1. Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature
Language and Dialect
Brought to you by
Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature
& Dawn of the Unread
_________________

2. Register of Language “A variety of a language or a level of usage”
‘Ey up me duck!
Register of Language
“A variety of a language or a level of usage”
(Oxford Dictionaries)
This is about the words you choose and how they are
written or pronounced.
When choosing your register of language, think about:
How formal you want it to be
Who you are communicating with
The right register of language can help to give a good impression and get your message across clearly.

3. Hello my dear!
Standard English
“The form of the English language widely accepted as the usual correct form.”
(Oxford Dictionaries)
Can be used in a formal or informal setting.
Doesn’t include words that are regional, local or used only by certain people.
Examples of Standard English:
Isn’t it | Anything | Take

4. (Oxford Dictionaries)
‘Ey up!
Dialect
“A particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group.”
(Oxford Dictionaries)
Less formal than Standard English.
Does include words that are regional, local or used only by certain people.
Examples of Dialect:
Innit | ‘Owt | Tek

5. “A type of language consisting of words and phrases that are…
Mint!
Slang
“A type of language consisting of words and phrases that are…
regarded as very informal
more common in speech than writing
typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.” (Oxford Dictionaries)
Unlike dialect words, slang words often change over time or go out of fashion.
Examples of slang:
‘Ace’ = Brilliant | ‘Quid’ = Pound | ‘Doss’ = Laze around

6. especially one associated with a particular country,
Boooks!
Accent
“A distinctive way of pronouncing a language,
especially one associated with a particular country,
area, or social class.”
(Oxford Dictionaries)
Accent is about the way people speak.
Try saying this Standard English phrase out loud:
“I want to read a book”
Now try saying it with a different accent, e.g.
Nottingham
American
Australian

7. Gerron wi’ it! Read stories from Nottingham in Dawn of the Unread
Ta-ra duck!
Gerron wi’ it!
Read stories from Nottingham
in Dawn of the Unread
Think about the language and dialect used by the characters
Write your own story, article or other piece, and pay attention to the register of language you use