. Sally Albarn did the experiment in 1982. But the experiment didn’t come up with any clear results cos they only interviewed a few people (about 20). To make the experiment better, you should interview more people (500 should do the trick!). This would give us a lot better results.

Academic English?

Mr. Simon Johnson and Dr. Sally Albarn did the experiment in 1982. But the experiment didn’t come up with any clear results cos they only interviewed a few people (about 20). To make the experiment better, you should interview more people (500 should do the trick!). This would give us a lot better results.

Academic English

The experiment was undertaken in 1982 by Johnson and Albarn. However, it proved inconclusive due to the relatively small number of people interviewed (approximately 20). To improve the experiment, it is suggested that a larger number of people (approximately 500) should be interviewed. This should produce far more accurate and reliable data.

Academic English

The experiment was undertaken in 1982 by Johnson and Albarn. However, it proved inconclusive due to the relatively small number of people interviewed (approximately 20). To improve the experiment, it is suggested that a larger number of people (approximately 500) should be interviewed. This should produce far more accurate and reliable data.

Academic English: don’t use...

about more and more getlike lots of/ a lot of loadsin my opinion I want I thinkSmith mentions all in all to sum up

First of all/ in the beginningLast but not least/ at last

So/And/But at beginning of sentences

Exclamation marks!!!

Academic English: don’t use...

1. Vagueness:

e.g. things, good, some people, sort of, kind of, nowadays…

2. Imagery/ metaphor (e.g. every coin has two sides; a cliff we must climb; several voices are heard)

Informal English

REAL ENGLISH

What?!?!?!?!

Fancy a quick brew?

What you up to tonight?

Where you off at the weekend?

Time for a pint?

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.

Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

A real email (sort of)

Dear Miss Katie,

It gives me great pleasure and honour to write toyou. I was really chuffed and thrilled to bits afterI phoned you. I just wanna say cheers! Youruniversity’s really cool cos all your teachers aredead fit.    Thanks a million, mate.Arnoldx

Phrasal verbs

To shut

Phrasal verbs

To shut up

Phrasal verbs

What’ve you come up with?

She’s always going on about how fantastic Greenwich is.

I wanted to live in Covent Garden but I’m going to have to make do with Hammersmith as central London’s too expensive

Formal vs Informal

Writing Speaking

Never contract Always contract

No phrasal verbs Loads of phrasal verbs

No slang Loads of slang

Grammatically accurate Not grammatically accurate

No vagueness Vagueness ok

I/my/you/your etc = bad I/my etc = good

Some Golden Rules of Academic Writing

1. Formality - no informal expressions

- no phrasal verbs

- no contractions

- no vagueness

2. Accuracy - check for common mistakes (eg?)

 3. Organisation/structure

 4. Don’t try to be Shakespeare!

ELSP

Who are we?

ELSP