Microsoft Word Revised Syllabus Ver doc

Formal and Informal 
A major way of marking factors such as solidarity, distances, intimacy, and formality 
is to switch from one language variety to another. For example a Berlin businessman may use 
standard German at the office and lapse into local dialect when he returns home. 
Languages have developed a wide range of varieties for handling the different kinds 
and levels of relationship, which identify the social structure of a community. These varieties 
are partly reflected in such factors as occupation, subject matter, social status, and setting; but 
it is important to note that they may also be used as symbols of social identity. 
Sexism 
The relationship between language and sex has attracted considerable attention in 
recent years, largely as a consequence of public concern over male and female equality. In 
grammar, the issue that has attracted most attention is the lack of a sex neutral, third person 
singular pronoun in English especially in its use after indefinite pronouns. For example, “if 
anyone wants a copy, he can have one”. In plural there is no problem, for ‘they’ is available. 
In Middle Tamil there are some literary variety namely paavaipa:tal, amma:nai and kalanku, 
etc., have received more discussion, because of the impact of feminism. 

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9 
Setting
 
The particular time and place in which people interact will exercise its influence on 
the kind of communication that may occur-or whether communication is permitted at all. In 
institutionalized settings, such as a church or a court of law, the effect on language use is 
clear enough. But in many everyday situations, and especially in cultures we find alien, the 
relationship between setting and language can be very difficult to discover. 
At dinner parties, interviews, council meetings, weddings and on other occasions, 
linguistic norms of behavior need to be intuitively recognized if people are to act 
appropriately, but they are not always easy to define.