Maestra

DICTION
• Levels of Diction (Levels of Articulation)
* Non-standard language
* Vulgarity
* Slang
* Colloquial
* Jargon
* Cliché
* Dialect
Informal/standard
Formaldiction/elevated language
• Types of Diction
Concrete vs. abstract (specific vs. general)
Denotation vs. connotation
Literal vs. figurative
DICTION – word choice; general character of the languageused by the author
• Levels of Diction (Levels of
Articulation)
Non-standard language – language deficient in some form or manner
Vulgarity – language deficient in taste and refinement; coarse,base (anyswear word)
Slang – refers to a group of recently coined words; slang is ephemeral and Exclusive.
Colloquial – are nonstandard, often regional ways of using language appropriate to informaland conversational speech and writing (Canadian “about” and the Southern “Y’all”
Jargon – consists of words and expression characteristic of a particular trade, profession, or pursuit(gigabyte, logicboard, CPU, DVD burner = computer jargon)
Cliché – figurative language used so often it has lost its freshness and clarity (“slept like a dog” “bigger and better” “jump for joy”Dialect – is anonstandard subgroup of a language with its own vocabulary and grammatical features. Reflects the way individual groups actually speak.
Informal/standard – language grammatically correct, butconversational. Sometimes referred to as Standard American English (SAE).
Formal diction/elevated language –language appropriate for more formal occasions; often more abstract and more figurative.
• Types ofDictionConcrete vs. abstract (specific vs. general) – language tangible to our five senses vs. language that is conceptual and philosophical
Denotation vs. connotation – lang. w/ exact meaning vs. lang.w/ suggested emotional meaning
Literal vs. figurative – accurate lang. w/out embellishment vs. comparative lang. for a pictorial effect.

Language Registers
 
There are five language registers...